This show should be some delicious pop/rock goodness... Here's a new Telekinesis video, and a recent concert video of SSLYBY from the Magic Stick (looks just like it did for Casiokids).
Telekinesis - Dirty Thing (Music Video) from Merge Records on Vimeo.
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin from Cory Hearns on Vimeo.
I've never been able to go to this festival, as it's the same weekend as the Black Swamp Arts Festival - a kind of tradition for going back to BG. I have a lot going on for work, so I need to stay around here this weekend - but I should still be able to slip away a bit to catch some of this event (finally!) Check out the poster created by local poster hero - John G.
Click on the image for a link to more details about the making of...
Also, re-re-purposing details from Steve via John G.:
29TH ANNUAL STUDIO-A-RAMA SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11TH presented by 91.1 WRUW courtyard of the Mather Memorial Building 11220 Bellflower Road; Cleveland, OH 44106
FREE SHOW!!! / 1pm to midnight
THE BLACK ANGELS (coming from playing All Tomorrow's Parties;from Austin TX; toured with The Black Keys, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Warlocks, Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Raveonettes, Black Mountain, and Wolfmother; collaborated with Unkle; and acted as Roky Erickson's backing band; new album due out on September 14th on the recently relaunched legendary British blues label Blue Horizon Records)
SUN GOD (Husker Du meets heavy metal, members of 9 Shocks Terror, Machine Go Boom, Insurrect, Homostupids, Vietnam Werewolf, and The Fucking Cops; Big Purple Records)
AFTERNOON NAPS (the current reigning royalty of pop music in Cleveland, members of The Volta Sound, Picklefight Puppet Theater, Bears, and Dreadful Yawns; Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records)
FAWN (first Cleveland show ever!!!; Detroit supergroup comprised of members of Kiddo, Von Bondies, Thunderbirds Are Now!, Child Bite, Javelins, & Nice Device; Super Sweet & Rich Records Co. & Suburban Sprawl Records)
SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON (prog noise rock, members of Clan Of The Cave Bear, Biblical Proof of UFO's, Proletarian Art Threat, Lives Of The Saints, Deathers, Mohammed Cartoon, The X Bolex, Small Object A, Neo-Nothing, Skullface Unit, Land of Buried Treasure, Washout Corp, Oblongata, etc. etc.; Tower Control Records)
NICK RIFF (classic 80's, 90's, 00's riff-heavy psych rock; Sonic Swirl Records)
PRISONERS (writing some of the catchiest garage pop in the good ol' USA today; Smog Veil Records)
TEENAGE GRANDPA (new kids on the block tearing things up with their brand of poppy indie punk; members of Left Field)
ETHIOPIANS (lo-fi / no-fi garage punk; members of Neon Tongues and The Soulhounds)
SLOTH (brutal gore-grind metal meets Gallagher-style stand-up comedy complete with ridiculous costumes; undisputed kings of underground cassette tape releases)
BLACK ANGELS http://www.theblackangels.com/ http://www.myspace.com/theblackangels
SUN GOD: http://www.myspace.com/sungodcleveland
AFTERNOON NAPS: http://www.myspace.com/afternoonnapsband
FAWN: http://www.wearefawn.com/ http://www.myspace.com/wearefawn
SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON: http://www.myspace.com/selfdestructbutton
NICK RIFF: http://www.nickriff.com/ http://www.myspace.com/nickriff
PRISONERS: http://www.myspace.com/clevelandprisoners
TEENAGE GRANDPA: http://www.myspace.com/teenagegrandpafuckyea
ETHIOPIANS: http://www.myspace.com/iamethiopians
SLOTH: http://www.myspace.com/slothohio
Guster has a new album coming out (Easy Wonderful) on Tuesday, October 5th. They've started a pretty sweet pre-sale if you're interested (vinyl!).
Of course that's only if you're excited about some new stuff. Now I know these guys may not be the hippest thing on the block, but I think they're fun and worth listening to... Live may be one of the best ways to experience them. Here's a massive 24 track live album they've released live on their website. Good stuff, especially if you prefer a retrospective.
Update... New Video:
Stay With Me Jesus from Guster on Vimeo.
Oh OK Go. You're after my heart aren't you... FYI: They're coming to the Grog Shop on Wed. Oct. 13th.
OK Go on net neutrality: A lesson from the music industry
By Damian Kulash Sunday, August 29, 2010On the Internet, when I send my ones and zeros somewhere, they shouldn't have to wait in line behind the ones and zeros of wealthier people or corporations. That's the way the Net was designed, and it's central to a concept called 'net neutrality,' which ensures that Internet service providers can't pick favorites.
Recently, though, big telecommunications companies have argued that their investment in the Net's infrastructure should allow them more control over how it's used. The concerned nerds of the world are up in arms, and there's been a long, loud public debate, during which the Federal Communications Commission appeared to develop a plan to preserve net neutrality."
(Continued... OK Go on net neutrality: A lesson from the music industry)
And of course, if you haven't checked out their videos... do so here: http://www.youtube.com/user/okgo
Here's the new Marina & the Diamonds that everyone's talking about. Just discovering Das Racist (thanks Paul) and their video game throwback video (lots of goodies). Rounding out with an amazing Róisín Murphy video that I seem to have missed the first time around.
Das Racist - Who's That? Brooown! (Dir. by Thomas De Napoli) from Das Racist on Vimeo.
Roisin Murphy 'Let Me Know' - Director: Daniel Wolfe from Tom Lindsay on Vimeo.
I've been waiting for these guys to do my birth year... Fun stuff.
The Allmusic Blog » AllMusic Loves 1975
"Smack dab in the middle of the decade, 1975 was the polyester peak of the ’70s, the year that captured all the glorious excesses of the Me Decade. Elton John presided over the pop charts — his pull so powerful he could help give Neil Sedaka, that old pro who last topped the charts in the years before the Beatles, not one but two number ones — and he ruled a year that saw Morris Albert sing about his feelings, a year where Captain & Tennille preached that ‘Love Will Keep Us Together,’ a year where Glen Campbell was a ‘Rhinestone Cowboy,’ and a year where everybody was ‘Kung Fu Fighting.’ It was such a gaudy, glitzy surface that it seemed like nothing might exist underneath, which is naturally the time that a lot of interesting things are happening. Disco began to edge its way into the mainstream, getting so close that U.K. art-rockers Roxy Music and David Bowie claimed it as their own; proto-punk noises could be heard on both sides of the Atlantic, with the trash-loving Dictators celebrating cars and girls in the U.S. and the miscreants of Dr. Feelgood kicking out malevolent blues-rock in the U.K. But most attention was directed toward the future of rock & roll, one Bruce Springsteen, who released his galvanizing third album Born to Run and wound up on the covers of both Time and Newsweek in the same week, instantly catapulting the once-obscure singer/songwriter toward the ranks of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Paul Simon, who all had banner years in 1975 as well. Some of this was drowned out thanks to Aerosmith, who injected plenty of sleaze into teenage veins thanks to Toys in the Attic, but Led Zeppelin remained the true golden gods of rock & roll, ruling with the mighty Physical Graffiti — a double album so excessive and glorious it could only have come out in 1975."
(Continued... The Allmusic Blog » AllMusic Loves 1975)
If you've previously subscribed to my concert calendar, things are changing. If you've not subscribed, maybe you should consider it. I'm now managing it natively in my thezenderagenda@gmail.com account. Here are the possible sharing options: (hint: the ICAL option should auto load in your iCal or Outlook Calendar program)
After the weekend on the East Coast, then a brief busy day at work, we were back on the road to Detroit to see Casiokids. I think I might have been more excited for this show than any other on the trip, and with what I'd seen in the past week, that's sayin' something.
We first stopped at the Hotel St. Regis, which was our cheap hotel for the night. Whoa. Minus the red stains on the carpets and the sounds of sex & (movie) violence in the hallways, it was decent. We then headed over to Stormy Records, which is an amazing little store with a great selection of new and discount vinyl. Then we at at the Magestic Cafe (meh), while we waited for the show.
Detroit seemed dead. It's like no one was around for this show, but we were there a bit early. Around show time, I walked up to the Magic Stick and no one was there. I thought for a second that we might not there on the wrong day... Had another beer, then went up to see about 6 people watching Light Pollution perform. They were decent enough.
By the time Casiokids took the stage, we were probably up to about 20 people in attendance. This always makes me sad for the band, but it's also very telling to see how a band handles it. I felt like it didn't phase Casiokids one bit. Slowly we all got closer and realized we could dance. By that time, everyone was into it.
So a quick little side story. On the way out of Cleveland, I took a chance and called the Apple store and they had a new iPhone 4 in stock. I swung by and grabbed it (woot!!). This was the show that I was compared the video between my camera & iPhone. I'll post both sets of video here (different songs). Here are couple clips from the camera:
Here's are some tracks using the iPhone (note, HD version are available):
So overall - it was a phenomenal show. I would have loved to see more people there, but otherwise I couldn't have asked for more.
Photos (from the iPhone):
After a gorgeous day of biking around DC (I highly recommend it - at least on a Monday), we ended up at DAR Constitution Hall, which is one of the more unique, larger venues I've been in. Situated relatively close to the White House, I definitely didn't feel like I was walking into a Scissor Sisters show - that is until I saw the crowd. Gay Gay Gay. :-) And I say that with love... It was a great crowd, though it wasn't as full as I was expecting/hoping.
Opening was Casey Spooner, one part Fischerspooner. Great band, but wasn't sure what we were getting into with Casey. His opening was disarming, with his confession about how his last performance was crap and he was starting over on this night - going back to bare bones. It was just him on stage singing over recorded music. His songs were a little torchy, maybe a little Robbie ballad-esque. It sounded interesting enough - I'll check him out when his new album is released.
Now Scissor Sisters. First off, let me thank the ticket gods for the front row seats!! OK, so I just know someone who knew someone - but I'm still extremely thankful. They had an amazing stage presence, with full band (+2), a couple dancers and a fun light show. They ran through their best songs, and thankfully plenty of new ones. I've been very excited about this new release and I'm glad the played the best songs from it.
Here's one of my favorites from the new album (and from the encore), Invisible Light (recorded during the extra-loud encore = poor sound):
For this other video, Matt took a bunch of video clips that I considered editing down but really struggled with which ones to cut - so I've left them all in. A great little summary of the show, including some little up close and bonus clips towards the end (remember - front row). ;-)
Overall - thoroughly impressed. I could only imagine how much better this show could have been in a more appropriate venue. Nevertheless, Night Work is definitely going down as one of their best albums, and will be in my mix for months to come. Hopefully they expand the tour and include Cleveland (once again). I have so many photos that I thought I'd just post a collage. Click to see the full Flickr set (note the Dolly mobile outside the venue at the end).
Happy Birthday Grog Shop! So glad you're of legal age now.
The Heights Observer :: Grog Shop Turns 18
"Grog Shop turns 18 by Nancy Phanstihl The annals of Cleveland music are littered with the remains of defunct clubs, DIY spaces and even big concert halls, so it’s encouraging to see that Coventry Village fixture the Grog Shop has clung to life so tenaciously for nearly two decades.
From humble beginnings in a tiny former saloon on Coventry Road, to its current digs on Euclid Heights Boulevard, the Grog has survived by consistently providing Cleveland’s music fans with a space in which to see top-shelf touring acts and enjoy a worthy beer selection.
(Continued... The Heights Observer :: Read :: 3 :: 9 :: Grog Shop Turns 18)
