I’m not really into rap. But that sure as shit wouldn’t keep me from seeing Snoop Dogg on Sunday at Bunbury. I will gladly tick this off my bucket list for the price of admission. And really, who doesn’t enjoy this song? This show is going to a heaping helping of big fun. Snoop will wrap-up the fun perfectly. Snoop plays at 915 on Sunday of Bunbury 2015.
Tag Archives: bunbury music festival
Bunbury 2015 Must See: The Avett Brothers
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about The Avett Brothers? Nothing really. But if you are unfamiliar with them Pitchfork has a really nice review of their 2012 album. That ought to tell you what you need to know.
Bunbury will be my first time seeing them, and I am really excited. If you haven’t checked out Seth Avett and Jessica Lea Mayfield’s cover of “Between the Bars” you really should. And oh look, I put it here for you. They did a whole album of Elliott Smith covers, and they are just gorgeous. Elliott Smith, I miss you so much. Not gonna lie, I have a secret hope they cover Elliott Smith at the show as unlikely as that is. And my love of Elliott Smith just hijacked this post. Sorry. Not Sorry.
Avett Brothers play at 945 at Bunbury 2015.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Catfish and the Bottlemen
This video has one of the nicest depictions of a mental hospital I have ever seen. By nice, I mean beautiful and completely unrealistic. I won’t hold that against them. This song has some good hooks, and the rest of their catalog sounds solid.
I failed to start my Bunbury research early enough. One of the consequences of that is that I can’t give as much time to each band that I take an immediate liking to. I suspect that with more time to sit with these guys, they would grow in me. I would have a deeper connection than my current flirtation. Hopefully, when I see them, their performance will help reign me in. They play at Bunbury 2015 at 5 on Friday.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Twenty One Pilots
This band isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse. But when I saw them at Bunbury a couple of years back their performance was really entertaining. When they took the stage the pianist launched off the top of his upright piano. The piano thudded to the stage; stage hands scurried to the rescue. But Twenty One Pilots didn’t miss a beat. Later in the show the drummer passed a platform to the crowd and set-up his kit there and played. Regardless of how you feel about the music, you will be entertained.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Shakey Graves
Americana seems to be a thing right now. Slickly produced well manicured bands with banjos and mandolins abound. Hey there Mumford and Sons and Lumineers. I’m sure the lack of banjo on Mumford’s most recent release will be the cause of much consternation.
American folk music has such a rich history. It’s been a tool for telling stories, sharing misery, and speaking out against systemic oppression. All these bearded pretty bands feel hollow when I consider the history of the product they are hustling.
But then there’s really gorgeous music happening just out of the spot light. Shakey Graves lives in this space. His voice is captivating.
I am curious to see his one-man performance. Typically, solo performances aren’t dynamic enough to hold my attention for long. But I love being proven wrong.
Shakey Graves performs at Bunbury 2015 Sunday at 530.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Wussy
Wussy is a great local band. I often miss our local acts at fests because I have many opportunities to see them outside fests, and when I must choose between something I love but have regular access to and something unknown that I don’t have regular access to, I pick novelty. Wussy kicks off the fest on Friday at 2, and has no competition for the first half of their set, so I am guaranteed to catch part of their performance. I can’t think of a better start to a great weekend.
If you are traveling for Bunbury, here’s what you need to know. Wussy has been praised by Rolling Stone and SPIN. Their albums have achieved critical success in spite of Wussy’s sparse touring. The band members all have day jobs, and getting out of town for tours is a challenge. But here in Cincinnati, we’re lucky. We have them all to ourselves. If you want a little taste of the Cincinnati indie music scene, don’t miss this band.
Check out their performance on KEXP:
All the feels that I have about discovering music lives in this song. A voice comes through the speakers and grabs hold of your soul whispering that you aren’t alone. This unexpected connection wrenches hope and joy out of what can otherwise feel a mundane existence. NOTE: this is a subset of the video above.
Wussy – Teenage Wasteland:
(Verse)
Do you remember the moment? You finally did something about it.
When the kick of the drum lined up with the beat of your heart
Stuck in the corn with only a transistor radio
Making paths with the soundwaves and echoing Oh Babyloh-oh-oh-on(Chorus)
Yeah, we heard your beat real loud and clear on the last one
And we were pulling for you a thousand times a day
And it don’t take much to sound like a sleeping prophet
When your misery sounds so much like oh, so far away
Too far away, too far away
Do you remember the moment? You finally did something about it.
When the kick of the drum lined up with the beat of your heart
Stuck in the corn with only a transistor radio
Making paths with the soundwaves and echoing Oh Babyloh-oh-oh-on(Chorus)
Yeah, we heard your beat real loud and clear on the last one
And we were pulling for you a thousand times a day
And it don’t take much to sound like a sleeping prophet
When your misery sounds so much like oh, so far away
Too far away, too far away
(Verse)
Do you remember the night you finally heard something about it?
When the kick of the drum went off like artillary fire
And if you’re wondering, man, oh yeah, say that it got to us
The shackles nd the (???) would scream like ohr, yeah yeah yeah
(Chorus)
Yeah, we heard you clear, real loud and clear on the last one
I must have listened to you a thousand times a day
And for one short breath, it sounds like the world is ending
It’s floating in space, but then it (???) so far aways
So far away, so far away
(Chorus)
Heard you loud and clear on the last one
We were potting for you a thousand times in a day
And it don’t take much to sound like a sleeping prophet
When your misery sounds so much like oh, so far away
Too far away, too far away
Wussy plays at Bunbury 2015 at 2pm on Friday.
If you wanna see my past experiences at Wussy’s shows check my past blogs out:
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Old Crow Medicine Show
The context matters when I am introduced to music. Much like a first impression, it’s like nicotine in walls. They never quite leave. They only fade, but never quite disappear.
I worked at a bar for some years; it was sort of place that wait staff would gather to drink away their nightly tips from midnight to last call. At mealtimes it was a wholesome family environment. In the wee hours of the morning, people were drowning their loneliness and making small an steady steps to heart failure and lung cancer.
I was introduced to “Wagon Wheel” in those wee hours of the morning. Fatigue was nipping at my heels while I struggled to find humor in jokes only funny to those three shots in. Inevitably, “Wagon Wheel” was the center of a “Crazy Hand of Poker” and “Ants Marching” sonic shit sandwich. And so, Old Crow Medicine Show got shoved into the malice-filled corner of my brain reserved for people who wear patchouli and like jam bands.
Regardless of my past impressions, I researched Old Crow Medicine Show as I have all the other bands in the Bunbury line-up. I was surprised to find that they are legit. I am delighted to be wrong. Now, my only concern is all the people turning up to see them that only know “Wagon Wheel” and will most likely be wearing patchouli.
Old Crow Medicine Show plays on Saturday of Bunbury 2015.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: Walk the Moon
Three cheers for local music going national! Cincinnati loves their hometown band as much as the band loves Cincinnati. Their last show at Bunbury was high energy and loads of fun to watch.
And congrats to Walk the Moon for having a radio hit right now. I’ve seen these guys numerous times before, they were signed to a major label. They always put up a fun show. While many might complain that their fans are rambunctious, I like to lean into their exuberance. FYI, this video was recorded here in Cincinnati; the building they are in is The Mockbee in OTR.
Walk the Moon play on Friday on Bunbury 2015.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: The Decemberists
I love this band. I saw them some years back, and got the added bonus of seeing The Head and the Heart as openers. At the time, I believe that Jenny Conlee, pianist among other instruments in The Decemberists, had recently been diagnosed with cancer. The show was subdued, and Conlee was absent. There seemed to be a pall over the band. Regardless, their technical execution was flawless. They just seemed disengaged from the audience.
Since then, Conlee’s cancer has gone into remission. I am curious to see the band now; the change in context might affect the band’s performance. I am hoping for a little more engagement this time around.
I love these songs. I love them so hard.
The Decemberists play on Saturday at Bunbury 2015.
Bunbury 2015 Must See: The Front Bottoms
“When ever I am alone or feeling lonely I pretend I can play the drums inside my head… I am alone only half of the time and the other half I am only hiding.” – “Legit Tattoo Gun” – The Front Bottoms
Words fail when expressing why music resonates. My initial attraction to The Front Bottoms was due to the vocalist’s similarities to the lead vocalist in The Thermals. The Thermals sound is more traditionally punk than The Front Bottoms, but the sincerity in the lyrics crosses the differences in sound.
There’s a thread that runs between The Front Bottoms and the early 2000’s emo bands like The Get Up Kids and Saves the Day. It seems that the only appropriate way to enjoy this band is screaming the lyrics to the songs along with them. And that’s exactly how I intend on enjoying them.
The Front Bottoms play on Sunday at Bunbury 2015.
Kate's Queen City Notes 