So there's a run of Last Train Home shows coming up at Iota in a few weeks. The right thing for me to do would be to point you towards Sunday the 8th as it is then you will most likely get to hear the Kevin Cordt "tet" as we've taken to calling them (really known as the Kevin Cordt Trio). I really wanted to write about the Sunday show at the end of April where at one point there were 7 players on stage with Kevin's Trio. It looks like what ever bug that Last Train Home's got that makes people jump on stage and get called out of the audience is catching. It's a lovely thing to watch if just for the reason that this group of fellas plays around each other in a number of different kinds/types of bands-(country, rock, straight up roots, art rock) and it is really fun to hear them wrap it around the jazz idiom now too. There's a lot of personality and music edjoocayshion on the bandstand, I lobbied for a rendition of Nature Boy in April, after hearing that Dave VanAllen had it transcribed for the Steel. Now that steel and Kevin singing it would be sweet. New life to an under used song.
Speaking of LTH and devotion, I just have to make a short note about Mike Aldridge and Jimmy Gaudreau and how either freaked out or amused, (I could not tell which) they were at the woohoo's and cat calls they got at Iota playing as the Skylighters with three Last Train Homers. Jimmy kept hootin' back-atchaudience. I like that Jimmy bunches. I know that being ONLY 30 or so, I am an exception when it somes to my knowledge of the Seldom Scene and the heyday of DC bluegrass. There were some regulars from the specifically Iota LTH crowd that did come out to the Thursday show and it was interesting to see the audience/band dynamic. Even the most rabid LTH/Eric Brace fan has got to hear in Mike and Jimmy the foundations of LTH. Will these 25-35 year olds stick it out long enough to figure out who the Seldom Scene was and is?
Which brings me to my executive decision to put up for you readers of groupiegirl, what do we call those individuals that pack those Last Train Home shows? Now granted I am often one of them, but I hope that I am recognized as an all around music scenester. These are the people you pretty much never see anywhere else but Iota. So are they already called something-the specific LTH groupies? I've heard mention of TRAINEES, what about HOMERS? VOTE, dammit, what do you call them?
Sunday, May 25, 2003
Monday, May 19, 2003
Hello music fans. Did you think I fell off the flat-plane of earth c. 1492? Well, no I am still here, I've written two posts and lost them to the ether as I attempt to balance my 9-5 $ job with a 'career' as a visual artist and a full time 'hobby' of music/niteclub denizen. I'd think I was insane, except I know that I really get unhappy if I am not in the "studioaudience". Oh well, enough dunderblogging, let's get on with the show.
So, things that have passed my eyes and ears on my 'hiatus' - for one Cowlick Lucy has announced a website!! Go girls-and Dan. Let me at those MP3s, especially "Hide Away", that song by J. Spott. Of all the bands I know that sing this song, (J. Spott himself and The Grandsons), mmmm, Vivian's voice and CLL's version, yum. (In fact, not that they are hurting for material, but I'd like to see one of the Brace brothers wrap their voice around this song as well)
Speaking of J.Spott, I made it to that Spottiswoode/Grandsons Jammin Java Show. The sound there is amazing-go for that. It's a little 8 inch tall stage too that you can get right close to if you are into that type of thing and there are lots of places to sit. The place was quite filled up at one point. It's being in a strip mall made me realize what a city slicker I have become though-I'll spare you how freakedout I was hanging out in a parking lot after the show. There were retail store type alcoves that made me feel like I was in a shoe store the whole time, but I just remember-the JJ space was formerly a Christian book store. Wish I had realized that while I was there.
If you checked out what S&HE was doing in Vienna, they did an almost all acoustic show. I was impressed in spite of myself. There has been so much talk of the big production 'gospelesque' show with lights and backup singers, etc. - which is the show they are taking to Lille, France, I think-that i was not prepared for this very down to earth thing. At least a year ago, I was at S&HE show at Iota with someone who knew Jonathan fairly well back in his college days. During that show she said to me "Oh mi god, you actually think he's a rockstar?" Well, I do. Knowing a bit about his films and other art ventures I expect to see him keyed up and glam. This performance was, I don't know, a treat? A dose of realism in an often abstract - conceptual cirque d'avant garde.
There's a lot of shows coming up on June, mostly the same players. I'm beginning to see that to keep up writing about these bands, I am going to have to start being more proactive-maybe starting interviews and questioning them about real fan stuff if I'm going to keep writing about the same 7 or so bands.
I'll tell you, I have been eavesdropping on a yahoo group called Arlington Music Scene that has really made me start to see that there are probably close to at least 500 bands in the extended DC area getting stage/studio time. Lord knows I suk at math, but it seems that there are NOT enough places in "the city" zoned to deal with with it and it makes me mad. There are bands/people I've seen a handful of times that I would love to plug, Bicycle Thieves, John Athyde (Rotoscope) in this VA crowd, Measles Mumps Rubella in DC, especially, Dark Water Transit and The Pupils-more Baltimore bands. After Metro Cafe closed these bands these are the kind of bands that got kind of shut out. They are not big enough to headline the Black Cat or get in opening ticket at the 930. For reasons that shall remain unspoken are too big and been around the block enough to not be playing Velvet Lounge on any kind of 'regular' basis, if at all. Staccato can't take this loud indy pop besides ITS SMALL. And do the 'roots rock/country scene' bands play DC anywhere in this year-NO, not really.
It's a real bugger. I've got no problem with the way the major clubs are booking, I just think there's more of a market for more types of establishments, more types of music and at different times. The city makes it too hard to host live entertainment, nothing against a good DJ, but this city does not need any more 'DJ lounges'. Also, music from 5-8 pm is a completely under-marketed thing in the city. 30-50 yr old suburbanites go to happy hours, you get the benefit of traffic having subsided afterwards. Hanging out in the city for 3 hours or more until a show starts at 9 or 10 pm is something most will not do. And as we know, once home, very few leave the comforts of their nest to venture back out into the unknown. You would think this would make it easier on clubs in dealing with 'neighbors' if live entertainment ended at 8 or 9 pm. Vision's Live Music Happy Hour used to follow this format on Friday's and I am in major, major withdrawal because they have not started it up this year. I know there were some conflicts with neighbors over a movie theater having live music. Visions has also sited as it as not being enough of a money draw for them, once they pay the bands. Their lounge space is small, so this is not a surprise. I watch the issue and I stress anyone that hits groupiegirl and lives right in DC, think about what good would come out of lobbying for live entertainment. Business owners need to be protected from neighbors and having their licenses revoked if they are making good faith efforts and helping building another small business community of professional musicians. Come on would a music from 5-9 pm at small bar or restaurant that holds under 75 people really be an intractable nuisance to a neighbor?
So, things that have passed my eyes and ears on my 'hiatus' - for one Cowlick Lucy has announced a website!! Go girls-and Dan. Let me at those MP3s, especially "Hide Away", that song by J. Spott. Of all the bands I know that sing this song, (J. Spott himself and The Grandsons), mmmm, Vivian's voice and CLL's version, yum. (In fact, not that they are hurting for material, but I'd like to see one of the Brace brothers wrap their voice around this song as well)
Speaking of J.Spott, I made it to that Spottiswoode/Grandsons Jammin Java Show. The sound there is amazing-go for that. It's a little 8 inch tall stage too that you can get right close to if you are into that type of thing and there are lots of places to sit. The place was quite filled up at one point. It's being in a strip mall made me realize what a city slicker I have become though-I'll spare you how freakedout I was hanging out in a parking lot after the show. There were retail store type alcoves that made me feel like I was in a shoe store the whole time, but I just remember-the JJ space was formerly a Christian book store. Wish I had realized that while I was there.
If you checked out what S&HE was doing in Vienna, they did an almost all acoustic show. I was impressed in spite of myself. There has been so much talk of the big production 'gospelesque' show with lights and backup singers, etc. - which is the show they are taking to Lille, France, I think-that i was not prepared for this very down to earth thing. At least a year ago, I was at S&HE show at Iota with someone who knew Jonathan fairly well back in his college days. During that show she said to me "Oh mi god, you actually think he's a rockstar?" Well, I do. Knowing a bit about his films and other art ventures I expect to see him keyed up and glam. This performance was, I don't know, a treat? A dose of realism in an often abstract - conceptual cirque d'avant garde.
There's a lot of shows coming up on June, mostly the same players. I'm beginning to see that to keep up writing about these bands, I am going to have to start being more proactive-maybe starting interviews and questioning them about real fan stuff if I'm going to keep writing about the same 7 or so bands.
I'll tell you, I have been eavesdropping on a yahoo group called Arlington Music Scene that has really made me start to see that there are probably close to at least 500 bands in the extended DC area getting stage/studio time. Lord knows I suk at math, but it seems that there are NOT enough places in "the city" zoned to deal with with it and it makes me mad. There are bands/people I've seen a handful of times that I would love to plug, Bicycle Thieves, John Athyde (Rotoscope) in this VA crowd, Measles Mumps Rubella in DC, especially, Dark Water Transit and The Pupils-more Baltimore bands. After Metro Cafe closed these bands these are the kind of bands that got kind of shut out. They are not big enough to headline the Black Cat or get in opening ticket at the 930. For reasons that shall remain unspoken are too big and been around the block enough to not be playing Velvet Lounge on any kind of 'regular' basis, if at all. Staccato can't take this loud indy pop besides ITS SMALL. And do the 'roots rock/country scene' bands play DC anywhere in this year-NO, not really.
It's a real bugger. I've got no problem with the way the major clubs are booking, I just think there's more of a market for more types of establishments, more types of music and at different times. The city makes it too hard to host live entertainment, nothing against a good DJ, but this city does not need any more 'DJ lounges'. Also, music from 5-8 pm is a completely under-marketed thing in the city. 30-50 yr old suburbanites go to happy hours, you get the benefit of traffic having subsided afterwards. Hanging out in the city for 3 hours or more until a show starts at 9 or 10 pm is something most will not do. And as we know, once home, very few leave the comforts of their nest to venture back out into the unknown. You would think this would make it easier on clubs in dealing with 'neighbors' if live entertainment ended at 8 or 9 pm. Vision's Live Music Happy Hour used to follow this format on Friday's and I am in major, major withdrawal because they have not started it up this year. I know there were some conflicts with neighbors over a movie theater having live music. Visions has also sited as it as not being enough of a money draw for them, once they pay the bands. Their lounge space is small, so this is not a surprise. I watch the issue and I stress anyone that hits groupiegirl and lives right in DC, think about what good would come out of lobbying for live entertainment. Business owners need to be protected from neighbors and having their licenses revoked if they are making good faith efforts and helping building another small business community of professional musicians. Come on would a music from 5-9 pm at small bar or restaurant that holds under 75 people really be an intractable nuisance to a neighbor?
Tuesday, May 06, 2003
I'm glad to say that my first trip to Jammin Java will be to see The Grandsons and Spottiswoode and his Enemies. An average person on first glance of these two bands would be confused about the two bands playing back to back. To this I say don't be average. I went to some of the shows I picked in April, but really did not have the energy to think about them for you. How lame an I?