Lightening thoughts. Flint Eastwood dresses and talks like the little girl in True Grit, except for all the cursing. She commands the stage like the most epic arena rock god. That show was a whole bowl of stuff that makes no sense together. That’s what made it something I will never forget. Go. Go see her crazy ass.
Charly Bliss was super stinking fun. Also, go, go see them. Urban Renewal Project has an army of horn players, and a rapper who will improvise a rap about whatever flotsam and jetsam you have in your pockets or purse. Familiar refrain. Go. Go see them.
It was fun to shoot, although I am terribly out of practice. I forgot how to format my memory cards, that’s how long its been since I’ve done any shooting.
It was great to see so many different acts. This location is no MPMF of old, but it’s a massive improvement over the parking lot. The line-up was great. My only suggested improvement for next year is to get more food trucks. They had some, but considering how limited the options for quick evening eats are around The Taft, I think a wider variety of trucks would help.
First thing. Moving from the roasty toasty parking lot to The Taft and The Masonic Center is a big improvement. Second thing, It was a little weird to be in a daytime music fest inside. But, like I said this is hugely better than the parking lot.
Second thing. Good god Broken Social Scene is great. You know how talented musicians who play prog-rock-like stuff tend to have like thirty instrument changes and many minutes between songs to tune? THEY DIDN’T DO THAT THING. They literally passed 2 bass guitars around between members as they all switched out playing different stuff. They passed around a Fender Jazzmaster too. And! They clumped together the songs in which they were each on a particular instrument. OMG. Thank you for thinking of your audience, who doesn’t really want to watch you tune fifty times. THANK YOU.
Really, I enjoyed almost everything I saw yesterday. So, good on you whoever negotiated the line-up.
How is it that The New Pornographers and Broken Social Scene overlap? HOW? After a run through of the bands this morning I have to say, this is probably the most diverse mix of music they’ve had in recent memory. Cheers to that.
One observation, sounding like The Breeders, aka woman led 90’s guitar rock, must be a thing. So many bands in that neighborhood. Literally ran by Filthy Friends in my listen fest and thought HEEEYYYY Corin Tucker inspired vocals. HEEEEYYYYY.
2:45 Blossom Hall – Skyline Chili Stage
3:20 Even Tiles- Taft Ballroom
430 Kid Stardust- Taft Ballroom
5:05 DYAN – Skyline Chili Stage
6 Preoccupations – Masonic Cathedral
6:30 The Cactus Blossoms – Masonic Ballroom
8:25 Frightened Rabbit- The Taft
9 The New Pornographers – The Taft
10 Broken Social Scene – The Taft
1130 Citizen – Taft Ballroom
Friday was a day full of music. And the best thing about today is that there are two more days left. Here’s what I am seeing today… Assuming I consume enough coffee to keep me on my feet.
115-145 Ryan Fine & The Media – WNKU Stage
130-200 Orachards – Central Parkway Stage
300-330 Lucky Chops – Skyline Stage
315-343 By Light We Loom – WNKU Stage
415-445 Lucy Dacus – WNKU Stage
430-500 MULTIMAGIC – Central Parkway YMCA Stage
515-600 Oh Pep! – WNKU Stage
530-615 – Bob Mould – Central Parkway YMCA Stage
645-730 Carseat Headrest – WNKU Stage
700-745 Frightened Rabbit – Central Parkway Stage
745-830 Reggie Watts – Skyline Stage
815-915 The Mountain Goats – WNKU Stage
830-930 Wolf Parade – Central Parkway YMCA
930-1100 JJ Grey & Mofro – Skyline Stage
It’s that time. That time where I determine what awesomeness I will see. Two things to note here. Leggy and Royal Holland are local acts. And they are great. If you aren’t from around here make time to see them. I’m already preparing my cold brew to survive this.
315-345 HOOPS – WNKU Stage
400-430 Injecting Strangers – Skyline Stage
445-515 Royal Holland – Eli’s BBQ Stage
515-600 Ona – WNKU Stage
530-615 PUBLIC – Central Parkway YMCA Stage
615-700 The James Hunter Six – Skyline Stage
645-715 Leggy – Eli’s BBQ Stage
700-745 Cereus Bright – Central Parkway Stage
730-830 Antibalas – Skyline Stage
830-930 Tokyo Police Club – Central Parkway YMCA Stage
930-1100 Future Islands – Slyline Stage
Some music stands out because it sounds so unique, but can also stand out because it sounds like something else, something that makes you feel warm and expansive. And that is how I feel listening to this. I am at a Heartless Bastards show more than twelve years ago.
It’s part the vocals and part the general aesthetic of the music.
Has everything been done, and are we just repeating what has come before? Maybe. If there’s a finite number of pleasing sounds that our ears are capable of hearing revisiting the good stuff is ok.
Lucy Dacus plays Saturday Sept 24th at the WNKU stage at 415pm at MPMF.
If I let the crazy person in my head run my mouth it would sound similar to this.
I am insecure and judgmental. I wish I didn’t feel as dark about other people. I wish I didn’t see a salmon short guy with an awesome tattoo and feel that he isn’t entitled to it. And I wish I didn’t see the girl in high-waisted acid-washed jeans sporting her plastic-framed glasses with lenses the size of dinner plates feel annoyed. But I do. I would hate that guy with the Kokopelli face tattoo.
We know this to be true
Everything is difficult except what’s in front of you
But it’s complicated even under your nose
Bullshit math equations
Your highs and your lows
And your manic depression
It comes and it goes
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you’re in fight or flight mode
How’s the world so small when the world is so large?
And what made the world
Could I please speak to who’s in charge?
Everything is real
But it’s also just as fake
From your daughter’s birthday party
To your grandmother’s wake
And your bipolar illness
It comes and it goes
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you’re in fight or flight mode
I’ve tried to know which words to sing so many times
I tried to know which chord to play
And I tried to make it rhyme
I tried to find the key that all good songs are in
And I tried to find that notes to make that great, resounding din
But there’s a bad man in everyone
No matter who we are
There’s a rapist and a Nazi living in our tiny hearts
Child pornographers and cannibals, and politicians too
There’s someone in your head waiting to fucking strangle you
So here’s to you Mrs. Robinson
People love you more
Oh nevermind
In fucking fact Mrs. Robinson
The world won’t care whether you live or die
In fucking fact Mrs. Robinson
They probably hate to see your stupid face
So here’s to you Mrs. Robinson
You live in an unforgiving place
But we live in a tough place. And we are surrounded by people living on autopilot who are untroubled with how judgmental they are. Does my awareness make me lucky or miserable. Both?
I need constant maintenance to bring my best, which is patience and generosity with others and myself. If I have said unkind words to others they pale at what I have inflicted on myself. Knowing there are others trying to do their best gives me a little more energy to keep trying too. But I’m not trying to not hate. I’m trying to see that everyone has their own burdens. They are just different from mine, but that doesn’t make them any more or less trying.
Nobody knows everything. I certainly don’t. I know I will see AJJ Sunday the 25th at 430pm at the Elliot stage at MPMF.
Kate's Queen City Notes 