Posts Tagged ‘Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’
MidPoint Day One Review
September 25th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
It’s Just Water, It’s Just Music
As Thursday afternoon rolled along in Cincinnati, Ohio, it appeared that the weather gods were not about to play nice with music fans by putting an end to the dreary weather. But the rain and sometimes-chilly winds didn’t stop the fans from coming out to celebrate the eighth annual MidPoint Music Festival’s Kickoff Party on Fountain Square. As Dan McCabe, MidPoint’s executive producer, kept putting it…”it’s just water, it’s just music.”
Singing In The Rain
New York’s Shayna Zaid and the Catch took the stage shortly after 5 pm, playing to an impressive crowd (despite the rain) of both young and older dedicated music fans. Zaid, a Malaysian-born singer and songwriter, formed the band in 2003, when she met guitarist Joel Dean at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. The band’s mix of folk and pop served as a wondrous backdrop to the weather, with fans dancing in the rain to the mandolin and violin playing of Yan Izquierdo and the R&B vocal stylings of Zaid.
After Zaid and her band left the stage, a large group of choreographed dancers filled the area near the fountain, moving in sync to the sounds being played on the speakers. Their good vibes spread like the recent flu virus, which left the crowd excited that MidPoint 2009 was finally underway.
The rain seemed to slow down just a bit, as Nashville’s The Young Republic took the stage. Right from the get-go, this band full of former Berklee students was as tight as any band I’d ever seen, mixing slide guitar blues, country and folk into orchestrated indie-pop songs. Because of their cross-mixing styles, they were all over the place (which was a good thing), though it made it hard to pinpoint exactly who this band was. I talked to drummer Logan Linning after the show and he set me straight, noting they just like to play “American rock and roll music.” At times during their performance, the vocals of frontman Julian Saporiti seemed to remind me of a mix between Britt Daniel of Spoon and Will Sheff of Okkervil River, although the band was hardly like either. They may have won over some fans with their magnificent cover of The Beatles “Hey Bulldog”, however, as strong as they were, it wasn’t a necessity in their setlist.
Where To Go From Here
Downtown Cincinnati and Over the Rhine was flocking with herds of people in the early hours of Thursday evening. At 8 pm, nineteen clubs, restaurants, bars and other venues around town would begin showcasing the music of nearly ninety bands from around the globe. Fortunately, nearly all of these performances would take place indoors.
My brother and I decided on catching New York’s Aficionado at the Inner Peace Holistic Center, a day-to-day massage and waxing parlour turned music venue for the weekend. I didn’t think too highly of this place as a music venue, but then again it really doesn’t matter because all you really need is great music.
I’m not exactly sure just what I was expecting to get with this band; I had seen that they were described as a rock and roll circus, and while that seems to fit appropriately, I’m still finding it hard to pinpoint this band. Their influences cover the whole spectrum, ranging from rock and roll pop bands like The Beatles, to progressive rock bands like Yes and King Crimson, to psychedelic and choral symphonic bands like the Flaming Lips and Polyphonic Spree and alternative hardcore rock bands like Muse and At the Drive-In. I guess you could say that if you took little bits from each of those bands and mixed them together in a blender, the end result would resemble this band. My immediate thoughts led me to think of them as a punk version of the Arcade Fire, but looking back now I’m not sure how confident I feel about describing them in that manner. This nine-piece outfit that features a wide array of instruments like flutes and trumpets is definitely something you have to experience live. The live energy and spirit I felt with this band is something that all to often seems to be missing from too many bands today.
From there my brother and I went our seperate ways, but would meet up later that night. He took off to Arnold’s to catch a recently-reformed Stick Figure Drawings, featuring Max Fender and Sarah Davis of Alone at 3am, while I went on to the Segway Room to catch The Daredevil Christopher Wright.
The Daredevil Christopher Wright was pretty much a last minute decision for me, because over the previous months I had listed Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit right at the top of my must-see list and he was scheduled to take the stage shortly after the Daredevil. I’ve seen Jason several times with his former band the Drive-By Truckers and with his new band, so I opted for something completely unknown to me. The only thing I really knew about this band was that their debut album was produced by Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and he is my greatest musical discovery this year, so I guess I’m putting a lot of faith in an artist I have a lot of respect for.
The Daredevil Christopher Wright is a trio from Wisconsin, like Vernon, and there was a definite Vernon-like influence in their sound. Not so much in the unique sound that Justin’s voice has, although the harmonies of this band’s vocals were also very mellow and somber at times, but just the experimentation and sometimes odd-signature timings the band used were Bon Iver-like. I don’t want to sound like I’m saying this band was a total rip-off of Bon Iver or Justin Vernon, clearly they weren’t, but this was definitely a band with their own unique sound that would appeal to Vernon fans. I should also mention that this band appeared to be one of the most well-received bands I saw the entire night. Applause and cheers after the show went much longer than any other band that played, and it seemed like at least half of the people in the Segway Room waited in line to get this band’s debut, In Deference to a Broken Back.
I could have possibly caught the ending of Jason Isbell at Grammer’s just a few blocks down from the Segway Room, but I was headed back downtown to catch part of the Lite Brite Test and The Seedy Seeds at the Contemporary Arts Center.
Contemporary Arts Center Offers Two Festivals In One
I’ll be honest and say that I’ve actually never attended the Lite Brite Test. I’m not so much of an independent film type of guy, although I feel like I’m a dedicated supporter of both music and arts. On a personal note, I’m trying to change some things in my life and become more balanced and rounded with a wider range of interests, so that is one of the one reasons why I wanted to bring to my life what Lite Brite has to offer. Needless to say, I didn’t really think that Lite Brite was set up as well as it could’ve been, but who knows, hopefully more people will support this over the next two nights.
Let’s Get Seedy!
So after seeing what Lite Brite had to offer, my brother and I made our way downstairs to the performance room of the Contemporary Arts Center for the Seedy Seeds. I was actually surprised at the turnout that this local electro, indie-pop band had, although I feel like I shouldn’t be. The Seedy Seeds have long been one of my more favorites of the local music scene, and it appears that they have come a long way since playing as a duo in one of the tiniest venues MidPoint 2007 had to offer.
Earlier this year, the Seedy Seeds expanded both their sound with the addition of drummer Brian Penick, as well as expanding their catalog with the release of the highly-adored and lovable album, Count the Days. I didn’t stick around for the Seeds entire show last night, but from what I saw (the old, the new, the cover of Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You”), this show appeared to be one of the better-supported of any of the local shows I’ve seen in recent years. Glad to see and hear good things are coming the Seedy Seeds way, which has included a debut appearance at South by Southwest this past March and an upcoming performance next month at New York’s CMJ Music Marathon.
Accidents, Cancelations and Schedule Mishaps, Oh My!
I ducked out early of the stuffy, over-crowded room in the basement of the Contemporary Arts Center to catch Middle Distance Runner at the Blue Wisp. By the time I had made the trek a few blocks down there, I saw that the band was not onstage. I looked at the schedule in confusion because they clearly should’ve been onstage. I’m not exactly sure what happened; did they cancel or did someone else cancel and they played earlier than scheduled? Not really sure what happened but what can you do.
So I then walked back down to the Contemporary Arts Center in hopes of getting there by the time the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir would take the stage. I had been looking forward to seeing this band the most all day long. Come to find out they were involved in a serious van rollover on the highway in Indiana, coming from Chicago. Although I was a little let down, the important thing is to keep them in your thoughts and prayers and hope for a full, speedy recovery. Help out the band here.
After hearing about this sad news, I decided to head back over to the Blue Wisp for my favorite discovery of the day, The Young Republic. The first half of their set seemed to be a little different than what I caught earlier on Fountain Square, but by the second half of this extended set I had felt I had already known some of these songs and could sing along.
And that’s where my first day of MidPoint 2009 would come to an end. Time to get ready for day two!
MidPoint Day One Preview
September 24th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
MidPoint 2009 has nearly arrived and unfortunately it doesn’t appear the rain will be letting up anytime soon. Rain or no rain I’m still planning on attending the kickoff party on Fountain Square – that is unless it gets canceled. If things do go on as scheduled, I’m sure Dan McCabe of MidPoint and CityBeat will say a few words before things get started. Shayna Zaid and the Catch are scheduled to play on Fountain Square at 5 pm, followed by The Young Republic at 6:15 pm. From there, I’ve narrowed my choices down to ten bands:
1. Aficionado – 8 pm – Inner Peace Holistic Center
2. The Daredevil Christopher Wright – 9 pm – The Segway Room
3. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit – 9:30 pm – Grammer’s
4. Ketch Harbour Wolves – 10 pm – Blue Wisp Jazz Club
5. Look Mexico – 10 pm – Know Theatre
6. Kuchi Guru – 10:30 pm – Courtyard Cafe
7. Middle Distance Runner – 11 pm – Blue Wisp Jazz Club
8. Mock Orange – 11 pm – Inner Peace Holistic Center
9. Scotland Yard Gospel Choir – 11:30 pm – Contemporary Arts Center
10. Brighton, MA – Midnight – Washington Platform
30 Bands I Want to See at MidPoint 2009
September 20th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Out-of-Town Picks
Like a lot of people, my first taste of Chairlift came about because of their hit song “Bruises” that was featured in an iPod commercial. But when they opened for Peter, Bjorn and John this past April at the Southgate House, I saw a band that was about more than writing catchy songs that could become radio-friendly hits. In the beginning they were inspired to create music for haunted houses, but perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that the synth playing and vocals of Caroline Polachek has a somewhat haunting, mystical feel.
Some several years ago, I discovered Jason Isbell when he was playing guitar in the Drive-By Truckers during Widespread Panic’s summer tour. As one of three key songwriter’s in the Truckers, it was easy to see that he was destined to succeed with his own name. Following his divorce of the Truckers bassist, Shonna Tucker, Isbell left the band in 2007 and has since put out two albums. The first album came just months after his departure, but it was the self-titled, follow-up album that really seemed to reach fans and critic’s with the formation of his backing band, the 400 Unit.
I decided to put the Heartless Bastards on the out-of-town list because they are now technically not a local band, even though I’ll always think of them as locals. This year has probably been the best in the band’s career which has seen a reincarnated lineup, the release of the highly, critically-acclaimed album The Mountain, tours with Wilco, The Decemberists and Jenny Lewis, as well as appearances at nearly every major music festival. Welcome Erika and company back home when they perform Friday night at Grammer’s.
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker
Extra Golden
The Young Republic
The Baltic Sea
The Lighthouse and The Whaler
Bowery Boy Blue
The Dø
Micachu and the Shapes
The Bloodsugars
The Wildbirds
God Made Me Funky
Local Picks
There’s a lot going on with nearly every band I’ve decided to put on my local list. Most of them have either released new albums within the past year or are currently working on projects that will soon be released. A couple of them, you could even say, are somewhat newly formed bands. Cincinnati is stacked with amazing talent, and coming up with these fifteen picks was not easy. I’ve seen all of these bands perform live, some more than others and it even feels like I’ve seen some of them about thirty or forty times. I’ve been a long supporter of the local music and arts scenes, and I can tell you that if I had to choose the best bands in the area, I could have easily added at least fifty or so more bands to this list. So I present to you fifteen local picks for MidPoint 2009.
Travis Talbert has been gracing the local music scene for years as one of the finer lead electric and slide guitar players in the area, formerly with Norust and now with Frontier Folk Nebraska. The band has seen its share of lineup changes over the years, but it appears they have found the right combination of people, which you can certainly feel on their latest album, Pearls. Frontman Michael Hensley seems to fall somewhere between a Neil Young or Ryan Adams, but this is a band that even fans of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses could get into. Look for Pearls to earn some nominations at the CEA’s later this year.
The formation of indie-popsters, Pomegranates, couldn’t have come at a better time. The four guys of the band (Joey Cook, Isaac Karns, Jacob Merritt and Josh Kufeldt – even their names make them sound like indie pop stars) formed the band in late 2006 when indie pop seemed to be at its highest peak ever. Signed to the highly respectable Lujo Records within a week of the release of their first EP, the Poms have since shared the stage with Jimmy Eat World, Peter, Bjorn and John and Islands, to name a few, as well as marking their first performance at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival this past March. Though there appears to be an overflow in the indie-pop world, the Poms stand out as one of the best in the midwest, with a sound that at times is reminiscent of both Modest Mouse and The Shins, although there’s enough there that they sound completely original. They’ve got the look and the sound, so nothing should stop them from being indie pop’s next big thing. I look forward to following the careers of these young gents.
Buffalo Killers
The Lions Rampant
The Seedy Seeds
The Sundresses
Ellery
Three of my favorite discoveries of the year in the local music scene include State Song, The Harlequins and mallory.
Featuring former members of local punk bands like The Invitational, The Dopamines and Black Tie Bombers, State Song is more post-punk-like, with their sometimes dark and heavy, ultra-dynamic brand of melodic pop-rock. They’ve been working hard all year long on their debut full-length album, which is looking like will be released very late this year or very early next year, at the earliest.
The address that The Harlequins use for their MySpace page includes the phrase “remember that band”, as in www.myspace.com/rememberthatband, which shouldn’t come off as presumptuous because after one listen of their recent, debut album, Baron von Headless, you will indeed remember this band and their mix of experimental, psychedelic pop rock. Michael Olivia and company were able to chalk up a nomination for “Best New Artist” at last year’s CEA’s even without a full-length under their belts.
mallory has been a staple in the local music scene for several years now, although it wasn’t until this past summer when I finally made it out to see them. They put a lot of focus on visuals aspects and instrumentation, which reminds me of bands like Mogwai and Explosions in the Sky and even Ampline. There’s huge, noisy walls of sound in their music, but they’re pretty damn good at hiding beautiful, intricate melodies in there as well. Mark your calenders for their CD Release Party on October 23 at the Southgate House.
Eat Sugar
The Minor Leagues
Matthew Shelton’s Picnic
Stick Figure Drawings
I’ve been listening to Ryan Adcock longer than any other local musician, so I always get excited about anything he’s involved in. Lately he’s been up to a new project called Flaregun with The Vinyltones Craig Dockery. The songs for their debut album, Ten Sundays, actually date back several years, where Ryan was writing music inspired by the ideas of various sermons at a local church. There’s always been a spiritual aspect to the songs Ryan writes, but Flaregun wouldn’t exactly consider themselves Christian rock. By using spirituality and God as the subject matter in music, one can often overcome hard times through faith and love, which has certainly helped me at times.
MidPoint 2009 Artist: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
August 19th, 2009
Posted in MidPoint Music Festival
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (Muscle Shoals, Alabama)
AltCountry/Americana/Southern Rock
Jason Isbell made his mark in music with the Drive-By Truckers as a songwriter and guitarist, playing and writing alongside Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley. He joined the band in 2001, while they were on tour in support of their third studio album, Southern Rock Opera
Three months after leaving the Truckers, Isbell would release his debut solo album, Sirens of the Ditch
The 400 Unit includes former Son Volt keyboardist Derry DeBorja, renouned guitarist and visual artist Browan Lollar (who created the album’s artwork), Jimbo Hart on bass and Chad Gamble on drums. Catch Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at MidPoint on Thursday, September 24 in the Topic Design Tent at Grammer’s, located at Walnut and East Liberty Streets.
Check ‘em out if you’re into: Drive-By Truckers, Son Volt or Justin Townes Earle
Listen to Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit on MySpace
Check out some of Browan Lollar’s artwork here
