The Thing V

The fifth Thing In The Spring came to a close the afternoon of Sunday June 10 with a very special set. To the surprise of many, Death To Tyrants had announced earlier this year that they would be performing a reunion show. I was disheartened when I realized that I was not going to be able to attend. Imagine my delight when their name appeared on the bill for this year's Thing. I'm extremely happy to have had a second chance and it was the perfect ending to an amazing art-filled weekend.

The festival kicked off June 8th at Peterborough Town Hall. The Town Hall's auditorium was the perfect step up as a venue for The Thing, featuring a large stage and ample space for seating, dancing, mingling, and merch. Later that evening entertainment moved down the street to Harlow's Pub for a late night dance party DJ'd by Redwing Blackbird's own Austin Wright. Saturday afternoon simultaneously featured both *broke: The Affordable Arts Fair and a Jem Cohen film marathon presented by The MacDowell Colony. In the evening we were graced with not 1 but 2 shows: one at the town hall, and the other at Harlow's Pub. If, miraculously, you managed to get up and out of bed Sunday morning Harlow's also featured a farm breakfast with cartoons - a mellow appetizer for the afternoon's grand finale.

Needless to say I was pretty spent by sundown Sunday evening. I relaxed at home reflecting on the festival, feeling refreshed and inspired to create. It sometimes just seems too good to be true to have such a rich art scene here in the Monadnock region, and even more so that every year we get to experience the showcase of talent that is The Thing In The Spring. I certainly never take it for granted.

I've deliberately chosen not to go into depth about each artist/band in this year's Thing post...there'd just be too much to squeeze in. Instead I'll let the music speak for itself. I have selected a single track from my bootleg of each indoor set. These tracks were recorded with a pocket voice recorder and thus are very raw, providing a fly-on-the-wall experience; don't expect sonic clarity, but instead let each track convey the atmosphere and energy of each performance. Accompanying each is a photograph by Elisabeth Fuchsia (her full set of photographs from The Thing can be found here). In some of the shots you can get a glimpse of Luke Ramsey's artwork as the backdrop for the main stage. Enjoy!

Friday - 01 - Mmoss



Friday - 02 - Daniel Higgs



Friday - 03 - Woods



Saturday - 04 - PG Six



Saturday - 05 - Brown Bird



Saturday - 06 - Nina Nastasia



Saturday - 07 - Mail The Horse



Saturday - 08 - Coke Weed



Sunday - 09 - Red Sled Choir



Sunday - 10 - Death To Tyrants



Personally, my highlights were the centering and spiritual experience that is Daniel Higgs, the foot-stomping swampy sounds of Brown Bird, and the intense instrumentals of Death To Tyrants. My utmost thanks and appreciation go out to Eric and Mary Gagne, all of the contributing artists, and everyone who helped put this together. Thank you all for a fun and truly memorable NH weekend!

Meshuggah / Baroness @ The Palladium

May 19, 2012.  I just returned from Worcester, wired from Meshuggah's intense and lengthy set.  I could have done without so much man sweat everywhere, but it was worth it to see all of the headbanging stop and start again every 3 to 10 seconds when the band would change time signatures.  They stuck with mostly newer material but dug as far back as Chaosphere and even Destroy Erase Improve.  To say their performance was tight is like saying the ocean is a bit wet...and although there wasn't much movement on stage apart from Jens Kidman's robot zombie gorilla gesturing, the stage art and lights kept onlookers well entertained.  Tomas Haake's percussive precision had my eyes fixed for much of their set.

Baroness played a well-varied set including a couple of new songs from the forthcoming Yellow & Green.   Despite the lackluster bass-trap sound of the Palladium they were great - vocal harmonies and twin guitar licks were beautifully executed.  It was very cool to see them on this bill between Poland's Decapitated and Sweden's Meshuggah: a break from the brutality to lay down some serious rock and roll.  The crowd responded by dissolving the pit and opting for copious amounts of crowd surfing.

I was hoping to pick up a vinyl copy of Koloss, but Meshuggah had very little music to offer at the merch table - only a couple of CD's and no vinyl at all.  I was happily consoled by 5th represses of both Red Album and Blue Record.  Sure, 5th repress doesn't sound special, but it is.  They're high-grade 45rpm double vinyl editions, limited to ~1000 (Red Album) and ~500 (Blue Record) copies in 2011.  These editions where the ones in my wish list; look at them...gorgeous!

Birds & Trees: Redwing Blackbird & Arborea @ Mindful Books

February 4, 2012.  I had not been to Jaffrey's Mindful Books in years.  Last night I finally made my way back to scope out The Listening Room - a series of intimate musical performances.  This instance featured New Hampshire's own Redwing Blackbird and Maine's Arborea.

Redwing Blackbird had indeed been busy since the last time I caught them.  That I could tell, their set featured only new songs - Austin putting down his six nylon strings in exchange for solid-body electricity.  The folky acoustic duo here offered a hybrid flavor: strumming and plucking was married to shimmering and warmly driven amplified textures.  Mellow, humble songwriting and sincere words sung true and harmonized, remained present and unmistakable.  Hearing RWBB play is like getting a hug from a good friend: inviting, calm, refreshing, and reassuring.  I'm very much looking forward to their next record, and you should be too.

Redwing Blackbird - Nightingale live on NHPR

Husband and wife Buck and Shanti Curran, a.k.a Arborea, play a delightful blend of airy psychedelic folk/folk rock.  A wide variety of instrumentation lends itself to the sweet and sweeping musical backdrop as the duo switch on and off.  The twanging of banjo or ukulele, droning of harmonium, or combination timbre of ban-jammer is paired with guitar - sometimes an electric played with EBow or glass slide, other times a steel-string acoustic carefully strummed.  This is all transcended by Shanti's crystalline empyrean voice that effortlessly moves through the room and into your chest.  Arborea soaks in to your heart and finds it's way to the part of you that resides below surface-level patterns and drama.  There it steeps, adding strength to one's purpose and ease to unfolding.  Just close your eyes and be.

Arborea - Black Is The Color

Last night was much needed.  I've lately found myself in a restricted space, out of tune...unmotivated and unaligned with love.  Meeting some new people and sharing the gift of these two band's music, energy, and motion has helped to remind me of where I am called to be - floating along again as my own vector of life's great current, rather than an entity separate and caught in its tides.  Thank you.

Barn Owl @ O'Briens Pub

September 16th, 2011.  Through the September night chill my good friend Cassandra and I walked a handful of city blocks from where we parked to the micro venue that is O'Brien's Pub in Allston, MA.  In a space maybe a tad larger than twice the size of my living room was contained a bar, corner stage, and makeshift merch table.  The four acts to perform that evening could be found mingling with members of the audience, who were few and fortunate.  O'Brien's was buzzing with a mellow warmth - an anticipating, welcoming, and thankful energy.

Stillborn, the first opener, served us a twitchy electronic onslaught chalk full of amazing transitions - abrupt yet strangely smooth at the same time.  Imagine a time signature, tempo, and key change somehow occurring naturally over the course of a measure or two; it'd be enough to slap you in the face but Stillborn makes it easy...leaving you wondering just how the hell he did it.  Next was Lussuria's dark, ambient, and swelling synthezised soundscapes.  Containing some industrial nods the undertone was cold and grim, but, as two strangers can bond through grief, also presented a gesture of universal connection.  The third opener, High Aura'd, was slightly more organic - one man looping several layers of effects-drenched guitar, hum, and feedback.  An immense repetitious drone stuck to the air in the club as he worked through his set, successfully and gracefully closing the loop from the first two openers to the main performance of the evening.

Barn Owl's Jon Porras and Evan Caminiti finally took the stage and what followed left me in awe.  The sounds found on their records were here impeccably reproduced in raw live spirit.  Layered waves of a weaving sonic tapestry pushed out the walls as we settled in to a growing space.  The fact that this full sound - swirling, shimmering, soaring, and shaking - was being produced by just two men on stage was truly astonishing.  Most impressive was their unbeleivable mastery of feedback.  Barn Owl uncannily induce precise tones, timbre, and squeal as elements of their compositions.

They moved beautifully through their set without speaking nor recieving applause, which was held until the end.   Their eyes closed in focus, bodies swaying and swinging naturally through meditative musical practice, Barn Owl's live experience - much like their recordings - can be both cathartic and transcendentally affirming.  It was evident that Porras and Caminiti were incredibly tuned in to each other during their performance; it was as though they were one creative entity, existing only and continuously as the moment in which their sound became music.  Absolutely astounding.

Opeth @ The Palladium

September 19th, 2011.  Opeth's 10th record in not a metal record.  No death vocals.  No detuned, wildly overdriven guitars.  Mikael Akerfeldt has moved on and has been quite frank about it in recent interviews.  Still, there were many disappointed fans at Monday night's show which kicked off the world tour for Heritage.  I was not one of them.

Opeth's change of pace comes at a great time in my life, so perhaps I am just more open to it at this particular juncture.  The Heritage album speaks on its own - its blend of 1970's prog, hard rock, and fusion elements combined with Akerfeldt's caliber of songwriting is a welcome addition to my collection any day.  This turn in Opeth's sound also allowed them to rethink their live performance - they opted to fill the set with oddball songs and "obscure" b-sides, which never had their place when Opeth had to fill our ears with metal and could only select maybe 10 or so songs due to song duration and set time.

Predictable opener The Devil's Orchard was followed by its successor on the record, I Feel The Dark, and then by the classic Face Of Melinda.  But that's where predictability ended, and because of what came afterward I felt very lucky to be seeing the first show of the tour.  From Watershed came Porcelain Heart, which even though was a single has never before been played live.  They followed this with another new track, Nepenthe, before derailing us on an acoustic foray.  "This is going to get strange...", Mikael warned as he tuned up his acoustic.  What came next was a fantastic first live performance of Throat Of Winter (originally recorded for the God Of War 2 soundtrack and recently released on 7" vinyl), followed by a tripped-out rendition of Credence which featured light synthesizer accompaniment, and another first-time performance of a formerly rare Patterns In The Ivy II.  The acoustics were taken offstage and the crowd responded in anticipation and need for a few heavy cuts; "Deliverance" was repeatedly screamed from somewhere far off behind me...boy was that guy disappointed when the next song was introduced as a Rainbow ripoff and tribute to Ronnie James Dio - Slither, a new shorter song certainly stepped up the energy a notch, but just wasn't enough to satisfy the crowd's craving for progressive death metal.  The set was rounded off with an extra lengthy version of A Fair Judgment with an ultra slow doom-laden ending, and Hex Omega.

The set choices really reflect a deliberate shift, and opened up the possibilities for Opeth to play some really interesting songs that never found their way into live performances on past tours.  Further, all of the set's tracks really fit together and create a sense of cohesion between their new sound found on Heritage and their previous work.  Really breaking tradition was the new song Folklore as an encore in place of the tried-and-true Demon Of The Fall.  Maybe I'm the only one, but I had become bored of always hearing Demon as the standard Opeth encore time and time again.  While many others walked way grumbling and moaning, I found myself filled with a refreshing energy and happily soaking in the sounds of new Opeth.  Like the new record, the live performance contained not a single death growl...indeed we're at a crossroad and to make room for the new, some older things, though missed, must be discarded.

Listen to the entirety of Heritage on NPR Music here.

Opeth @ The Palladium Sept 19, 2011 (Photos by Dan Wyatt)

The Thing (Part I)

It's been over two weeks...why have I not yet written about The Thing In The Spring?  Life's been busy, and now that some time has passed it's pretty tough to figure out where to begin.  This year's Thing was epic, in both the traditional and annoying new-school context of the word; we saw bigger names than in the past, and overall a more organized and professional-feeling environment.

The Thing In The Spring is a four-year strong, weekend-long music festival in Peterborough, NH that focuses mostly on local artists - from New England and just beyond.  This year the festival kicked off on Friday, May 13th, at the Peterborough Historical Society with Bunny's A Swine - a fun, energetic, and quirky rock band from Northampton, MA.

"Whisky Lotto" by Bunny's A Swine - uploaded by Sameermo

The sound was a bit rough during their set but it fortunately smoothed out for the following acts.  The room in which the shows were held was quite pretty and well-sized for the event, though its acoustic properties presented a challenge to find the right balance of elements within the mix - blending electrically amplified signals with the unprocessed, natural sound coming from the stage.  Up next was Stephen Brodsky from Arlington, MA.  Stephen is a current member of Cave In and former member of Converge (amongst others).  I rather enjoyed his set of processed, slightly distorted, and sampled Guild F-65 acoustic/electric ditties - a unique approach and very well done.  Here's a track from the show...

Stephen Brodsky

The final performance of Friday evening was Flowers & Cream's first ever live set.  Flowers & Cream is a group put together by Thurston Moore, best known for one of alternative rock's most influential bands - Sonic Youth.  Flowers & Cream alternated between performing several tracks from Thurston's new record, Demolished Thoughts, and a mash-up of spoken-word free-form jams.  I know I am the odd man out when I say that Thurston's material doesn't blow me away, but I certainly appreciate his lyrics and what he does.  Some songs resonate deeper with me than others...here's one of my favoites from the evening...

Flowers & Cream

It was a bit surprising, and perhaps ironic, that someone like Thurston Moore, out of all the talent that were to perform during the weekend, would be fighting with a faulty amplifier.  It did, however, set a mood; this is real and raw stuff - there's no primping and pretending, and no rockstar attitudes.

Saturday was a vey busy day.  *Broke: The Affordable Arts Fair was magnificent, with artists from all over the region showing and selling peices of various formats/media - paintings, drawings, knitting, photography, textiles, clothing, jewelry, and much more.  To top it off nearly everything was priced under $50...and if that wasn't enough, across the common you could enjoy some delicious soup alongside a student art exhiibit at the Empty Bowls fundraiser at the teen center.  In the afternoon, Omoo Omoo, a spacey ambient/atmospheric group from Baltimore, MD, performed from the lower rooftop of The Toadstool bookshop, befitting the greying overcast sky.  Their music - droning backdrops supporting various acoustic-style ramblings.


Perfomances in the evening were split between three bands playing early sets at the Historical Society, and two more playing at Harlow's Pub.  I'll cover the first show in this post, and save the second to kick of Part II.  Things got rolling at the Historical Society around 6pm with Dan Ireton from Vermont, aka Dredd Foole.  While what Dan was doing wasn't really my thing, his comfort and presence on stage begged one to listen to his particular blend of folky americana.  Dan uses his voice as an instrument, not only singing words, but to create sounds and accent movements in his music. Following Mr. Foole, was 200 Years - a male/female duo: Ben Chasny & Elisa Ambrogio.  Ben can normally be seen in Six Organs of Admittance, Comets on Fire, and Rangda, and Elisa in Magik Markers.  A big thank you to Eric Gagne for providing this information as I could not find anything about 200 Years elsewhere.  I highly recommend checking out all of their projects.  Megan Roy spun some Comets On Fire for me one day in The Toadstool, and I very much liked what I heard,  At The Thing, Ben & Elisa played a stripped-down, poppy, and interesting set.  Instrumentation included acoustic guitar, electric guitar, voice, and keyboards.

Photograph by Angus MacPherson

Last up was J Mascis, of Dinosaur Jr fame.  J's "acoustic" set was loud and filled with life; he tumbled through several songs without speaking much to us, letting his six strings and voice do most of the work.  We received a healthy variety of melodies and vocal styles, and at times J would employ heavy distortion to belt out a solo.  The difference in volume and harshness of tone was a bit much, though bearable.  Here's one of my favorite tracks from his performance...

J Mascis

J recently released a solo record, Several Shades of Why, on Sub Pop records, and is currently on tour with Dinosaur Jr. You can catch him in Northampton, MA on Summer Solstice - June 21st.

...Hmmm...not my best work, but I'm glad to have Part I finished.  In Part II I'll be focusing on the Mmoss/Coke Weed show at Harlow's Pub, the final show at the Historical Society, and my thoughts on The Thing 2010 versus 2011.  Cheers.

Ville d'Oiseaux

Yesterday was a long and busy day, but I still managed to find my way to 119 Gallery in Lowell, MA.  119 is a small artist's studio that offers a wide variety of events and exhibits such as theater, poetry, music/audio/art performance, film, fashion, and dance.  What prompted my first visit was The Bella Birds' album release show for their new record, Lost City.

I've been bugging the Birds for a while now to get a sneak preview of their latest, but they just wouldn't have it.  Lost City was engineered, mixed, and mastered by the band and Jeff Root; thus, last night was the unveiling of many many months of hard work and energy.  The result of their labors is a fairly diverse indie light rock record full of heart-felt words, and with just as much twanging and vocal harmonies as drum fills and power chords.  Lost City is a very open and straight-forward expression of three human artists, unafraid and unapologetic.  I find Lost City to be quite a refreshing listening experience; it's ten, well-paced and -sequenced tracks provide meditation, fun, and alot of soul.  There's such an honesty in their voices, words, and performance that makes these songs very special; they're real stories and real feelings.  My personal favorite tracks (at least today) are Wet Hot American Summer, Tomorrow Tomorrow, Crooked & Dreamless, and Never Came.

Last night's opener, Andrue Coombes, warmed up the audience with a inspirational rant and some quirky ukelele singalong jams as we stuffed our faces with delicious delectables from Eggroll Cafe.  Soon afterward, Clara Berry took the stage with her percussionist, Joe O'Neil, and bassist Elisabeth Hodge.  Twenty-one year old Clara, clearly a well-practiced pianist and vocalist, writes snappy, jazzy, and haunting pieces.  She works with dissonance in fantastic ways; Hodge plays off of these moments with dashes of slides and trills while O'Neil keeps things pretty dialed back, entertaining just the right amount of dramatic effect with cymbal swells and snare rim hits.  Quite impressed, I fell in love with her set and would highly recommend that if ever you have a chance to see Clara and her band play that you do.  Clara Berry's EP, Creature, is available for $5 here.

Bog Child by Clara Berry

Photo by Rich Messina

Third on stage were The Bella Birds.  Pam Craven, Chris Forgione, and Zachary Root played the entirety of Lost City for us, beginning to end, in what had become the sweltering heat of 119 Gallery.  It was a great introduction to the songs of the new album; Zack's bass-lines range from a finger-picked foundation to chord strumming madness, bridging the gap between Chris' extremely energetic beats and Pam's jingle-and-jangling six-string melodies.  Topping things off is the dynamic-duo of Pam and Zack's vocals which are very well-matched, smooth, and heart-warming.  For a couple of songs Tyler Bisson (aka TRAGWAG) joined the Birds to add some Mandolin flavor and much hair.  It was quite apparent the Birds were having alot of fun, as did we, celebrating the moment and a great record.  Unfortunately my long day had caught up to me and I resigned after the Bella Birds' set, missing performances by both Kristen Ford and TRAGWAG.  It is with reluctance that I must admit I cannot speak to their performances.
Wet Hot American Summer by The Bella Birds

I must end by thanking the Birds.  Their set certainly inspired me; it was another affirmation of why I need to follow my heart, and for this I am very thankful to the three of them.  You can get your very own copy of Lost City by contacting The Bella Birds.

Photo by Rich Messina

 "When your dreams get far away, close your eyes..."

Kaki King / Joe Robinson @ The Iron Horse

Photo source unknown.

April 2nd, 2011.  The Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, MA is a two-story restaurant filled with natural-stained wood furniture and upholstery, and containing a small stage near the front of house.  The sound quality, atmosphere, and decent beer list more than make up for the slightly uncomfortable chairs and wobbly tables.  All in all a relaxed and intimate venue.  I owe part of my appreciation of Kaki King to my friend Megan, who recommended her to me a couple of years ago; once I checked her out I was hooked.  I first saw Kaki perform in Spring of 2010 supporting her Junior record - in top practiced form, playing many new songs and band-oriented material.  Kaki King has ditched her band for this tour with the exception of Trumpeter/EVI player-turned sound tech Dan Brantigan.  For me this show serves as the perfect complimentary counterpart to last year's show.  This year she shares the stage with only her wooden, fretted friends; a semicircle of expensive and interesting guitars set the stage, staring down the curious crowd who await these instrument's master.

While we waited for the main act, we thankfully had Joe Robinson to warm things up a bit...ok, more like set things on fire.  Joe is an acoustic shredder from Australia who employs both traditional and modern techniques, and alot of natural harmonics; once in a while he'll throw in a touch of drifting or Travis picking.  Joe's music, centered around jazz chords and progressions, was performed flawlessly and with seemingly little effort.  The crowd fueled the guitar virtuoso through his set by providing ample applause and shouts.  Joe took some time from his crammed set to share his story of participating in a world-wide talent competition, where he was picked from thousands of competitors for the first place award.  He followed his story by performing the song with which he won the competition - a highly stylized cover of Mason Williams' Classical Gas.  While Joe certainly proved to us that he is an elite guitarist and performer, he struggled a bit with cliche lyrics and missed his mark with a very awkward cover of Somewhere Over The Rainbow.  By no means am I putting him down - think of it as constructive criticism.  Joe has some serious talent and it will be quite interesting to see where he takes it.

Shortly after Robinson wrapped things up, Kaki made her way to the stage, quickly said hello as the welcoming applause died down, and tore into her first song of the evening: Bone Chaos In The Castle.  Our reply was energetic - an anxious and excited homage to our guest for the evening.  While we did expect an incredible performance and hoped for a special song selection...little did we know we'd also be getting an education.  Prior to using each guitar, Kaki took some time to explain what it was and what made it unique.  Of course, between altered versions of her songs and new on-the-spot jams, she would also take some time to remind us, with her iconic Ovation baritone, that she's still King and capable of a serious and impressive display of chops.  Meanwhile, her guitar tech would be prepping the next "mind fuck" guitar....

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

The first example of which was a seven-string fanned fret acoustic/electric, made by Andrew White, on which she played Doing The Wrong Thing.  Fanned frets are more ergonomic and supposedly offer more accurate intonation; this option is only available from a handful of custom luthiers across the globe, but it is gaining popularity.  Shortly after, Kaki switched to a Dojo (a cross between a banjo and a Dobro) to play Life Being What It Is.
Life Being What It Is on Dojo

On the seven-string, Kaki tried her hand at Andrew York's beautiful Andecy...
Andecy

...after which she picked up a tiny high-tuned twelve string guitar by Veillette Guitars called a Gryphon, on which she performed a cover of My Girl The Horse, originally by Fences.  She later used the same guitar to play a short Celtic ditty toward the end of her set.  From one extreme to the other Kaki traded her smallest guitar for her largest - a harp guitar - which she colorfully explained as the result of crossbreeding a guitar with an elephant.  Watching her play this monstrosity was quite a treat; her left hand tapping and pulling off the notes of the melody on the guitar strings, while her right hand provided the bass rhythm on the lower-tuned harp strings.  Throughout the song she would switch to Travis picking, playing two parts simultaneously on the guitar neck.  She carefully made her way through Michael Hedges' Because It's There; a tribute to her stylistic predecessor using the same instrument on which he used to play the piece...
Because It's There

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

Taking a break from playing the songs of her heroes, Kaki treated us to a preliminary version of what may become a new song.  For this she lay across her legs a Hawaiian lap style guitar, called a Weissenborn guitar.  The result was an energetic slide guitar jam; it contained some sour notes here and there, but ultimately affected a very cool vibe and was certainly different from anything we've heard from her thus far.  She claimed that this song hit a certain stride with this evening's performance...perhaps something clicked as she made a more intimate connection with this odd instrument.
Weissenborn Song

Nails required not a strange guitar, but an unusual modification to a standard guitar.  The strings are all loosened such that a wooden block, or other solid oblong object, can be placed on top of the 17th fret.  The strings are then tightened again over the object.  The result, when tuned appropriately and played just so, altering the pressure on either side of a particular string, is a koto-like sound.
Nails

What was so special about Kaki's performance, and indeed this tour, was her intention.  What she brought along with her strange guitars was a particular attitude and a specific goal.  She's not aiming for perfection with each piece, but rather to break the mold of her own style and songs just enough to see what comes forth from the cracks; she's trying to leave her comfort zone and breathe new life into her creativity.  You could feel her nervous energy when she was stepping out of the box a little bit - trying out different variations, and improvising fills and cadences.  Sitting with an unfamiliar guitar, a guitar in an unfamiliar position, or one with an odd modification she was nearly forced to play differently - to make old songs new.  We got the sense that we were peaking in on Kaki at home, practicing and changing things up...what works?  What doesn't?  How would this song sound on this guitar?  What about on that one?  You could see clearly that this woman is ready for change...for something new and exciting.  And it is the perfect time of year for such endeavors...
Celtic Ditty on the Gryphon

She ended her set with Zeitgeist, featuring Mr. Brantigan on Trumpet, and finally Sunnyside, the last song of Junior and the night's performance.  After the show I waited in line for an autograph.  I'd say I hadn't done this in years, but just last Thursday I did the same with William Fitzsimmons, obtaining a personalized flyer for Rosie.  These two recent experiences felt so much different that in the past, when I had waited in line an under-confident teen hoping to meet his gods.  It was a more rewarding feeling shaking someone's hand as a fellow human and artist - an exchange of creative energy for which I am very thankful.  Kaki, with a smile, signed by Everybody Loves You LP, which I bought at the show.  I said my thanks and appreciation, and she hers.  "Thanks for letting me be a dork and signing my record."  She laughed and we parted with a nod.

William Fitzsimmons / Slow Runner @ The Starving Artist

March 31st, 2011.  Sure, William Fitzsimmons doesn't exactly book stadiums and arenas for his shows, but to come back and play another show at The Starving Artist - a small, homey artists studio in the heart of downtown Keene, NH - is certainly something special.  Such direct, honest, and emotionally charged music being shared in this intimate setting, really not much different than your neighbor's living room, made for an experience I will not soon forget.  Warmly greeted at the door by Laina, one of TSA's founders, Rosie and I arrived early and had our choice of seats.  Threes rows of folding chairs were set up facing the small area of the floor dedicated for William Fitzsimmons and Slow Runner.  Choosing the two center front seats we were practically on "stage" with the band, as can be witnessed by some of the pictures below.

Photo from Slow Runner's Website.

Michael Flynn and Josh Kaler, a.k.a. Slow Runner, a duo out of Charleston, SC, started things off with their particular brand of indie pop.  Here, they were accompanied by a friend helping produce the multiple layers of sound and rhythm of which their music is comprised.  Slow Runner's performance is something of a spectacle as Josh hops from pedal steel to standard 6-string electric to drums, and aforementioned friend Jonathan switched from electric bass to banjo to mandolin to synthesizer.  The whole time Michael keeps things from getting too out of hand by remaining behind his two synthesizers and providing lead vocals, the only constants throughout their set.  I'll admit that what I heard on their myspace page didn't really grab me...it either just wasn't my thing, or perhaps the production was too flat to do them justice...but seeing them live was a whole different sound and feel that I very much enjoyed; Flynn and Kaler's songwriting simply comes alive on stage as they offer a unique, fun, exciting, and conversely, somehow calming energy to their audience.  Not having been aware of them prior to the show, I am thankful to have had the opportunity to hear them play.

After a short break and an announcement from Laina, Slow Runner returned with William Fitzsimmons, as his supporting band for the tour.  William began with a new track called Beautiful Girl.  While his new record has not received the greatest reaction from long-time fans, it was clear from the audience's response that here in this house was great appreciation for William's step out of (or maybe just to the side of) the dark.  Gold In the Shadow, much as the title implies, marks a shift in songwriting from sadness and depression to hope and strength to pull through what seems insurmountable.  To me this message was always there, whether intentional or not, but Gold In The Shadow makes it a point.  Some have argued this new sound is too upbeat and poppy; what I hear is an artist embracing a side of himself which he has not yet shared through his music, and perhaps has not yet fully explored in himself.  When artists begin to too easily fill their own mold time and time again, they become predictable.  And predictable art is not very interesting...it's stale and stagnant.  Part of true artistic creation is willingly risking anything and everything for the sole purpose of one's expression...and furthermore never even recognizing any of it as a risk to begin with.  It may seem strange to think of writing a more upbeat and generally more mainstream record a risk, but William's new record is different from what he's done before and more importantly is sincere and inspired.

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

William continued with a very well-rounded set.  He offered warm gestures of thanks, dark humor, and somewhat irrelevant but entertaining anecdotes between tracks.  Some songs were introduced and explained, whilst others were left to speak on their own.  His demeanor was down-to-earth and his presence comfortable and at ease; the show felt like a gathering of friends.  Between Everything Has Changed and The Winter From Her Leaving the audience joined the band in a jovial performance of Happy Birthday, sung for Jackie Plante, one of several Artists In Residence at TSA.  The song Goodmorning saw the entire band unplug their instruments and move to the back of the crowd - a special treat for those who didn't show up early enough to snag a seat.  I'm sure this was not something they could even do at most other venues, which added to the intimacy and energy of the evening.  The 15 songs in total were Beautiful Girl, Find It In Me, The Tide Pulls From The Moon, Wounded Head, Just Not Each Other, If You Would Come Back Home, Bird Of Winter Prey, Blood And Bones, I Don't Feel It Anymore, Fade And Then Return, Passion Play, Everything Has Changed, The Winter From Her Leaving, Goodmorning, and Afterall.  I recorded the show with permission, though the venue, mix, and my proximity to the band were not ideal for recording.  Where the quality lacks, warmth and charm are abound.  It was very hard to pick tracks from the set to share here - I hope I've done a satisfactory job with the following selection...
The Tide Pulls From The Moon (Live @ The Starving Artist)

If You Would Come Back Home (Live @ The Starving Artist)

Photo: Rosemary Wojtas

Passion Play (Live @ The Starving Artist)

I Don't Feel It Anymore (Live @ The Starving Artist)

The Winter From Her Leaving (Live @ The Starving Artist)

After the show Rosie and I spoke briefly with William, thanking him for another trip to Keene - this time, thankfully, not one we missed.

Mmoss / Black Norse / Megafauna @ The Toadstool

Photo from Megafauna's Facebook page.

March 25th, 2011.  On Friday night The Toadstool Bookstore in Peterborough, NH hosted another fantastic show.  After hours, in the heart of the store a small but inviting space had been cleared and prepared for three acts.  The first was Manchester's Megafauna, a once one-man band singing over his home-brewed, elaborate, poppy backtracks, turned full group with the addition of bass, guitar, and electronic drum kit.  The band was off to a rough start between technical difficulties and an awkward approach; they attempted to keep time with the original backtracks, which already included percussion, bass, and guitar.  After some monitor and level adjustments, Megafauna finally found their feet at the third song.  Megafauna's music is eclectic, well thought-out, and lively.  Singer/songwriter Ian Hughs holds nothing back - shaking, hopping, and twitching as he belts out his lyrics in an ecstatic manner.  Their music is some shade of alt-pop...which I must admit I know very little about.  What I can say is that it was certainly a different experience seeing him will a full band, and I found it to suite his music quite well.  They rounded out their set with a Siouxsie & the Banshees cover and Brian Eno cover, clearly two of Ian's influences.  You can listen to Megafauna on their SoundCloud page here.

Photo from Black Norse's Myspace page.

Up next was Keene's Black Norse - a Sabbath-worshipping, sludgy, stoner/doom duo.  Since the show was off to a late start Ben Troy and Ryan Harrison wasted no time diving right in to their set.  It had been a while since I had listened to anything like this and it brought a great smile to my face.  While there's a plethora of stoner metal bands out there, Black Norse still manage to pull you in and demand your undivided attention.  There is an honesty and vital energy present in their performance; the music and expression are the means and the end.  At one point, after missing a change, they decided to start a song over again - an example that these guys really are the inverse of pretentious.  With just a minimal drum set and an amplified guitar, Black Norse create a full wall of sound - raw and rich with overtones, the less-is-more law clearly in effect.  Of course, the guitar is heavily distorted and detuned to somewhere around C, which helped to fill our ears with a healthy spectrum of sound.  Bass lines would have been an interesting augmentation, but at no point do any of the songs really beckon for it.  No, Black Norse are complete as they are...hear for yourself at their Bandcamp site.  Though my recording doesn't do them justice, here's a track from the show...

Photo from Mmoss' Facebook page.

The final band for the evening is something of a paradox to me.  Somehow Mmoss channel a bit of the Summer Of Love - a time long before any of its members were even born (or so I speculate) - with a strange ease, and a haunting vibe.  The first time I saw Mmoss sealed the deal for me; they filled the old Toadstool music space with an energy left over from the late 60's and early 70's, formerly trapped in some sort of vortex to which Mmoss magically hold the key.  These sonic time-travellers do what they do very, very well.  When I tell someone about Mmoss they shrug, likely thinking "that doesn't sound particularly original."  But without hearing Mmoss, it's not possible to understand what makes them great and unique.  Friday's show was another affirmation....Mmoss are Mmoss, and Mmoss are good.  In the small space, encompassed by bookshelves and several pairs of ears, the band worked its magic.  Their spell simultaneously sent us back in time, but also forward from our nostalgic thought patterns, up to the leading edge of active creation - hence the strange riddle of this exceptional band.  Multipart vocal harmonies, eerie twangy guitar licks, lush modulated organ, jangly drum beats, thumping basslines, and smooth flute leads makeup Mmoss's exquisit sonic backdrop. At times they trance you out in a droney, buzzy, heady jam and other times they get you tapping your foot, pulling your strings to put a flower in your hair and dance with whomever is next to you at the moment.  Last night they unfotunately played a short set, though quite tasty it was.  For your enjoyment, here are a couple of tracks from the show...
[Wander]

[Grow Down]

Previously Mmoss' I album was only available as a digital download or audio cassette, but any day now the vinyl LP will be available.  You can snag it at Toadstool or online here.  Prefer lossless digital audio?  Visit the band's Bandcamp site to listen to I as well as two other great tracks, Wander and Another Dream.  Also, Moss will be at this year's The Thing In The Spring festival, which you shouldn't miss if you're in the New England area.

Photo from Mmoss' Myspace page.

Micah Blue Smaldone / Tongue Oven / Timothy Horgan @ The Toadstool

January 15th, 2011.  Three artists. Three twelve-string acoustic guitars. One small makeshift stage. A handful of locals gathered after hours on the floor amidst the bookshelves of The Toadstool Bookshop in Peterborough (NH - USA). The vibe and volume of these shows has changed a bit since moving into the bookshop from the previously vacant space next door, but they are still intimate and warm.

Opener Timothy Horgan of Keene, NH sat awkwardly on the wooden chair as he performed his beautiful finger-picked instrumentals. The small crowd breathed his music in silence as he set the mood for the remainder of the evening. I found his pieces refreshing and energizing; an honest and straight-forward expression without need for lyrics. A great example would be Speed And Comfort, which you can hear on Tim's myspace page.

Tongue Oven, out of Pioneer Valley, followed suit – a single man playing mostly instrumentals on twelve-string acoustic, though normally seen as a banjo/guitar, violin, cello three-piece. Tonight Mr. Oven, lacking his more sophisticated fretless stringed partners, played many pieces featuring slide guitar and harmonica. His well received set built on the energy of Mr. Horgan's but added a few shots of bluegrass sass. He wrapped things up with an interesting and purposefully out-of-tune ditty, which he also sang.

Micah Blue Smaldone came down from Portland, ME and took the stage last with his trusty and worn twelve-string Guild. Continuing the impromptu theme of the evening he opened with a short instrumental. He then proceeded into a nearly non-stop recital of several songs from The Red River, beginning with Pale Light. Between songs Micah filled what would have been praise and applause with strumming and finger-picking, leaving the audience zero time to send him the thanks they wanted. Finally taking a breather, Micah received his much deserved applause, after which he played a few more songs. Besides the aforementioned Pale Light, in the barrage where A Derelict, Bastard Of Time, The Clearing, and A Drink. I failed to recognize a couple of songs, either covers or tunes from Some Sweet Day or Hither & Thither, his previous records which I have not had the pleasure of attaining. He ended his set with a fantastic cover of The Congos' Fisherman, which he seems to often incorporate into his performances.

The Red River

I first heard Micah during last year's The Thing In The Spring festival, and instantly fell in love with his songs. His latest offering, The Red River is a truly magnificent record; full of feeling and a haunting vibe, it leaves you craving more after its only seven songs have permeated your speakers. Don't get me wrong, though short the album isn't lacking one bit. In fact it leaves me in a mood where no other record seems fit to follow and I often end up just playing it again. Micah's shows usually include just his voice, a twelve-string Guild which he finger picks, and a couple of microphones, but The Red River features an array of guests including cello, bass, electric guitar, horns, percussion, and additional voice. It may seem over the top for such a stripped-down style, but the additional instrumentation is light and focused on augmenting his original songs. It just works, and works beautifully; fans of the record may not even notice the lack of accompaniment during his live performances. Tonight I was able to pester Micah a bit after the show to inquire about any forthcoming recordings and I am happy to report we should see a split 7” with Big Blood sometime this spring...just in time for Peterborough's annual music festival; hopefully we'll see him again in 2011.