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.
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
(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
As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I have more blog topics and pictures than words right now. So, in the interests of working out the backlog here’s some pictures of the Andrew WK show at The Woodward Theater. It was great fun.
Yikes. I am behind. My Rubblebucket pictures have been inprisoned on my camera’s memory card for nearly two weeks sans my attention. In the interests of keeping things moving, I’m just going to leave this pictures here. Also, if you have a chance to see Rubblebucket, do so just to watch the fun. It really doesn’t matter if their music is your bag, you will enjoy their energy and performance.
Vacationer at The Woodward. They opened for Rubblebucket.
Rubblebucket at The Woodward
Rubblebucket at The Woodward. This show was so fun.
I fell behind. It happens. But in the interests of catching up, I am just going to share these shots and offer little to no commentary on these shows. Magnolia Sons were at The Drinkery, and The Church was at The Woodward Theater. Both shows were really spectacular in different ways.
This was my third time seeing Low Cut Connie. They tore through MOTR pub on Friday the 21st in a style that Jerry Lee Lewis would appreciate. They’ve revived a retro rock and roll sound with all the stage energy to deliver it in a brain sizzling wallop. The best way for me to convey the energy of this show would be to describe one of the audience members behavior there. A middle aged man took a shot, mysteriously lost his coat, equally mysteriously gained a Domo toque, and then held the toque aloft as though enticing the audience to engage in battle on behalf of Domo. Here’s a few shots.
The piano was really well tuned. I don’t know how your roll a piano over the Midwest’s pothole riddled highways and keep a piano in tune.
Low Cut Connie’s drink of choice seemed to be Old Style tall boys.
His very shiny jacket said nads on the back.
This piano seems to be equipped for rough treatment.
That’s probably not ergonomically correct.
The only problem with Low Cut Connie’s show was that it was a little short. More! More indie rock!
I checked out Automagik on Saturday night at MOTR. I didn’t know much about the band, so I didn’t have expectations. They have a bombastic sound and stage presence. Their high energy reminded me a bit of Cincinnati’s own Foxy Shazam. The vocalist enjoyed the show so much that he stripped down to his boxers for the last half of the show. Everyone deserves some privacy, so I decided to keep the pictures of that to myself. One could argue that all the fans with cell phones have already posted pictures. I’m sure they have. But that’s on them.
The Woodward and MOTR were booked with great bands on Saturday. They staggered the set times such that listeners could take a couple strolls across the street and catch all the bands with ease. Local bands the Yugos and The Harlequins were booked at The Woodward, and with tickets at 5 bucks a great value. The Ready Stance and The Locals, ironically the only band that isn’t local to Cincinnati, played MOTR Pub. MOTR is always free. Net, for 5 bucks you could get 4 hours of indie rock goodness.
All the bands sounded great, but the primal energy of The Harlequins popped out for me. I stumbled upon Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” on Sunday; it struck me that The Harlequins energy reminds me of Iggy. I also enjoyed their approach to audience participation. In preparation for their last song, they inquired fast or slow, fast or slow. This simple decision was in harmony with the band’s raw sound and understated stage presence. I loved it.
The Yugos filling The Woodward with their atmospheric rock goodness.
The Yugos and, apparently, specks of dust. It’s probably historic dust from The Woodward.
The Yugos on stage at The Woodward Theater.
The Ready Stance at MOTR
The Harlequins on stage at The Woodward Theater
The Harlequins delivering a rock and roll punch in the gut.
All horns all the time, that’s what I want in many live music situations. Sidewalk Chalk and Eclipse Movement nail that requirement. If there’s rapping that isn’t disparaging to women, that’s also a big plus.
I like hip hop. I like the beats. I like rapping. I don’t mind trite lyrics. But as a bearer of lady parts, I can’t put my dollars into something that’s disparaging to women. Sidewalk Chalk’s and Eclipse Movement’s cerebral, positive lyrics are an oasis in a desert of lady objectification.
Eclipse Movement driving the beats.
Eclipse Movement opened for Sidewalk Chalk at The Woodward Theater. I haven’t seen them play in a year and a half; I was overdue to check in with them. The musicians in this band are highly skilled. It shows in the face-melting guitar solo that closed out the last song of their set. It shows in their dynamic and textural range. They tore into quoting “Immigrant Song”; it was a shockingly perfect interlude.
There’s a keytar. That equals immediate awesome.
Eclipse Movement was an excellent opener for Sidewalk Chalk.
Who doesn’t like horns? And carpets.
Sidewalk Chalk regularly brings huge energy to their shows, but last night was exceptional as I had a bird’s eye view of the crowd. Beardy white men clad in ugly sweaters shook what God gave them in each and every awkward way possible; they did so with such enthusiasm and joy that permanent grinning was the only possible response. When Sidewalk Chalk finished off “Us, Them” chanting that we must better love each other, the crowd gleefully joined. It was a joyous 60 minutes that I will cherish.
Get ready!
There might have been some hands in the air.
The plane! The plane!
Sidewalk Chalk horns at full tilt!
Can I take a moment to enthuse about The Woodward? The Woodward Theater is nailing it’s infancy. At 4 months old, they have stellar bookings coming up. Cloud Nothings and Will Butler (member of Arcade Fire) booked as part of the Music Now Festival. The Church, a band with one of my favorite early 90’s hits “Under The Milky Way”, will come all the way from Australia to play in humble Cincinnati. The Antlers were just announced for this May. Rubblebucket, one of the bands I missed at MPMF2014 due to the venue being at capacity is coming up in April. Tonight, while the Woodward hosts The Harlequins and The Yugos, a mere 20 paces away, MOTR will host The Ready Stance and The Locals. All these shows are under twenty bucks, and in a venue where there’s a view of the stage nearly everywhere. Oh, and I can walk to it from my house. Basically, this is perfect.
I have a love/hate relationship with The Comet. I love that they are a music venue. I hate that the volume takes a year off my ability to hear without mechanized assistance. I love their reasonably priced burritos, quirky jukebox, and excellent beer selection. I hated that all of their bartenders were arrogant and surly. The Comet has been the setting of most of my poor bartender interactions.
To be fair, the bar staff has been considerably nicer in recent years. Unfortunately, this transformation occurred after I moved out of Northside. The surly service is what kept me from being a regular.
I went there for Christmas Jazz. The Steve Schmidt Organ Trio is played jazzy Christmas tunes. If you were ever wondering what a 10 minute “Frosty the Snowman” sounds like, you should attend this event next year.
I don’t like Christmas music. Many Decembers have passed where I have listened to Dean Martin’s “Baby it’s Cold Outside” a mind-numbing 759 times each shift at Starbucks. Often there would be a screaming child across the counter, in the arms of an oblivious parent who can’t figure out what to order despite 20 minutes waiting in line. Who knew the line would end like that? The people in line behind this person are giving me the stink-eye as I am describing all of our herbal teas. Baby, it’s cold outside and inside my soul.
Improvised organ solos drowns out all of my retail Christmas nightmares. I experience Christmas music as something new. Steve Schmidt has made me enjoy Christmas music. Next year, go, even if you’re a grinch.
Kate's Queen City Notes 