"How I Spent My Summer Vacation"

     Last night I experienced the moment that I experience for one moment every year, and spend the rest of the year thinking about. I was driving and although it was only about 8 pm, and the sun was still shining, I felt just the slightest chill as the balmy wind blew over the skin on my arms. Right then, a gust of wind from the west sent a flurry of leaves tumbling across Westnedge in front of me, and it was undeniable: summer is on its way out.
    To be fair, it's barely halfway through August and I hope this doesn't inspire that creepy, panicky feeling of impending Winter, but it's happening all around us. Summer's almost over. And, like every year since elementary school when I would make ambitious lists of things I wanted to do or accomplish over the summer (go camping. draw a lot. have a garage sale. save $50. Wait, these are still my summer goals.) I find myself evaluating what I really did and really accomplished this summer.
     Fortunately-- or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it-- for me, I was unemployed for most of the summer (which you might have read on my Myspace blog). While this severely limited my possibilities due to financial constraints and the enormous amount of time and energy I put into finding a job (which I luckily found... at the beginning of August.) the freedom I experienced was enormously transformative in a number of ways: for one, the gift of spontaneity. And this was valuable in one major way: I went to a LOT of shows, many of which were unbelievably last-minute and, some might say, poorly planned. But that's how I like to roll.
     So, this year, the question I ask myself as I feel the Chill descend over Kalamazoo is this: was it really worth it? Sleeping away the most beautiful hours of the most beautiful days we see in Michigan? Depleting my savings, my brain cells and every ounce of my bodily energy to travel across the Midwest-- across the country, in some cases-- to go to shows? Splitting my commitment-less days both writing, and agonizing about how much writing I wasn't doing? The highs and lows, all the luck and misadventures: was it really worth it?!
     In a word: yes.
     Some highlights:

-Wakarusa Music Festival. The Festie that started it all (this summer, anyway). If you've been reading my MySpace blog, you'll know that Waka was the (in?)direct cause of my unemployment this summer (that and a mega-bitch named Pattie; yes, with an "ie"). And if you've talked to me for more than ten minutes this summer, you've probably heard all about it.
     Waka. I'm just now realizing I have not written about it at all. I think it was just too enormous an experience for me to even try to articulate. I'm going to take a deep breath and do my best to pocket-size it for you:
     My roommate Nick and my good friends Alex and Rachel crammed in my Vibe with a weekend's worth of supplies and took off for Arkansas one sunny morning in early June. We arrived at Mulberry Mountain nearly 20 hours later, having braved torrential thunderstorms for most of the drive and experienced a plethora of victories and setbacks alike. Setting up camp (the four of us, plus our friend Agata, her twin sis Anna and their buddy Zach, a new friend of ours and, we would find out, the embodiment of the word "party") we had no idea what we were in for: several days of INTENSE Southern summer heat (most of which we beat by escaping the site, driving down the mountain, swimming and napping on the banks of the Mulberry River) and, of course, some truly lifechanging shows.
    The one the comes to mind: STS9. If you are into any electronic music at all, I am sure you've heard of (and probably even like) STS9. On the second night of the festival, STS9 headlined, blowing our minds for several hours from Mainstage. If I don't wrap this up in one sentence, I will be here talking for hours: This show was truly one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.
    The next night at Waka was probably the thing I had anticipated and built up in my mind the most, mainly because My Band, Umphrey's McGee, was playing a night show (they had played the previous night; a daylight set at Mainstage, which was good but not overwhelmingly so). I was "that guy" for the entire drive down and few days leading to this show: talking my poor friends' ears off about how Umphrey's is "the best live show in America;" "the most mindblowing shit you'll ever see;" etc etc etc. Unfortunately, I had become separated from my friends by the time Umphrey's took the stage (due to an enormously long and enormously unpublishable story, or set of stories) and spent the show front and center, literally, with other equally vigilant Umphrey's devotees: new friends who supplied me with water and other refreshments and, though I was in the wake of a partied-out moment, I was able to rally and had the time of my life (I even appear on the concert DVD of that show. Available on UMlive.com.). With the help of my new friends (and, not to mention, The Boys From Chicago) I truly came back to life. And, silly me, I didn't even know I wasn't living yet. Which is why I love-- LOVE-- festies. And Umphrey's.
     But that is really what Wakarusa, as a whole, did: bring me to life. I re-discovered when I was there what it meant to have fun and enjoy life, and how little it truly takes (in the way of material things, sanitary conditions, etc) to thrive and love your life.

-Shows About Town
     The walkability of Kalamazoo in the summer, as opposed to any time of year, is remarkable and lends itself incredibly well to various show-crawls. And yes, I think of them as show-crawls and not bar crawls. Why not go catch bluegrass at Bell's, indie at the Strutt and rock and Papa Pete's And hell, why not a basement show at the end there? And if I was getting REALLY crazy, why not work in a jam sesh of my very own?!
     So that's exactly what I tried to do. And like I say, my funds were limited due to my job status, but we're lucky we live in a city where cover charges are seldom over $5 to begin with, and sometimes you can get in cheap-- or even free-- by showing up late. And while I'm not advocating this, as I believe fervently in supporting local bands and venues, it's not always impossible to slide in without paying a cover. Just sayin'.    

It was my pleasure to catch a variety of Kalamazoo bands this summer; among my favorites:
     --Re-renderings of some of my classic favorites-- namely, the new facade of Ender (they're acoustically delicious!) and Their Teeth Will Be of Lions, with their newly-solo frontwoman Jay Dykehouse.
     --Elm Street Riot. Easily one of my favorite Kalamazoo bands.
     --Kathryn Tapper. This new(er) chick on the block graced the first Kzoo NOISE! showcase at Old Dog; I was truly impressed and entertained.
     --Brandon Mann and the Reprimand. Brandon Mann: He's everywhere you want to be and more. In case you haven't noticed, Kalamazoo NOISE! loves BM&TR, and I am no exception.
     --Small Town Son. Alright, alright. I know I talk all the time about how I don't like country. But seeing them one balmy night at Old Dog, Oberon in hand, out on the patio right at dusk, I actually really enjoyed their good-ol'-boy swag, and their covers that even I knew. Oh, and they have a fiddle player who totally shreds.
     --Speaking of country: Brother Bill. There has been some controversy surrounding my review of Brother Bill's album, "Wild On The Whiskey," due to a then-anonymous commentor's disagreement with, and, I think, misunderstanding of what I was trying to say (which happens in this medium! and is my fault for my colorful, and sometimes irresponsible, word choices). And allow me to set the record straight: I REALLY LIKE IT! I ALWAYS HAVE! So when I caught them at Harvey's one night, I half expected a little tension between me and at least one of the fellas in the band. But luckily for me, their personalities are as easygoing and good-natured as their music, and everyone was really cool to me. It wasn't until later that I realized that in my review, and/or subsequent comment thread, I promised them all Jim Beam shots, and didn't deliver. Awful. If you're reading this, Brothers, next time-- sorry!

-More Umphrey's
     Yes, I am an "Umphreys Fan." This fandom is unlike any I've ever experienced. I feel like I am actually addicted to Umphreys shows. There is truly nothing-- nothing.-- in the world that makes me happier than being at an Umphrey's show: pressed up against the foot of the stage, jamming hard; spaced-out, sober, or anywhere inbetween. There's nothing like having not a single care in the world because your "world" doesn't exist outside of the show. That's what seeing Umphreys is like for me.
    And I know you're probably smirking at the very least right now and might even have a slew of anti-"hippie jam band" thoughts in mind, your hand twitching in reckless anticipation of clicking the "Comment" button and unleashing a diatribe in which Trey, Dave, or-- God forbid-- Jerry, could become casualities at any moment. Or maybe not, because if you don't know I love hippie jam bands, you have no business here.
    Just kidding. But seriously.
    Anyway, Umphrey's. The two shows Umphrey's played at Waka did not satisfy, but only stoked, my desire to go to Umphrey's shows. All. Summer. Since I first saw them last summer at Rothbury, my heart had ached to be at another Umphrey's show. I don't know what it is about their live show, but like I say, there's one main word that comes to mind: addicting. And if you ask anyone who's ever been to an Umphrey's show, they will say the same thing. Not to mention, almost anyone I've ever played Umphreys' music around has asked who they were and if I could burn them some. So anyway. I'm just saying, don't knock it 'til you've heard it. And seen it.
    But, in my observation, Umphrey's is more popular EVERY SUMMER, playing more shows on a wider plane to bigger, and more enthusiastic, audiences. And to be honest, I love it. But to be just as honest: in a selfish way, I kind of wish they were still the Midwest phenomenon that they used to be; I wish they still played Papa Pete's and needed couches to crash on in Kzoo (!). I wish I could walk up to them after shows and ask them if they wanted to hang out and talk and listen to Frank Zappa records on vinyl and drink tea in my living room. But, alas, they are far too cool-- and I am far too uncool-- for that to happen. But I can dream.
     Alas, I caught them twice at Waka; once in Ohio; and once for a VERY crunchy and extremely beautiful double-set at Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids. All were incredible, my favorite of which was the latter. On a hot, windy, gorgeous night, right at sunset, they threw down a truly unstoppable set, including one of my all-time Umphrey's faves, "Gulf Stream" (which, though it's not one they play very often, I called in the requisite drive-up-to-the-show set-prediction game) and a soul-satisfying cover of Toto's "Africa" which still makes me smile when I think about it.

-Land of Nod
    Ah, Land of Nod. If you read my rundown "Going Gonzo in the Land of Nod" on my MySpace (friends only; sorry! friend-request me if you wanna read it and can't.) then you already know everything that happened in those crazy, crazy 5 days I was involved with/ attending the fest.
     Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot about music mentioned in that piece (I know; what?). It was really more about the experience. Which is really what Nod was to me. The lineup was so-so in the first place (aside from some killer headliners) and one of my most anticipated acts, Boombox (who we caught at Waka) was CANCELED. Bummer.
     However, I got to see not one, but TWO, sets by the incomparable Big Gigantic! The synth/ horn electro act (the brainchild of Dominic Lalli, aka my dream man) blew my mind on the Saturday of the fest, backdropped by the most glorious sunset I have ever seen in my life. If you are into electro at all and don't know Big G, please oh please check him out. It'll be so worth it.
     For me, the highpoint of the music at Nod was noneother than Kool Keith. Another show for which I was determined to be front-and-center (although there were probably only 500 or so people in attendance, so it was all too easy), KK (who moonlighted as his trippier alter-ego, Dr. Octagon) was everything I'd always imagined a Kool Keith show to be like.

So, yes, realistically, the summer is almost over. BUT: as always, there's plenty more to come. From up-and-coming local bands, to some big acts we're anticipating in Kzoo (for one, Ali Baba's Tahini; if you haven't heard of them, please search; I would just tell you but wouldn't that be anti-climacitc?) we are sure to be in the presence of some really amazing music in the coming days and months.

See you out there,
Meg [thevolumejunkie]

The Communist Musicfesto [part 2: Hoxeyville]

Hoxeyville: my second most highly-anticipated MI festival of this summer. With a fairly impressive lineup (blues superstar Buddy Guy is headlining) including plenty of Kalamazoo, regional, and Michigan acts, it really should be a fantastic time. Representin' the 'zoo:

[Greensky Bluegrass]
     Kalamazoo's most prominent bluegrass band (one of our most prominent bands period, I think) and a band I have seen and enjoyed on several occasions, Greensky Bluegrass, is a staple at Hoxeyville, and jam-scene royalty in Kzoo and throughout Michigan. With a name like Greensky Bluegrass, you might be expecting a gimmicky, predictable, wedding-reception-bluegrass band, and, truth be told, you wouldn't be too terribly far off: ranging from country-folk, Willie Nelsonesque road balladry (check out "200 Miles From Montana", available on their Myspace) to the stereotypical modern bluegrass sound (a la mainstream soundalike Nickel Creek), this band doesn't leave their audience with much reading to be done between the proverbial lines.
     Having said that, Greensky is the only Kzoo act to have ever played at the festival-leviathan Rothbury, these guys are definitely at the forefront of the roots/ bluegrass/ Americana scene in Michigan and throughout the Midwest.
     A rundown on their sound: Greensky utilize the aforementioned mainstream/ modern bluegrass sound throughout their set, occasionally flowing into fluent, mountainy jams that are really somewhat exciting (if you're into that sort of thing); the essence of which they sometimes manage to capture in their recorded work (check out "In The Rafters," also on Myspace). I have to say that they tend to play it kind of safe; this is the kind of bluegrass that you really have heard before. But they know what they do, they do it well and with a certain amount of (country) swagger, and an attention-getting precision. If you can't get enough jingly, standup-bass-driven, dobro-decorated, steering-wheel-tapping bluegrass, do check out Greensky; while they're probably not enough to convert someone who isn't already a bluegrass believer, they're sure to make a tasty treat for the devout up at Hoxeyville.

[Who Hit John?]
      I saw Who Hit John? on Night Two of Barking Tuna Fest in October alongside Michael Beauchamp and the Barn Roughs, as well as Th' Legendary Shack Shakers, and I am stoked that they are going to be up at Hoxeyville (as well as fellow [non-Kalamazoo] Tuna veterans, Airborne or Aquatic) and stoked to be listening to them again.
     While Who Hit John? is quite a bit on the country side of things-- a side I'm firmly on the record for being NOT on-- they're a hell of a lot of fun to listen to; not the "supernatural" experience I had hoped for, but  they're extremely listenable, even to me. They are reminiscent of 'zoo country comrades Brother Bill (only a little more sober and considerably less hyper).
     Though Who Hit John? was not on my list of noted best (or worst) Barking Tuna bands, after consulting my infamous Rod Stewart notebook of show reviews and revisiting my notes, I rediscovered that I had an awesome time at their show (of course). Their lively, clap-along canter makes for a hell of a listening experience, whether live or recorded; they swim flawlessly through the roots spectrum from straight-up hillbilly ("Cooter Brown") to an organic, almost Celtic sound ("Conscription Man") to a backwater-Baptist, Ozarks goin'-to-meetin' stomp ("The Plan") (all selections are available on their Myspace.)
     If you're thinking about catching these guys to get a little taste before Hoxeyville (I know I will be), you're in luck; Who Hit John? has several Kalamazoo dates coming up... consult their 'Space for further details.

 And that's kind of it for Kalamazoo bands at Hoxeyville, but I trust that both Greensky and Who Hit John? will represent hardcore. (Figuratively hardcore, of course.) AND, there are tons of other great acts at Hoxeyville, both regional and national.
     My faves: EOTO, ekoostik hookah, Airborne or Aquatic (one of my fave Tuna bands), Daisy May, Shout Sister Shout (a Rachel Davis-fronted, Antebellum-gospellish project; I saw them at Kraftbrau ages ago and loved it), Macpodz, UV Hippo, and lots, lots more!!!

Stay tuned for more MI festival previews! And if you need to forget the raging snowstorm outside, just curl up with a pair of headphones, close your eyes, and warm up from the inside out to your favorite festie bands.   

Brother Bill: Wild On The Whiskey

This review has been in the works for quite some time-- ever since I exchanged a crumpled $10 with a TA at my school for this album: a decidedly old-looking, should-be-on-vinyl, watermarked brown cover, with an out-of-place-looking parental advisory badge smirking in the lower right hand corner. Brother Bill...? Swear words? Weed and alcohol references aplenty? Don't mind if I do.

I had gotten a hold of another of Brother Bill's records previously-- a bunk live recording from the Kraftbrau (may it rest in peace)-- which I, frankly speaking, wasn't thrilled by. (Working at a music store did indeed have its spoils, local-band schwag among them.) While I do love a good live show-- even in a genre by which I'm not thrilled, i.e., country-- I don't typically connect with live albums, and this one in particular really just sounded like... how do I say this?... drunk hillbillies at a 21st century barn-raising.

But, Christ, how far Brother Bill has come. Like a dusted-off bottle of bathtub moonshine, Brother Bill has harnessed their spastic, epileptic-fit-of-five-bar-blues mania into something a little more polished, but still delightfully rough around the edges, in their impressively professional new release (out late '09), "Wild On The Whiskey."

Brother Bill, upping the tempo but clinging stubbornly to their country bootstraps, bash through all 13 tracks at breakneck speed with an in-your-face rockabilly that makes you want to drink fast, dance fast, get in a bar fight and get the hell out of there fast, drive fast (ideally not all in the same night)... putting on the breaks only slightly for their bluesy title track, the last on the record: a (relatively) gentle reprieve before you give it a second listen (or third... or fifth...). Their strongest songs are those playing up their mischievous (and oft felonious) shenanigans (like the anthemic opener, "Drink All Day"); they fall a little flat on the cliche country bullshit that dampens an otherwise balls-out progression of songs; for example the lackluster "16 Hours;" which contains such lyrical flatulence as "fishnet stockings and your hair done up right/ tell your old man you won't be home tonight."

And, I'm calling them out on the Lone Star State namedrops-- c'mon, fellas, country cop-outs? You're better than that (and... you're from Michigan). But the bottom line: this record isn't half bad. Aside from a couple sticky moments for a country un-enthusiast like myself, "Wild On The Whiskey" is well-rounded, intelligent in its own way, and a hell of a lot of fun. And while the album in its entirety probably won't make it into my permanent rotation, you can bet the farm (ha) that I'll be catching their next show.

Cute tagline: Lone-star? How 'bout 5-star? (Honestly: more of a 3.5 [are we doing half-stars?]) Brother Bill-- I hate country. But thanks for making a (semi) believer out of an indie snob.

But don't take my word for it (Levar Burton shoutout.) Check out their MySpace.

TVJ songpick: "Party Hardy Swing." [Usually what I like to do with a songpick is choose a lyric and let it speak for itself; let's go ahead and do that:] "Let's party hardy, rock n roll, drink a 6-pack and smoke a bowl." Having actually partied with at least one member of this band, I'll resist temptation to (actually) say "I wanna party with you guys!" But, if we learn one thing from this album, let it be this extra-special note to musicians; if you want free shots next time you play a show, write an entire album devoted your favorite poison. I know at least a few hick-rockers in town getting some free shots of Jack next time I see them.
-thejunkie

Because jokes are fun.

Knock knock.
Who's there?
A lack of internet access!
A lack of internet access who?
A lack of internet access is preventing me from updating my blog regularly. Sorry if you're feeling deprived!

I just moved; be patient. Reviews coming up for the Mountain Goats, Brother Bill and more.

xoxo
-Meg, aka the volume junkie. (Hopefully) coming soon to a music publication near you!