Party in the Park took over Centennial Olympic Park this Saturday, May 17th to a huge crowd of flower headband adorned teens, hipster parents with well-dressed hipster children and drunken college students alike. The weather had cleared up perfectly, amidst horrid rumors of yet another rained out outdoor Atlanta event.
Aside from an already impressive lineup featuring the likes of Girl Talk, MGMT, The Joy Formidable, Minus the Bear and Stokeswood, Party in the Park featured a food village including vendors from Chick-fil-A and Papa Johns and an exclusive tent by the Party in the Park sponsors, the one of a kind Desperados tequila flavored beer.
The Desperados Tent, conveniently located in an ideal concert viewing space, was open strictly to those over 21 years old and featured a graffiti artist and various acts throughout the night – including sword swallowers, acrobatic dancers, and hula-hoopers in full body makeup.
Desperados, the new beer by Heineken, is blended with tequila barrel-aged lager. This mixture tones down the bitterness typically associated with beer and adds a smooth, sweet flavor because of its spirits influence. Desperados is perfect for a night out with its unique style, taste and dynamic packaging.
The crowd was enjoying themselves laying in the grass, in the Desperados tent or just arriving during Stokeswood high energy, easy-listening set that suited the mood instilled by the beautiful weather and environment of Atlanta’s day long festival in the park.
Desperados in hand, I joined the crowd seated on the grass and waited for Minus the Bear to take the stage. The crowd welcomed the Seattle, Washington natives with loud cheers. Starting their set off with “Summer Angel” off their 2010 album, Omni, Minus the Bear brought loud energy and a twangy guitar sound to re-energize the crowd. Mid-guitar change, Jake Snider welcomes the crowd and tells us how excited he is to be back in Atlanta—with a few references to the legality of pot in Washington with answering whoops and cheers thrown in—and proceeds to play a crowd favorite off of their 2005 album, Menos El Oso, “The Fix.”
Dave Knudson brought an amazing energy whenever he took center stage with an equally incredible response from the crowd, especially during his guitar solo in “The Fix.”
Minus the Bear ended their set with “Pachuca Sunrise,” which Jake Snider delivered beautifully.
Hailing from North Wales, The Joy Formidable was next to take the stage. With Ritzy Bryan as lead vocals and guitar and Rhydian Dafydd as bass and backup vocals, the two create a powerful force of energy and put on a fervent performance. Matthew James Thomas intense drum-banging added to the loud punch the band brought on. Overall, the Joy Formidable put on a powerful punch, playing crowd favorites like “Maw Maw Song” and “Whirring” and got me even more pumped to see one of my favorites, MGMT.
MGMT’s performance was everything I expected it to be – trippy visuals, a seemingly half-lucid Andrew Vanwyngarden and a performance that was exuded then filtered through a kaleidoscope of whimsical talent. Whether you were standing in the middle of the crowd in right by the stage or lying on the hill faraway watching MGMT’s performance as the sun set, both experiences would have been equally blissful.
By the time “Kids” came on, I had gotten to the lying down part of the show. When the first few notes were played though and recognition swept the crowd, everyone around me ran towards the crowd because of how infectious the energy was.
One of my favorite parts of MGMT’s performance only lasted a few seconds, but its simplicity and beauty was mind blowing. While some of the band members were changing out their instruments, Vanwyngarden began strumming the chords on an acoustic guitar to Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Dream” and sang a few lines of the timeless song.
Last to take the stage was Gregg Michael Gillis, better known as Girl Talk –and I say that loosely, because Girl Talk as well as about 50 festival-goers all took the stage together. Girl Talk was hidden behind two inflatable sneakers and a huge table, but his energy was explosive as the stage was filled with guys and girls dancing. The entire crowd was dancing and jumping along to the entire set – his first in three years.
Aside from the rambunctious, and sometimes inappropriate, ramblings of the hype man, British Nick, Party in the Park was one of the first outdoor Atlanta event in a while to deliver on all fronts – good drinks, an excited crowd, beautiful weather and amazing music all day.
No, this is not from The Norva. Yes, we are cheating and using a picture from a different show (Shaky Knees 2014). Photo by Chris Hunkele.
I’ve been standing in the crowd for going on an hour now. Empty stage. Empty Beer cups and a steadily emptying wallet (f*ck you, six-dollar Miller Lites.) Years of pent up nostalgic attachment to Modest Mouse’s music has me restless. Nervous even. Seeing a favorite band for the first time is similar to meeting a hero- there’s always that nagging fear that they’ll disappoint you. Then the lights drop and the crowd ignites. I scan the discography in my head for the perfect opener- hell, anything would be amazing. It’s Modest Mouse.
Is there anything worse than the deflation of not knowing the opening song at a concert of one of your favorite bands? I’m forfeiting some of my indie-cred here, but I had never heard “The Whale Song” before. No bother. The unfamiliar introduction granted me more time to absorb my surroundings.
The NorVa in Norfolk, Virginia exudes a post-apocalyptic vibe. A warehouse style venue with rigid edges and an upper level where those who couldn’t wedge themselves into the mob below crane their necks over the railings and rain down beer foam. The acoustics are of the deafening sort- where you could yell the most embarrassing things to your friends, and they would never hear you.
For the majority of the crowd, the show officially began with song number two. “3rd Planet.” There’s just something incredible about being immersed within an entire audience unafraid to belt out every lyric, no matter how ridiculous they sound doing it. Though I couldn’t hear a thing over the amplifiers ricocheting electric guitar off of hundreds of skulls, I’d like to imagine we sounded good. Or, at the very least, in key.
Frontman Isaac Brock wasn’t technically a frontman at all. He led the band from stage left. Modest, right? How fitting. “Trailer Trash” was next. A scary reflection on a white-trash childhood in a trailer park, smothered with fears of inadequacy and feelings of regret. All of those negative emotions exploding into a musical fireball that engulfed the crowd in hot lights and piercing guitar.
Around the time when the floor transitioned from slightly sticky to Defcon 5 shoe magnetism (more alcoholic precipitation from the second level), the band eased into “Custom Concern.” Slower, sadder tunes don’t necessarily translate well into live settings. Such additions to the setlist run the high risk of filling bathroom stalls and bar tabs. But something about waking up at noon, finding your shoes and being pissed off about having to go to work registered with the crowd. The collective voice of general admission overtook Brock’s vocals: “Gotta go to work, gotta go to work, gotta have a job.”
The appearance of a banjo evoked requests from the audience of songs featuring the familiar twang of five strings. Blaring horns launched “This Devil’s Workday,” and even at the expense of a sack full of puppies set out to freeze, the crowd consumed the tune with vigor. Existentialist anthem “Bukowski” was next, followed by a time machine back to high school in the form of “Ocean Breathes Salty.” I have to admit, I’ve never heard hundreds of voices unify in such hilariously amazing falsetto before (You missed! You missed!)
It’s hard for a band not to break out the song that showed them the door to critical acclaim, so naturally “Float On” made a welcomed appearance. And why not? It’s a damn fun song to sing along to, even if half the time you’re impersonating the guitar melody. Post-song finally brought us some interaction with Brock, which was mostly incomprehensible babble, cursing, something about his new haircut and a plea for somebody from the audience to toss up a hair tie. A headband descended from the second level allowing Brock to “look like Keith Richards for a few songs.”
One last time, the banjo came out of the wood-work for the heaviest song of the evening, “Satin in a Coffin.” There were some structural trimmers in the buildings during that one. If you hadn’t lost your voice or your mind by that point, you were obligated to.
Encore breaks amuse me. Everyone knows the band is coming back out for a second serving, but the unwritten law of concert-going still binds the crowd to yell their asses off until they fire the amps back up.
This encore break was less of a break and more of an extended interlude- what one fan referred to as the “longest bong hit in human history.” Even after 10 minutes, the audience never faded. They earned a gem of an encore for their efforts. The pulsing bass line of “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” energized the flesh mob swimming on the floor. “Shit in your Cut” into “Fire it Up.” And after some banter between band mates, some suggestions from the upper balcony, and a “f*ck it,” from Brock, Modest Mouse sent the crowd home with a beautifully mutated combination of “Styrofoam Boots” and “Wild Pack of Family Dogs.”
What would be the opposite of phoning it in? Kicking down our doors and shoving a cursive written note down our throats? That’s what happened then. 20 years later, and Modest Mouse is still the independent music standard that infant bands shoot for. If they’re playing near you, go see them. You won’t be disappointed. These are just my modest opinions and, like kittens, I’m givin’ them away.
If you live anywhere close to close to Atlanta, you should have been at Shaky Knees Music Fest this past weekend. In just two years, Shaky Knees has solidified its position towards the top of Atlanta’s music landscape.
The lineup is incredible (you’ve got Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Cage the Elephant, Blood Red Shoes, The Hold Steady, The National, Spoon, The Replacements, Cold War Kids…getting tired, and you get the picture. Awesome bands), and the location is unbeatable – three full days in Atlantic Station, right next to shopping (you know, if you didn’t come in your fest best, and you need to run up and grab something with fringe at H&M) and tons of restaurants if the food truck line is too long (it always is).
Shaky Knees was a rain-soaked, over-crowded roaring success, and it’s safe to say that it will only grow from here.
Highlights: Day One
First, let’s just say it – parking sucked. It took about 45 minutes driving around the Atlantic Station parking deck to find a spot. Plus, $20 per day. Boo.
Checking in was painless – all in all, it took maybe 10 mins. The box office was located right there at the gate, making it easy to get in and out with little to no confusion – a rarity at a large music event. It blows when you get up to the gate only to find out that the press check-in is a mile away, in the middle of nowhere, and you have to answer three riddles from a sphinx before you can get your bloody “media” credentials.
At check-in, we immediately ran into Steven Yeun (Glenn from The Walking Dead). He was super nice and let us grab a “super fast and secretive” pic with him.
After being nerds and posting some sort of “OMG LOOK WHO IT IS” Instagram photo, we got in the gates just in time to catch The Gaslight Anthem’s energetic set while receiving evil glares from patrons who were there all day and were absolutely soaked. Throughout the night, we continuously heard horror stories of rain-soaked cell phones and cameras.
Gaslight played every song you would expect to hear from them (all the greats) and played for a large and thoroughly grateful audience. Totally teared up during “Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts” for a second. It’s fine.
This was the first set we heard, and it set the tone for the weekend. After that, we headed backstage to meet up with Blood Red Shoes, who we were scheduled to interview earlier in the day but decided that none of us was willing to miss The Gaslight Anthem’s set. While waiting for the interview to start, we ran into Brian Fallon, the lead singer of Gaslight (and one of the most approachable people in the business, I might add. What a bro).
Here is a picture of us looking totally unhinged by how excited we are:
After fulfilling our dork-out fan duties, we met up with Blood Red Shoes in the rain soaked, pitch black press tent. Read our interview here.
Highlights: Day Two
Parking was easier, only because we decided not to park at Atlantic Station. Caught Tokyo Police Club, who were every bit as energetic and enthusiastic as they’re hyped up to be. We promptly ran away from the Peachtree stage to avoid any ear assault from Dawes (sorry…just not a fan) and discovered Phox on the Boulevard Stage, which provided the perfect soundtrack to an asphalt-backed power nap. From Phox, we motored over to the Piedmont stage to check out Portugal. The Man, who we’ve waited a long long time to see. In fact, this seemed to be the most difficult decision of the weekend: Portugal. The Man or Cold War Kids.
I’m just going to sum it up – the bands that were not the headliners of the days mostly only had time to play their big hits back to back to back, with little to no room for any obscurities. And, you know what? At a festival, that’s perfectly fine. Festivals are not made for all of the bands to play a full-blown set. Festivals are sampler platters.
Conor Oberst was next, and he was just soConor that there’s really nothing else that needs to be said. If you’ve seen him ever, “solo” or with Bright Eyes or Desaparecidos, you know.
One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend came from The Replacements, who brought along Billie Joe Armstrong for fill-in duties. The Green Day frontman dressed the part, abandoning his signature black button up and tie for hippie hair and a bandana. Just the cherry on top of an already brilliant show.
Jenny Lewis is perfect. That’s all. Jenny, please sing me to sleep every night and awake every morning.
The highlight of Saturday and really the whole damn thing was Modest Mouse. Seen first from the photo pit and then later from the VIP upper deck of the Dos Equis tent (powerful friends), the performance catered to the Modest Mouse super-fan.
Rather than playing just the radio hits, they added a handful of unexpected tracks to keep the fans on their toes. The most surprising was the encore, starting with “Satin in a Coffin” and then quickly killing the energy with “The Whale Song” before announcing, “we’re done” and walking off stage and out of our lives. “The Whale Song”? Really? Felt like such a waste of an encore, as everyone was jumping around screaming and then quickly had their excitement bludgeoned by mind-numbing instrumental. Not. An encore song. A mid-set filler song at best.
Highlights: Day Three
Sunday brought sunshine/sunburn and demonstrated for the first time the only real downside to having a festival on city pavement. What started out as an anti-mud blessing during the rain was later a heat-reflecting curse once the sun decided to show up.
Deer Tick made everyone forget their desperate quest for shade as soon as they came on, and then they brought out their number one fan and bandwife, Vanessa Carlton, to sing a song (whaaaat?!).
We headed over to the Boulevard Stage to give The Weeks a second chance to win us over after seeing them in Athens a couple months ago. The guitar player wore a “Hammerin’ Hank” Braves jersey, but even that wasn’t enough to reconcile us to the Caleb Followill-esque frog vocals coming from leader singer, Cyle Bones. Swing and a miss.
Blitzen Trapper gave us all a taste of their America, and it tasted like warm beer and sweaty brows. Glory.
Iron & Wine was packed, but the larger Peachtree stage seemed to overwhelm their brand of coffee bar music. Honestly, it was hard to hear anything unless you were lucky enough to be in the photo pit. Once the first three songs were over, and the photographers were thrown back into the general audience, the set was pretty much over for our ears. This was the most talked-through set, as everyone just gave up on trying to hear and started socializing and using the time to run to the bar for their sixth Dos Equis of the day. Iron & Wine would’ve been better suited to the Ponce de Leon Stage.
Next was The Hold Steady, who took the stage with a refreshing blast of energy. They seemed genuinely excited and surprised by the crowd support. We went from being lulled into a heavy-headed lullaby daze to raising fists and beers to the sky and hoisting a certain Editor-in-Chief up to surf the crowd all the way to the stage. It was a good note to begin closing down the weekend. We ran into the guys later on and snapped a picture after they recognized the Editor of Vinyl as the crowd surfer from earlier.
Ponce de Leon – in addition to being the most intimate stage of the festival, it had the best sound and generally the most energetic crowd. Plus, you didn’t have to be front row to get a good view of the stage, which was a struggle at all of the other stages.
Boulevard was the most secluded stage. It felt very shoved in the corner, as if it was the “everyone else” stage for leftover bands.
No idea, because the lines were atrociously long. But we did drool over this girl’s fries, and she said they were from The Fry Guy. You don’t even know (unless you do). Those fries looked incredible.
Notes:
Beer and drinks were easy to get – there was a drink station everywhere you looked. Food from a truck was not easy after 5:00, and the U-shaped layout of the Food Truck court created a impossible nightmare of unending and intertwining lines.
It seemed like Shaky Knees may have been a bit oversold. There were a few times, particularly later on in the day and at night, when it felt like we were moving through a mosh pit, when actually we were standing well off-stage. If it was personal space you were after last weekend, you weren’t going to find it. Capacity may have been a tad overestimated. The fest was almost too big for its britches this year and may find itself in the position of finding a new venue in years to come; particularly if it stays true to its roots.
All in all, Shaky Knees is a very refreshing festival to go to and attracts a lot of like-minded individuals – kudos to The People in Charge for putting together a lineup that encourages that sort of camaraderie. This is not Music Midtown 2.0, and I think everyone is grateful for that.
It had finally arrived. My last night of South By Southwest. The lineup was as stellar as the venue. The stage was set up on top of the rooftop of the Starr Building in downtown Austin and loomed high above my head, an impressive structure that looked like it belonged on TV.
And on TV it will be, thanks to Guitar Center and DIRECTV who collaborated to film three entire days worth of great music not to be missed. The shows filmed at SX will be shown for the 8th season of GC Sessions, to air Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on DIRECTV’s Audience (channel 239) starting May 4. And they were certainly ending with a bang, stacking the Saturday night bill with Phantogram and Snoop Dogg.
Up first, Phantogram dove right into what they know best — pop-synth rock at its most infectious and surreal. The duo opened their set with “Nothing But Trouble,” the headlining track off their new LP, Voices. Sarah Barthel immediately grabbed the crowd’s attention with her stone cold power stare as she sighed, “I’m nothing but trouble, I’m losing my mind,” echoing into the crisp Austin air. The drum beat of “Black Out Days” sped things up a bit. Barthel’s voice rang out powerful yet eerily beautiful; she looked almost as striking as she sounded as her jet-black bob rocked along to the music. Her breathless vocals rang clear over the synth beats of the single off Voices, “Fall in Love.”
Yet, Barthel was not the only one singing. Josh Carter showed of his vocal chops on “I Don’t Blame You” resting effortlessly over a trippy back beat and the ethereal back vocals of Barthel These two shared a moment when Barthel’s mic failed, and Carter came to the rescue; the chemistry and tension was palpable. These two claim they are only friends, but I am not so sure….but whatever they are doing, we at Vinyl Mag hope they continue because it is certainly working.
There was a dramatic change of pace when Snoop Dogg took the stage. Beats no longer swirled around the stage with smoke spewing from machines but came at us full force with a heavy dose of bass. An unexpected headliner for a show put on by Guitar Sessions, yet I can say that the most fun I had all week was three rows from the front of the stage on that roof singing along as Snoop rapped, “Bowowow yippy yo yippy yay.” Working both the crowd and the camera like a professional, Snoop Dogg (or should we say Snoop Lion, no Snoopzilla…ugh, we will just refer to him as Snoop for the sake of clarity), strolled across the stage with an ease that reflects his many years of experience.
The crowd sang along in full force as Snoop D-O-Double-G took it all the way back to 1993, “sipping on gin and juice, with my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” Snoop continued to keep the crowd going with his early 2000s hit, “Drop it Like it’s Hot,” as he danced with the life-size dog flaunting a rather large joint as he boasted, “I roll the best weed, because I got it going on.”
Snoop ended with quite the bang and crowd favorite “The Next Episode,” leaving us grinning ear to ear for what was the best possible way to end South By.
*Check out our Instagram video of Snoop emerging from the “backstage” area below!
If you weren’t actually present for the show, don’t feel bad – you’ll be able to experience it for yourself when it airs on DirecTV! Schedule below!
GuitarCenterSessions Season 8 Episode Schedule:
May 4, 2014 Soundgarden
May 11, 2014 Damon Albarn
May 18, 2014 Phantogram
May 25, 2014 The Wild Feathers
June 1, 2014 Snoop Dogg
June 8, 2014 The 1975
July 13, 2014 311
July 20, 2014 LP
July 27, 2014 Dawes
August 3, 2014 Alice in Chains
August 10, 2014 CHVRCHES
August 17, 2014 Cage the Elephant
*Check out the incredible Soundgarden performance at the Sessions here!
On their tour’s sixth stop , musical trio Odonis Odonis of Toronto Canada made their way down to humble ol’ Athens, GA to grace us all …well, all 50 of us or so…with their very polite presence. Okay, I might be postulating here, but they did seem like a very nice bunch – and well dressed, I might add. The drummer’s hat/sock combination was on point.
Anyhow, we the audience were on the winning end of this deal. Though the weather wasn’t so welcoming- it was the annoying kind of rain that evenly mists your entire body until you’re just uncomfortable enough – the bartender at the warm and inviting venue known as World Famous fixed me up a drink, and I forgot all about my soggy socks. The line-up consisted of a dynamic list, starting with Athens based band Muuy Biien, and also including Vincas and Gorgeous in addition to Odonis Odonis.
Word is Odonis Odonis, consisting of members Jarod Gibson, Denholm Whale and lead by Dean Tzenos, is a band that has been progressively moving through a series of changes to soften their hard edges since the release of their 2011 album, Hollandaze; I speculate this hearsay has something to do with their new album’s name: Hard Boiled Soft Boiled, which was released April 15th through Canadian label Buzz. Their music has been described as being anywhere on the spectrum of “a punch in the gut” to “sunkissed shoe gaze” to “euphoric”.
Regardless of formal categorization of their genre, it was clear to us that Friday night caught them at just the right point on the continuum- I’ll just say that the ratio of head swaying to head banging was pretty perfectly balanced.
As for my personal experience, I’ll start by making up some phrases to classify the feelings I had while listening to and watching Odonis Odonis under the warm red stage lighting (it was consistent for all the bands but somehow felt perfectly catered to Odonis Odonis’ performance). The band started rowdily and worked up to my personal favorite track titled “Are We Friends,” a super catchy, colorful, head-nod provoking club tune that gives you an anarchistic attitude. By the end of it, you’ll feel way cooler than you are. At least I did.
They must have figured they’d lead us slowly into their heavier material, because the early impressions I garnered included notions of what would call “glamorous zombie rock” – think the melodies of The Strokes times 10 mixed with notes of punk, a little synthesized screaming and isolated lyrics that undulate between forceful and serious and then return to a melodic echo.
The moments of pure synchronicity in the audience, largely brought on by electronic waves, promoted some major body flow movements by the guy behind me who was NOT afraid to hit me repeatedly with his long flowing locks. Needless to say, Odonis Odonis provided a good time for us lucky bunch of Athenians. If word spreads like I think it will, the next time they roll through, we should expect a pretty big crowd overflow.
The tour has Odonis Odonis in Arkansas next, then Illinois, and then over to Europe. This may be a far stretch, but after seeing them live I wouldn’t be opposed to a short backpacking excursion to catch them in France. Anyone want to tag along?
Hard Boiled Soft Boiled is available on iTunes , but you can hear several tracks as well as tour info on their website or catch them on Soundcloud . Don’t forget to scroll down to enjoy a super-sick video titled “Order in the Court” from the new album, where some serious geniuses have paired the track with animation from Netherlandish painting master Hieronymus Bosch’s most ambitious painting titled “Garden of Earthly Delights.” Props to Odonis Odonis for their use of this monumental piece of art history. God, they’re so cultured.
11 p.m. rolled around, and the crowd was getting anxious at The Main II in downtown Austin. This city’s own The Bright Light Social Hour were set to take the stage for their official SX showcase, and they were running slightly late. Even with several other notable acts set to perform later that night, including up-and-coming indie rapper Chance the Rapper, Bright Light had a packed house thanks to their solid local following.
The moment Curtis Roush hit that first note on guitar, the crowd began to move. And they never really stopped, as a wobbly reverb could be constantly heard between songs creating an atmosphere where one just felt the need to dance. And despite the ache in my feet, my converse high tops continued to move to the bluesy psychedelic rock, reminiscent of The Black Keys. Not to mention, the trio of vocalist Curtis Roush, bassist Jack O’Brien and drummer Joseph Mirasole certainly looked the part, all sporting long hair and clothes straight out of the grunge era.
A constant of the performance was the solid drumbeat paired with lovely guitar melodies that build and build, then crashing into lovely drawn-out reverb. The crowd was certainly not disappointed as Roush yelled “Thank you, Austin!” and responded with a resounding roar after the group ended their set with the well-known favorite “Back and Forth.”
The three rockers also debuted a solid amount of new material from their upcoming album out later this year. We like what we have heard so far, so be sure to check it out, and check out our SXSW 2014 interview with the band here!!!
May 08 Pisgah Brewing Company w/ Charles Bradley,… Black Mountain, NC
May 09 Shaky Knees Festival Atlanta, GA
May 10 WMNF Tropical Heatwave Festival Tampa, FL
May 24 Sasquatch! Music Festival Quincy, WA
Jul 11 Rock The Shores Fest Colwood, Canada
Jul 12 Rock The Shores Fest Colwood, Canada
Jul 13 Rock The Shores Fest Colwood, Canada
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*All photos taken by Emily McBride at the Historic Scoot Inn in Austin, TX at SXSW 2014.
What’s up? We’re Diarrhea Planet, and we just woke up!!
It was the final day of South by Southwest, and the guys from Diarrhea Planet were taking the stage as I was waiting outside the gates of Austin’s Historic Scoot Inn. It was a rainy Saturday with an uncharacteristically long wait time for an early afternoon showcase. The line swelled with anxious concertgoers recovering from the night before as skateboard-wielding kids leaned against the chain link fence eagerly anticipating the impending shredfest. It has become a Vinyl Mag tradition to spend the last day of the festival with Diarrhea Planet. Last year, we literally bumped into them on the street before their final showcase at the Jackalope, which to this day remains one of my top five favorite shows of all time. I honestly can’t think of a better way to close out that epic week of music than to be drenched in sweat at the end of one of their sets.
The dudes were three songs in when I finally entered the yard, so I hustled to the bar, grabbed a Lone Star (you know, nothin’ snooty), and jumped over mud puddles to get closer to the action. I came in midway through “Lite Dream,” the first track off I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams, as frontman Jordan knelt perched on the speaker platform at the front of the stage like a gargoyle – tongue out with each note of the solo seemingly pouring down from his open mouth past his fingertips before landing precisely on the fretboard. He was later joined on the platform by guitarists Brent, Evan, and Emmett, where back to back they formed a four-headed monster, aiming their guitars at the sky as if in tribute to the gods before turning them on the audience like AK’s of shred. Simply put, these guys play with impassioned stage presence and waste no time getting after it.
Meanwhile, Mike seems content to lurk in the shadows while chugging out underrated bass lines as drummer Casey powers the band with unrivaled heaviness in his sticks. Evan and Emmett sway back and forth periodically in choreographed fashion, with Evan sarcastically miming wiping sweat off of his forehead – a signature move that displays the band’s sense of humor. Crowd interaction is also a major component of Diarrhea Planet’s now legendary live shows. During their infectiously energizing performance, they awarded the first eight crowd surfers a free t-shirt that read “Diarrhea is the new F**k” – further displaying how seriously these guys take themselves. At one point, Evan had a girl photographer climb on top of his shoulders before parading her through the crowd while effortlessly fulfilling his guitar duties.
They roared through the remainder of their set, playing a nice mix of old and new. Two weeks later, I had the chance to see them again at New Earth Music Hall in Athens, Georgia when they were back to make up for a van-induced cancellation earlier in the year. They took the stage after midnight, sincerely apologizing for missing their previous date, and filled the room with over an hour of the catchy ear-ringing, shred-driven skate punk they do better than anyone.
As they broke down their gear after each one of these shows, it was clear that everyone was impressed with what they had just seen. Too many bands these days look like they’re just phoning it in – dialing up impossible to reproduce melodies and licks from their studio sessions in an effort to earn gas money to get from this city to the next. Diarrhea Planet is a rarity – their live show is actually better than any of their records, which is the highest compliment I can give a band. When they finish their set, you can be absolutely sure of one thing: these guys are having a blast.
After all, live shows are supposed to be a good time, and this seems to be the one thing Diarrhea Planet truly takes seriously. And for that, we should all be grateful.
There truly is nothing better than being at a show surrounded by dedicated and enthusiastic fans. It feels as if time has stopped, and the only thing that matters in the world is about to walk out on stage and put on a show just for you. I was lucky enough to be a part of that phenomenon at Lydia’s sold out show in Atlanta, where the band played their beloved album Illuminate from start to finish.
Lead singer Leighton Antelman walked out to the middle of the modest stage with white sheets in the background, illuminated (no pun intended) with colorful lights. They began to play “This Is Twice Now,” a sort of melancholy song that the crowd sang along to with fervor. Transitioning into “A Fine Evening For a Rouge,” an initially calm track that climaxes towards the end, the crowd belted out “don’t you ever get lonely!”
When Antelman began to play “I Woke Up Near The Sea,” the crowd lost it, and I heard someone proclaim, “This is what I came here for – this damn song!” With hard-hitting drums and powerful lyrics – which Antelman had to scream to be heard over the crowd’s raucous singing – it’s not surprising this song is a fan favorite.
“Hospital” started, and Antelman alternated between singing softly to yelling and dancing around the stage during the drum and guitar solos. For “Fate,” he asked for some vocal support from the crowd, which was happy to oblige.
What started out as a bitter ode to a misguided love affair, “Sleep Well” turnedsurprisingly upbeat. Former band member Mindy White had a prominent role on the track, a responsibility given entirely to the crowd as Antelman supervised, blown away at their ability (and enthusiasm) to sing her part.
“Stay Awake” is another crowd favorite that starts out slow but packs a powerful punch. The crowd once again belted out every lyric, never missing a beat. The song climaxed, and Antelman did a wonderful job trying to sing over the crowd during this up-tempo track.
“All I See” started out with ominous guitar and keyboard, making the song a mix of beautiful and creepy. A steady drum beat and Antelman’s suggestive lyrics combined to make this mellow track superbly sexy. “One More Day” followed the pattern of the album’s tendency to switch from mellow to upbeat without warning. The song features a beautiful guitar solo, pulled off with excellence.
“Now The One You Once Loved Is Leaving,” a track that heavily features White on the album, was sung almost entirely by Antelman with grace (though, of course, he had some help from the audience).
It isn’t difficult to see why this album resonates so deeply with fans. An amalgamation of soothing guitar and keyboard that morphs into intense cautionary tales of broken hearts accompanied by high impact drums is Lydia’s recipe for success. However, the special ingredient to this tour seems to be the devoted fans that follow Antelman faithfully in and out of his moody lyrics, stirring the pot of a delicious dish that anyone can appreciate.
Be sure to check out our interview with Lydia here!
Kai Riedl (one of the head organizers and founders of the event) doing a DJ set at Creature Comforts. Photos by Stephanie Lennox
With over 70 bands spread out among 12 different venues, 40 artists, a technology panel, a comedy night, sold out 1,000-person shows, and after parties, it’s safe to say that Slingshot Festival 2014 was a success. With the numerous acts and artists, it’s difficult to summarize, but we’ll hit some of the highlights of the weekend.
The festival kicked off Wednesday night with a performance by Tinariwen, a desert blues band from northern Mali. These guys could not have been a more unique start to the festival. The energy from Tinariwen was contagious, and the contrast between the band’s traditional dress and modern instruments was striking. Their harmonies were stunning, and despite the communication barrier, the passion in their performance was felt by the packed-out Theatre.
Tinariwen at the Georgia Theatre
To top off the great start to Slingshot, Creature Comforts previewed – and quickly filled to capacity – their lovely new space. The after party featured DJ List Christee, better known as Kevin Barnes. Barnes provided an excellent after party soundtrack to break in Creature Comforts in the best way. Thanks to Dos Equis, free beer was provided, and danceable beats from KB pleased the partygoers.
DJ List Christee at Creatures Comforts
Thursday was predominantly art exhibits at Creature Comforts, Bulldog Inn and Lamar Dodd School of Art. One art exhibit by Christopher Nelms and Ted Khun, at Bulldog Inn particularly stood out, involving 40 pounds of bananas, vodka shots, and karaoke. All of the art exhibits throughout the week were each completely unique and spanned a wide range of mediums.
Friday was a packed schedule, and it was tough to decide what to go to with the abundance of options. Lera Lynn graced the Morton Theatre with her style of rootsy Americana. During a few technical difficulties, she even gave an impromptu tap dance to entertain the eager crowd.
The New West records showcase was at the Caledonia Lounge, and all were exciting up-and-coming artists. Dega performed their synth-heavy compositions, which featured dreamy vocal harmonies, making quite the impression on the crowd for what was only their third live performance. Ruby the Rabbitfoot followed with her soulful, organic style of indie pop. Ruby had great stage presence and kept the crowd entertained with her quirky comments in between songs.
Powerkompany packed out The World Famous later in the evening. The cinematic electropop trio filled the room with powerful and convicting vocals the crowd seemed to enjoy.
Friday was also Japan Nite, featuring five bands from Japan performing at New Earth Music Hall. Peelander Z was the headliner for Japan Nite, and did not disappoint. The energy of the “action comic” punk group was electric, and the crowd responded with chanting, crowd surfing, and joining the band on stage.
The 40 Watt, had three of Athens favorite bands: Programs, Elf Power, and Space Trucks. Urban Outfitters sponsored free Weaver D’s, and there were several sightings of Michael Stipe, so clearly it was a true Athenian experience.
Kishi Bashi headlined Saturday night at the Georgia Theatre. As usual, it was a high-energy show featuring unique music. Kishi Bashi, with frosted tips and friendly smiles, revealed a handful of new songs, while making sure to play fan favorites like ‘Bright Whites’ and ‘Manchester’. The show was visually appealing as well, featuring an art piece that was progressively altered throughout the performance.
Kishi Bashi at Creature Comforts
Following the Kishi Bashi show, much of the crowd moved down the street to The Green Room, where Washed Out treated the house to a DJ set, complete with trippy projections and experimental rhythms.
To end the night there was a second after party at Creature Comforts, more free beer and even more dancing. Slingshot brought Athens a multitude of international and local artists, with so much to see and experience we cannot imagine what Slingshot will bring in the coming years.
I’m not sure if everyone at Terminal West Wednesday night was prepared for the amalgamation of creativity that was to take place inside the brick walls of the former steel foundry, but I know I certainly wasn’t. Courtesy of RAW Natural Born Artists, an international organization that connects artists of all kinds, the Pixels showcase featured three talented, up and coming musical acts as well as fashion, art, photography, and performance art from the Atlanta area.
Four Flats, a trio comprised of David Blackmon and Brad Garner on guitar and Courtney Rogers on lead vocals was first to take the stage. Their set consisted mostly of covers with a southern influence such as Otis Redding’s Sitting on the Dock of a Bay, Dolly Parton’s Jolene, and Whipping Post by The Allman Brothers, a band in which Rogers said has had a huge influence on their direction as a band. Despite the fact that Four Flats has no original compositions yet, they show real promise as a band.
Four Flats
The second act of the night, and undoubtedly the crowd favorite, was Bonnie Bordeaux. Bordeaux and her powerhouse of a band, who have only been collaborating for a few months, used their contagious stage presence to transport the audience to the 1940’s. They performed mostly original songs, which were innovative and unique. Never a boring moment, the set combined Pop, Jazz, and R&B. Bordeaux also performed an ambitious cover of Settle Down by Kimbra, which she pulled off stunningly. Between Bordeaux’s musical range and ability to put on a great show, this group has grand potential to be the next big thing to come out of Atlanta. Bonnie Bordeaux will also appear at SCAD Atlanta on February 28th.
Bonnie Bordeaux
The last musical act of the night was Athens-based rock band American Mannequins, who have become a steady presence in the greater Atlanta music scene this past year. Lead vocalist Curtis Vorda, effortlessly hit high notes belting out melodies that ranged from uplifting to haunting. Although their involved prog-rock arrangements and somewhat awkward stage presence didn’t strike a chord with all audience members, their solid musicianship was more than redeeming.
Curtis Vorda of American Mannequins
The Pixels showcase put on by RAW Natural Born Artists featured musicians with raw natural born talent and an eclectic variety of music that the audience appreciated. Check out these great new artists and upcoming RAW events here.
