I attended the Sunshine For The Blind release party for their new (and first) album, See The River Rise last night. Lorenzo's Music opened the show. I arrived after Lorenzo's had already started. I've heard their latest album, Solamente Tres Palabras and it's great, but I think they really shine live. Mark Whitcomb's easy-going stage manner and off-the-cuff brilliance as a guitar player is extremely engaging. Plus he's playing a vintage Sunn Stadium amp these days. Leslie West for days!
Sunshine For The Blind played second. I'd only seen them once before a couple of years ago and hadn't been impressed at the time. Since working at DNA, I'd heard bits and pieces of the new album. They surpassed all of my expectations last night though. Absolutely great rock music! They sounded great. Their drummer, Daphna, is absolutely rock solid. I hope I get the chance to play in a band with her some day! I talked to Brian earlier in the day and discovered that the album has been nigh on ten years in the making! Congratulations to him and the band!
I left the show with a bit of an emotional high. It's inspiring to hear original music performed with such passion. Just what I've needed lately. Thursday night I sat around with my roommate listening to Sonic Youth and System And Station. I've been going through my CD collection and listening to albums I haven't touched in years. Nick wasn't familiar with Sonic Youth and I wasn't familiar with System And Station. We were both impressed with the other's choices. I have to say I'm looking forward to the next time S+S is in town. I'll definitely be at that show.
All for now...
1.20.2007
1.18.2007
Quick Update
The Dorothy Heralds played a few gigs last week. Thursday we were at the Blue Chalk Club in Middleton. It turned out to be one of the most fun gigs I've played with the band. We opened the show for the Thursday night house band, Avengers Assemble (sorry, no link). Afterwards a jam session ensued. By the end of the night the group was ploughing its way through '80's classics such as Journey's "Separate Ways", Night Ranger's "Sister Christian", Van Halen's "Jump" and Styx's opus "Come Sail Away". We were in stitches!
Friday night took us to The Klinic in Madison. Our friend and co-worker Marcus opened the show with his new group, The New Clear Solution. Very interesting band. The drummer used nothing but an electronic kit and the bass player did double duty on groove boxes and mixer. Next up were our friends Spin Spin Coupling who are no longer all about sensitive arena rock. They're all about the sloppy rock apparently. Great band. Loud. Very Loud. But a great bunch of guys that write good songs. We finished out the night with a great tight set. The band is really developing a new persona on stage and in our playing. We're becoming much more comfortable stretching out on songs. I'm getting this sneaking suspicion that the next album (yes, we're already planning the next one) will bring the rock in a way we've yet to do.
In other news, I went to the Sol LeWitt show at the MMoCA last Saturday. The show was great. I found the works displayed eye-opening. However, the best part of the show for me were the two hand-written Steve Reich scores on display. As my roommate Nick would say, "it's awesome because it's real, ya know?!". I guess it's strange to have something affect you so deeply and yet never feel connected on a certain level. I know that Steve Reich is a real person, but seeing the scores gave me a different sense of connection than I'd ever experienced. I suppose it's akin to seeing your favorite artist in concert for the first time. Not quite, but somewhere in the ballpark.
I'm starting to do some production and engineering at DNA now. It's a bit nerve-wracking running a session (even if it's just one other person aside from me), but enjoyable in the end.
So that's all for now. Look for part two and three of my rant about the Madison Area Music Awards soon!
Friday night took us to The Klinic in Madison. Our friend and co-worker Marcus opened the show with his new group, The New Clear Solution. Very interesting band. The drummer used nothing but an electronic kit and the bass player did double duty on groove boxes and mixer. Next up were our friends Spin Spin Coupling who are no longer all about sensitive arena rock. They're all about the sloppy rock apparently. Great band. Loud. Very Loud. But a great bunch of guys that write good songs. We finished out the night with a great tight set. The band is really developing a new persona on stage and in our playing. We're becoming much more comfortable stretching out on songs. I'm getting this sneaking suspicion that the next album (yes, we're already planning the next one) will bring the rock in a way we've yet to do.
In other news, I went to the Sol LeWitt show at the MMoCA last Saturday. The show was great. I found the works displayed eye-opening. However, the best part of the show for me were the two hand-written Steve Reich scores on display. As my roommate Nick would say, "it's awesome because it's real, ya know?!". I guess it's strange to have something affect you so deeply and yet never feel connected on a certain level. I know that Steve Reich is a real person, but seeing the scores gave me a different sense of connection than I'd ever experienced. I suppose it's akin to seeing your favorite artist in concert for the first time. Not quite, but somewhere in the ballpark.
I'm starting to do some production and engineering at DNA now. It's a bit nerve-wracking running a session (even if it's just one other person aside from me), but enjoyable in the end.
So that's all for now. Look for part two and three of my rant about the Madison Area Music Awards soon!
1.10.2007
Madison Area Music Awards
Over the past year or so I've been a party to a number of conversations about the music scene here in Madison. From musicians and promoters to retailers and club owners, every single person or entity has expressed some form of disappointment and fear. Most of these conversations begin with how the music industry has changed with the advent of file sharing, cheap home studios and the internet. They then proceed to other issues such as increased energy costs, the economy and other such big picture issues. In many ways I agree with much of what people have had to say, however I'm surprised that the conversation rarely, if ever, addresses the changes in our culture and more specifically, the changes in our values as a society.
I've spoken with many people that were of age during the so-called "Golden Age" of pop music. Namely, the 60's and 70's. A time when music "meant something". The point I try to bring up in all such conversations is, what has changed exactly? My theory is that music and the economy haven't really changed all that much. It's the perceived value of live performance that has changed. When I ask what was so great about seeing a performance during this Golden Age, people have many different answers. I then bring up the communal experience of attending a performance. Without exception, every person has agreed that being in the same place as five or fifty thousand of your closest friends was a tremendous benefit of seeing live performances. Can you imagine being eighteen, hanging out with your friends and having every other stranger be willing to share their beer, weed or board tape of the band's last show in Omaha? Or better yet, having a great chance of hooking up with someone of the opposite sex for the night? What other benefits were there to be had?
I won't labor over why these things apparently don't happen (or at least with the frequency they used to according to most) anymore. The point is that either a) we as a society don't desire (value) these types of experience anymore, or b) the conditions that enable these experiences don't occur, or don't occur in the right proportions. If a majority of those consuming the live performance experience were of the eighteen to twenty-five age bracket, what are people of that age doing now? Is it that video game consoles, DVDs and social networking have really moved in to fill the role that the communal experience once did? If so, why? Are these avenues really safer or more fulfilling? Do they just fit more conveniently into our busy schedules?
I don't know that I can answer these questions. At the MAMAs Registration Kickoff tonight, I spoke with some people about this. I asked, "If the communal experience is so undervalued now, then why the advent of the so-called 'super-church'"? The best response I received was, "cult thinking". So then, how do we as performers implement this "cult thinking"? How can we make people feel that seeing a band, or heaven forbid, following a band provides them with some form of identity? Is it possible for anyone to do so? It seems that multi-national corporations have been working at this for some time. Is there something that the independant artist can learn from the taste makers at Nike, Apple and Coca-Cola?
In related thoughts, this post on the Daily Page forum caught my eye. Unfortunately, I think the discussion has missed the point. I don't think that it's possible for Madison to have a healthy music scene in the traditional Seattle, Haight-Ashbury, East Village sort of way. Firstly, it's too small. Second, contrary to popular belief, Madison is just as blue collar conservative as most every where else in Wisconsin. (Yes, there are pockets of old fashioned hippiedom, but this faction really seems to be dying out and slowly replaced by the Westside liberal fashionistas) My challenge to the bands in Madison for 2007 is that if you're not good (i.e. you suck), then stop trying to impress your friends by booking shows that you're not going to promote and no one aside from said friends is going to attend. Or, on the other hand, find a place where you and your friends can all hang out and play and have a good time. That's how scenes start, bar none.
And my challenge to club owners, suck it up and change your format. I personally don't like playing shows with two or god forbid THREE other bands. But I sure as hell am not going to go watch three or four bands play for thirty minutes each and spend thirty minutes each setting up and tearing down equipment. I hate to break it to everyone, but nobody wants to pay to see that. So, here's the plan. One band (maybe one opener, ONE I said), three one hour sets, no cover, charge an extra quarter a drink, band either gets a guarantee or gets the extra cash. Everyone wins in this situation. Bands that draw people who patronize the venue get paid. The venue isn't out any extra cash. More people would be willing to just walk in and check things out. Hmmm.... doesn't seem like rocket science to me. Other things that could be done, let's beef up the "safe ride home" service that the tavern league provides, or maybe have an all-night shuttle service downtown and in the surrounding area.
I could really go on about this, but it is 4:30 AM. I'm going to start researching how to implement this "branding" thing. I'm also making a resolution to go see at least two local shows every month starting now. I have no excuse, I need to be checking out the competition. What about you?
P. S. Blogger's spell checking function doesn't seem to be working in Safari since they've upgraded the service. I apologize for any creative spelling that may have occurred in this post.
I've spoken with many people that were of age during the so-called "Golden Age" of pop music. Namely, the 60's and 70's. A time when music "meant something". The point I try to bring up in all such conversations is, what has changed exactly? My theory is that music and the economy haven't really changed all that much. It's the perceived value of live performance that has changed. When I ask what was so great about seeing a performance during this Golden Age, people have many different answers. I then bring up the communal experience of attending a performance. Without exception, every person has agreed that being in the same place as five or fifty thousand of your closest friends was a tremendous benefit of seeing live performances. Can you imagine being eighteen, hanging out with your friends and having every other stranger be willing to share their beer, weed or board tape of the band's last show in Omaha? Or better yet, having a great chance of hooking up with someone of the opposite sex for the night? What other benefits were there to be had?
I won't labor over why these things apparently don't happen (or at least with the frequency they used to according to most) anymore. The point is that either a) we as a society don't desire (value) these types of experience anymore, or b) the conditions that enable these experiences don't occur, or don't occur in the right proportions. If a majority of those consuming the live performance experience were of the eighteen to twenty-five age bracket, what are people of that age doing now? Is it that video game consoles, DVDs and social networking have really moved in to fill the role that the communal experience once did? If so, why? Are these avenues really safer or more fulfilling? Do they just fit more conveniently into our busy schedules?
I don't know that I can answer these questions. At the MAMAs Registration Kickoff tonight, I spoke with some people about this. I asked, "If the communal experience is so undervalued now, then why the advent of the so-called 'super-church'"? The best response I received was, "cult thinking". So then, how do we as performers implement this "cult thinking"? How can we make people feel that seeing a band, or heaven forbid, following a band provides them with some form of identity? Is it possible for anyone to do so? It seems that multi-national corporations have been working at this for some time. Is there something that the independant artist can learn from the taste makers at Nike, Apple and Coca-Cola?
In related thoughts, this post on the Daily Page forum caught my eye. Unfortunately, I think the discussion has missed the point. I don't think that it's possible for Madison to have a healthy music scene in the traditional Seattle, Haight-Ashbury, East Village sort of way. Firstly, it's too small. Second, contrary to popular belief, Madison is just as blue collar conservative as most every where else in Wisconsin. (Yes, there are pockets of old fashioned hippiedom, but this faction really seems to be dying out and slowly replaced by the Westside liberal fashionistas) My challenge to the bands in Madison for 2007 is that if you're not good (i.e. you suck), then stop trying to impress your friends by booking shows that you're not going to promote and no one aside from said friends is going to attend. Or, on the other hand, find a place where you and your friends can all hang out and play and have a good time. That's how scenes start, bar none.
And my challenge to club owners, suck it up and change your format. I personally don't like playing shows with two or god forbid THREE other bands. But I sure as hell am not going to go watch three or four bands play for thirty minutes each and spend thirty minutes each setting up and tearing down equipment. I hate to break it to everyone, but nobody wants to pay to see that. So, here's the plan. One band (maybe one opener, ONE I said), three one hour sets, no cover, charge an extra quarter a drink, band either gets a guarantee or gets the extra cash. Everyone wins in this situation. Bands that draw people who patronize the venue get paid. The venue isn't out any extra cash. More people would be willing to just walk in and check things out. Hmmm.... doesn't seem like rocket science to me. Other things that could be done, let's beef up the "safe ride home" service that the tavern league provides, or maybe have an all-night shuttle service downtown and in the surrounding area.
I could really go on about this, but it is 4:30 AM. I'm going to start researching how to implement this "branding" thing. I'm also making a resolution to go see at least two local shows every month starting now. I have no excuse, I need to be checking out the competition. What about you?
P. S. Blogger's spell checking function doesn't seem to be working in Safari since they've upgraded the service. I apologize for any creative spelling that may have occurred in this post.
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