Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Pictureplane's choices

LEO spoke with Travis Egedy, the one-man band behind the “witch house” music.



LEO: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you yet?
PP: Punk music for people who love house music. The sound of the earth breathing. Occult house music. Dark sexual pop music.

LEO: What inspires your songs? How do your surroundings inspire your music?
PP: I am inspired by lots and lots of things. Science and technology, contemporary art, mysticism, shamanism and the future of evolution of consciousness. Sexuality, gender and human beings. All these things fuel my art. I am very inspired by my surroundings and the various experiences I go through and situations that I find myself in. I am inspired by my lifestyle choices.

LEO: When writing, do you think about how the music will move people to dance? Think?
PP: Yes. I sort of intuitively look for a certain groove. A rhythm that your body understands and responds to. I want to move the body. But I also try not to think too much about other people when I am making my music; a lot of it is personal.

LEO: How much do you feel inspired by other forms of American pop or ethnic music genres?
PP: Well, I think pop music inspires everyone, whether they even listen to it or not. I would say I am inspired by pop cultural themes more so than the actual pop music that is on the radio or whatever. Current trends have always been a source of fascination for me. I have always been really in to rap and hip-hop music. That is still a big inspiration. And hip-hop is pop culture.

LEO: Do you consider your group more of a pop dance band or experimental electronic project?
PP: It is an art project, really. A performance art project that I also make the music for…

LEO: In the studio, how much do you try to capture your live sound? How free do you feel to experiment with sounds you might not be able to recreate live?
PP: When I am making a song, I don’t really think about how I am going to play it live. The “studio” and the performance aspect of what I am doing are pretty different. Yeah, there is a lot of experimentation while I am producing, but I keep the performance very free also.

LEO: What do you hate most about the music business?
PP: I wish the real artists had more money.

Pictureplane with Teengirl Fantasy, Gatekeeper and Nzambi
Thursday, July 28
Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St., 635-9227
9 p.m.
www.myspace.com/pictureplane

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Amy LaVere: dark, suspenseful and fun



Think there’s only room for one redheaded spitfire woman who started out playing a mix of early rock and earthy Americana but has evolved into a more mature, finely textured artist? Well, move over, Neko Case. Memphis-based singer/songwriter/double bassist Amy LaVere is not just on the road, she’s on the road to recovery. Her new album, Stranger Me, is a collection of goodbye songs, composed in the wake of losing a guitarist to the Hold Steady, a drummer — her boyfriend — to a romantic break-up, and her mentor, legendary Southerner and producer Jim Dickinson, to the great beyond. Such times would surely undo a lesser mortal, but LaVere perseveres. The drummer returned to make the record, and a new producer, one whose previous project was engineering last year’s Grammy-winning Album of the Year, by Arcade Fire, was hired.

LEO: Are you able to do music as a full-time job?
Amy LaVere: Well, I would say mostly full-time. When I have a little too long of down time, I end up getting in a situation, scrambling around to put up work. Typically, I do music full-time. At least, I’ve been able to for the past 5 months…

LEO: Your persona in your songs is that of a bad-ass. How much of that is what you’re really like, and how much is playing a role?
AL: (laughs) Interesting question … I don’t know. I guess I’m pretty comfortable. Some days more than other days, but… I guess I do have some pride in the fact that I am a really hard worker; I think I have a pretty broad perspective on my life and how to run it, I suppose.

LEO: Do you think your experiences, and getting older, have helped with that?
AL: Absolutely. I think it’s helped with not taking myself too seriously. I think I’ve got a healthy sense of humor. I actually kind of welcome the challenges that this sort of lifestyle brings. It’s a very bi-polar lifestyle (laughs), you know, it’s really good and really bad.

LEO: Do you identify with that personally? Or just have a good perspective on it?
AL: I wouldn’t say that I was bi-polar! It’s the lifestyle that’s bi-polar. No, I’m pretty good about rollin’ with it. I have a great ability to compartmentalize in my life, and I’m getting a lot better at it. I’m not overly prepared, and I don’t look backwards. I live in the moment.

LEO: Did moving around a lot as a child influence that?
AL: I traveled a lot as a child… I guess so.

LEO: Do you think that that helped make you a better observer of people?
AL: Well, I would think so; but, I have an older sister that was brought up with this gypsy lifestyle, like I was, and – I definitely think that we gained a much bigger, broader perspective than a lot of kids we were meeting – I think it definitely influenced my decision to have a nomadic lifestyle as an adult, whereas my sister, she’s married with three kids and has lived in the same house for sixteen years. It was really important to her that her children knew the same kids that they went to elementary school with throughout their lives. I don’t think that she really wanted that for her children, for her adult life. I’m somewhat addicted to it.

LEO: Do you feel bad for her in some ways?
AL: No, really, we go back and forth about being envious of each other. I was just there this last weekend, I flew in to go to my niece’s graduation. I hadn’t seen them in a year and a half. They have such a beautiful family, it’s really nice to see. Sometimes I look at it and go, “God, I’m missing so much…” I’m sure some times – well, I know from her, “Oh, you’re so lucky, you get to see so much and do so much…” It’s one of those things.

LEO: It's probably good that you're not both out there, competing for record sales.
AL: (laughs) No, I 'd probably help her out. I don't have much of a competitive spirit.

LEO: Does that hold you back?
AL: No, I do try to challenge myself, at every opportunity that comes up. I blindly take on things that are out of my realm of experience, I do that all the time. I enjoy it, whether I'm bad at it or good at it; I'd rather be doing that than sitting on the couch being a fat American.

LEO: (laughs) Well, I can understand that. Your restless spirit reflects itself in your music, which jumps from genre to genre. Do you think that helps you or holds you back in any ways?
AL: Oh, well, umm... No. I really don't put a whole lot of energy into that, because you never know what someone might make of it or think of it, and I just don't really concern myself too much with it. If I don't like it, then I'm failing myself. And I mean, hell, nobody likes just one style of music anyway, as far as I know. Different stories that I'm telling demand a different sort of feel or production on them. I just sort of get in the middle and swim in it, when it comes to what the production's going to be or how the song's going to come out. I just can't worry about it so much. I mean, I understand how people to label things or compartmentalize things when it comes to describing music, for sales and things, but I'm not in marketing. That's not my responsibility. I just do my part, the best I can, and hope that it gets sorted out.

LEO: When you meet someone, and they ask, "What kind of music do you play?", what do you tell them?
AL: My blanket statement is, It's an amalgamation of all kinds of great music. (laughs). It's really tough. Sometimes I'll just say, "It's rock 'n' roll." What would you say it is?

LEO: I like what you said.
AL: (laughs)
LEO: I don't think I could do any better than that. You could put it on a shirt, even.
AL: (laughs) Yeah! "It's the music I like."

LEO: What can we expect from your live show?
AL: It's a four-piece band. I think it's suspenseful. It's dark, suspenseful and fun.
LEO: That sounds good.
AL: Yeah, I think it's good. Music from tense moments.
LEO: Tense in fun ways?
AL: Yeah, tense in fun ways. It's definitely a listening show.

Amy LaVere with Tristen
Wednesday, July 20
Uncle Slayton’s
1017 E. Broadway • 657-9555
www.amylavere.com
$13; 8 p.m.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Cheer-Accident, in a Louisville context

Since 1981, Chicago’s Cheer-Accident has been thrilling a loyal gang of followers with their fluctuating art-rock attack, often embellished by a rotating collection of some of the Windy City’s many fine and simpatico musicians. They return to Louisville to promote their 17th album, No Ifs, Ands or Dogs. LEO caught up with founder and drummer Thymme Jones.



LEO: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard you yet?
Thymme Jones: I’ve given up on that one. Literally, I just tell people, “You just kinda have to hear it.” I could just go the “blank-meets-blank-meets-blank” route, but a lot of people would just draw a blank on the blanks. Plus, I like to think the whole is much greater than the sum of its blanks.

LEO: Where do you find ideas for your songs?
TJ: Where I’ve misplaced them.

LEO: How do your surroundings inspire your music?
TJ: By keeping quiet.

LEO: Do you consider your group more of a rock band or experimental project?
TJ: Rock/pop/experimental in equal measure. And we measure often (way more often than we cut).

LEO: In the studio, how much do you try to capture your live sound? How free do you feel to experiment with sounds you might not be able to recreate live?
TJ: I consider the studio and live to be completely different animals. We feel 100-percent free to experiment with sounds we would never (in a million years) be able to recreate live. The word “recreate” is key here: I think what I like best about both live performance and the studio is, in either context, we are not really recreating, but creating. There are things that can happen with a live song, in terms of it being a real-time event with an audience, that could never happen in a studio setting. We may have played a song a hundred times, but we’re still making many varying choices (ostensibly, improvising within a given structure) each time we play it, and so it is a creative act. Conversely, we’re not recording a song in the studio merely so we can successfully recreate it at a later date — we’re trying to come up with something that makes sense in that moment, with those particular sounds.

So many contradictions, so little time! As you can see, the studio setting and the live setting are exactly the same in that they both involve interacting with the present moment, with little concern for subsequent re-enactment. However, we never feel any need to “capture” our live sound in the studio (“sound” isn’t the only aspect of “live,” so why bother?), and we never feel any need to “play the song exactly the way it is on the album.” Or, for that matter, play any of the songs on the album at all. I’m a big fan of context: Sitting at home listening to music is much different than being at a venue listening to music, so it seems like a good idea to treat the two quite differently.

LEO: Does your music ever make you horny?
TJ: That’s a chicken-or-the-egg question if I’ve ever heard one! OK, well, I’ll kill two chickens with one egg here: Music, and all art, is a result of horniness. Horniness is just a god-awful word, though, so let’s just stick to the trumpet.

LEO: What do you think of Louisville?
TJ: I love Louisville. Louisville used to love us. And then it stopped. But I think it’s going to pick back up with that idea again.

Cheer-Accident with The Teeth and Softcheque
www.cheer-accident.com
Friday, July 22 • Cahoots
1047 Bardstown Road
454-6687
$5; 9 p.m.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

J.D. Crowe and the new generation

Native Kentuckian J.D. Crowe is a legendary bluegrass banjo player who started with Jimmy Martin 55 years ago and then, in the early 1970s, went on to lead his own influential group, the New South. He returns to us for a free concert on the square in downtown Corydon, Ind. LEO enjoyed a warm conversation with the master.



LEO: Where do you call home these days?
J.D. Crowe: I live in Nicholasville, Ky. It’s a suburb of Lexington — now (laughs). I’ve seen a lot of changes through the years, yes. I think it’s good.

LEO: You’ve seen a lot of changes in your music career, too.
JDC: Ninety percent of it’s been good, 10 percent of it not too good. But for the most part, it’s been good, the growth and everything — you gotta have it. If you don’t, things get stale. There’s some parts of it that’s … I won’t get into that, some of that’s kind of a personal thing. I tell you what, the recording industry is kind of in a slump. I think the Internet, it may be all right, but I think it’s hurt, in a way. It sure hurts our CD sales, from people going to the music stores and buying them like they used to. It’s definitely hurt, but in other ways, you can get on there and instead of buying the whole CD, you can buy one song. It comes out about the same, probably.

LEO: Has the Internet been helpful for gaining new fans?
JDC: Oh, yeah. I think the Internet has helped as far as getting exposed to the music where they can’t be exposed otherwise. Because not that many bands travel abroad to play, so they don’t get to hear a lot of the pure bluegrass that we do over here. But they get on the Internet, and everybody’s got a website where they can hear and see cuts of the bands. I’ve had requests from other countries to send them a CD. I’ve had some notes from France, Australia, Finland — of course, Japan. I’ve been in Japan and Europe a couple of times. It’s very sparse, though.
LEO: Do you mostly tour in the summer these days?
JDC: I’m on the road about 50 days a year. That’s all I want. It’s tiresome. I been there, done that, those 200-days-a-year deals; I don’t want to do that anymore.

LEO: You’ve also played with some rock bands and jam bands.
JDC: It’s amazing how many people they draw, (laughs) as opposed to bluegrass. That’s what always amazed me. And I know why, too — it’s the media. They’re always pushing the rock ’n’ roll; it just appeals to these younger people. That’s the whole deal. I’m not specifically talking about Louisville or Lexington — I’m talking about worldwide. Your TV, your big musical stations — it’s all over, it’s not local. It’s a different era right now than it used to be. People think different, everything’s just different. You just roll with the flow, that’s it. I don’t worry about it, there’s no use to do that. So just do what you’re doing and let everybody do what they do — everybody’s happy.

LEO: You have some younger bluegrass fans, too, who’ll come to see you.
JDC: They do, they do. Probably not enough (laughs). But hopefully they’ll come around.

LEO: Any plans to make a new record soon?
JDC: I’ve slowed down on that. I probably should. My last’s been out probably five or six years. We’ll probably do another one. At this stage of the game, I don’t worry about things too much. It is important to have a new CD out, I think it’s very important, it’s just that I don’t right now. We’re looking for songs, I’m trying to do something different; when we get ready, we’ll go in and start.

LEO: What can we expect from your live show?
JDC: I think we do probably about an hour and 15 or so. You can bring anyone. It’s a family-oriented show, that’s for sure. You don’t have to worry about that. I can’t guarantee the rest of it … (laughs), but I know what we do! Basically, it’s a good show, sure is. It’s a listening show. As I tell people, we’re not a dance band. We don’t do dance music. We prefer not to, let me put it that way (laughs). That’s a little out of our league.

J.D. Crowe and the New South with Hog Operation
Saturday, July 23
Corydon Square
310 N. Elm St., Corydon, Ind.
888-738-2137
www.thisisindiana.org
Free; 4 p.m.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Ashley Capps of Bonnaroo on Forecastle

As the founder and president of AC Entertainment, Knoxville's Ashley Capps has turned the music world on its head over the past decade. His company also runs other festivals, including Moogfest and Big Ears, and books clubs in several cities in the South. This year, AC has also entered into a partnership with Louisville's Forecastle Festival, a blend that both sides hope will lead to greater success for both companies.
LEO spoke with Ashley Capps about Forecastle in advance of the July 15th min-festival in downtown Louisville.



LEO: What qualities does (Forecastle founder) J.K. McKnight have that made you want to work with him?
AC: I really admired J.K. and was impressed by what he has accomplished with Forecastle. When we finally met, I would have to say that I immediately sensed a kindred spirit. And as I got to know J.K. a bit better, it became clear that his vision, combined with an extraordinary work ethic and commitment to realizing that vision, made him a great fit for our team.

LEO: What have you seen Forecastle accomplish that convinced you that they were both a moneymaker and an aesthetically similar operation?
AC: Well, it's no easy feat pulling off a festival, and it's especially impressive to see one that has been successfully grown over the course of 10 years in the way that Forecastle has. What really has made Forecastle stand apart, however, has been the focus that J.K. and his team have put on the overall festival experience. Again, his vision and his attention to detail in bringing that to fruition are exemplary.

LEO: What can you offer that will improve on what they've already done?
AC: Our whole reason for becoming involved in Forecastle is because we did feel that we could offer some opportunities to help J.K. grow the event and help it to become even more successful. In our early discussions, I think it was clear that we shared a similar sense of aesthetics in imagining what the festival experience can be. I think what AC brings to the table is our experience - our organizational support, our booking and marketing teams - to help take the festival to new heights.

LEO: Some people in Louisville assume that AC has bought FF in order to eliminate a competitor. Did you see them as a threat in any way?
AC: No, that really never crossed our minds, to tell you the truth. It wouldn't really make any sense to do that. In fact, we didn't really "purchase" FF so much as we hired J.K. to work with us on a variety of projects, along with the goal of working together on Forecastle as well. We got involved for two reasons: because we wanted J.K. to be part of our team and because we believe that Forecastle is a festival with a unique and compelling identity and experience of its own.

LEO: Will Forecastle definitely be returning to Louisville in 2012?
AC: That's certainly the plan. It was hard for us to make the decision not to do the full-scale event in 2011, but J.K. wisely felt that we needed more time to create the event that we all want the next Forecastle to be. That was smart. He was absolutely right about that.

LEO: What can AC's booking division potentially offer Louisville's audience? How will they know which acts locals want to see?
AC: We've been somewhat active in Louisville for some time, actually. Back in the 1990s, we presented artists like Alison Krauss & Union Station, John Prine and a number of others at the Kentucky Center for the Arts. And we've done a number of shows at the Palace as well - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Phoenix, Neil Young and others. We're now taking the time to get to know the city and its people better. What's clear is that there's a lot of enthusiasm for music and the arts in Louisville and we're eager to explore the possibilities.

LEO: How much advertising will be done to attract out-of-town attendees?
AC: It depends upon the event. If you are specifically referring to Forecastle, one of our plans is to definitely work with our marketing and publicity teams to continue to elevate its profile as a national, and even international, event. But these days, with the internet and social media and all, this is not so much about how much advertising you do as it is about creating the unique and exciting festival experience that fans want to share with their networks.

LEO: AC's festivals are all located within the same region, and arguably appeal to many of the same fans. Are you worried about having too many similar festivals taking away from each other's bottom line?
AC: Well, I think the key is for each of the festival events to have their own unique character, and I think we've accomplished that with Bonnaroo, as well as with Moogfest in Asheville and with Big Ears in Knoxville. All three of them are quite distinctive and quite unlike one another. Forecastle also has it's own unique identity. But we've actually been involved in events all over the country, including Vegoose in Las Vegas for 3 years, and last year we were involved in SonĂ¥r Chicago as well. And we're currently exploring several other concepts, in other regions of the USA and possibly in other countries as well.

LEO: Have you spent much time in Louisville?
AC: Not nearly enough, though I've visited many times. It's such a great city. I've really fallen in love with Louisville. Every time I visit, I can't wait to come back for more.

JK McKnight on Forecastle 2011

Louisville’s Forecastle Festival is in a transitional phase. After years of growth and growing pains, the increasingly popular annual summer attraction has entered into a new partnership with Knoxville’s AC Entertainment, producers of Bonnaroo and other festivals. Founder JK McKnight decided to skip producing a full-scale weekend festival this year in order to have time to make the most of AC’s resources for next year, Forecastle’s 10th anniversary. In addition, he now holds the title of “national partnerships/global visionary” with AC Entertainment.

This Friday’s “mini-fest” will feature Pretty Lights, Big Boi, RJD2, Twin Shadow and more at Waterfront Park, with an obligatory after-party at the new Ice House on East Main.

LEO caught up with McKnight to discuss past and future details of the fest. An additional interview with AC president Ashley Capps can be found at bluecat.leoweekly.com/


photo by Marty Pearl

LEO: How have you felt that Forecastle has evolved over the years? How do you think it compares to other festivals in the region?

JK McKnight: It's certainly evolved every year, and will continue to do so. I think part of that evolution was just trying to find a home for it, something that fit my vision and that we could grow into. I knew early on that Waterfront Park would probably be that venue, and starting mapping it out when I was 22 or so. I still have those original drawings, which are remarkably similar to what we actually did. Since we now have a home, it is much easier to set roots and grow into the space. We've received so many compliments on the layout and use of the park. I remember (Waterfront president) David Karem telling me it was "the best, most creative use of the space" he had ever seen. What he didn't know is that I had been working on it for 7 years.

As far as festivals in the region, it's very difficult for me to gauge, because I haven't really been to many other ones (hard to believe, I know). We have friends with a company called Dataflow in Knoxville that assist with Voodoo Festival in New Orleans, so we've gone down there the past two years. It's similar in scale and in the middle of the city.

With that in mind, I do think Forecastle is its own animal: a nautically-themed music, arts and environmental festival sandwiched between the Midwest and South. Who would have thought?

LEO: How did the deal with AC happen?

JK: It started with a simple email from me to Ashley. We had communicated off and on for a few years through a friend of mine, Bobby Burk, but were never able to connect in person. The timing seemed right toward the end of last year, and he invited me to Knoxville. I think we realized pretty quickly that we shared a similar worldview, history and, of course, we’re both Aquarius. Going down there was really exciting. Soon after, Ashley came to Louisville and fell in love with what he saw here. I introduced him to everyone I thought was relevant. Soon after, I went back to Knoxville and, slowly but surely, we started seeing a partnership and employment opportunity.

LEO: Tell me about your job today: What does your work with “national partnerships” involve? What about “global visionary”? Did someone else have this position before you?

JK: It’s a new position, and I’m helping build the department. “National partnerships” means working with national brands that have an interest in participating in the events we produce. Through Forecastle, I built a network that consists of thousands of companies in various industries — from outdoors, natural products, technology, communications — that I have relationships with. From a strategic marketing perspective, any of those relationships are applicable to the events we produce, whether it be Moogfest, Big Ears or Bonnaroo. Everyone is looking to our demographic as their customers of the future. So I’m there to work with those brands and develop the activations and marketing presence we’ll feature before, during and after the event.

“Global visionary” is a little less defined, but it was an award I received from the World Affairs Council last year. I view it from a business development standpoint, being able to see opportunities both locally and abroad, and presenting them to AC Entertainment. It also applies to event creation, launching new festivals and events.

When I was asked by (AC exec) Patrick Roddy to create a title, I gave a couple different options, and “national partnerships/global visionary” was the one he liked the best.

LEO: Forecastle has used a nautical theme, from its name to its posters, and you gave yourself the nickname "Cap'n". Why?

JK: The ship imagery certainly can be derived from being an Aquarius. When I was in preschool, they say I would sit there and watch the water drip out of the facet, over and over again, while all the other kids played with Legos. It's just the way I am. I love water. So when the time came to come up with a name, I liked the idea of a metaphorical ship (which represented music and arts to me) and the place on the ship where everyone gathered after a hard day's work, to relax and socialize. Thus, the name "Forecastle", which is the crew's quarters of the ship.

LEO: Forecastle began as a free festival in Tyler Park, and now is owned by AC Entertainment, the company that runs Bonnaroo, which attracts 80,000 fans annually. How many people attended in the first few years? Did you honestly believe, back then, that it would get to the level it's at now?

JK: Yes, we were free and non-profit for 4 years, 2002 - 2005. It was only in 2005 that I really starting looking at it as a possible career. At the time, I was pretty conflicted between doing Forecastle and pursuing my own music career for a living. It was a really difficult decision, because I felt my heart was in composing and writing, and I didn't want to give that up. However, I felt like we had a unique formula with Forecastle that was at the forefront of something much bigger than my own interests. That ended up being very true. We were definitely pioneers in many aspects of the festival environmental movement, years before the Rothburys of the world starting popping up everywhere, and every festival suddenly felt pressure to have a sustainability program featured. That was unheard of in 2003.

So in essence, I decided we needed to stay the course and see it though. I knew it would be extremely difficult and require tremendous sacrifice on my end, especially to continue growing it as the pace we were, without any major investors, bank loans, or anything. To work, it had to be 100% community supported, and even that wasn't enough by the time we got to the Belvedere.

With all that in mind, the early years were a lot of fun. I was learning so much, and the pressure wasn't there as much as it is now.

As far as attendance, there was maybe 150 people there the first year, and half of them were involved in the event one way or the other.

Important footnote - the festival is owned by myself and a handful of local investors. AC Entertainment is a partner, but there's no equity distribution or ownership. Forecastle is a co-promotion between The Forecastle Festival, LLC, and AC Entertainment, Inc.

LEO: Have there been years when the fest has lost money? If so, how were you able to continue on in the following year?

JK: Well, for many years I kept the festival free, so there was no opportunity (or desire) to make money. As far as being able to continue on, it brings back some rather interesting memories. I'll never forget being 24 and getting hit with a massive production bill after Cherokee Park. I had no idea how I was going to pay it, and ended up taking two jobs - one in sales and one I created (online auction business). I think I had everything wrapped up in about 6 weeks, but it was a total wake-up call for me. I realized that if I were to continue growing this thing exponentially, the risk factor would do the same, and all of it would inevitably fall on my shoulders. I think it was around that time that both my parents and some of my close friends said, "JK, you really can't do this anymore for free. You really need to think about it."

With that in mind, I try to look at those situations as opportunities, and I did get to work for some amazing people that I learned a tremendous amount from. People like John Yarmuth, Jimmy Brown and others I've had the privilege to work for over the years.

LEO: How much has your family helped to make the fest viable?

JK: They've been really amazing, and all have taken ownership of unique areas of the festival.

My mom is single-handedly responsible for bringing about our entire healthy, locally-sourced culinary focus. I have to think, in 2006, we were one of the first festivals of this size and proportion that was sourcing nearly everything from a small radius around Louisville. Just like everything else on the environmental side, it's much more common place now, but back then it wasn't.

My dad, on the other hand, has really contributed the most with security, and has been a guiding light in the world of business. Each year he leads a platoon of guys and does a great job. He got to shadow the Director of Bonnaroo's operations recently, which I think he really learned a lot from (even got to chase down a stolen golf cart).

My sister, among other things, has been a critical part of our media team the past few years. She's brought on some amazing people that are still with us today.

So as you can see, it's become quite the family operation. I owe a lot to them, and I probably don't thank them enough for their hard work and sacrifices.

LEO: Nederlander Entertainment, in Cincinnati, took over booking in '09 and '10. Whose idea was that? Did you pay them, or did they pay you for the job? How did that relationship work out?

JK: Just like our newly forged relationship with AC Entertainment, it was a co-promotion. I met them through a close friend of mine, who had been working at Jillian's, where they were doing a lot of shows. They seemed to have a major interest in Louisville by the amount of shows they were producing, and since we wanted grow the event beyond what I could do solo, we partnered on it. The foundation had been laid through years of hard work, so it made perfect sense to bring on a partner to help take it to the next level. Prior to 2009, I was managing everything - booking, marketing, sponsors, permitting, ticketing, insurance, concessions, you name it. I was at the end of my rope, working 70+ hours a week and depending on one event, once a year, for all my income. A risky gamble very few people would do. Having the opportunity to partner with another organization took a great deal of pressure off of me. Otherwise, I probably would have ended up in the grave by now (or spontaneously combusted on the Belvedere the following year...). The 2006 - 2008 years were incredibly exciting, but it almost burned me out.

LEO: How have Nederlander and AC helped with, or otherwise affected, music bookings?

JK: It's helped tremendously. Like anything in business, it's all about relationships. Being able to partner with industry veterans allows you to open doors that may have been previously closed.

LEO: This year’s mini-fest is very focused on new dance and electronic music. Through the years, the wide variety of musical acts has been called unfocused at times, and some past headliners have been criticized as being past their primes. What do you think the festival’s musical point of view has been?

JK: It's an interesting opinion, because I would argue that many of these artists are iconic figures that are extremely relevant to the musical landscape, no matter how many years past their prime someone deems them to be. Paul McCartney is probably 40 years past his prime, but he's more popular now that he ever has been, and his music is just as relevant today as it was in the 60s. You could say the same for a vast array of artists. I think if we were to announce Pink Floyd as the headliner to Forecastle 2012, I don't think anyone would shake their heads and say, "Would loved to have seen them in the mid-70s, but absolutely no interest now. They're just not relevant."

The musical pallet has indeed evolved, and I think it will continue to as popular culture evolves. We want to keep things exciting and interesting, and I think that always means a combination of up-and-coming and veteran artists, and the large group of artist that exist between them. With the exception of electronic artists, not many contemporaries can say they're doing something truly original these days. Almost all of it can be derived from something that's been created before, or a combination thereof. I'll never forget talking with Greg Gillis (Girl Talk) at Forecastle 2007, and him telling me that there's absolutely no chord progression an artist can create these days that hasn't been written before. He's studied it systematically over a number of years, and came to that conclusion. So the key for him is to take dozens of pieces of "old" songs and create entirely "new" ones out of them. Now that is pretty original (even if Z-Trip is the founder of it), and it's the way things are moving forward. Those who don't think electronic music is the next cultural tide are simply glued to their old comforts and refusing to let go. Europe is already there, and has been for years. America is finally waking up.

LEO: Some local bands have publicly complained about being asked to perform for free, or being booked on a secondary stage. What do you say to them? How important are local bands to the fest today? Are they less important than they once were?

JK: Well, there hasn't been a local band that's performed for free in 5 years, so not too sure where that's coming from. As far as locals on our main stages, we've always done that. I think last year both Wax Fang and Lucky Pineapple played on the East Stage. For all the artists on the Kentucky Stage (I think there were around 26 last year, nearly 1/4 of our roster) they just need to understand the costs and risks associated with an event of this size. We're building all the stages from the ground up, on top of the fencing, security, permitting, staffing, and everything else that goes with it. It's expensive, and quite the opposite of playing a club show. We're taking major risks to do an event like this, with no guarantee of a return. If an artist cannot draw enough of an audience to substantiate the aforementioned costs, then it's going to be difficult for us to accommodate them there, and expect to be able to continue on.

As far as relevancy, I think it's very relevant. Forecastle has the opportunity to be a vehicle that showcases developing artists talent to thousands of people they never would have been exposed to otherwise. And I'm not just talking about their performance. The marketing and advertising efforts reach millions, and their name is on all of it. There's a high value to that.

If you're a band trying to get your name out there, performing at festivals can be a great way to do it. I hope to develop our Kentucky stage out a bit more in future years, now that we have the space to accommodate.

LEO: How important are the activism and art sections to you today?

JK: This fall, we’ll be making the biggest announcement to date on the environmental front. It will change the game for us — a local/global initiative that’s going to have a major impact in some areas of the world that are critical to sustaining life. It’s something I conceptualized when I was 12 years old, that I’ve finally been able to bring to fruition.

LEO: Who would you like to see at 2012’s fest?

JK: I have a working speculative 2012 list that’s part of a 74-page model I built for the 10th anniversary show. The artist side is still in the brainstorming phase, so probably not worth putting out there and creating expectations. I’m certainly looking very closely at what we did in 2009 and 2010. Overall, I'm excited for the doors that ACE will open and believe that our programming will continue to upgrade and remain a staple in the Midwest and South.

LEO: Who are some of your favorite music acts currently?

JK: The Meeting Places, Explosions in the Sky, Thomas Newman, and I think that Band of Horses record has now been in our player for over a year.

LEO: What are your biggest successes? Also, what are your biggest mistakes or regrets?

JK: Hmmmm. Seeing everything come together for Forecastle 2009 and 2010 were definitely some of my biggest successes. Both of those events were dreams that birthed almost a decade earlier, that I stuck to day in and day out until they were fully realized. It was not easy, and there were many times I wanted to give up, but the moment I had in 2009 when 23,000 people from 44 states and 6 countries descended on the Belvedere is something I will hold onto forever. There are many times I get down and think about other things I could do with myself, when someone makes me realize that doing this is a tremendous gift and honor. I remember being with Ben (Band of Horses) awhile back after a show, and I was complaining about all the stress I was under and how much I just wanted to be back in South Carolina. He looked at me and said in a stern voice, "You're lucky, you know that. Not many people get to do what they want in life." He's right.

LEO: What lessons have you learned from your experiences?

JK: Man, there's been so many. I've actually started working on a few book ideas. Most profoundly, I would say trusting your instincts, believing in yourself, and just going for it without reservations. If you have a dream, don't sit around and think about all day. Think of reasons of why you can and should do it, not excuses and fear for why you can't do it. I truly believe everyone has a passion for something, and if you're smart enough and willing to sacrifice everything you have to get there, you can do what you love. When I was a working musician in my early 20s, I moved into a run down, abandoned old Victorian mansion in the West End because my friends and I could work on it in exchange for rent. We lived off Ramen noodles and Miller High Life. By doing that, I was able to invest 90% of my income into my career, and develop it the way it needed to. In the creative industry, that's how it works. How far you get is often determined by how much you're willing to sacrifice to get there. As Ghandi said, “Strength does not come from physical capability, it comes from indomitable will.” That quote hung above my bed for eight years and is pretty central to my overall perspective of life.

LEO: You began your career in the music business in your early 20's, singing and playing with the Vixen Red. Have you completely abandoned your own music?

JK: It's interesting that I still get asked that all the time. To be honest, it's something I think about quite regularly, which I guess is normal for someone who lived it as long as I did. For years, being an independent, working musician was life, and it was a life I loved very much. It was a lot of work (writing, recording, producing, booking, marketing, etc), but I was learning so much and taking in every moment of it. Those years, and what I learned from them, definitely laid the groundwork for what I do now.

In 2001, I built a studio with my best friend in the basement of an old Whiskey Distillery next to Headliners Music Hall. I pretty much lived there for 5 years, before a massive flood wiped everything out in 2006. Before the Distillery, it was a house next to Home Skate Shop on Bardstown Road, where I set up camp for 2 years. Most people my age would go out at night, but I would usually prefer to go there and just write for hours. It was so rewarding, and there was nothing like coming home with a new song idea, excited to see what it would become.

To this day, I still think writing is what I'm best at. Whether it be composing music, lyrics, poetry, fiction, or short stories, it's at the center of everything I do. From writing a proposal to Patagonia to writing in my journal at night, and take each work and each sentence with a weight. I do miss writing music and haven't had time to do nearly as often since my studio was destroyed by a flood in 2006. That Distillery was my sanctuary, and I was there every night. Either in the basement working on songs or up on the rooftop gazing at the stars. I loved that place, and haven't been able to find anything quite like it since. I now live in a cottage on River Road, and we don't have a basement, garage, etc., so it makes things difficult. My girlfriend's always encouraging me to get back into it, but the space is really critical to making that happen. When we move back to the Highlands, I'll start again.

photo by Marty Pearl

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Forecastle: Rising above the tide

Louisville’s Forecastle Festival is in a transitional phase. After years of growth and growing pains, the increasingly popular annual summer attraction has entered into a new partnership with Knoxville’s AC Entertainment, producers of Bonnaroo and other festivals. Founder JK McKnight decided to skip producing a full-scale weekend festival this year in order to have time to make the most of AC’s resources for next year, Forecastle’s 10th anniversary. In addition, he now holds the title of “national partnerships/global visionary” with AC Entertainment.

This Friday’s “mini-fest” will feature Pretty Lights, Big Boi, RJD2, Twin Shadow and more at Waterfront Park, with an obligatory after-party at the new Ice House on East Main.

LEO caught up with McKnight to discuss past and future details of the fest. A (much) longer version of this interview, and an additional interview with AC president Ashley Capps, can be found at bluecat.leoweekly.com/



LEO: How did the deal with AC happen?
JK McKnight: It started with a simple email from me to Ashley. We had communicated off and on for a few years through a friend of mine, Bobby Burk, but were never able to connect in person. The timing seemed right toward the end of last year, and he invited me to Knoxville. I think we realized pretty quickly that we shared a similar worldview, history and, of course, we’re both Aquarius. Going down there was really exciting. Soon after, Ashley came to Louisville and fell in love with what he saw here. I introduced him to everyone I thought was relevant. Soon after, I went back to Knoxville, and slowly but surely we started seeing a partnership and employment opportunity.

LEO: Tell me about your job today: What does your work with “national partnerships” involve? What about “global visionary”? Did someone else have this position before you?

JK: It’s a new position, and I’m helping build the department. “National partnerships” means working with national brands that have an interest in participating in the events we produce. Through Forecastle, I built a network that consists of thousands of companies in various industries — from outdoors, natural products, technology, communications — that I have relationships with. From a strategic marketing perspective, any of those relationships are applicable to the events we produce, whether it be Moogfest, Big Ears or Bonnaroo. Everyone is looking to our demographic as their customers of the future. So I’m there to work with those brands and develop the activations and marketing presence we’ll feature before, during and after the event.

“Global visionary” is a little less defined, but it was an award I received from the World Affairs Council last year. I view it from a business development standpoint, being able to see opportunities both locally and abroad, and presenting them to AC Entertainment. It also applies to event creation, launching new festivals and events.

When I was asked by (AC exec) Patrick Roddy to create a title, I gave a couple different options, and “national partnerships/global visionary” was the one he liked the best.

LEO: This year’s mini-fest is very focused on new dance and electronic music. Through the years, the wide variety of musical acts has been called unfocused at times, and some past headliners have been criticized as being past their primes. What do you think the festival’s musical point of view has been?

JK: It’s an interesting opinion, because I would argue that many of these artists are iconic figures that are extremely relevant to the musical landscape, no matter how many years past their prime someone deems them to be. I think if we were to announce Pink Floyd as the headliner to Forecastle 2012, I don’t think anyone would shake their heads and say, “Would loved to have seen them in the mid-’70s, but absolutely no interest now. They’re just not relevant.”

We want to keep things exciting and interesting, and I think that always means a combination of up-and-coming and veteran artists, and the large group of artists that exists between them. With the exception of electronic artists, not many contemporaries can say they’re doing something truly original these days. Those who don’t think electronic music is the next cultural tide are simply glued to their old comforts and refusing to let go. Europe is already there, and has been for years. America is finally waking up.

LEO: How important are the activism and art sections (of Forecastle) to you today?

JK: This fall, we’ll be making the biggest announcement to date on the environmental front. It will change the game for us — a local/global initiative that’s going to have a major impact in some areas of the world that are critical to sustaining life. It’s something I conceptualized when I was 12 years old, that I’ve finally been able to bring to fruition.

LEO: Who would you like to see at 2012’s fest?

JK: I have a working speculative 2012 list that’s part of a 74-page model I built for the 10th anniversary show. The artist side is still in the brainstorming phase, so probably not worth putting out there and creating expectations. I’m certainly looking very closely at what we did in 2009 and 2010.

LEO: What lessons have you learned from your experiences?

JK: Man, there’s been so many. I’ve actually started working on a few book ideas. Most profoundly, I would say trusting your instincts, believing in yourself, and just going for it without reservations. If you have a dream, don’t sit around and think about it all day. Think of reasons why you can and should do it, not excuses and fear for why you can’t do it. I truly believe everyone has a passion for something, and if you’re smart enough and willing to sacrifice everything you have to get there, you can do what you love. As Ghandi said, “Strength does not come from physical capability, it comes from indomitable will.” That quote hung above my bed for eight years and is pretty central to my overall perspective of life.

photo by Marty Pearl

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Better than OK



Aaron Chadwell and Alex Bell started OKDeejays in 2008, and since then the duo has spun tunes at local clubs, bars and events, and also brought visiting DJs and bands through town, finding common ground between Louisville’s mods, rockers and mockers. This year saw the debut of their new radio show, “Night Visions,” on WFPK, 91.9 FM, which finds the OKs joined by fellow DJ Sam Sneed, each Monday through Thursday night between the unholy hours of 1 and 2 a.m.

Aaron Chadwell: 
Sam Sneed and I got together in 2004. We both had pretty packed weekly residencies at that time — mine was on Wednesdays at the Frankfort Avenue Beer Depot (FABD) and Sneed’s was on Thursdays at North End Cafe. We decided to join forces to pack out various clubs around town. I met Alex in 2007 and formed OKDeejays shortly thereafter due to our mutual love of house music pressed to wax.
 My goal for “Night Visions” and OK Productions is to expose folks in Louisville to a wide variety of music they may not otherwise get to hear or see live. This summer is going to be huge for OK Productions — we’re bringing a slew of great live acts and hope the shows are well received.

Alex Bell: 
I first started getting into dance and electronic music right when I was getting out of high school 
in early 2000. I started listening to more and more
 electronic, disco, dance and new wave types of music throughout college, when I was first urged
 to start DJing and share my taste in music. I started DJing full-time in 2008, as well as joining forces with Aaron to form
 OKDeejays.

Sam Sneed: 

I met Aaron back in the early zeros. Aaron would have shows and rad parties at his house, and around that time I was constantly DJing around town. Aaron had a weekly gig at the FABD and asked me if I wanted to come out and play some records. We have steadily been DJing together ever since.

We ended up throwing a monthly party called TGIV (Thank God It’s Vinyl) with Alex Bell and Matt Anthony. To promote TGIV, we would do guest spots on Matt Anthony’s WFPK radio show, “Sound Clash.” Alex, Aaron and I were really stoked to do radio and became students of Matt Anthony. This is how “Night Visions” pretty much started.

My goal for “Night Visions” is to constantly keep the show fresh by showcasing emerging artists and, most importantly, have fun with the show. Syndication at some point would be awesome, but I am just happy to be part of the WFPK posse.

INFLUENCES
AC: My main DJ influences are Aeroplane, due to their amazingly smooth chart mixes that they release on a regular basis; Bottin, because of his undeniable Italian grooves; and pretty much anything released on DFA Records. 


AB: My first influences, in this genre of music, were producers such as Fatboy Slim,
 Chemical Brothers, Aphex Twin, Underworld and Daft Punk. My influences now include
 contemporary dance and house music producers such as Bottin, Aeroplane, Erol Alkan and 
Soulwax. I am also a huge fan of ’70s-era disco and ’80s-era new wave and dance.


SS: My core influences are The Clash, The Sonics, ESG, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Currently, I have been obsessing over Gang Gang Dance, Deerhunter, Black Lips, The Horrors, OFWGKTA and Zomby.

A calendar of OKDeejays and OK Productions events is available at www.nightvisionsradio.com.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Joan Shelley's family values



Joan Shelley started making up songs when she was just a little girl.

“My mom helped me record and submit my first song to a contest when I was 9. I got a trophy for that, which really encouraged me. One day, I found my mom’s old guitar in the attic and started learning from a poster of guitar chords that was lying around up there. I proceeded to write a heartbreaking song about teen love. If I was 14 today, I would’ve put that thing up on YouTube and I’d be a huge hit by now.”

And so began the musical odyssey of Shelley, who may or may not have been born at the right time, but is beginning to get noticed on her own terms for some heartbreaking — and funny — songs today.

The singer/guitarist/banjoist, who also performs with the trio Maiden Radio, has always been musically involved. She also sang in a choir in her youth. “It was always a part of my life, but I had kept it under control in the ‘hobbies’ column. Then I went to the University of Georgia (in Athens), partly because I knew it was a big music town and I wanted to play in bars and coffee shops while I was there, which I did.

“As far as earning a living, I always imagined something romantic and academic, like marine biologist or cultural anthropologist (which is what I went to school for), but I realized I had more passion for creating those images in my head than actually focusing intensely on one very specific academic question,” Shelley says. “When I realized that there were ways to promote environmental health and social justice without being an academic, and that if I really wanted to learn anything I could just read a book, that released me to pursue the things I really love to do, which are performing and writing songs.”

She calls “Ms. Gillian Welch” her “No. 1 songwriting hero,” and learned to sing harmonies by imitating Mom singing along to Kingston Trio albums. Family has strongly influenced her musical perspective.

“My first attempts as a music archivist consisted of me recording my favorite songs off the oldies radio station onto my Fisher-Price tape deck. When I started buying my own CDs, it was pretty awful what me and my friends listened to. Ace of Base was my first purchase, I believe. I was so proud. But my older brother Doug saved me by giving me mixtapes with songs like Nick Cave’s ‘Red Right Hand’ and Neil Young’s ‘Cinnamon Girl.’ I’d be lost without my brother.”

Shelley released her own album, By Dawnlight, in June 2010, and has a second record almost completed.

“No one knows me out of town yet, except in the towns where I have lived. Those shows where you are an entirely new thing to the audience are really exciting and liberating for me. They are discovering you as you perform. You can be and do whatever you want on stage in front of that kind of crowd. One of my goals is to feel like that performing to a hometown crowd. When I play in Louisville, it feels more like a party I’m having where I’m making my friends be very, very quiet. They’re the most fun shows, but it’s funny that way.”

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Those Darlins' world of music

Tennessee southern rockin' darlings Those Darlins will be returning to Louisville this Saturday to perform at the 10th Annual local Lebowski Fest, sharing the Garden Party with The Seedy Seeds, How I Became the Bomb and Junk Yard Dogs. Their latest album, Screws Get Loose, is currently shakin' up turntables from here to Tokyo and back again.
LEO spoke with Jessi Darlin.



LEO: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard you yet?
JD: '50s and '60s rock 'n' roll meets 70s punk plus a buncha gal group pop sensation from the South.

LEO: How challenging is it for you to channel older sounds, and make it sound modern and relevant?
JD: Not very challenging. We are modern people who listen to a lot of classic music. We just mix the two, always trying to stay true to our real life experiences.

LEO: How do your surroundings inspire your music?
JD: Well, I write songs about me and things that happen to me. So I'd say surroundings are a good portion of inspiration. I grew up in rural Kentucky and have lived in Tennessee for awhile. My rural upbringing and the musician friends in Nashville, Murfreesboro and surrounding cities like Atlanta and Memphis have influenced our music a lot. Our music can sound like a mix of that rural and urban Southern music.

LEO: How much do you feel inspired by other forms of American pop or ethnic music genres?
JD: TONS. It's all up in our sound. We love country, soul, and Chuck Berry. Lately, I have been listening to Jamaican rocksteady, Peruvian descarga, and afro high life.

LEO: In the studio, how much do you try to capture your live sound? How free do you feel to experiment with sounds you might not be able to recreate live?
JD: In the studio, we try to capture our live sound, and then when we play live we try to capture our studio sound. It's an ongoing battle to make the two work together.

LEO: Do you read your reviews? If yes, do you find that helpful?
JD: Mostly no. Occasionally, someone mentions that a particular review was written well and I read it. I don't even have Google alerts on Those Darlins. It's just too easy to get caught up in what everyone else thinks about you. I like to make music that I like and I don't want to be thinking about, "Oh, will this get a good review?" when I am writing. Thinking more about turning myself, the band and fans on.

LEO: How much popularity and fame do you want to achieve? Is there a level where it could get to be too much?
JD: Famous enough to continue playing music and doing what I love for the rest of my life, but not so famous that I need bodyguards to go the grocery store. But if for some reason we did become insanely huge sensations and got filthy stinking rich, there's a lot of causes I would love to throw ridiculous chunks of money at. There are so many people suffering in this world and there’s so many bright ideas that need funding that it would be pretty great to be able to make some dreams come true.

LEO: What do you hate most about the music business?
JD: I hate the standards of mainstream radio. I hate that turning on "rock" radio means hearing some dude sing like a dying dog with a wall of cheesy distorted guitars behind him, or that "pop" radio is just some oversexed icon with a big dose of Autotune, or when you turn on "country" radio you aren't really sure if you are still on the pop radio, or when you listen to rap and r&b radio you think, "Oh wow, I love this song! Can't believe it's on the radio," then it just turns out it's a sample. So many people have no idea there is a whole other WORLD of music out there! Music that everyday people make, not just some money-making machine!

LEO: What do you think about Louisville today?
JD: I think Louisville is a very cool place. I love playing there, there's great food, lots of great art... Enjoyable place to be. Plus, I get to see my family every time we play there, so obviously that makes it one of my most favorite stops.

Those Darlins with The Seedy Seeds, How I Became the Bomb and Junk Yard Dogs
"10th Annual Lebowski Fest Louisville: Garden Party"
Executive Lawn
911 Phillips Ln.
Saturday, July 16
4 p.m.
$12 adv. $15 DOS
www.lebowskifest.com

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Gang Gang Dance move themselves



NYC'S Gang Gang Dance has earned a reputation as one of the more unique, surprising and interesting bands on the avant-garde edge of semi-underground music of the current era. Just don't be lazy and try to describe them too much. Their fifth album, Eye Contact, was recently released. LEO spoke with keyboardist Brian DeGraw.

LEO: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard you yet?
Brian DeGraw: Like the sun melting sand into tinted glass... with a lot of drums.

LEO: How do you write - on a schedule, or whenever inspiration strikes?
BD: We write very sporadically, I guess. Sometimes it will happen in the span of a few weeks that we have off from traveling.... other times we will make a song in a day or two before leaving for tour, then we'll usually go back to it and refine it when we have time off.

LEO: When writing, do you think about how the music will move people to dance? Think?
BD: Rarely. It's more about moving ourselves. I guess after I know that it moves us, then maybe I will think about it from an audience perspective and try to imagine the effect it might have to outside ears and bodies. I just think that in order to truly move an audience, you have to put something very pure out there, and the most direct route to that purity is to satisfy your own soul and truly tap into your feelings. From there, you can then share it with the audience. It's very similar to the idea of "you can't be in a happy relationship if you're not happy with yourself first".

LEO: How do your surroundings inspire your music?
BD: Very much so, for me personally. I find that, as time goes by, I am more and more effected by my environments and I have a rapidly increasing desire for wide open space. It might have a lot to do with living in NYC, where your gaze is rarely focused very far from your eyes; it's so hectic that you never really let your vision breathe. It's a very near-sighted existence. We were fortunate enough to have more open space when we were making our new record... I think it made a big difference.

LEO: How much do you feel inspired by other forms of American pop or ethnic music genres?
BD: I feel inspired by music that hits me in the right places - that's all it is. I don't like to think too much in terms of regions or genres. Its all God's music.

LEO: Do you consider your group more of a pop dance band or experimental electronic project?
BD: Ah, see... here we go with the genres. I understand, though - music journalism is difficult without these terms, I guess. I'd say we are Experimental music that has been seduced by Pop. It's a naughty affair.

LEO: In the studio, how much do you try to capture your live sound? How free do you feel to experiment with sounds you might not be able to recreate live?
BD: We have always tried to capture our live sound in the studio. In the past, it hasn't worked so well, with the exception of our very first record, but I think we came very close on this new one. The new one has very good balance; there's a nice relationship between the live sound and the studio sound, I think, and some of the more studio songs, or overdubs or whatever, are now being incorporated into the live set. So the recording is informing the show, and vice-versa. I don't think we are ever too afraid to make something in the studio that we know we can't play live. It definitely is addressed when we start entering into that territory with a recording, but the deliberation never seems to go any further than just a shrug of the shoulders and a few "oh well's". The song itself is most important, I think. It gets to choose where it wants to live.

LEO: When you played in Louisville in 2004, Will Oldham was in the audience. Do you feel differently about playing for other musicians, vs. civilians?
BD: Will is a friend, so it was great to see his face shinin'. I don't differentiate between musicians and civilians. The only time I ever remember thinking about that type of thing was one time in L.A. when Morrissey was in the audience, but I knew there was no way in hell he was ever gonna like our music, so it made it easier. And indeed, I spotted him leaving two songs in...

Gang Gang Dance with Nguzunguzu and Total Freedom
Wednesday, July 13
Zanzabar
2100 S. Preston St., 40217
9 p.m., $12 adv. & $15 DOS
http://www.facebook.com/ganggangdance

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

The Black Lillies keep on truckin'



The Black Lillies are a band of survivors from Knoxville, TN, who are currently promoting their second album, 100 Miles of Wreckage. They will perform on Saturday at Uncle Slayton's. LEO spoke with bandleader Cruz Contreras.

CC: We haven’t played Louisville yet, this will be our first trip.

LEO: You haven’t played here before?
CC: Not with this band. The big bulk of our tour starts in the end of July; we’re going out west for 6 or 7 weeks. For the next month, we’re just gonna be regional. The week we’ll be in Louisville, we’re starting in Seaside, Florida, a couple of shows in Birmingham, Louisville and Virginia. That should be a five-day run, which is more than we’re used to doing right now. We’ve just been doing weekends since the newest record came out in January. Last year was really crazy busy, but we’ve regrouped a bit with the new record, concentrated on getting airplay; we just made a brand new video, too - the first professional video.

LEO: Did you make that for the internet, or TV?
CC: The goal was for it to be on the major video networks. There’s no guarantee that that’ll ever happen, but… We had a great director, David McKwester (sp?), one of the insider kind of guys who’s won awards and is making our video. I’ve known him - he’s originally from Knoxville. Something like that would normally not be an option for an unsigned band, but he really dug the music. We got the final edit yesterday, and I think it has potential to be on one of the major video networks.

LEO: Were you able to collaborate on the concept?
CC: No – well, we really let him roll with it. You know, I don’t know how to make a video, it’s not really my world. I write the songs, I sing the songs; with someone of his caliber – part of the deal was, he approached us, and I think part of the attraction was he wasn’t gonna have to deal with the record label, he’s gonna have complete basic freedom, so we were really lucky to work with him because of that. My bass player calls it “Thriller for rednecks” (laughs). There’s dancing skeletons, fire, murder, dancing – it’s pretty cool.

LEO: There’s not many video outlets anymore, I would think that CMT is your best bet -
CC: Yeah, CMT is the goal, I think. I’m not sure they’re aware of us yet (laughs).

LEO: Do you feel like you’re part of the country music industry?
CC: Oh, it’s strange. I don’t. Traditionally, not at all. But we have had amazing support from WSM, 650 AM, the original Grand Ole Opry, they play the heck out of our record – and they’ve played the heck out of both records – and we played the CMA convention, so it’s pretty cool. We get to go to Nashville in total style, even though we’re not on a record label, we’re not really commercial country… I don’t know, we just have some good fans who’ve really helped us out.

LEO: Do you think, with all the changes in the industry, that wall has come done?
CC: Yeah, I’ve seen - I made my first record probably in ’99, and I equate it with getting into the horse and buggy business. You’re not going to sell CDs, barely. I remember making my first CD and a person came up and said, “Hey, I love your CD! I burned it for all my friends!” And I was like, If you knew how hungry I was, you probably wouldn’t say that… Whatever, that’s just the way it goes. I was in the band Robinella and the CC String Band in my twenties, and we signed with Columbia Records and I got to see that whole world operate, and it had its time, and it still has its place, on a limited scale, I think. They’ve had to adjust. But if you know what you’re doing, you can do it on your own now. Get it out there. To me it’s, you make your music, make a product and you go direct to your fans.

LEO: What about downloads?
CC: Yeah, we sell a fair amount of downloads. It’s funny – I actually don’t do that myself, I don’t really have a computer, but that’s very comfortable. People will be like, “How do I get your CD?” When you say “download,” they’re like, “Oh, OK.”

LEO: Do you find it ironic to be a band that’s very traditional in some ways and have people downloading your music?
CC: Yeah (laughs), but, like I said, that’s kind of where it is now. I don’t know… Also, there’s a foot in tradition, but we are by no means a traditional band. I have no desire to be a throwback. I spent years learning to play music in all different styles, in a traditional way; that was training to do what I want to do now. You know? Sometimes I see musicians and I’m like, “I don’t know, I just don’t think you should get comfortable – never get too comfortable.” What am I trying to say? There’s nothing more rewarding than creating your own sound, your own material, a fresh sound at that. If somebody’s already played something in the past, I’ll learn from that but I want to take it in a new direction, too.

LEO: How challenging is that, to create something fresh?
CC: A lot of it has to do with timing, as an artist. You have to know when the fire’s hot. I don’t write daily. If I wrote one song a month, I would be thrilled. When I write a song, I want it to be a keeper. To me, that’s something cool about not being part of the industry. I know there’s writers who do that, they go to work and write. Woah! A lot of times, they come in groups, two or three songs at a time.

LEO: You don’t have to panic that they’ll stop coming.
CC I don’t know…! Sometimes I do panic. It hasn’t happened yet, though.

LEO: Do you envision writing and playing for as long as possible?
CC: Yeah, definitely. I’m looking at it as a lifelong pursuit.

LEO: All of the changes you’ve been through – big time, do it yourself – at what level are you happiest?
CC: That’s a good question. I think, ultimately, definitely, the artistic integrity will keep me satisfied. I’d like to make a living at it, to make a good living at it. This band, right now, is riding a wave, so it’s time to get this out there and take a stab, see who we can appeal to, so I’d like to take this band as far as we can take it. Have as much success as we can - it's kind of like creating a job for yourself, is what it is. If you can have enough fans that you can travel around and play, everybody wins. We get to play, people get to hear music they like, everyone goes home happy.

The Black Lillies with Dust Radio
Saturday, July 9
Uncle Slayon's
1017 E. Broadway / 657-9555
$10, 9 p.m.
http://www.theblacklillies.com/

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Leavenworth, Indiana

Plenty of room at the inn — plus your own bathroom



My favorite character on “Fraggle Rock” has always been Uncle Traveling Matt. In addition to slightly resembling the Indiana Jones-inspired Muppet creation, I also share his love of exploring unknown territories, having adventures and sending postcards to loved ones. This yearning to discover more about the human world, some place scary but exhilarating and far away from my cave, has at times gotten me in trouble. It has been lonely, expensive and dirty at times. But mostly it has been rewarding.



And that’s how I wound up surrounded by a gang of bikers in a small town in Southern Indiana last month.



OK, so this wasn’t exactly Pee-Wee’s big adventure, and even less like Hunter Thompson running with the Hell’s Angels. No, this adventure was lovely and peaceful, almost downright bourgeois in its execution.



I’d seen the Leavenworth Inn’s Living Social Escapes deal months before and hoped it could work as a potential wedding anniversary destination. It was our second anniversary, which left us with a near-impossible dilemma: What could we possibly do to top last year — or the year before that? It seemed inevitable that nothing would be fantastic enough, so why not settle for a B&B somewhere in Indiana, near nothing in particular?



I am no expert on the land and culture of Indiana west of New Albany. Is anyone? (If so, why, exactly?) I didn’t come here to insult — I like driving around small towns, quiet places filled with dilapidated barns; perhaps not 24/7, but they fulfill a piece of me that needs tending to, too. The map told me Leavenworth is a town only about 40 minutes from my big city home, which sounded like an ideal distance for some unseen location that might be wonderful or horrible.



My wife seems to like it when I plan mystery trips, surprising her upon arrival (or as close to our destination) as possible. Being a slicker, I didn’t know that Leavenworth is conveniently located near the town of Marengo. As an adventurer, I love caves, and my wife loves me, so she knows this about me. Therefore, she assumed I had something cave-centric planned as we exited the highway. But no, not yet at least. We turned off and I went left when the road to Marengo went right.



After 10 minutes of rural Americana, we approached “downtown” Leavenworth. I’d expected an adorable block of antique shops run by stout ladies named Margie, but that’s not what we found. Just before we reached the Inn, we passed by the restaurant I’d read about — the Overlook. The menu seemed good enough, full of homemade comfort food. But I hadn’t expected to see a dozen bikers milling about (if bikers can be said to “mill”). I started to wonder whether this was going to be another one of my bad ideas.

Turning into the Inn, though, helped — what a beaut. I’m generally not a fan of B&Bs, because I’m too old and cranky to share a bathroom with Larry from Tulsa. I also never need to make pleasantries over morning cereal with Larry from Tulsa.



I did my research this time, though; I did not go foolheartedly into another situation without assurances that my basic needs would be met: Will there be modern air conditioning? Of course. Is there a private bathroom? Sure. TV? Yes, with cable and a stocked DVD library. OK, great. But wait — there’s more: fresh cookies baked daily, a walking path, tennis courts, shuffleboard, even Wi-Fi, so I can catch up with your feelings about today’s lunch and/or weather when I check Facebook.

 Then there’s the view. A lot of the value of this particular property and the Overlook restaurant across the street is that they both overlook the Ohio River Scenic Byway. It’s a pretty sweet view. After settling into our room, my wife soon declared, “I feel really relaxed here.” I did, too. We had most of our basic needs met, and there were very few distractions.



Oh, and don’t worry. There’s also a fantastic bar.



Walter’s Pub can be found under the Overlook. Not only do they have a few craft beers mixed in with the regular swill, they also have a deck with the best view of the river. BBC in hand, I sat calmly, gazing out at the peaceful water while the trashed and trashy lady at the next table instructed her companion not to mess with her.

Really, though, we didn’t mind her much. It was part of the experience — this wasn’t the Hamptons, after all — and nothing that we don’t see six times a week in Schnitzelburg.



We took a quick detour into “downtown” (a few buildings within shouting distance of the Inn) and discovered Stephenson’s General Store, a legitimately old-timey trading post (100 years old) full of homemade candies, an ice cream parlor, gag gifts, random groceries and hardware. We left 20 minutes later with a bunch of desserts, a “Beware of Dog” sign, Chicken Poop brand lip balm and a tiny glass boot made for drinkin’.

We did have to share a quick breakfast the next morning with some guy who seemed sad, but fresh fruit and another gooey cookie diverted my attention. We had to leave way too soon. On the way home, I got to see the cave, and accidentally discovered a record store in Corydon, of all places.

And so we managed to have fun, see sights and get away from it all — and we arrived in less time than it takes to watch an episode of that Jim Belushi TV show about the fat lawyer who shouts a lot.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Mucca Pazza: The Greatest Show on Earth



It’s safe to say you haven’t seen many bands like Chicago’s Mucca Pazza. Their two-dozen or so members play a circus-like mix of marching band, jazz, modern classical and avant-garde music with a punky attitude and an every-night-is-New-Year’s-Eve mission. LEO spoke with members Jeff Thomas (guitar) and Gary Kalar (mandolin).

LEO: How did this evolve from an idea to reality?
Jeff Thomas: Well, we thought That was a really good idea, and it turned out to be a GREAT idea. So, we tried That, and This became a reality. Thus the idea of That is how This became a reality. That made us happy, but This makes us really, really happy. So we stopped thinking about That, and decided to start doing This.
Gary Kalar: Alcohol.

LEO: How do you describe the Mucca Pazza experience to those who haven’t witnessed it yet?
JT: I think the news anchor on Louisville’s WLKY broadcast of the 2008 Pegasus Parade described us best with: “And ... here is Chicago’s own circus punk marching band Mucca ... um ... uh ... I don’t think we have seen anything like this before.” If you can’t trust a local news anchor for an honest description, then who can you trust? Incidentally, we haven’t been able to find a copy of this broadcast. Can you find a copy for us? I’ll buy you some ice cream.
GK: A marching band that doesn’t play marches. An audio-visual explosion of wacky joy, silly fear and odor. Yes, that is audio-visual odor.

LEO: How challenging is it for you to blend marching band, circus, rock, classical and other music cohesively?
JT: Not as challenging as getting an audience to dance to a car alarm.
GK: As long as you don’t think about it much, it’s easy. It helps to listen to really good DJs.

LEO: You’ve played some successful shows in Louisville — a set at the Forecastle Festival, a Derby Eve show with Wax Fang. What’s your impressions of Louisville overall, and of our music here?
JT: Inspiring.
GK: For every reason we find Brooklyn disgusting, we find Louisville delightful. Open, down-to-earth, ready to have fun for no reason. And the food is awesome.

LEO: How many members can we expect in Louisville (including cheerleaders)?
JT: Too many for the stage. Unfortunately, some of us will have to play in the audience. Important safety information: Wear protective eyeglasses, earplugs and, most importantly, nose plugs. Mucca Pazza is not responsible for broken or damaged senses.
GK: Anywhere from 20 to 25.

LEO: How many members actually have a marching band background? Where did you find the other members?
JT: About two-thirds come from a marching band background. Half are from a rock background. Five-sixteenths are from a circus background; half of these are also from the third of us from theater backgrounds. And, I’d say only 10 percent are from classical backgrounds; the other 30 percent have backgrounds in Afropop/hardcore and 1960s post-fluxus/1980s No Wave, respectfully. See previous answer to question about music blending.
GK: One. The Chicago music scene is incestuous.

LEO: Have you thought about starting other chapters of Mucca Pazza in other cities, especially as touring is difficult?
JT: See previous answer to question of ideas and realities: This is That.
GK: We hope every city has lots of their own freak marching bands. It used to be normal. Marching bands, I mean. If your city doesn’t have a marching band, start one today! You don’t need horns or drums either, just find a way to make what you play mobile. Bolt some speakers to football shoulder pads and start shredding. Find everyone you know who plays the flute and start an all-flute marching band. Ok, don’t do that. But things like that.

LEO: Your name means “crazy cow” in Italian. We have an ice cream parlor here called The Comfy Cow. I don’t really have a question for that.
JT: See previous parenthetical statement in answer to Mucca Pazza experiential description: I will take you there, just give us what we want!
GK: I have a question.

Mucca Pazza with Schwinntonation and OKDeejays
Thursday, July 7
Headliners Music Hall
1386 Lexington Road • 584-8088
www.mucca-pazza.org
$10; 9 p.m.

c. 2011 LEO Weekly

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Hidden Ritual

Hidden Ritual is a three-piece R'nR band from Austin, TX. They are currently on the road opening for Bill (Smog) Callahan, and will play tomorrow at "a secret location" in Louisville, one which has been described to me as either a bunker or a cave. So...
LEO spoke with Jaime Zuverza.



LEO: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard you yet?
Jamie Zuverza: Well, I always describe the tunes in a different way; today I'll say it would be the secret soundtrack of Shaggy and Daphne's tumultuous times in the early '80s "Scooby Doo" cartoons. Shaggy and Daphne's secret love was like the slowly blooming flower of the bittersweet nightshade.

LEO: How do your surroundings inspire your music?
JZ: Half of our songs were written in Chicago's winter. I grew up in the desert, so the Chicago weather was awesome but also unstoppable. I felt trapped in my basement apartment and I had no control over the radiator heaters. I was either a frozen corpse or a rotisserie chicken rotating slowly on a diabolical spit. Some songs written during that time are "Dusty Dagger," "In a Room," "In a Daze," and "Loner Stays Healthy/Loner Dies".

LEO: In the studio, how much do you try to capture your live sound? How free do you feel to experiment with sounds you might not be able to recreate live?
JZ: Our most recent recording has very minimal overdubs, so it's pretty live sounding. The previous recordings were about creating lush environments that we couldn't duplicate live. Sometimes the recording artist and the performing artist don't match up, but I think that's cool. I can't imagine trying to get a 6-member band together to play all the neat noodles on a recording.

LEO: Do you read your reviews? If yes, do you find that helpful?
JZ: Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, yes.

LEO: What is your favorite song to perform? What do you think is your worst song?
JZ: We have a song called "To the Cave" that's my favorite to play. We love all of our children, and to disown one in print would release a curse into the wind that we are not prepared to deal with. Very similar to a fart.

LEO: Do you get a lot of groupies?
JZ: Only body-less ghost groupies.

LEO: Does your music ever make you horny?
JZ: Well, we do use bongo drums.

Bill Callahan with Hidden Ritual
- a secret location -
Wednesday, July 6
http://hiddenritual.tumblr.com/



c. 2011 LEO Weekly