Many may wonder why I still denounce and condemn (by the way, Hillary, that's 100%, by the way!) the mainstream media. I'm personally very proud to be involved with grassroots local media such as WGOT and The Satellite magazine. What the mainstream media have become is completely shameful!
This past Monday, Rev. Jeremiah Wright gave a press conference before the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Why he chose this past week to surface at events like this one or on PBS with Bill Moyers is certainly debatable, but I can't see where he necessarily gave any revelations that we may not have known already.
The mainstream media certainly doesn't see it this way. After Monday's proceedings by Rev. Wright, they suddenly proclaimed that Wright was "throwing Obama under the bus" without as much as an explanation why. I immediately recalled the evening of the Iowa caucus four years ago, when Howard Dean rallied his troops with Senator Tom Harkin in tow. Although John Kerry won that evening, Dean vowed to fight on, rattling off a littany of states that had upcoming primaries or caucuses. Then it came: the "scream." The recording that was aired by the media a thousand times was from his isolated microphone without a hint of crowd noise. The truth was that that rally was so loud that you could barely hear yourself think. When you're trying to talk over such a mob, you sometimes overcompensate by screaming. What should have simply been an enthusiastic "yeah!" after naming out many of our states instead became Dean's albatross, constantly being thrown back in his face for no logical reason. "Oh, he's a screamer. That makes him totally unelectable!"
Right.
Jeremiah Wright is quickly becoming Barack Obama's albatross. After floating countless other balloons such as his choice, or lack thereof, of lapel pins, his childhood in the largest Muslim country in the world (Indonesia), or his audacity of not putting his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance (Although the picture in question was during the Star Spangled Banner - don't try to confuse the American public with the facts! Just tell us when American Idol's on.), the media and other so-called "objective" parties in this primary race have finally found a story into which they can sink their teeth. Even Keith Olbermann, whose opinion I normally respect, has even jumped on this bandwagon.
I'm not even going to delve into how transparent this media move is to me. Just let me say that I told you so. When we're stuck in an endless hundred-year war in Iraq, staring $200-a-barrel gas straight in the face, and bearing witness to widespread food, energy, and financial crises that we can only begin to imagine, don't come crying to me!
If the media has their way, all of these "committed" and superdelegates will now go running to Hillary Clinton to give her the nomination. If you don't think this is the Republican National Committee's wet dream, think again. Only someone as divisive as Hillary Clinton will turn out the Republican base in droves in this election. It's true that this is the Democrat's election to lose this time, but thanks to the mainstream media, they're well on their way to blowing things on a grand scale.
So, keep up the Jeremiah Wright witch hunt, CNN. Keep on expounding on how irresponsible Barack Obama is by having such a pastor, MSNBC. You're doing nothing but sending this country to the wolves.
I'm SO looking forward to taking out a second mortgage every time I fill up my gas tank. Thanks a million!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
R.I.P. to The Buzz
Well, this past week has confirmed that the once adventurous playlist at 100.5 The Buzz here in Gainesville is no more. They're now playing such artists as Metallica, Alice in Chains, and Fuel - the very bands that they used to make fun of Rock 104 for playing. As I said on my radio show (Stripped, on 94.7fm WGOT every Monday night at 9pm) this evening, I know the smell of a radio consultant all too well.
This was certainly the work of a radio consultant. The airwaves undulate with the trademark foul stench every time I set my tuner to 100.5fm. Oh well - it was fun while it lasted. We'll still have the great memories of listening to Leigh Scott playing stuff by Rilo Kiley and Husker Du. Or of Mojo and Spanish in the morning rocking the Rage Against the Machine and Reverend Horton Heat.
The more that beloved radio formats go by the wayside, the more it comes apparent that our American Idol-loving asses never deserved it in the first place.
As a result of this formatic death, increased burden now rests on those of us in community radio. You can give us the resources to keep the movement alive. We hope to see you at WGOT's benefit concert on St. Paddy's Day (Monday, March 17th) at Club 1982 downtown.
Indie rock is dead. Long live indie rock!
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Human hatred on display in Gainesville
This past Monday saw a debate before the Gainesville City Commission on the subject of “gender identity,” or the ability to add transgendered individuals to the list of those not to be unfairly discriminated against. It was a scary look into the institutionalized and politically acceptable bigotry that still passes as the norm in this country. Through an ordinance, those who had gender identity will now be protected from such institutionalized discrimination thanks to a 4-3 vote by the commission last Monday evening.
Such a vote did not come lightly. One after another, supposed men and women of God approached the podium during public comment, denouncing the passage of this legislation. Pastors and reverends alike repeatedly equated the condition of transgender to those that engage in pedophilia, incest, bestiality, and other despicable acts. Others insisted that the passage of this legislation would be a one-way ticket to Sodom and Gomorrah. Some stated that they were taught in school that they were a man or a woman and that was that.
Excuse me, but who the hell are you to apply your personal experience to the arc of existence of everyone else on this mortal coil?
Before the commission, there was much talk of inconveniencing “us” and giving “special treatment” to certain individuals in society. Apparently, this “us” they speak of consists of people intolerant of others and their situations - the very same people that consider the act of giving transgenders the same rights as others as “special treatment.”
Given, at least some of you were more honest than others last Monday night. One woman talked of straight people being brought “down to their moral standards.” Which way does your moral compass point, anyway? Do you not think that transgenders are capable of morality? Imagine someone of questionable gender identity being able to go into the restroom of the gender they most identify with on their own volition. Gender identity with a moral compass? Truly shocking stuff!
Equally disappointing was the overwhelming commentary from members of the African-American community, who quoted various passages of scripture in an effort to prove that commissioners who voted for this ordinance would be condemned to hell. Commissioner Henry was even informed that he was no longer “a man of God” due to his previous, nonbinding vote on the subject. To watch fear of the unknown manifest itself as fire and brimstone pronouncements from the bully pulpit was truly the frightening part of these proceedings. One speaker even went as far as to say that God would bring his wrath down on all of those with questionable gender identity. This isn’t 1930s Germany, folks – it’s Twenty-First Century Gainesville!
And as for bible verses and scripture, let me remind you of one myself: it’s Matthew, Chapter 17, Verse 1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Luke Chapter 6, Verse 37 goes a little deeper: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” It continues in the book of Luke, Chaper 14, Verses 10 and 13: “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we all stand before God’s judgment seat. … Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” Most of the religious speakers last Monday evening conveniently forgot these passages. Some way to treat your “brothers” and “sisters!”
Some of these same people said that they were justified in condemning this commission because they were the ones that elected them. Churchgoers are the ones that voted these commissioners into office? Are they the ones who gave Jack Donovan 70% of the popular vote the very next day at the city commission election? Somehow, I think not. Commissioner Donovan remains an ordained minister, despite the wicked and outrageous pronouncements you sent in his direction.
Also, I never had any idea that people of allegedly high religious conviction had such an obsession with bathrooms and genitalia. The last time I checked, public bathrooms still have stalls. If you’re so obsessed with what types of organs people have between their legs when you’re in a public restroom, you may want to seek a mental health evaluation. Many of the speakers expressed concern for their children being exposed to transgendered individuals in public restrooms. How about having talks about such things with your children and explaining to them what those with unsure gender identity go through on a daily basis? I know – it’s just a little too much to ask for by today’s parenting standards.
Talk such as this makes me surprised this wasn’t some sort of twisted bathroom ordinance. But no – this was a matter of extending equal rights to an unprotected segment of the population. What about matters such as housing and credit protection? These were only mentioned sparingly, if at all. And then there were the so-called “businessmen,” who felt threatened by this new legislation, saying that it would severely cripple their day-to-day operations. Despite repeating this mantra, these businessmen failed to give even a single example of how such crippling would occur – which brings us to one of the major cruxes of this situation: how many transgendered citizens actually reside in Gainesville? You’d think it was some massively growing cult from the words of many speakers that evening. Hell, if people concentrated on burning issues such as health care and social security as much as they did about transgenders last Monday, this would be one helluva place – almost a utopian-type society.
As Sierra Club president Rob Brinkman noted in his public comments, there is an already-high suicide rate among the transgendered. Surely threats of violence and other forms of intimidation couldn’t possibly be the cause of this. And, of course, extending equal rights to such people would be taking away the privacy of normal, heterosexual, law-abiding citizens. Give me a break!
Throughout its history, Gainesville has been a city that has prided itself on doing the right thing, even in the face of a small, vocal minority that has been persuaded to speak with the threat of excommunication or worse by their faith or religious organization. Those that have done the right thing instead of bowing to the pressure of a vocal minority deserve our tremendous respect and gratitude. I would like to personally thank Mayor Hanrahan and commissioners Donovan, Lowe, and Mastrodicasa for standing vigilant over the rights of all of Gainesville’s citizens.
And, as for those that think the addition of gender identity to the list of those who enjoy the protection from discrimination is wrong, just keep in mind that Interstate 75 runs both north and south from here. Pick an exit – that is, if you really know where you’re going…
Such a vote did not come lightly. One after another, supposed men and women of God approached the podium during public comment, denouncing the passage of this legislation. Pastors and reverends alike repeatedly equated the condition of transgender to those that engage in pedophilia, incest, bestiality, and other despicable acts. Others insisted that the passage of this legislation would be a one-way ticket to Sodom and Gomorrah. Some stated that they were taught in school that they were a man or a woman and that was that.
Excuse me, but who the hell are you to apply your personal experience to the arc of existence of everyone else on this mortal coil?
Before the commission, there was much talk of inconveniencing “us” and giving “special treatment” to certain individuals in society. Apparently, this “us” they speak of consists of people intolerant of others and their situations - the very same people that consider the act of giving transgenders the same rights as others as “special treatment.”
Given, at least some of you were more honest than others last Monday night. One woman talked of straight people being brought “down to their moral standards.” Which way does your moral compass point, anyway? Do you not think that transgenders are capable of morality? Imagine someone of questionable gender identity being able to go into the restroom of the gender they most identify with on their own volition. Gender identity with a moral compass? Truly shocking stuff!
Equally disappointing was the overwhelming commentary from members of the African-American community, who quoted various passages of scripture in an effort to prove that commissioners who voted for this ordinance would be condemned to hell. Commissioner Henry was even informed that he was no longer “a man of God” due to his previous, nonbinding vote on the subject. To watch fear of the unknown manifest itself as fire and brimstone pronouncements from the bully pulpit was truly the frightening part of these proceedings. One speaker even went as far as to say that God would bring his wrath down on all of those with questionable gender identity. This isn’t 1930s Germany, folks – it’s Twenty-First Century Gainesville!
And as for bible verses and scripture, let me remind you of one myself: it’s Matthew, Chapter 17, Verse 1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Luke Chapter 6, Verse 37 goes a little deeper: “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” It continues in the book of Luke, Chaper 14, Verses 10 and 13: “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we all stand before God’s judgment seat. … Therefore, let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.” Most of the religious speakers last Monday evening conveniently forgot these passages. Some way to treat your “brothers” and “sisters!”
Some of these same people said that they were justified in condemning this commission because they were the ones that elected them. Churchgoers are the ones that voted these commissioners into office? Are they the ones who gave Jack Donovan 70% of the popular vote the very next day at the city commission election? Somehow, I think not. Commissioner Donovan remains an ordained minister, despite the wicked and outrageous pronouncements you sent in his direction.
Also, I never had any idea that people of allegedly high religious conviction had such an obsession with bathrooms and genitalia. The last time I checked, public bathrooms still have stalls. If you’re so obsessed with what types of organs people have between their legs when you’re in a public restroom, you may want to seek a mental health evaluation. Many of the speakers expressed concern for their children being exposed to transgendered individuals in public restrooms. How about having talks about such things with your children and explaining to them what those with unsure gender identity go through on a daily basis? I know – it’s just a little too much to ask for by today’s parenting standards.
Talk such as this makes me surprised this wasn’t some sort of twisted bathroom ordinance. But no – this was a matter of extending equal rights to an unprotected segment of the population. What about matters such as housing and credit protection? These were only mentioned sparingly, if at all. And then there were the so-called “businessmen,” who felt threatened by this new legislation, saying that it would severely cripple their day-to-day operations. Despite repeating this mantra, these businessmen failed to give even a single example of how such crippling would occur – which brings us to one of the major cruxes of this situation: how many transgendered citizens actually reside in Gainesville? You’d think it was some massively growing cult from the words of many speakers that evening. Hell, if people concentrated on burning issues such as health care and social security as much as they did about transgenders last Monday, this would be one helluva place – almost a utopian-type society.
As Sierra Club president Rob Brinkman noted in his public comments, there is an already-high suicide rate among the transgendered. Surely threats of violence and other forms of intimidation couldn’t possibly be the cause of this. And, of course, extending equal rights to such people would be taking away the privacy of normal, heterosexual, law-abiding citizens. Give me a break!
Throughout its history, Gainesville has been a city that has prided itself on doing the right thing, even in the face of a small, vocal minority that has been persuaded to speak with the threat of excommunication or worse by their faith or religious organization. Those that have done the right thing instead of bowing to the pressure of a vocal minority deserve our tremendous respect and gratitude. I would like to personally thank Mayor Hanrahan and commissioners Donovan, Lowe, and Mastrodicasa for standing vigilant over the rights of all of Gainesville’s citizens.
And, as for those that think the addition of gender identity to the list of those who enjoy the protection from discrimination is wrong, just keep in mind that Interstate 75 runs both north and south from here. Pick an exit – that is, if you really know where you’re going…
Thursday, December 13, 2007
New Order: the Pink Floyd of the 21st Century?
So what the hell's the deal with New Order? Now that they're getting some film love with an Anton Corbijn biopic about the history of Joy Division, Peter Hook's declaring New Order as kaput. What is it with bassists and their big heads, anyway? Given, Hooky's bass is the absolute driving force behind their sound (I'm now sure of this after seeing them live at Coachella a couple years back - amazing!), but how can one member unilaterally declare a band splitsville when the other members clearly want to keep carrying on.
Although Gillian Gilbert is on indefinite hiatus from the band, I'd love to hear her take on the whole thing. We know Bernard Sumner and Stephen Morris are all about carrying on, but if it was 3-to-1 against, it would be a helluva mandate - similar to that other British band that went through a similar scenario in the late 80s: Pink Floyd. Roger Waters' contribution to them was mainly in the songwriting realm (I think his bass-playing is unremarkable at best - sorry), Hooky's bass is used as a melodic instrument in New Order, bringing an analog heart to an otherwise electronic body of work. Conversely, Waters' bass parts were easily covered by hired guns on the Momentary Lapse of Reason and Division Bell tours.
So what's the real dilly, yo? Anybody have some inside info? Inquiring minds want to know...
Monday, November 05, 2007
The Fest 6 rocks Gainesville
It's the damnedest thing with The Fest. Immediately afterwards comes Halloween and then our son Aiden's birthday (in this case, his first!). Either way, now that it's been over a week later, let me begin to piece together the experience this year.
After regrettably missing the first evening, including what I heard were outstanding performances by Radon and Naked Raygun, we finally made it out early Saturday afternoon. First of all, I must say that the folks at the 2nd Street Bakery did an OUTSTANDING job hosting the fest for the first time this year. In their two days, they hosted such various bands as The Ones to Blame, This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, and Saw Wheel. The later, two dudes from Virginia, had some great, gruffy folk songs about the rough life. Others such as Austin Lucas and the Pressmen, a band of Europeans fronted by a transplanted Hooser by way of Texas, got the crowd fired up with a rousing set of kicking tunes.
Although I missed the Ones to Blame, who were headlining at the Bakery that day, it was for good reason. I was off to Common Grounds (on foot, I might add!) to catch former local band Fay Wray, whose reunited lineup included stalwart Addison Burns on drums, in addition to regulars Rob Coe, Jeff London, and Replay Dave. The bespectacled London got into character quickly as many from the crowd came up onstage to join in singing the choruses to many of the band's faves. Overall, a great time. I promise I'll catch The Ones to Blame again soon at one of their many Hogtown shows. Promise. Oh yeah...and many thanks to Pete & Nanc for shuttling my wife's keys to her after we realized that I shlepped more than halfway to common grounds without giving Michelle or Aiden the keys to get home. Oooops. It would almost be excusable if I were drinking, but the Bakery did not serve any alcohol the entire weekend, alas.
With the Fest selling out of their wristband allotment several days before the event, I went to far fewer shows than I would have otherwise, but I spent way less money so it all worked out in the end. Sunday was great, too, with overcast and cool weather greeting us at the Bakery. There, we saw a great variety of indie rock. Ghost Mice started things off on a quiet note since none of their instuments were amplified. We had to strain to hear anything from our position near the back of the crowd. After that, the jams were kicked outward with full-on rock n roll from Defiance, Ohio and This Bike is a Pipe Bomb. Matt & Kim closed out the afternoon with their quirky, awesome tunes. Their music, while indescribable, is that which literally makes it impossible to take the smile off your case. In short, they're an instantly lovable duo! Check 'em out if you haven't already.
Finally, as Pete & Nanc watched Aiden sleep quietly, we headed off for the nightcap at The Venue, catching Sir Prize Fighter and the reunited Seaweed. The latter act I hadn't seen in about 15 years, the last time being one year at CMJ at The Academy in New York City. They even did their famous cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." Afterwards, we were lucky enough to run across the street and catch our friends in Frozen Cobra as they closed out their set with a rocking version of "Pure" by the Lightning Seeds. It was then last call. We had to get the fuck out. It was a marathon weekend as always, but most wouldn't have it any other way. We'll see you again next year for Fest lucky number 7!!!
Slainte mhath.
After regrettably missing the first evening, including what I heard were outstanding performances by Radon and Naked Raygun, we finally made it out early Saturday afternoon. First of all, I must say that the folks at the 2nd Street Bakery did an OUTSTANDING job hosting the fest for the first time this year. In their two days, they hosted such various bands as The Ones to Blame, This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb, and Saw Wheel. The later, two dudes from Virginia, had some great, gruffy folk songs about the rough life. Others such as Austin Lucas and the Pressmen, a band of Europeans fronted by a transplanted Hooser by way of Texas, got the crowd fired up with a rousing set of kicking tunes.
Although I missed the Ones to Blame, who were headlining at the Bakery that day, it was for good reason. I was off to Common Grounds (on foot, I might add!) to catch former local band Fay Wray, whose reunited lineup included stalwart Addison Burns on drums, in addition to regulars Rob Coe, Jeff London, and Replay Dave. The bespectacled London got into character quickly as many from the crowd came up onstage to join in singing the choruses to many of the band's faves. Overall, a great time. I promise I'll catch The Ones to Blame again soon at one of their many Hogtown shows. Promise. Oh yeah...and many thanks to Pete & Nanc for shuttling my wife's keys to her after we realized that I shlepped more than halfway to common grounds without giving Michelle or Aiden the keys to get home. Oooops. It would almost be excusable if I were drinking, but the Bakery did not serve any alcohol the entire weekend, alas.
With the Fest selling out of their wristband allotment several days before the event, I went to far fewer shows than I would have otherwise, but I spent way less money so it all worked out in the end. Sunday was great, too, with overcast and cool weather greeting us at the Bakery. There, we saw a great variety of indie rock. Ghost Mice started things off on a quiet note since none of their instuments were amplified. We had to strain to hear anything from our position near the back of the crowd. After that, the jams were kicked outward with full-on rock n roll from Defiance, Ohio and This Bike is a Pipe Bomb. Matt & Kim closed out the afternoon with their quirky, awesome tunes. Their music, while indescribable, is that which literally makes it impossible to take the smile off your case. In short, they're an instantly lovable duo! Check 'em out if you haven't already.
Finally, as Pete & Nanc watched Aiden sleep quietly, we headed off for the nightcap at The Venue, catching Sir Prize Fighter and the reunited Seaweed. The latter act I hadn't seen in about 15 years, the last time being one year at CMJ at The Academy in New York City. They even did their famous cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way." Afterwards, we were lucky enough to run across the street and catch our friends in Frozen Cobra as they closed out their set with a rocking version of "Pure" by the Lightning Seeds. It was then last call. We had to get the fuck out. It was a marathon weekend as always, but most wouldn't have it any other way. We'll see you again next year for Fest lucky number 7!!!
Slainte mhath.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Fest V Flashback: Day 3
Let's close out last year's Fest with a bang
and get ready for this year's gala! ENJOY!
---------------------------------------------
The Fest goes country on its final day
Saying goodbye to Gainesville for yet another year, the Fest V ended on a decidedly country note Sunday. During the mid-afternoon, while people were in the middle of early voting and candidate forums, the Downtown Community Plaza had some of the free acts of the weekend, including Rob McGregor’s project The Damn Wrights. McGregor, who’s produced more local CDs than most people own, performed a selection of country-folk tunes backed by a crack female band featuring members of The Ones to Blame. The weather was great – a big change from the world-ending torrents that hailed down Friday evening.
Continue to 2nd paragraph After enjoying the sun for a bit, it was off to The Atlantic to catch a relatively unknown band with an intriguing name, Affirmative Action Jackson. The North Main Street club, already packed to the gills due to its early Sunday schedule, was buzzing with a rambunctious crowd as the vocalist railed against things like Sparks and Republicans between quick bursts of punk. The band, which calls Philly home, typified the rest of The Atlantic’s Sunday hardcore bill, which also included fellow Philadelphians Paint It Black, among others.
Common Grounds was next on the itinerary with some early shows by Glossary and Two Cow Garage, two bands hailing from other prominent college towns. Murphreesboro, Tennessee’s Glossary kicked up some honky tonk blues featuring dual singers that hocked CDs and fruit from the stage between songs. Two Cow Garage, from Columbus, Ohio, debated whether or not they were a country band between their corn-fed rock tunes.
Between these two bands, I decided to take a brief stroll over to Club Red to complete my cycle of all The Fest venues for the weekend. Ceramic Cats on first featuring atmospheric compositions sung by Beat Buttons vocalist Alex Lopez. The band sat around onstage as if at a hippie commune, playing laptop rock for the couple dozen in attendance. Many were waiting for the Buttons later appearance at the venue.
After almost crashing an Oriental wedding at The Sun Center on my way back to Common Grounds, I decided to keep my wandering to a minimum the rest of the evening. Although the peak crowds had long since dissipated, my lockout from Common Grounds last night stuck in my mind and I really didn’t want to miss their evening lineup this time.
The always-entertaining Ones to Blame took to the stage, singing tunes of woe and its subsequent alcoholism. Budweisers, Jagermeisters, and other assorted beverages came into play, but no $3.99 wine, unfortunately. The quintet of gals kept things lively nonetheless, with a couple of members sporting their newly pierced noses. The crowd began to reach its peak as the banjo and mandolin cranked out their country party tunes.
Bassist Jackie at one point staked The Ones to Blame’s claim as a “drinking band.” Saying this just before Whiskey & Co. took the stage was like Russell Crowe saying that he can put some away while standing next to Mel Gibson.
The crowd was certainly near capacity when Whiskey & Co. took the stage. Drinking anthems like “Nightlife” got the crowd warmed up with many a drink and beer glass hoisted into the air. Kim Helm and Brian Johnson traded verses with relish as the crowd swelled to an impressive size. Let’s hope that more talk of these “final show” rumors is just that.
Former Hot Water Music singer-songwriter Chuck Ragan then took to the stage with his guitar and harmonica. Looking very much the part of a punk rock troubadour in the Dashboard Confessional vein, Ragan kept the crowd’s attention with his set of earnest, rootsy blues tunes. Ragan, who now calls California home, seemed happy to be back among many of his friends and most loyal fans. Mid-set, Ragan sent out a song to his former HWM bandmates who were off touring Europe under The Draft moniker. By the end of his abbreviated show, he had accompaniment in the form of violinist John Gott. Ragan brought things to an emotional conclusion with a sing-along version of the HWM classic “Eating the Filler.”
The Fest wouldn’t be complete without the bands that make Gainesville the thriving punk scene that it is. That said, Billy Reese Peters were putting on a late-Sunday set a block away at The Side Bar. The Fest wouldn’t be complete without at least a peek at their set. A packed house awaited me at the venue once again, much like last evening. Inside, BRP were having a grand time. The band, shirtless except for the eternal Dolphins fan and bassist Mike Collins in his favorite Daunte Culpepper shirt, flailed around the stage with abandon. They even launched into a drunken version of “We’re An American Band,” which fit the hysteria level that The Fest had reached by that point in the evening. Despite the infectious nature of the crowd, the oppressive heat and humidity of the small venue drove me back to Common Grounds one last time.
There, Colorado’s Drag the River continued the trend of multi-state representation on the evening, although all members didn’t quite make the trip. The band flew into Gainesville especially for The Fest even though they’ll be back for their own headlining tour in a mere six weeks. Bassist J.J. Nobody’s fear of flying kept him away, forcing guitarist-vocalist Jon Snodgrass to do low-end duties. Vocalist Chad Price, now with beard and looking more and more like director Kevin Smith, blended with Snodgrass on an extended set of lowdown countrified tales. After about three false endings in which the band was goaded into playing yet one more song, The Fest finally came to its exhausting conclusion.
Now, exhausted is how I feel. Throughout the weekend, an image I saw on TV last week stuck in my mind. In a zoo in London, a pelican went up to a pigeon and swallowed it whole! I pictured the whale on The Fest t-shirt logo as the pelican and me as the pigeon on more than a few occasions. I’m just happy to have survived this ever-popular annual musical adventure. After all, this beard’s getting itchy. Where the hell did I put my razor?
© Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun
and get ready for this year's gala! ENJOY!
---------------------------------------------
The Fest goes country on its final day
Saying goodbye to Gainesville for yet another year, the Fest V ended on a decidedly country note Sunday. During the mid-afternoon, while people were in the middle of early voting and candidate forums, the Downtown Community Plaza had some of the free acts of the weekend, including Rob McGregor’s project The Damn Wrights. McGregor, who’s produced more local CDs than most people own, performed a selection of country-folk tunes backed by a crack female band featuring members of The Ones to Blame. The weather was great – a big change from the world-ending torrents that hailed down Friday evening.
Continue to 2nd paragraph After enjoying the sun for a bit, it was off to The Atlantic to catch a relatively unknown band with an intriguing name, Affirmative Action Jackson. The North Main Street club, already packed to the gills due to its early Sunday schedule, was buzzing with a rambunctious crowd as the vocalist railed against things like Sparks and Republicans between quick bursts of punk. The band, which calls Philly home, typified the rest of The Atlantic’s Sunday hardcore bill, which also included fellow Philadelphians Paint It Black, among others.
Common Grounds was next on the itinerary with some early shows by Glossary and Two Cow Garage, two bands hailing from other prominent college towns. Murphreesboro, Tennessee’s Glossary kicked up some honky tonk blues featuring dual singers that hocked CDs and fruit from the stage between songs. Two Cow Garage, from Columbus, Ohio, debated whether or not they were a country band between their corn-fed rock tunes.
Between these two bands, I decided to take a brief stroll over to Club Red to complete my cycle of all The Fest venues for the weekend. Ceramic Cats on first featuring atmospheric compositions sung by Beat Buttons vocalist Alex Lopez. The band sat around onstage as if at a hippie commune, playing laptop rock for the couple dozen in attendance. Many were waiting for the Buttons later appearance at the venue.
After almost crashing an Oriental wedding at The Sun Center on my way back to Common Grounds, I decided to keep my wandering to a minimum the rest of the evening. Although the peak crowds had long since dissipated, my lockout from Common Grounds last night stuck in my mind and I really didn’t want to miss their evening lineup this time.
The always-entertaining Ones to Blame took to the stage, singing tunes of woe and its subsequent alcoholism. Budweisers, Jagermeisters, and other assorted beverages came into play, but no $3.99 wine, unfortunately. The quintet of gals kept things lively nonetheless, with a couple of members sporting their newly pierced noses. The crowd began to reach its peak as the banjo and mandolin cranked out their country party tunes.
Bassist Jackie at one point staked The Ones to Blame’s claim as a “drinking band.” Saying this just before Whiskey & Co. took the stage was like Russell Crowe saying that he can put some away while standing next to Mel Gibson.
The crowd was certainly near capacity when Whiskey & Co. took the stage. Drinking anthems like “Nightlife” got the crowd warmed up with many a drink and beer glass hoisted into the air. Kim Helm and Brian Johnson traded verses with relish as the crowd swelled to an impressive size. Let’s hope that more talk of these “final show” rumors is just that.
Former Hot Water Music singer-songwriter Chuck Ragan then took to the stage with his guitar and harmonica. Looking very much the part of a punk rock troubadour in the Dashboard Confessional vein, Ragan kept the crowd’s attention with his set of earnest, rootsy blues tunes. Ragan, who now calls California home, seemed happy to be back among many of his friends and most loyal fans. Mid-set, Ragan sent out a song to his former HWM bandmates who were off touring Europe under The Draft moniker. By the end of his abbreviated show, he had accompaniment in the form of violinist John Gott. Ragan brought things to an emotional conclusion with a sing-along version of the HWM classic “Eating the Filler.”
The Fest wouldn’t be complete without the bands that make Gainesville the thriving punk scene that it is. That said, Billy Reese Peters were putting on a late-Sunday set a block away at The Side Bar. The Fest wouldn’t be complete without at least a peek at their set. A packed house awaited me at the venue once again, much like last evening. Inside, BRP were having a grand time. The band, shirtless except for the eternal Dolphins fan and bassist Mike Collins in his favorite Daunte Culpepper shirt, flailed around the stage with abandon. They even launched into a drunken version of “We’re An American Band,” which fit the hysteria level that The Fest had reached by that point in the evening. Despite the infectious nature of the crowd, the oppressive heat and humidity of the small venue drove me back to Common Grounds one last time.
There, Colorado’s Drag the River continued the trend of multi-state representation on the evening, although all members didn’t quite make the trip. The band flew into Gainesville especially for The Fest even though they’ll be back for their own headlining tour in a mere six weeks. Bassist J.J. Nobody’s fear of flying kept him away, forcing guitarist-vocalist Jon Snodgrass to do low-end duties. Vocalist Chad Price, now with beard and looking more and more like director Kevin Smith, blended with Snodgrass on an extended set of lowdown countrified tales. After about three false endings in which the band was goaded into playing yet one more song, The Fest finally came to its exhausting conclusion.
Now, exhausted is how I feel. Throughout the weekend, an image I saw on TV last week stuck in my mind. In a zoo in London, a pelican went up to a pigeon and swallowed it whole! I pictured the whale on The Fest t-shirt logo as the pelican and me as the pigeon on more than a few occasions. I’m just happy to have survived this ever-popular annual musical adventure. After all, this beard’s getting itchy. Where the hell did I put my razor?
© Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Fest V Flashback: Day 2
Take a deep breath...here's a run down memory lane from Saturday last year:
The Fest V turns the corner on day two
After a damp but promising start on Friday, The Fest V reached its stride on day two Saturday with a full 13-hour schedule of music. To even begin to comprehend how grueling such a task this is, one must begin the day well nourished. With that, it was off to Common Grounds for some of their barbeque. Upon arrival, the chow line was already quite long – in fact long enough to bail out while my better half held our place in line. Inside Common Grounds, Frozen Cobra were just finishing their set as the first band of the day. Their short-but-sweet set of raucous punk tunes provided an aural bloody mary for those still recovering from the night before, including the band itself.
Continue to 2nd paragraph The barbeque offered both carnivorous and vegetarian options with entrees such as pork sandwiches and barbeque tempeh. After ordering the latter with sides of potato salad and beans along with bottled water, I was informed that the beans were not totally vegetarian. I explained to the server that I wasn’t vegetarian but was instead trying to eat healthy in an effort to last the day. The dish was adequate, but hardly the “ass-load of food” that the schedule promised, unless of course you’re speaking of your typical indie rocker chic diet. Nonetheless, the tempeh provided a quick shot of protein energy to take on this musical juggernaut. My wife enjoyed her pork sandwich, although she thought the meat a bit “lukewarm to cold.” The meal passed for a solid lunch, though, but would have been more suitable at two or three dollars less than the eight bucks charged.
Back inside Common Grounds, Blacksnake were into their early afternoon set. The Gainesville band featured vocalist Rich formerly from Whoreculture as well as other former members of rock vets Grinch, Scorcher, and The Doldrums. Blacksnake flexed their longtime musical chops with a set of top-notch garage rock. The Hold were up shortly thereafter representing Gainesville with metal-inspired tunes in the eighties/early nineties tradition of The Cult and Alice in Chains. It almost gave one the feeling of being at the Button South in South Florida fifteen years ago.
Any lingering feelings of nostalgia soon went out the window with the set from Wilmington, North Carolina’s Thunderlip. The recurring theme of costumes finally made their debut this Halloween weekend as singer Charge Kruiser dressed in drag with a cape and ascot as he writhed on the ground. The band put on a shock-rock set of songs that thoroughly entertained the ever-growing crowd, complete with a blood spitting bassist in the form of Patrick Phillips.
After taking a bit of a break to watch our local football team pull out an unimpressive win against a clearly inferior opponent, it was back downtown for more costumed musical mayhem. The band VCR were taking the stage at The Atlantic complete with neon-colored Jason masks. As a squid-man danced through the crowd, the band showered the audience in its aggressive synth-rock sound, inspiring many spontaneous mass-handclaps. No guitars here – just a rhythm section with three keyboardists that took the crowd on a musical journey of equal parts Hammond B3, Moog, and Farfisa. (They get my vote as The Fest V's best and most original band!) The Atlantic’s Fest set-up took some getting used to: the usual front entrance was reserved for bands only while us common folk had to enter through the side alley, which brought us into the club near the rear toilets. Charming.
After a missed attempt to catch Ghost Mice on the Downtown Plaza before the end of their set, a quick check of Common Grounds saw the line well into the parking lot in the direction of Five Star Pizza. Clearly, any hope of getting back there this evening was now lost.
The Side Bar was a great replacement, though, with a throng of high-energy punk bands. The Tim Version whipped the crowd into a frenzy with crowd surfers galore, even inspiring one overzealous fan to hang from the sprinklers mid-set. After a thorough scolding by the soundman, The Tim Version continued with Russ’ sandpaper-rough vocals and a harmonica stand that received little or no use. Up next were Mississippi trio One Reason. Stocky vocalist Ginger kept the crowd energy up with a tight set of stage diving crowd-pleasers.
The Door-Keys from Bloomington, Indiana were up next at The Side Bar. Led by vocalist Daun Door-Key, the quartet was a pleasant surprise for those that stuck around for a locally unknown name. Their tight rock sound showed much promise, providing hope we may see more of this band soon. From one college town to another, The Door-Keys were touring with Future Virgins, who were up later on the bill.
After a quick detour over to Bar One to catch part of a shoe gazing rock set by Building the State, it was back once again to Abbey Road, where Minus the Bear had put on a stunning set the night before. Oakland’s The Fleshies began the evening here, holding court before an enthusiastic crowd who continued to be inspired by vocalist Johnny No Moniker as he seemed to do more singing from the tops of the crowd’s heads than on stage. Equal parts Mick Jagger, Eddie Vedder, and J.D. Wilkes, No Moniker showed screamo energy that knew no end, while balancing atop amp stacks, crowd surfing mid-song, and being an all-around dynamo across the stage. It actually made the veterans Radon seem tame by comparison.
Radon, however, were not about to miss out on the fun. With members donning costumes as rapper Lil’ Jon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the band ripped into yet another reunion set that always holds the Gainesville locals rapt. For the first time, however, I noticed a marked decrease in the sound level while Radon was on stage. Perhaps it was just my overworked eardrums by that point, too.
After a few of Radon’s songs, it was time to hop on the old bike (the only way to get around town Fest weekend!) for a quick trek over to Club 1982 for the remainder of the evening. Upon arrival, three people were carrying someone dressed as Superman through the door in front of me. Turns out this was Morningbell vocalist Travis Atria making his grand entrance to the stage. With other members of the band dressed as Batman, The Flash, and Batgirl, the band opened with a spirited version of “Monster Mash.” These power-pop super heroes put on a concrete set of tunes, culminating in a finale of the band donning jackets covered in electric lights that strangely recalled the conclusion of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” video.
Local indie hip-hop trio C.Y.N.E. drew my biggest bit of sympathy on the day, however. Cultivating Your New Experience certainly did that, being the first act to feature a member that was actually too inebriated to perform. The conscious hip-hop collective’s DJ, who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent, was clearly in no shape to provide the beats that let emcees Akin and Cise Star work their normal magic. As a result, the duo did many of their tunes acapella. Those in the crowd clearly felt for them, though, providing much love and moral support for their efforts. Serving as a latter-day Public Enemy, Akin spouted conscious messages from the mic such as “crack kills black males” and other platitudes. Their set made one yearn for a performance under more sober conditions.
Closing out the evening, funk faves Velveteen Pink put on an impressive set of retro rhythm and blues inspired the likes of Prince and George Clinton. Drummer-vocalist Nicholas Robbins kept the beats coming through a constant cloud from the onstage smoke machine, while bassist-guitarist Timothy Deaux danced front and center with the band’s pimped-out jackets and shades. Keyboardists Stanley Walker II and Alfredo Lapuz, Jr. also laid town the funky riffs. While the smoke and disco lights did grow tired after a while, Velveteen Pink proved to all why they continue to be one of Gainesville’s most unique musical exports. By this time, however, many were weary from a grueling day of nonstop music. Even though the 1982 bartender emphasized an extra hour of drinking ahead thanks to the evening’s clock change, I doubt many took him up on the offer. After all, one more solid day of Fest music remains.
© Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun
The Fest V turns the corner on day two
After a damp but promising start on Friday, The Fest V reached its stride on day two Saturday with a full 13-hour schedule of music. To even begin to comprehend how grueling such a task this is, one must begin the day well nourished. With that, it was off to Common Grounds for some of their barbeque. Upon arrival, the chow line was already quite long – in fact long enough to bail out while my better half held our place in line. Inside Common Grounds, Frozen Cobra were just finishing their set as the first band of the day. Their short-but-sweet set of raucous punk tunes provided an aural bloody mary for those still recovering from the night before, including the band itself.
Continue to 2nd paragraph The barbeque offered both carnivorous and vegetarian options with entrees such as pork sandwiches and barbeque tempeh. After ordering the latter with sides of potato salad and beans along with bottled water, I was informed that the beans were not totally vegetarian. I explained to the server that I wasn’t vegetarian but was instead trying to eat healthy in an effort to last the day. The dish was adequate, but hardly the “ass-load of food” that the schedule promised, unless of course you’re speaking of your typical indie rocker chic diet. Nonetheless, the tempeh provided a quick shot of protein energy to take on this musical juggernaut. My wife enjoyed her pork sandwich, although she thought the meat a bit “lukewarm to cold.” The meal passed for a solid lunch, though, but would have been more suitable at two or three dollars less than the eight bucks charged.
Back inside Common Grounds, Blacksnake were into their early afternoon set. The Gainesville band featured vocalist Rich formerly from Whoreculture as well as other former members of rock vets Grinch, Scorcher, and The Doldrums. Blacksnake flexed their longtime musical chops with a set of top-notch garage rock. The Hold were up shortly thereafter representing Gainesville with metal-inspired tunes in the eighties/early nineties tradition of The Cult and Alice in Chains. It almost gave one the feeling of being at the Button South in South Florida fifteen years ago.
Any lingering feelings of nostalgia soon went out the window with the set from Wilmington, North Carolina’s Thunderlip. The recurring theme of costumes finally made their debut this Halloween weekend as singer Charge Kruiser dressed in drag with a cape and ascot as he writhed on the ground. The band put on a shock-rock set of songs that thoroughly entertained the ever-growing crowd, complete with a blood spitting bassist in the form of Patrick Phillips.
After taking a bit of a break to watch our local football team pull out an unimpressive win against a clearly inferior opponent, it was back downtown for more costumed musical mayhem. The band VCR were taking the stage at The Atlantic complete with neon-colored Jason masks. As a squid-man danced through the crowd, the band showered the audience in its aggressive synth-rock sound, inspiring many spontaneous mass-handclaps. No guitars here – just a rhythm section with three keyboardists that took the crowd on a musical journey of equal parts Hammond B3, Moog, and Farfisa. (They get my vote as The Fest V's best and most original band!) The Atlantic’s Fest set-up took some getting used to: the usual front entrance was reserved for bands only while us common folk had to enter through the side alley, which brought us into the club near the rear toilets. Charming.
After a missed attempt to catch Ghost Mice on the Downtown Plaza before the end of their set, a quick check of Common Grounds saw the line well into the parking lot in the direction of Five Star Pizza. Clearly, any hope of getting back there this evening was now lost.
The Side Bar was a great replacement, though, with a throng of high-energy punk bands. The Tim Version whipped the crowd into a frenzy with crowd surfers galore, even inspiring one overzealous fan to hang from the sprinklers mid-set. After a thorough scolding by the soundman, The Tim Version continued with Russ’ sandpaper-rough vocals and a harmonica stand that received little or no use. Up next were Mississippi trio One Reason. Stocky vocalist Ginger kept the crowd energy up with a tight set of stage diving crowd-pleasers.
The Door-Keys from Bloomington, Indiana were up next at The Side Bar. Led by vocalist Daun Door-Key, the quartet was a pleasant surprise for those that stuck around for a locally unknown name. Their tight rock sound showed much promise, providing hope we may see more of this band soon. From one college town to another, The Door-Keys were touring with Future Virgins, who were up later on the bill.
After a quick detour over to Bar One to catch part of a shoe gazing rock set by Building the State, it was back once again to Abbey Road, where Minus the Bear had put on a stunning set the night before. Oakland’s The Fleshies began the evening here, holding court before an enthusiastic crowd who continued to be inspired by vocalist Johnny No Moniker as he seemed to do more singing from the tops of the crowd’s heads than on stage. Equal parts Mick Jagger, Eddie Vedder, and J.D. Wilkes, No Moniker showed screamo energy that knew no end, while balancing atop amp stacks, crowd surfing mid-song, and being an all-around dynamo across the stage. It actually made the veterans Radon seem tame by comparison.
Radon, however, were not about to miss out on the fun. With members donning costumes as rapper Lil’ Jon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, the band ripped into yet another reunion set that always holds the Gainesville locals rapt. For the first time, however, I noticed a marked decrease in the sound level while Radon was on stage. Perhaps it was just my overworked eardrums by that point, too.
After a few of Radon’s songs, it was time to hop on the old bike (the only way to get around town Fest weekend!) for a quick trek over to Club 1982 for the remainder of the evening. Upon arrival, three people were carrying someone dressed as Superman through the door in front of me. Turns out this was Morningbell vocalist Travis Atria making his grand entrance to the stage. With other members of the band dressed as Batman, The Flash, and Batgirl, the band opened with a spirited version of “Monster Mash.” These power-pop super heroes put on a concrete set of tunes, culminating in a finale of the band donning jackets covered in electric lights that strangely recalled the conclusion of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” video.
Local indie hip-hop trio C.Y.N.E. drew my biggest bit of sympathy on the day, however. Cultivating Your New Experience certainly did that, being the first act to feature a member that was actually too inebriated to perform. The conscious hip-hop collective’s DJ, who shall remain nameless to protect the innocent, was clearly in no shape to provide the beats that let emcees Akin and Cise Star work their normal magic. As a result, the duo did many of their tunes acapella. Those in the crowd clearly felt for them, though, providing much love and moral support for their efforts. Serving as a latter-day Public Enemy, Akin spouted conscious messages from the mic such as “crack kills black males” and other platitudes. Their set made one yearn for a performance under more sober conditions.
Closing out the evening, funk faves Velveteen Pink put on an impressive set of retro rhythm and blues inspired the likes of Prince and George Clinton. Drummer-vocalist Nicholas Robbins kept the beats coming through a constant cloud from the onstage smoke machine, while bassist-guitarist Timothy Deaux danced front and center with the band’s pimped-out jackets and shades. Keyboardists Stanley Walker II and Alfredo Lapuz, Jr. also laid town the funky riffs. While the smoke and disco lights did grow tired after a while, Velveteen Pink proved to all why they continue to be one of Gainesville’s most unique musical exports. By this time, however, many were weary from a grueling day of nonstop music. Even though the 1982 bartender emphasized an extra hour of drinking ahead thanks to the evening’s clock change, I doubt many took him up on the offer. After all, one more solid day of Fest music remains.
© Copyright 2006, The Gainesville Sun
Fest V Flashback: Day 1
Ah, it's that time yet again. The Fest 6 is here in Gainesville this weekend and it's bigger and crazier than ever. In fact, it's been sold out now since Tuesday morning! In honor of the festivities (can you believe Wayward Council is doing a show Saturday that begins at 6am?!?!), I'm posting my accounts of last year's shindig that I submitted for the now-defunct Undertone. I do have to say that even through the writing is mine, it is
© 2006 Gainesville Sun/NYT Publications. Without further ado:
Rain rules, but Bear growls on The Fest V’s opening night
FRED SOWDER/Theundertone.org
The day began promisingly enough. Excitement could be felt in the air as early as midday as throngs of bearded, black-shirted music fans, along with their jean-clad girlfriends, began to trek up and down West University Avenue. Their destination: indie record store and co-op Wayward Council, the official pickup point for their weekend pass wristbands for The Fest V. With its fifth year, The Fest promises to be bigger and better than ever, and not only because everyone was getting a free orange and white beer coozy with their ticket.
This year, with a barbeque on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a rooftop sunset happy hour, where the recently released Fest III DVD will be screened, shows that the event organizers are getting comfy with Gainesville tradition. There are even free shows each afternoon on the city-owned Downtown Community Plaza.
As the evening began, you could see why even the local Convention and Visitors Bureau was aware of the annual event this year. Parking spaces were at a premium even earlier than usual on a Friday as fans and band crews alike dueled for coveted downtown street parking. By eight o’clock, even the Sun Center parking lot was over capacity with vehicles parked halfway upon curbs in order to catch an early set by Miami natives Sidecar Racer at Club Red as part of the first-time electronic music Fest showcase by promoter Electronic SubSouth.
By this time, University Avenue almost had the feel of a street carnival. Packs of Fest attendees were easily spotted by their black attire as they strolled back and forth, checking out local businesses along the way. This manic atmosphere, however, was soon to be replaced by an evening monsoon not seen in Gainesville in quite some time.
As the more daring Fest goers took to the streets, some running, some merely shuffling between venues, the driving rain continued, bolstered by the strobe-effect lightning across the Gainesville sky.
Seattle’s Minus the Bear took to the stage at Abbey Road to a dedicated but slightly damp crowd. With tunes from their latest disc Menos el Oso as well as older favorites, The Bear kept the crowd grooving with their unique mix of synth grooves and rock sensibility. The crowd surfing was a bit atypical of a Minus the Bear show, but considering the venue and its longtime reputation of overzealous security, it seemed to fit the situation. Other band members on the bill came out to lend a vocal hand to the band including those from P.O.S. and Velvet Teen.
MTB made due with the largely cavernous venue that is Abbey Road, filling the undressed room with their unique pulsing sound, much to the delight of all in attendance. At the show’s conclusion and after last call, almost on cue, the rain lessened, giving all hope for a cool yet sunny music-filled Saturday.
© Copyright 2007, The Gainesville Sun
© 2006 Gainesville Sun/NYT Publications. Without further ado:
Rain rules, but Bear growls on The Fest V’s opening night
FRED SOWDER/Theundertone.org
The day began promisingly enough. Excitement could be felt in the air as early as midday as throngs of bearded, black-shirted music fans, along with their jean-clad girlfriends, began to trek up and down West University Avenue. Their destination: indie record store and co-op Wayward Council, the official pickup point for their weekend pass wristbands for The Fest V. With its fifth year, The Fest promises to be bigger and better than ever, and not only because everyone was getting a free orange and white beer coozy with their ticket.
This year, with a barbeque on Saturday and Sunday, as well as a rooftop sunset happy hour, where the recently released Fest III DVD will be screened, shows that the event organizers are getting comfy with Gainesville tradition. There are even free shows each afternoon on the city-owned Downtown Community Plaza.
As the evening began, you could see why even the local Convention and Visitors Bureau was aware of the annual event this year. Parking spaces were at a premium even earlier than usual on a Friday as fans and band crews alike dueled for coveted downtown street parking. By eight o’clock, even the Sun Center parking lot was over capacity with vehicles parked halfway upon curbs in order to catch an early set by Miami natives Sidecar Racer at Club Red as part of the first-time electronic music Fest showcase by promoter Electronic SubSouth.
By this time, University Avenue almost had the feel of a street carnival. Packs of Fest attendees were easily spotted by their black attire as they strolled back and forth, checking out local businesses along the way. This manic atmosphere, however, was soon to be replaced by an evening monsoon not seen in Gainesville in quite some time.
As the more daring Fest goers took to the streets, some running, some merely shuffling between venues, the driving rain continued, bolstered by the strobe-effect lightning across the Gainesville sky.
Seattle’s Minus the Bear took to the stage at Abbey Road to a dedicated but slightly damp crowd. With tunes from their latest disc Menos el Oso as well as older favorites, The Bear kept the crowd grooving with their unique mix of synth grooves and rock sensibility. The crowd surfing was a bit atypical of a Minus the Bear show, but considering the venue and its longtime reputation of overzealous security, it seemed to fit the situation. Other band members on the bill came out to lend a vocal hand to the band including those from P.O.S. and Velvet Teen.
MTB made due with the largely cavernous venue that is Abbey Road, filling the undressed room with their unique pulsing sound, much to the delight of all in attendance. At the show’s conclusion and after last call, almost on cue, the rain lessened, giving all hope for a cool yet sunny music-filled Saturday.
© Copyright 2007, The Gainesville Sun
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Fatherhood and victory!
Well, first of all, one of the most prominent things to ever happen in my life occurred about a week and a half ago. Aiden Noah Sowder was born at 7:18am on November 2, 2006 at North Florida Regional Medical Center, Room 350 at the Women's Center.
What a whirlwind of activity this was. Late last week, we did learn that Aiden has Down Syndrome. After a bit of grief and disappointment from Michelle and myself, we accepted these cards we were dealt and know that it was done for a reason. Our goal to nurture Aiden may have been made just a bit more difficult, but I feel that we are more than up for the challenge.
Amid the rabid rounds of congratulations, mazel tovs, and other all around acts of jubilation, one comment still sticks in my craw. After leaving the meeting of our local Democratic Executive Committee, a congressional candidate who lost his election the night before simply said to me, "you're too old to be having kids."
Excuse me?
I know I should consider the source and simply let this go. Knowing this man's political mis-steps as of late should give me even more reason to dismiss the above comment. As a self-proclaimed champion of the Left, the comments and proclamations of this man are at times quite sad. Even more sad is that I tried to help this person win his seat in Congress in previous elections despite being outside of the district in which I live.
In summary, I did not find the above comment surprising or productive. It's hardly the first time such a verbal mis-step was made by this man and will certainly not be the last. He'll probably continue to run for this office again, after losing miserably a staggering three times thus far. Instead of building a political career by beginning with a state, local, or regional seat, he continues to try to fly to the moon on a bottle rocket.
Let us not dwell on these things, though, shall we? We are here to celebrate. The dems have taken control of both houses of Congress and there is work to be done. What the opposition has done in the last 14 years in the legislative branch is both shameful and overwhelming. Let's hope that Congress gets out of reverse and puts the gear in Pro-gress.
Shalom, y'all...
What a whirlwind of activity this was. Late last week, we did learn that Aiden has Down Syndrome. After a bit of grief and disappointment from Michelle and myself, we accepted these cards we were dealt and know that it was done for a reason. Our goal to nurture Aiden may have been made just a bit more difficult, but I feel that we are more than up for the challenge.
Amid the rabid rounds of congratulations, mazel tovs, and other all around acts of jubilation, one comment still sticks in my craw. After leaving the meeting of our local Democratic Executive Committee, a congressional candidate who lost his election the night before simply said to me, "you're too old to be having kids."
Excuse me?
I know I should consider the source and simply let this go. Knowing this man's political mis-steps as of late should give me even more reason to dismiss the above comment. As a self-proclaimed champion of the Left, the comments and proclamations of this man are at times quite sad. Even more sad is that I tried to help this person win his seat in Congress in previous elections despite being outside of the district in which I live.
In summary, I did not find the above comment surprising or productive. It's hardly the first time such a verbal mis-step was made by this man and will certainly not be the last. He'll probably continue to run for this office again, after losing miserably a staggering three times thus far. Instead of building a political career by beginning with a state, local, or regional seat, he continues to try to fly to the moon on a bottle rocket.
Let us not dwell on these things, though, shall we? We are here to celebrate. The dems have taken control of both houses of Congress and there is work to be done. What the opposition has done in the last 14 years in the legislative branch is both shameful and overwhelming. Let's hope that Congress gets out of reverse and puts the gear in Pro-gress.
Shalom, y'all...
Sunday, July 02, 2006
papercranes brighten up Common Grounds
Saturday evenings in Gainesville can be crazy affairs. Using the middle of the weekend to cut loose from the ordeal of papers, exams, and classes, students often pack the downtown bars and clubs for a brief hedonistic respite from academics. That’s why summer Saturdays are often a fresh change with smaller crowds and a more laidback atmosphere.
This past Saturday provided such an opportunity at Common Grounds with the blues-rock of Bracelet coupled with the mild psychedelia of papercranes. Outside, DJ Jumpstart, better known as journalist and Common Grounds veteran Jay Maggio, played songs from his laptop that included pop-heavy tunes regardless of era. At one point, Maggio segued from Petula Clark’s “Downtown” to Sonic Youth’s rendition of The Carpenters’ “Superstar.” This no doubt provided some eclectic listening for those gathered on the cover-free porch.
Onstage inside, Bracelet kicked off things with their blues-rock sound. At times reaching the higher registers of singers like Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke, singer-guitarist Larry Watts led the band through rave-ups and quieter, introspective tunes alike. He also thanked someone named Eddie for loaning him an amp after his apparently exploded. Drummer Mike Webb and the hairless Mike Allgood on bass were an intense rhythm section, with Webb even snapping a drumstick tip halfway through the set. Musically, Bracelet had a contemporary-yet-solid sound on par with bands such as Bloc Party or Snow Patrol.
papercranes were up next. (The lack of capitalization is intentional.) Led by singer/actress Rain Phoenix, the band were reminiscent of some of the best of what nineties alternative rock had to offer such as The Sundays and Mazzy Star. With the edge of the stage and mic stands festooned with twinkling Christmas lights, the band launched into their richly textured sound. This was a Phoenix family affair, with sister Liberty joining on lead vocals on a few songs while their mother, Arlyn, looked on from front and center in the crowd. In light of this, local Buzz DJ Spanish yelled that he wanted to “do beer bong hits with mom.” Phoenix retorted that she would be doing all of the heckling this evening since she had the microphone.
Earlier in the set, after saying she was at a loss for words, Rain Phoenix launched her band into a haunting rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” The catchy “Untitled Treasure,” with sister Liberty once again on backing vocals followed, in which Rain announced that the song would be on their upcoming CD Vidalia, due out this fall.
Later in the song, Phoenix announced the imminent departure of their drummer, Dave Lebleu, for New York City, dedicating one of their songs to him. Other favorites included the introspective “What’s Left” and the driving “Trophy,” the latter of which brought out Phoenix’s guitar. As a parting effort, Phoenix announced the band was going on “a freeform jazz odyssey,” playing a song that everyone knew. With that, papercranes brought out and updated the Steve Miller Band classic “Abracadabra.” Thus, another magical summer evening of local music came to a close.
This past Saturday provided such an opportunity at Common Grounds with the blues-rock of Bracelet coupled with the mild psychedelia of papercranes. Outside, DJ Jumpstart, better known as journalist and Common Grounds veteran Jay Maggio, played songs from his laptop that included pop-heavy tunes regardless of era. At one point, Maggio segued from Petula Clark’s “Downtown” to Sonic Youth’s rendition of The Carpenters’ “Superstar.” This no doubt provided some eclectic listening for those gathered on the cover-free porch.
Onstage inside, Bracelet kicked off things with their blues-rock sound. At times reaching the higher registers of singers like Jeff Buckley or Thom Yorke, singer-guitarist Larry Watts led the band through rave-ups and quieter, introspective tunes alike. He also thanked someone named Eddie for loaning him an amp after his apparently exploded. Drummer Mike Webb and the hairless Mike Allgood on bass were an intense rhythm section, with Webb even snapping a drumstick tip halfway through the set. Musically, Bracelet had a contemporary-yet-solid sound on par with bands such as Bloc Party or Snow Patrol.
papercranes were up next. (The lack of capitalization is intentional.) Led by singer/actress Rain Phoenix, the band were reminiscent of some of the best of what nineties alternative rock had to offer such as The Sundays and Mazzy Star. With the edge of the stage and mic stands festooned with twinkling Christmas lights, the band launched into their richly textured sound. This was a Phoenix family affair, with sister Liberty joining on lead vocals on a few songs while their mother, Arlyn, looked on from front and center in the crowd. In light of this, local Buzz DJ Spanish yelled that he wanted to “do beer bong hits with mom.” Phoenix retorted that she would be doing all of the heckling this evening since she had the microphone.
Earlier in the set, after saying she was at a loss for words, Rain Phoenix launched her band into a haunting rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m on Fire.” The catchy “Untitled Treasure,” with sister Liberty once again on backing vocals followed, in which Rain announced that the song would be on their upcoming CD Vidalia, due out this fall.
Later in the song, Phoenix announced the imminent departure of their drummer, Dave Lebleu, for New York City, dedicating one of their songs to him. Other favorites included the introspective “What’s Left” and the driving “Trophy,” the latter of which brought out Phoenix’s guitar. As a parting effort, Phoenix announced the band was going on “a freeform jazz odyssey,” playing a song that everyone knew. With that, papercranes brought out and updated the Steve Miller Band classic “Abracadabra.” Thus, another magical summer evening of local music came to a close.
A midsummer’s night in Gainesville
At least a couple of local journalists and club owners have declared this week a “slow week” in Gainesville. This can be debatable considering the number of quality shows in the next few days. Gainesville’s Mercury Program made a triumphant return Thursday evening at Common Grounds. This week, bands such as Whiskey & Co., Papercranes, and Two Finger Suicide all play headlining stints in their hometowns.
Friday evening was no exception. The evening began at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub where local favorite DJ Donna was spinning some of the best eighties tunes, and will be all weekend. With her tip and request jar quickly filling, Donna spun everything from Madness to Madonna, Stray Cats to Social Distortion, and many others in between, all from her impressive collection of vinyl.
After getting an old-wave appetizer, it was off to Tim & Terry’s, the restaurant/ convenience/music store that also doubles as a performance venue. There, noise duo Liquid Limbs were sweating up the back room along with technical power trio Nim Sum.
Liquid Limbs are an up-and-coming guitarist/bassist and drummer. Sounding closer to Sonic Youth than The White Stripes, however, Liquid Limbs played a tight, urgent set of punk-meets-indie rock, further proving the incredible musical power that can be unleashed by a mere two musicians. The guitarist, decked in a blue button-down shirt, set out some of the band’s free stickers on a nearby chair, adding that stickers are much cheaper to produce than CDs.
Then, as Nim Sum drummer Jimi “Stixx” Hiley was still setting up his kit, guitarist Patrick Dugan and bassist Morgan Caraway began warming up, which became a spectacle in itself, as they traded quick bursts of riffing that fell somewhere between the band Interpol and the material on Radiohead’s album Kid A. When Hiley segued into the mix, it was like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle sliding into place; the full musical power of Nim Sum was then complete. Caraway’s mother was in the audience, who was celebrating her new retirement earlier that day, along with his aunt and stepfather.
Some have referred to Nim Sum’s sound as “math rock,” but their perpetual groove is not something you don’t have to be a Rush fan to appreciate. While their chord and rhythm changes might be tight and precise a la something by the band Fantomas, their music has enough heart and soul to appeal to the most casual of music fans. Caraway also announced that the band will begin recording a new CD this week. While Caraway seemed the band’s official spokesperson, Hiley played the role of music director, whipping out a tentative set of songs early on, which eventually found its way spiked onto the top of his hi-hat cymbal.
After Caraway ended the set by feeding back his bass into his amp, the band jumped into their final song of the evening, “Fracture.” Closing by sliding an Arizona Iced Tea up and down his bass neck, another hot, steamy evening of music in Gainesville came to a close, until the next time. We’ll do it once again in less than 24 hours.
Friday evening was no exception. The evening began at Durty Nelly’s Irish Pub where local favorite DJ Donna was spinning some of the best eighties tunes, and will be all weekend. With her tip and request jar quickly filling, Donna spun everything from Madness to Madonna, Stray Cats to Social Distortion, and many others in between, all from her impressive collection of vinyl.
After getting an old-wave appetizer, it was off to Tim & Terry’s, the restaurant/ convenience/music store that also doubles as a performance venue. There, noise duo Liquid Limbs were sweating up the back room along with technical power trio Nim Sum.
Liquid Limbs are an up-and-coming guitarist/bassist and drummer. Sounding closer to Sonic Youth than The White Stripes, however, Liquid Limbs played a tight, urgent set of punk-meets-indie rock, further proving the incredible musical power that can be unleashed by a mere two musicians. The guitarist, decked in a blue button-down shirt, set out some of the band’s free stickers on a nearby chair, adding that stickers are much cheaper to produce than CDs.
Then, as Nim Sum drummer Jimi “Stixx” Hiley was still setting up his kit, guitarist Patrick Dugan and bassist Morgan Caraway began warming up, which became a spectacle in itself, as they traded quick bursts of riffing that fell somewhere between the band Interpol and the material on Radiohead’s album Kid A. When Hiley segued into the mix, it was like the last piece of a jigsaw puzzle sliding into place; the full musical power of Nim Sum was then complete. Caraway’s mother was in the audience, who was celebrating her new retirement earlier that day, along with his aunt and stepfather.
Some have referred to Nim Sum’s sound as “math rock,” but their perpetual groove is not something you don’t have to be a Rush fan to appreciate. While their chord and rhythm changes might be tight and precise a la something by the band Fantomas, their music has enough heart and soul to appeal to the most casual of music fans. Caraway also announced that the band will begin recording a new CD this week. While Caraway seemed the band’s official spokesperson, Hiley played the role of music director, whipping out a tentative set of songs early on, which eventually found its way spiked onto the top of his hi-hat cymbal.
After Caraway ended the set by feeding back his bass into his amp, the band jumped into their final song of the evening, “Fracture.” Closing by sliding an Arizona Iced Tea up and down his bass neck, another hot, steamy evening of music in Gainesville came to a close, until the next time. We’ll do it once again in less than 24 hours.
Folk explosion at the music hall
To take a night off from the heavily amplified music grind at the downtown Gainesville clubs and bars can sometimes be a palette-cleansing experience. One such occasion was this past Saturday evening at the First Street Music Hall north of downtown. This one-time church that was adapted into a performance space and childcare facility has begun hosting folk nights on the weekends on at least a monthly basis. This occasion was to raise operating funds for the local nonprofit Civic Media Center reading room and library.
First up was Rob McGregor, who performed with a trio also consisting of Mark and Andrew. McGregor, also a proficient local music producer, has been a musician’s musician for some time. This was evidenced by the many locals in attendance that were also taking a night off from the usual weekend music circuit.
Following McGregor and company was the local duo of Hamhock and Slide, who have many national songwriting accolades to their credit. With Glenn “Hamhock” Moody on electric guitar teamed up with Matt “Slide” DeWein on acoustic guitar and dobro, DeWein lived up to his nickname with the latter instrument by his deft use of steel bottleneck on both vocal and instrumental blues tunes. Both were certainly musicians of the folkways tradition, weaving tales of everything from South African liqueur to their musical travels to Colorado. Additional songs were of epic length, oftentimes consisting of multiple tempo changes and movements, especially with the twin guitars featured late in the set.
Wrapping up the evening was Lars Din with his band SongRiot. The quintet, which included trumpet, bass, mandolin, and accordion, accompanied Din as he took the stage wearing slacks and a wife beater tank top. Lars Din has been a local favorite for years, with his guitar-and-vocal style often coming across as that of a punk rock Woody Guthrie.
Songs such as “Ichetucknee” encouraged the crowd to sing, clap, and stomp their feet through a set that addressed weighty world issues in addition to simple matters encountered in everyday life. The latter included a tale of his dog’s desire to live in his van. Crowd favorites included such selections as “This Ain’t No Bike Friendly Town” and “Floodplain, FL.” Din’s band consisted of crack musicians that coped with his sudden key changes for songs even as he was starting them. The assembled crowd joined in during the refrain of “until they drag us down / we rise…” as well as the amusing “Gossip is the Devil’s Radio.”
The Northeast First Street Music Hall, obviously not a bar, was strictly a BYOB affair. The patrons either toted in their own twelve-packs of Natural Light or brown-bagged a single from a local convenience store. With that said, though, the crowd was well behaved and expectedly low key. If you need an occasional break from the downtown music scene, give the First Street Music Hall a try. As Civic Media Center founding member Joe Courter announced between sets, the hall will be hosting another music event in mid-July. Consider it a horizon-broadening move.
First up was Rob McGregor, who performed with a trio also consisting of Mark and Andrew. McGregor, also a proficient local music producer, has been a musician’s musician for some time. This was evidenced by the many locals in attendance that were also taking a night off from the usual weekend music circuit.
Following McGregor and company was the local duo of Hamhock and Slide, who have many national songwriting accolades to their credit. With Glenn “Hamhock” Moody on electric guitar teamed up with Matt “Slide” DeWein on acoustic guitar and dobro, DeWein lived up to his nickname with the latter instrument by his deft use of steel bottleneck on both vocal and instrumental blues tunes. Both were certainly musicians of the folkways tradition, weaving tales of everything from South African liqueur to their musical travels to Colorado. Additional songs were of epic length, oftentimes consisting of multiple tempo changes and movements, especially with the twin guitars featured late in the set.
Wrapping up the evening was Lars Din with his band SongRiot. The quintet, which included trumpet, bass, mandolin, and accordion, accompanied Din as he took the stage wearing slacks and a wife beater tank top. Lars Din has been a local favorite for years, with his guitar-and-vocal style often coming across as that of a punk rock Woody Guthrie.
Songs such as “Ichetucknee” encouraged the crowd to sing, clap, and stomp their feet through a set that addressed weighty world issues in addition to simple matters encountered in everyday life. The latter included a tale of his dog’s desire to live in his van. Crowd favorites included such selections as “This Ain’t No Bike Friendly Town” and “Floodplain, FL.” Din’s band consisted of crack musicians that coped with his sudden key changes for songs even as he was starting them. The assembled crowd joined in during the refrain of “until they drag us down / we rise…” as well as the amusing “Gossip is the Devil’s Radio.”
The Northeast First Street Music Hall, obviously not a bar, was strictly a BYOB affair. The patrons either toted in their own twelve-packs of Natural Light or brown-bagged a single from a local convenience store. With that said, though, the crowd was well behaved and expectedly low key. If you need an occasional break from the downtown music scene, give the First Street Music Hall a try. As Civic Media Center founding member Joe Courter announced between sets, the hall will be hosting another music event in mid-July. Consider it a horizon-broadening move.
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Bands bring a triple threat to 1982
There’s a funny thing about indie music: oftentimes, it is whatever you make it. Whether it’s a single acoustic guitar, a flailing power trio, or a three-guitar juggernaut of sound, the definition fits within its vague-yet-wide spectrum. Friday night, it was all three as The Cold Ones, J. Page, and The Enablers showed off a wide variety of indie’s elements at Club 1982 in midtown Gainesville.
While The Enablers have been defined as a quartet for the past couple of years, tonight’s billing of “The Enablers (acoustic)” was actually singer-songwriter Rob Coe and his acoustic guitar. What made his set so surreal was the presence of the other members of The Enablers, guitarist Todd Rockhill, drummer Addison Burns, and bassist Troy Perlman’s presence at the venue. While his fellow band members provided moral support offstage, Coe stretched his set from hard-luck to humorous with a set of tunes that kept the crowd spellbound. “My little baby’s got a farmer’s tan,” sang Coe, making his storytelling that much more earnest via his raspy tenor, providing a intriguing vocal presence throughout.
The set turned comedic several times, with Coe covering The Pussycat Dolls’ “Don’t Cha,” the song featured in the latest batch of Heineken Premium Light television ads. Other highlights were “I’ve Been Meaning to Get You Off My Mind” and “Tomorrow,” which provided Coe a mid-set opportunity to bare his soul to a thin but dedicated crowd.
After performing a song by his former band Fay Wray, Coe referred to a conversation he had with the band’s former vocalist: “Jeff London says to trust your government,” Coe wryly declared. At the conclusion of this song, a reveler shouted, “holy s**t!” to which Coe replied, “Sorry, I don’t know ‘Holy S**t.’”
Rob Coe kept the crowd mesmerized with an ode to being down-and-out in their home state with “F**ked in Florida.” He was also in lighter spirits with the amusing “It’s a Sammy Hagar Weekend,” in which he expounded upon the hardships facing drivers that navigate the entire state on a fairly regular basis, often driving faster than 55. Coe’s robust set concluded with a cover of The Misfits’ “Last Caress.”
The black-shirted guys in J. Page were next, still fresh from their recent tour with Tampa’s New Bruises. Now a quintet, their three-guitar, three-chord attack spilled across the small 1982 room like a tidal wave. Songs such as the title track to their EP “Goodbye Chapel Hill” seemed so majestic in this context, yet the interchanged vocals along with the guitar symphony’s cohesion never made things too overpowering. Some in the band thought that they sounded “weird,” but it was certainly weird in a good way.
The Cold Ones are a prime example of the interchangeability between members of Gainesville bands. J. Page bassist Troy remained onstage for The Cold Ones’ set, joined by drummer Burns and guitarist-vocalist Michael. The power trio provided a great complement to the night, tearing through favorites like “Maurice” and “Sister Oh Sister,” with Burns’ and Perlman’s solid rhythm section backing up Michael, who looked at times like an unshaven Gordon Gano. Perlman, although a bassist for all three bands on the bill, played with only two of them thanks to Coe’s solo stint.
1982 was also refreshingly cooler this time. Co-owner Grant Tchekmeian, while nursing a broken foot between working the door, explained that they’ve discovered a glitch with the front AC unit and that it would be back in action soon. In the meantime, there are 4 “cyclone” fans scattered around the main floor, so if the heat’s kept you away from 1982, don’t fret: the air’s cool once again and the beer is ice cold.
Cowgirls and power chords
It’s a bit hard to picture a band such as The Dixie Chicks on the same bill with an outfit like AC/DC. That is unless you live in Gainesville, of course. When local bands of such styles play the same venue on a Friday night, for example, it simply means that folks from all walks of life – fans of music of all types – will be under one roof, all in the name of quality music.
Last Friday was such an evening in Gainesville. It was a night of country and rock witnessed by a wide spectrum of fans as the Rockhill Sessions Band and The Ones to Blame brought what they had downtown to The Atlantic. Country was the theme throughout most of the night as The Ones to Blame began things with hard livin’, heavy drinkin’ songs much in the style of Hank Williams or George Jones.
After a sound check followed by a “shot break,” the four ladies in The Ones to Blame hit the stage with a plethora of crowd-pleasers. Besides playing The Fest late last year, The Ones to Blame were also recently on the bill here with Whiskey & Co. last month. This accumulated experience showed this evening as these four gals were clearly having a good time. Drummer Lezli Johnson came front and center, doing her best Mick Jagger impression, complete with strutting and hip-shaking, for “$3.99 Wine,” their ode to discounted bacchanalia. These cowgirls may have the blues at times, but with songs rhyming Budweiser with Jagermeister, they also know how to cut loose and party. Mandolin player-vocalist Sue Mendez put her usual best smile forward throughout as families, singles, and couples alike scooted boots on the dancefloor.
Once the ladies cleared the stage, it was time for some old-fashioned three-chord rock by the Rockhill Sessions Band. The quintet’s namesake, guitarist Todd Rockhill, is well known for his nights working at Common Grounds in addition to his lead guitar in the band The Enablers along with ace drummer Addison Burns, who also shared the stage with him here.
Rockhill’s band also seemed determined to have fun. Complete with a new vocalist who just joined this past week, they came strong with their musical attack of large riffs that at times channeled those of rockers such as The Cult or Thin Lizzy. Rob, the rhythm guitarist, sported a Van Halen t-shirt, which often accurately described his playing. While Rockhill was often the focal point, the rhythm guitar played a vital role in much the same way that Malcolm Young anchors brother Angus’s guitar squalls in AC/DC.
With such a green vocalist, it was no surprise that the band’s primary weakness was in front of the mic. The singer tried to deflect his blown vocal cords with amusing between-song banter, including the introduction of “Stripper Pole” as a song that “would make his mom proud.” This was cold comfort, however, considering how punishingly raw the vocals were throughout the set. Rockhill took over singing duties on occasion, with his gruff tenor providing a welcome diversion from the status quo.
The night’s closing song, “Rocker,” brought Rockhill to the fore once again, saving his best guitar heroics for the night’s final song. Those wanting more, especially from Burns and Rockhill, will get their chance this Friday as The Enablers bring their slightly new lineup to 1982 for an acoustic set. Stay tuned!
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Radon settles in at home
There seems to be a thing about bands from the 1990s. If they split up and reform years later, they come back far more potent and more popular than they were in their original heyday. Take The Pixies, for example. Their reunion tours of recent years have drawn huge audiences worldwide comprised of those who return for a bit of nostalgia coupled with those that have just discovered them for the first time.
Local bands seem no exception. Saturday evening, Gainesville favorites Radon reformed before a packed Common Grounds crowd. The show packed plenty of surprises, including Brent Wilson’s announcement that the band just finished recording a 11 new songs for a new CD entitled Metric Buttloads of Rock with local stalwart Rob McGregor producing. “Rob worked 14 hours yesterday,” exclaimed Wilson, who added that the band recorded the entire disc in the past 5 days. With recent reunion shows confined strictly to Gainesville’s annual Fest, Radon played their first headlining show in several years, with local favories J. Page and The Cold Ones adding support.
New Radon songs included “Control Room,” which was written about the “idiots in the White House.” The occasion seemed even more festive due to the birthday of drummer Bill Clower, who many may recognize from holding things down in the kitchen at Satchel’s Pizza in recent years. Clower came front and center to the mic several times during the evening, including an announcement that the band was taking a five minute break for beer. Apparently even aging punks need time for recuperation on occasion.
Not that the band deny it in the least. “Who here used to go to the Hard Back?” asked guitarist-vocalist Dave Rohm, commenting on the number of old-timers in the audience. Isa Shulman, a resident of Los Angeles, came to Gainesville just to see this show. “I flew into Tampa yesterday and I fly back home from Tampa tomorrow night,” confessed Shulman, who has been a long-time Radon fan going back to her days at the legendary Miami-based record store Y&T Records.
Although the band seemed understandably rusty at times, particularly when running through their new songs, Radon let their punk flag fly without apology, culminating in the classic mass-singalong during their infamous self-titled "Radon." With a new record on the way, time will only tell if Radon is truly back to reclaim their punk rock mantle or to rest on their laurels and play the occasional one-off nostalgia trip. With talent and potential such as theirs, let's hope for the former.
Against All Authority steam up 1982
The outdoor Gainesville air felt like air conditioning compared to that from which the crowd had emerged. Venerable punk band Against All Authority just finished playing a one-song encore to a mostly teenage crowd at the small-but-buzzing Club 1982 on Sunday evening.
AAA bring their intense mix of punk and ska to Gainesville quite often, but each visit is still a major event. In this instance, a staggering four bands: The Grabass Charlestons, The Body Electric, The Sense Offenders, and Black 22 provided the do-it-yourself support on the bill.
Against All Authority formed in Miami in 1992, making punk rock on their own terms. Through their six albums, AAA have amassed a huge following who unconditionally swear allegiance to the band's career through thick and thin. All ages shows such as this one meant a highly energetic high school and middle school crowd that kept the mosh pit thrashing and skanking throughout the evening.
Despite their amassed catalog, AAA focused largely on their latest release, The Restoration of Chaos & Order, with songs such as "Shut It Down" and “Sweet Televised Destruction.” Trumpeter Alan Veronese, with his talents being called upon for the many ska tunes of the evening, was forced to keep a napkin close to constantly wipe the sweat from his mouth between solos.
Singer-bassist Danny Lore, in a show of punk solidarity, wore a Radon shirt to promote their show next weekend at Common Grounds.
His molten-lead basslines coupled with drummer Macbeth Proenza’s four-to-the-floor drumming, anchored AAA's sound despite the spa-type atmosphere of 1982.
Veteran guitarist Joe Koontz kept the riffs front and center, complementing the band’s raw punk power. Koontz’s complaint about the heat was brushed off as "just kidding," but he and his band mates clearly felt the oppressive heat and humidity from a room unable to support their punk rock assault.
Proenza, who was clearly the least likely to return to the stage for the encore, brought his a-game for one final song - the last until their punk rock blitzkrieg plays Gainesville the next time, that is.
Spam everybody wants
Run-D.M.C. once declared that a DJ could be a band. Since that time, not many have taken this to heart. Bands like Linkin Park and Kid Rock's Silver Trucker Band have reduced the DJ to a side player, adding textures of scratching and beats only where it is called for, which is not terribly often.
The Spam All Stars have taken this role and turned it on its head. DJ Le Spam (aka Andrew Yeomanson) hails from Miami and has been a multi instrumentalist for many years, even playing guitar for local favorite Nil Lara for a few years in the mid-90s. This combined with spending his early years moving from cities as diverse as Montreal, London, Tampa, Bogota, and Toronto, have made Yeomanson a man of many influences. These roots come out in the Spam All Stars' live show.
The Spam All Stars bring a DJ set with band accompaniment. This is a concept that has served them well for over a decade, which has included such accolades as a Latin Grammy nomination and having their music featured on television shows such as PBS's Latino Art and Culture.
Throughout their Gainesville visit, DJ Le Spam and company moved from salsa to dub to fusion to funk and back, all with the seamless verve of veteran musicians. Le Spam was clearly the band leader, however. Vocalist flautist Mercedes Abal, guitarist Adam Zimmon, and other band members weaved their musical contributions over Le Spam's musical cauldron of breaks, funk, and Miami bass. "The instruments get to come in and out, dancing around each other," commented an anonymous fan between sets. Saxophone and timpani complete the Spam sound, adding that extra Latin flavor that fully brings out their Miami roots.
The instruments weren't the only things dancing. Other between-set entertainment included a pair of improvising breakdancers, throwing down windmills, headspins, and other bodily wonders with relative ease. Most in the audience found it compulsory to keep moving during the All Stars' set, with a large contingent bopping and grooving to the beat as if they were at a Medeski, Martin, and Wood show.
Despite the oppressive heat inside The Atlantic, many stayed to witness the Spam All Stars' final notes of the evening. Many clearly wanted more, and more they will get with their four independently-released CDs and their monthly visits to Gainesville. Estarán detrás...they'll be back!
Physician's Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Bear
It's common logic in Gainesville that weekends generally begin on Thursday evenings. This past week was no different as a weekend-caliber crowd packed Common Grounds to see local favorites Apollo Quartet and Dear and Glorious Physician on the bill with Seattle's Minus the Bear.
Gainesville's own Apollo Quartet kicked things off with a heavy yet melodic sound that's often compared to that of Ian McKaye and Fugazi. All three bands, however, could be forced into the genre of convenience called emo. This, however, would be rather unfair to bands that are so different in their approach, influence, and stage presence.
Dear and Glorious Physician quickly proved that this quartet of siblings are quickly becoming one of Gainesville's most loved bands. Normally this two-brother, two-sister outfit sport all white "uniforms," but the bleach was held back a bit this evening as guitarist-vocalist Jillian Westfall actually took the bold move of sporting black. While the implications of such a statement seemed unclear, the music's feel certainly did not. The Physician was in! Lead vocalist-guitarist Chase's solid guitar work was only matched by his vocals, which wavered at times between a tortued Warren Zevon, a screaming Frank Black, or an overly-smug Steven Page of Barenaked Ladies. Sister Jillian's Kim Gordon-esque delivery coupled with the strong rhythm section of Robin and Andrew on bass and drums, respectively, provides for an indie rock tour de force. Their closer proved their fearlessness for the intense, with Chase doing his best to wrestle with with his inner Maynard James Keenan. The Westfalls have certainly made progress since their appearance at The Fest last November, and it seems as if their Gainesville residency has the potential to be a long and successful one.
The placement of a laptop computer onstage with a band's gear can potentially be cause for dismay among many indie purists, but Minus the Bear proved that electronica grooves and guitar heroics can peacefully coexist. The Seattleites were in town on a break from their nationwide tour with emo kings Thursday to give Gainesville a musical adventure. Leader Jake Snider aptly led the dance rock circus, with other key roles put forth by bassist Cory Murchy and his frilly-yet-minimalist t-shirt, which is also a good way to describe his rhythmic style. Picking up where pioneers such as The Rapture left off, The Bear (as they're lovingly known to their fans) laid down rug-cutters for Death Cab for Cutie fans -- a marriage of samples and solos not heard this side of The Postal Service. The digital beats put forth by laptop jockey Matt Bayles fought with Erin Tate's drums to create a bass-heavy, syncopated stew at times comparable to New Order on steroids.
The Bear clearly had their share of adoration as evidenced by their two-song encore which featured the crowd favorite "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse." The song titles may seem a bit unusual, and getting a mental image of a crowd consuming hallucinogenic beverages at a building of questionable character may prove difficult. That, however, was a dilemma that The Bear was here to solve. Their sound explains it all.
New: Music Reviews!
Hey all! Long time no post (what the hell else is new?). Anyway, I'm getting a bit burned out on the civic politics of this town. After all, there seems to be enough quality officeholders now in this town to take care of things. The City of Alachua may be another story. Charlie Grapski and a friend of his could use your help. For more info on that, click here. Otherwise, what follows are a series of Gainesville concert reviews that I've recently done for Gainesville.com, which is the website of the Gainesville Sun. Enjoy!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Pat Robertson is God's Psychopath
Okay, so Pat Robertson recently recommended that the US assassinate Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. As a caller to the Ed Schultz Show said today, maybe we should go to Virginia Beach and place a citizen's arrest on this bastard.
Or, someone else, Oscar in Louisville, has a much better suggestion. Check it out here.
Also, last Saturday sent the great Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's remains exploding into the heavens. Godspeed, you crazy bastard! Mahalo.
Finally, sorry I've been gone so long. I'll try to make an effort to be a bit more social. The weather's still hot as hell here, so it's the least I can do.
Or, someone else, Oscar in Louisville, has a much better suggestion. Check it out here.
Also, last Saturday sent the great Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's remains exploding into the heavens. Godspeed, you crazy bastard! Mahalo.
Finally, sorry I've been gone so long. I'll try to make an effort to be a bit more social. The weather's still hot as hell here, so it's the least I can do.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)