Rock Stars in Your Living Room

by M. David Hornbuckle

Last month on a Sunday night, David Thomas (from the legendary art rock/new wave band Pere Ubu) did a solo performance for about 40 dedicated fans in Birmingham. Was it at Bottletree? The Nick? No, it was in the living room of Troy Thompson and Laney DeJonge. It was a fantastically intimate atmosphere in which to see one of the strangest and most interesting performers in rock and roll history. The intimacy intensified the level of comfort and discomfort, depending on how you felt about the performance itself at that moment.

Jim Fahy from the local record label Communicating Vessels heard that Thomas was doing a series of living room concerts and was intrigued. “Basically,” Fahy said, “he would go anywhere for $1000. There were some other stipulations also, like you couldn’t sell traditional tickets and you couldn’t use traditional advertising. It had to be all word-of-mouth and social networking.” 

Fahy got together with concert promoter Lee Shook to plan how they could make this event happen. Even before the idea of the concert came up Fahy and Shook had already been talking about their shared interest in Pere Ubu. Ten years ago, Shook even wrote his senior college thesis at Suwannee about the band. “I was never completely happy with that thesis,” Shook said. “Having the opportunity to bring this concert to Birmingham was a way of finishing it.” 

Shook personally put up about half of the money needed to bring David Thomas to Birmingham. He secured the rest from the Birmingham Art Music Alliance, which had some funds left over from last year’s Improvisor festival. Though Thomas comes from the world of rock and roll, the board of the Art Music Alliance deemed his work weird enough to justify the expense.

Shook secured Troy and Laney’s house in Highland Park as a venue. Troy and Laney happened to be friends of his, and he knew they had a good space for such an event. Additionally, the house also happens to be the historic home of one of Shook’s ancestors, Paschal Green Shook. This connection deepened Shook’s personal interest in the concert. He said, “To arrange to have one of my musical heroes perform in a home that had belonged to my own family meant a lot to me.”

With everything in order, Fahy and Shook began to spread the word on Facebook. By contract with the artist, only 40 seats were available. Since they weren’t allowed to sell traditional tickets, they collected “donations” of $25 per person via PayPal. Fahy said, “I was terrified we were going to do something wrong, and he’d cancel the show.” However, the show went on and transpired smoothly (aside from an incident in which one attendee mistakenly parked in a neighbor’s yard).

Living room concerts aren’t new, particularly for artists in the avant-garde who have a scarcity of other venues available to them. However, they are becoming more popular with better-known indie rock and alternative rock artists who are interested in the opportunity to travel with low overhead costs and perform for a smaller, more dedicated audience than they might find in clubs. “It’s a buyers’ market for clubs,” Fahy said. “There’s a lot of competition for good nights at clubs, so putting a tour together that’s beneficial for both venue and artist can be a bit challenging.”

For example, Pat DiNizio from the Smithereens did a living room tour in 2006, and he’s offering these shows again to fans. According to his website, these are request-only, solo acoustic show that last nearly three hours. “The audience calls out songs, and I do my best to entertain them,” he said. Indie rock singer David Bazan from the band Pedro the Lion has also been including house shows on his recent tour. Thomas says he developed an interest in these types of shows after a “delightful experience” at a house concert in Copenhagen introduced him to the concept.

Fahy and Shook both said they would be interested in bringing more shows like this to the area, though they have no living room concerts planned in the immediate future. Troy and Laney, who were very gracious to all their guests, also showed an interest in hosting more events of this kind. Troy mentioned that he might host legendary rockers the Woggles in his basement in January, but at press time the show was not confirmed.

Rabidstick

BFP Music Biz: Press Release from Leeds

The Legendary Pineapple Skinners

Leeds Theatre and Arts Center is delighted to announce that The Legendary Pineapple Skinners will be performing at the center, located at 8140 Parkway Drive, Leeds, Alabama 35094, on Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 7:00 PM. Price of admission is $10.00.

The Pineapple Skinners have based their sound on Dixieland jazz, but since their beginnings as a group in 1997, have evolved their own unique and eclectic twist,  combining traditional jazz with such unique elements as big band tunes, ukulele, and even lap steel. Despite their originality, this group does play traditional gigs, in addition to weddings, funerals, and the occasional divorce.

Such an unusual group should have a name to match, and theirs came from an episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which Barney gifted Thelma Lou with – you guessed it! - a pineapple skinner.

The members of the ‘Skinners are all unique individuals in their own right. Tony is a high school teacher; Tom is a registered pharmacist and an artist; Chuck is professional photographer, in addition to being a performer and a music teacher. Mike works for DHL and repairs and restores instruments, while Sam works for EWTN.

Call the Leeds Theatre and Arts Center at 205-699-1892 to make your reservations.

Bearhead

Miss Mahogany

"Groove" Reginald Archie

Sonic Stew

Thick as Thieves

Sons of the South

Amacio Favor

Three Circles: Local Musicians Help Kids

By Matthew Little

                                                                                                                              (Photo By JoAnna Little)

“I don’t know if there is any way to describe what Three Circles has done for my child,” says Lori Yonts, foster mother,. The Three Circles Foundation, located in Summerville, Georgia, is a day camp founded with the purpose of educating and empowering disadvantaged boys ages 12-18. At this 23 acre farm, foster and single-parent boys learn trade and social skills that build confidence and character. Jeremy and Jessie Collins started the foundation in 2009 to engage these youth in a monthly camp and community service projects, all aimed to encourage growth in community, environmental, and spiritual awareness. 

"This camp is about changing lives,” says Jeremy Collins, who built the foundation from the ground up with his wife, acting on a deep-rooted desire to help the unfortunate children around their rural community. In two years, the foundation has reached out to boys from Walker, Chattooga, Floyd, and Polk counties, teaching hiking, carpentry, mechanics, and other skills while surrounding them with positive role models. “I could tell story after story that I’ve learned about these boys,” says Collins, who has seen visitors come away with skills and knowledge that will benefit them for years to come. “In the end, they all need a little attention and a lot of love.” 

Collins hopes to transform the camp into a permanent establishment by purchasing enough land to host a sustainable program. Unfortunately, due to the economic condition of Chattooga County, where Three Circles is located, funding for camp programs and community service projects is limited. The foundation must first meet its operating costs, and save what it can for future improvements.

To help meet this need, a group of Birmingham musicians have come together to present a series of benefit concerts at historic locations across the city. Heading up the series is Stephen Collins, Jeremy’s brother and member of the Alabama folk duo, The Clay States. Stephen has been to the farm himself and has seen how the boys benefit from the experience. “What they learn in one day at TCF could be more meaningful and cultivating than the opportunities they may receive in a month’s time elsewhere.”

When he learned of the financial challenges facing the foundation, Stephen sought the help of his musical contemporaries, including Birmingham’s War Jacket and Neil Couvillion. He then selected venues distinctive of historic, industrial Birmingham such as the Peanut Depot, the oldest business on Morris Avenue. Stephen hopes to combine scenes of the old South with new music in order to raise awareness and funds for Three Circles. “What we need are attendees with the perfect combination of ears for sincere music and hearts for sincere causes.” 

Stephen and singer Lauren Little began writing songs as The Clay States in Birmingham before briefly moving to Arizona, where they found inspiration in the desert landscapes and mountains of Flagstaff. They returned to Alabama with a mysterious and eclectic unification of Southern and Western Americana.

Joining the Clay States is Atlanta folk singer/songwriter Lauren-Michael Sellers, whose honey-smooth voice has entertained audiences around the Southeast. Noticeably influenced by the likes of Regina Spektor and Allison Krauss, Sellers has found her niche “where soul meets folk.” She is a member of Birmingham’s Grey Haven community of musicians (along with Stephen and Lauren) and has performed in a number of the city’s popular venues, including Matthew’s Bar & Grill and Bottletree Café.

The Clay States and Sellers will kick off the first show of the benefit series at the Peanut Depot on October 21. The Peanut Depot, located at 2016 Morris Avenue, is one of Birmingham’s oldest operating businesses. The top floor has recently been renovated, now featuring an entertainment venue. The show will begin at 7 p.m. with The Clay States. Between sets, Jeremy Collins will give a presentation about the foundation, followed by Lauren-Michael Sellers.

The second event will be at the Cahaba Pumping Station at 4012 Sicard Hollow Road on November 18, at 7 p.m. The one hundred year old pumphouse-turned-museum was an obvious choice for Stephen, who aimed to fuse the historic character of Birmingham with the new culture of artists performing today. “I can't emphasize enough how these events combine Birmingham's already present aesthetic of industrial spaces with its budding music scene, all working toward the greater good,” he says. “The sounds of New South music resonate with the acoustics of the buildings of the Old South to inspire events that renew our culture.”

The Matchcoats, an acoustic folk and blues duo and new members of the Grey Haven community, will be performing with The Clay States at the Pump Station. Guitarist Gabriel Akins specializes in alternating bass blues, inspired by traditional blues artists such as Mississippi John Hurt. He delivers vocal and guitar melodies, while Sarah Akins provides rhythm and harmony. The duo met Stephen and Lauren at Grey Haven’s monthly show in January, and agreed to play for the Three Circles benefit when the need arose.

The benefit series will announce one more show by December, and resume in 2012. Jeremy Collins is grateful for the help offered by the participating musicians, and is hopeful that The Three Circles Foundation will find the support it needs, “We hope to raise as much as we can through these concerts,” he says. “With the bands that are playing, I think we will all have fun doing it.”

With the funding generated by these events, The Three Circles Foundation will continue to operate on a monthly basis to provide orphaned, single-parent, and at-risk boys with teaching and support that may change their lives. Jeremy and Jessie Collins are reminded by every visitor of Frederick Douglass’ belief that “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Find out more about The Three Circles Foundation at threecirclesfoundation.com.

BFP Music Biz: Press Release from Workplay

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
KAKI KING AT WORKPLAY THEATRE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Who:               Kaki King
When:                         Monday, November 14, 2011 @ 8pm

Where:            WorkPlay Theatre

Ticket Information   

·         $15 adv/ $15 dos - General Admission

·         Tickets on sale now!

·         Available through www.workplay.com or with no service fee, in person, at the WorkPlay Box Office

·         This is an 18+ show! ($3 surcharge for patrons under 21)

BIRMINGHAM- October 11, 2011

Espionage, particularly the idea of living a double life, was the basis for Kaki King’s brand-new, stunning album Junior. And like a tantalizing spy novel that’s full of surprises, Junior delivers twists-and-turns: lyrically from exuberance and anger to heartbreaking melancholy; and sonically from experimental pieces to accessible pop. While there is some of the dazzling musicianship King has been renowned for, Junior showcases her further maturation as a well-rounded artist that defies categorization and expectations.

“I never made records for other people,” she says. “My evolution from record to record has been personal not commercial. For example there’s none of the “guitar tapping” that I’m known for. There not a single bit of it on the record except for a half a second on ‘The Hoopers of Hudspeth.’”

As with her previous album, 2008’s Dreaming of Revenge, Junior was produced by Malcolm Burn (Patti Smith, Emmylou Harris) and recorded at his studio in Kingston, New York. But in contrast to that record, which was marked by deep textures and layers as well as unusual instrumentation, Junior was specifically made with only three musicians in mind—in this case, King, multi-instrumentalist Dan Brantigan and drummer Jordan Perlson. The result was something more direct. “Prior to this I would have written a lot in the studio and played all the instruments myself,” King says. “This time, I really leaned on Dan and Jordan to help shape the songs and help me get the record written.”

Kaki King

The nearly-D.I.Y. aesthetic employed by King can be found on a couple of Junior’s tracks starting with the album’s punkish “Falling Day” and the noisy “Death Head.” “I was dragging this little ukelele around with me,” she says of the former song. “I tuned it weird and I came up with this one riff. The lyrics are basically nonsense. It’s a kind of rumination on a weird dream I had and imagery from that. It’s also got all these strange sounds that Dan came up with.”

Longtime fans may be surprised to hear a different side of King with the dance rock of “Spit It Back In My Mouth.” “I really wanted that to be my Cure song,” she says. “Like how the Cure would write these really happy, jangly songs and the lyrics would be utterly depressing. When I came up with that little groove, I thought this is way too happy, so I changed it to make people depressed.”

King’s mesmerizing guitar playing continues through Junior with a few instrumental pieces, including the electrifying number “My Nerves That Committed Suicide.” “I found a tuning on the guitar,” King says of that track, “and I was writing a little theme and a little melody. All of a sudden I thought, ‘Why don’t we do this?’ and it really took off. Part of it is ear candy and a part of it is emotive air candy. You just go with that anthemic feeling and it kind of wins every time.”

The rawest song on Junior in terms of King’s passionate singing and wrenching lyrics is the folkish ballad “Sunnyside,” which is about the end of a relationship. “It happened very close to the time I was making the record,” the artist recalls. “It’s a very personal story about something that I went through with another person. Every reference to every lyric is true to life. I’m hoping there’s something universal in that song that someone’s gonna listen and think ‘Wow, I can relate to that,’ because I don’t want it to by my pity party.”

Contact: Ken Weinstein

weinstein@bighassle.com

www.workplay.com

BFP Music Biz: Press Release from Jonathan Laird

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Info: Jonathan Laird / Jonathan Laird / (256) 783-0994 / jonathan@jonathanlaird.net / www.jonathanlaird.net

INDEPENDENT ARTIST, JONATHAN LAIRD “POPS” INTO THROUGH THE SOUTH TO PROMOTE HIS FIRST MUSICAL RELEASE

HUNTSVILLE,AL (October 1, 2011)  — With a chill in the air, and a turn of the seasons, Nashville artist Jonathan Laird celebrates the first leg of his Southeast regional “Tangled Up In Me” tour celebrating his critically acclaimed EP, “Tangled Up In Me.”

Consisting of original music inspired by pop culture heroes, both young and old, this young music aficionado puts his own twist on some very familiar sounds.

Huntsville's publication, “Valley Planet” voted him “Best Jazz Artist” in their “Best of the Valley” reader's poll in 2010.  His songs have been spun on independent podcasts in Germany, New York, and the United Kingdom, and two songs from his current EP release, “Tangled Up In Me” have been aired on 104.3 WZYP out of Huntsville. His EP was produced by Cam DeVaney. (Flyleaf)

Jonathan delivers a hooky slice of happiness by combining head-bopping grooves, silky vocals and picturesque lyricism. It's a style of modern pop that meshes elements of Paul Simon and John Mayer with George Benson and Jason Mraz. He is currently writing songs for his first full-length recording, performing with Chopper Wilson of the Jason Albert Band (Heartland), Bonner Black and is co-writing with Lee Pinson and Sarah Ray Causey. In addition, Jonathan has shared the stage with Independent Christian artists Jonathan Lee, Kathleen Carnali, Jason Albert and Norris Jones (Michael Jackson). He has shared the studio with Buddy Hyatt (Toto) and Bruce Boughton (Reba McEntire). He currently performs as a solo artist and is also a supporting musician for other artists. Jonathan has also played benefits ranging from The Arthritis Foundation to Relay for Life and Susan G. Komen.

Jonathan is available for interviews and appearances. Contact Jonathan at (256) 783-0994 or jonathan@jonathanlaird.net for more information.

Lydia Loveless Can Drink Now!

By Lee Waites

I blurted out, unceremoniously and without a bit of smooth, “So do you like the term country punk, or cowpunk or any of those things to describe your music? I don’t mean to be offensive. I just don’t hear any punk.”

“No,” she said. “I would probably say more rock-n-roll.”

“I was thinking more like power country,” I said.

“I’ve never heard that one before,” she laughed politely.

“Nope, nope. I just made that one up. Somebody has to make shit up.”

She’s been compared to Neko Case. That’s fair. “It’s a flattering comparison.” Lydia says. There is a similar sound, though she doesn’t consider Neko Case one of her major influences.

“So who do you like to sit around and listen to when you’re having a beer?” I asked.

She thought for a second “I like Sunny Sweeney a lot lately. It really depends on my mood.”
I told her that “depending on my mood” thing was cheating.

“OK. She said, “Sitting around drinking beer I would have to say Hank Williams.” I made sure she meant Senior. She did. 

I listened back to my interview and realized how completely dorky I sounded, which made me feel great. I mostly write. So I can read what I’m saying and realize how dorky it is before I put it out there to be read. Of course, I put it out there anyway. I would be lying if I said I didn’t love dorky.

I completely sounded like I was being fatherly to Lydia. I’ve always been worried I would never stop being attracted to girls much younger than me. My voice was almost like a grandmother. I’ve always found women my own age attractive, still do. The field of potential embarrassment has just seemed to always grow and grow. It’s always just started at 21 and worked its way up to whatever age I happen to be. So I figured I would just be some creepy old dude who never stopped liking 21 year olds, even when I got to be 80 or something. But my conversation with Lydia clearly showed that I am becoming appropriately old. 

In my ridiculous fatherly voice I asked her about touring with her dad. She tours with her dad you see. He is her drummer. She writes her own songs. She’s cute as a button but tough as nails. That sort of thing. Those sort of questions. 

I feel I’ve buried the lead though. In September Lydia Loveless turned 21. Now some of you may have forgotten that feeling. But to someone her age, man. POW! She can step up to the bar and order for herself . Now, she can legally booze it up at the venues where she plays. So when you go see her show at the Nick this coming Friday, the 14th, buy her a drink.

BFP Music Biz: Press Release from Synical Deliverance

Synical Deliverance is one of the premiere electronic/industrial acts out of Birmingham, AL. They self-released their debut album Hades back in 2008, selling over 200 copies, and playing over 50 live shows to support the local and regional music scenes.


Now in 2011, 3 years have passed and their sophomore album -Chronos- will soon see the light of day, after many release issues due to funding, etc.


Anyone that enjoyed the live shows, or was lucky enough to obtain a copy of Hades is urged to please help out Synical Deliverance by Pre-ordering their album at the ridiculously low price of $8 (includes shipping and handling directly to your address in a VERY LIMITED custom package).


We'd like to thank the Birmingham Freepress, and any other local organization and music groups who have helped artists do what they do.


https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GYKV89QGNX4Z2

• chronos preorder link.txt

Online Payment, Merchant Account - PayPal

www.paypal.com

The Price of Not Being a Human Jukebox

The Price of Not Being a Human Jukebox

by M. David Hornbuckle

Birmingham is a weird town for original bands. Most of the bars that have live music feature cover bands. They start at 10 and play until 1:30 or later. Or in some cases (Marty’s), they start after midnight and play until morning. The bands are human jukeboxes, or noodlers who fill the time with solo after solo. Generally, they are more concerned with keeping the music going and pandering to the crowd’s requests than they are interested in artistic expression. 

There’s no doubt, though, that original music has a much higher cool factor. Even when it isn’t as sing-along friendly as yet another rendition of “Wagon Wheel,” it has the potential to be an extremely captivating and memorable experience for all who see it. Bars are aware of this, and they want original bands, but there’s a disconnect between the bars of the “cover band” scene and the bands who play all original tunes. The bars don’t understand that a full show for one of these bands is a 45-minute set, an hour at the most.

Think about it this way. For the average competent musician, it’s a lot easier to learn three hours worth of other peoples’ songs than it is to come up with 45 minutes of original material that is energetic and engaging. Cover bands might feature incredible musicianship. They might not play the same covers as everybody else, or they might have their own take on the standards. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that. But if you are a musician focused on playing original music, you are working under a completely different paradigm. 

Granted, some bands that play the three and four hour gigs around town do some original material. But let’s be honest. They still play mostly covers and sneak in a few original songs when they can get away with it, most of which are likely to be pretty derivative of the kind of stuff they are covering.

If these bars want to move toward having original bands, they should get used to having three bands a night instead of just one. Sure, the bands won’t make as much money. Most original bands know this and are comfortable with it. But with three bands, you also triple the potential audience. Instead of one band doing promotions for the show, you have three. Venues that are known for featuring original music, like the Nick and the Bottletree, have always done the three band thing. It's rare to see a single band play more than an hour at those places. 

Or you might have only two bands, and the music might be over earlier. That’s really okay too. After the bands are done, you put on a jukebox or somebody’s iPod, and people keep drinking and hanging out until closing time. Personally, I'd rather see 45 minutes of punchy energetic rock than three hours of covers or noodling any day. And I'll happily pay five or ten dollars to see a good band do that.

Dateline, October 6th: Movie Info - BFP Style

TONIGHT! "Jaws" at Railroad Park's Sunset Cinema. 7:00pm Free admission
The only thing scarier in the ocean than a BP oil drill. Classic Spielberg characters and plenty of suspense. Rated PG.
Movie trivia question: The shark actually had a name. Be the first person to answer and win 30 seconds of smug self-congratulations. No, it wasn't "Jaws".
Park is located at 1600 1st Avenue South Downtown. (1st Avenue South, between 14th and 18th Streets) Food and drinks available for purchase. For more info and list of upcoming films, click on this:

http://www.railroadpark.org/sunset-cinema.html

BFP Music Biz: Jess Meuse Announces Contract

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For more information, contact: Jess Meuse, LLC or Guest House Studios, LLC (334-580-0155; ghs@guesthousestudios.com)

JESS MEUSE, LLC AND GUEST HOUSE STUDIOS, LLC ENTER INTO ARTIST MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT

SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 (NASHVILLE, TN) – Jess Meuse, LLC (CEO/President: Jess Meuse) and Guest House Studios, LLC (CEO/President: Tony Buenger) signed a formal management contract at The Bazel Group, in Nashville, TN. This agreement allows Jess Meuse to expand her horizons with her songwriting and performances.

Jess Meuse is an aspiring rock-country singer/songwriter who has been making waves in the central Alabama region and has not gone unnoticed in Nashville. At the age of 2, Jess coined the phrase "Some people might say these socks don't match, but I like them." That perfectly describes who Jess is and creative and her unique style for writing and performing music. In addition to her singing and songwriting, Jess is a self-taught musician at guitar, violin, and piano.

With the signing of this agreement, the team of Jess Meuse, LLC and Guest House Studios, LLC can expand the creative projects and activities they began in January 2011. Jess and Tony first met at the Guest House Studios Christmas open house in Alabama and instantly hit it off, realizing that their creative talents were a perfect match for promoting Jess’ music. The formal pairing of these two entities through the artist management agreement will provide new avenues for Jess Meuse to pursue additional opportunities to promote, develop, and further her career as a musician, composer, arranger, publisher and performance artist.

For further information, contact Jess Meuse or Tony Buenger at 334-580-0155 or ghs@guesthousestudios.com.

Our Goal at BFP Music

We've been up and running now for less than a year. We're very happy that we've had so much interest in what we're doing. We have been happy to meet and connect with all of the musicians and their fans that have so far joined our groups, become our friends, viewed the content on our site and shared their information with us. 

We have a number of goals that we've met and a number we are working to launch soon. So please tell your friends and stick around. Check back frequently to see what's up. Also, as most people who have been following what we're doing will tell you we're very interactive. We're having a blast and love to hear from any of you about ideas or events. We're working hard to become a one stop shop, if you will, for local music information. 

We're attempting to achieve this through diligent work as well as creative outreach to fans and musicians. We don't require anything fancy to do this. We pay attention, try to keep up with what's going on, and respect the effort of others. We never want to be seen as an adversary to any other music endeavor in this town. We're just proud to be running along side the other guys and doing our thing. We will let our information and resources speak for themselves. 
 
Or calendar: We attempt to provide the most up to date calendar available for music information in Birmingham. It is built by hand and updated as shows come in. We attempt to keep up with mostly the local small venues. These guys do not get as much attention through media coverage but are the backbone of our local music scene. 

Many have begun to use the calendar. Please check it out from your smart phone. We like the versatility.

We're meeting with a guy this week, yes cloak and dagger stuff. He is going to help us put together a killer app. The one we have now sucks. But it's a link to the calendar that is updated several times a day by us. We check and double check the information and check it against all other calendars in town to to be as correct and up to date as possible. Call me on the freaking phone if you see me missing something. I will put it in.  That is how available we are.
   
The deal is, we are like most of the musicians in this town. Our newspaper and our music coverage is our art. We work other jobs too. We're like most of you. We don't have all the time in the world to chase stories. We don't have rich backers to pay our bills. We don't have a sales staff. We just have you. But that is freaking cool. 

The interest in what we're doing has skyrocketed. We're ecstatic about that. Some of you are into the newspaper. Some of you are into the music coverage. Some of you are into the groups. That is our pleasure. 

We love what we're doing. Please keep up your support and let us know what you want to see. We are a good opportunity for you to directly influence coverage in Birmingham. 


Rock on freakos!
 

BFP Music Saturday NIght

I can think of no better way than to tell it like it is. I'm sitting on the patio at Marty's talking to my dear old friend Darcy, who is set up to sell her jewelry. She calls it Alexander's Wearable Art. Inside, Earthbound is keeping it mellow and smooth. 

I started my evening at Crestwood Coffee watching the High Fidelics. A confession: My brother is the bass player. I would love them anyway. They, for some reason refuse to be classified as surfer music. I think they're like the Ventures. Another confession: I, as I've said, am a drinker. So I'll fix whatever typos I make in the morning. I'm having very much fun. I hope you are too.

After grooving to the High Fidelics I came to Marty's to see Motel Ice Machine! I like them very much. the singer is like a cold glass of milk fresh from the dairy, you could just drink her up. And the guys are like the Berenstain Bears on crack, tight like machines. They have a cool, country-western kind of feel. I was impressed by how tight they were even though Ryan told me they had a few new members. 

My Marty's burger just got here. So I'm going to stop my train of thought in its tracks and eat. Oh my God...It's like the old myth about the crossroads. Only, instead of Marty making a deal for musical prowess, he got the freakin' burgers.

Whoa! Ricky Castrillo just came by the table. Told me we were the best thing to happen to music in this city for a long time. I love that man. You have to meet him if you haven't.

Darcy has sold about three pieces of jewelry since I've been sitting here. She's a hippie!

OK. I just ate the last bite of my Marty Burger. I feel ready to face the World.

I'm going to be in trouble in the morning. When my editor sees all this free flow bullshit. But it's the pirate way!

So. Ryan from Motel Ice Machine gave me his tickets to see Johnny Corndawg, at Bottletree. There was a break between Motel Ice Machine's set and Earthbound's at Marty's, so I took it to go to Bottletree.

I wasn't expecting much from Johnny Corndawg. I just wasn't familiar with him. He joined up with the opening band, Robert Ellis and his boys, who played with him on his set. I had never seen them before.  But those motherfu@*$%@ were tied together by strings. I was shocked that the crowd wasn't larger. They were tight as hell.

I stopped by the merch table to talk with Robert Ellis during the solo portion of Johnny Corndawg. I was amazed to learn that Corndawg and Ellis had only played together a few times. I guess some things just fit.
Bottletree was the perfect venue for this show. We need to make sure to fill Bottletree up the next time Corndawg and/or Ellis comes through town. (Really. We should just fill Bottletree up every night.) 
 Thanks Ryan.
Johnny Corndawg was definitely solidly country. The sound and the sight of him was all country. But it's the kind of country that would make it into outer space. The lyrics were intelligent and insightful. He was fun and engaging. And he was fun and engaging. Did I mention that he was fun...and engaging? 
That brings me back to do ray me.

Now I'm watching the people just begin to roll into Marty's. It's 1:05 and it's the next phase here. Next stop sunrise. It's amazing how fast this place fills up. 


My battery is dying and I'm about to drink another beer. We're still having fun right? I mean everything is cool. we're...you're not mad at me are you? Sorry man. Hey... Man I love you guys. No really. I love you guys. Ya'll are the best...

Motel Ice Machine

Earthbound

Johnny Corndawg 

Robert Ellis

(Yes! This post is exactly what it looks like.)