This is the second time that I have seen Scumeating at Glow. There is something to be said for that: schizophrenia meets irony in a soft leather chair overlooking the transient activities of Railroad and Holly. Maybe it’s perfect. I don’t know.

Chambers, made up of Sarah Jerns and Matt Curtis, breaks the quiet with two massive guitar hammers. Reminiscent of the Dirty Three. Stumbling slow noise. Waves of electric strings. Feedback music. Loud and relentless instrumentality. The two of them, each with guitars, standing on the dance floor like noise drunk gunfighters in a Sergio Leone dream of the agonies of echo. Beautiful. And in the strangest way, upsetting all expectation, getting into your skull with whips of lightning and ripping the tissues of your brain to pieces. If there was a heroin addict in the crowd, he’d be wanting to shoot up about now. Grace note: walked over to the bartender at the end of the set to get a beer and he said to me: I was about to lose it with all of the f!@#ing noise! Kudos, Chambers.

Next up, a variation (minus Chris Stainback) on Thimble vs. Needle with the inimitable Kat Bula on guitar/vocals/violin, Anna Arvan on cello/vocals and Tim Leighton on drums/guitar/mandolin. After the beautiful noise comes exquisite harmonies as in “The Only Girl You Are Not Allowed to Kiss.” These songs seem to epitomize something just underneath definition, perhaps it’s the mood of the 21st century with a healthy sense of humor. The musicianship is outstanding but casual, not forcing itself through the performance. Just there and talented. With each time that I have heard Thimble vs. Needle, I am reminded how much they make me smile with their subtle self-conscious odes to self-consciousness.

Near the end, Tim sings a song with the line “Hey Buddy, you’ve got puke on your shoes.” It is delivered flat, as a dirge, a lament. The others join in harmony. Beautiful. “Hey Buddy, you’ve got piss on your knees… Hey Buddy, you’ve got blood on your hands.” Appalachian Bellingham. Reminded of the Band at Big Pink.

Scumeating begins to assemble. Jess Manley told me he has a migraine but believes it will help his performance. Undoubtedly. Fiona has just come in from K.D. Lang, wondering why no one seems to know who she is. And Robert, newly shaved pate shining, is in a “fine damned mood.” All of this seems auspicious. Chris Gusta is up there on guitar. Bill Anker on drums. A.J. Hawn on keyboards and Kat Bula is standing off to the side with her violin. It begins in media res, a wall of sound that was not there before is suddenly in front of the crowd. A wall of raw emotional, but sharp edged, music. Robert Lashley’s words sing out of a storm of intensity.

Imagine back to a time of trying to tune into a distant radio station and all of a sudden all at once hearing pounding drums, infernal violin and guitar and keyboard, a trombone, what? and the haunting voice of a preacher trying to save sinning souls from the hands of an angry god. Imagine Don Quixote on acid with a band tuned to his every Pulse. This is Lashley, the poet unleashed. Songs don’t seem to begin or end as much as take a breath before coming right back at your throat again. Jess Manley spins voices out of the ether. Kat Bula’s violin and Fiona’s trombone seem to be waging war against each other, trading musical salvos like punches. Ankers’ thunderous drumming holds everything into place. Gusta and Hawn setting the limits to the music. And the Voice of Lashley like a rusty knife over the strings of an ancient guitar, from the edges of time, is a rhapsode. It is like nothing else you are going to see. Here’s hoping their tour will offend, alienate and utterly shock the rest of the world into abject admiration.

Sarah Strongbow Jerns

Before we get to this month’s 11 Questions with the fabulous Sarah Jerns I would like to bid you all a fond adieu. After 45 interviews and 180-plus record reviews in over four years, I am moving on from What’s Up! to pursue other interests. I want to thank Brent for what has been an amazing experience. You should all support this publication’s efforts for as long as there is music. Now that I’m all teary eyed, on to the life and times of Sarah “Strongbow” Jerns, a.k.a Pan Pan…

Boris Budd: Tell us a lot about yourself. What’s your background?

Sarah Jerns: Tell you a lot? I guess I will start out with the standard. I’m a musician who has been stuck in Bellingham my whole life. I like it here, even if that makes me seem sheltered. I’m mainly know for my piano based project, Pan Pan, and being a guest trumpet player with other bands such as Rooftops and Yogoman Burning Band. My music tends to be very melancholy and I normally just use the word “soundtracky” to describe it. I also tend to swear too much and have a habit of making fun of the audience when I perform.

BB: Discuss the impetus for Pan Pan’s awesome New Arms record and describe the recording process from concept to completion.

SJ: My drive for all my music, not just the album New Arms, comes from my personal emotions and the need to explore my knowledge of music theory and musical concepts/techniques. I like to find techniques that I’ve studied and try to build a piece off of that. New Arms and a lot of my other recordings are very lo-fi. Most of New Arms was recorded in Garageband using my built in mic on my powerbook G4. I don’t like to get caught up with super fancy recording equipment. I mainly just want to record a song asap so that I may share it with others. I’m very proud of my work and I think that others will enjoy it.

BB: You have done guest spots on many records including a tune by The Presidents of the United States of America. Talk about those sessions.

SJ: I did do some records with PUSA, but that was so long ago. I don’t want to focus on them because I believe that’s been talked about before. I want to focus on the part where I got to play/learn from other musicians. Being a trumpet player, I’ve had the opportunity to play with a lot of other great musicians in Bellingham/Seattle. It’s when I join another band, that I find myself learning that not everyone approaches music the same way I do. I like learning how others write/approach songs and how they practice. I recommend that others try playing with other local bands. Its a great learning opportunity and it’s often a great to time to let loose and play some new music.

BB: What is the itinerary for your perfect day?

SJ: I would say that I’m almost currently living my perfect itinerary. I’m very lucky to work at two great bars in town, The Shakedown and The Ridge Wine Bar. Working at these music venues allows me to live the the life of an active musician. My perfect day consist of sleeping in, drinking coffee for hours, having a band practice, booking and few bands for The Ridge and then working the kitchen at The Shakedown. The Shakedown is the highlight of my day because I’m surrounded by other musicians and get to be around huge shows with great bills. It’s an awesome niche I’ve found and I feel very lucky.

BB: Describe your experience as a member of The Love Lights during the band’s heyday.

SJ: My experience was pretty awesome. The Love Lights got me into the music scene when I was only 17. I looked up to them like Gods, especially Rob Stauffer and Ben Ballew. Everything they did was the coolest. They really gave me the foundation that I needed to start my own project, Pan Pan, a few years later. Without The Love Lights, I probably would have been clueless on how to “operate” in the Bellingham music scene.

BB: Why did you choose the name Pan Pan?

SJ: I get this one a lot and it’s not really a good story. There was an old Bellingham band by the name of Chip and Pan. I always loved the band name and not the band so much. They broke up and I stole half of it… and then repeated it. I also had a serious love of banana pancakes at the time. There is the secret. Probably doesn’t seem so cool anymore.

BB: Who are your influences in music, life and why?

SJ: Almost any musician who does their craft well is an influence to me. I get buzzed when I see other musicians doing really cool things. For example, whenever I see Lupe Flores beat the hell out of her drums, all I want to do is go home and practice so that I can be a kick-ass musician like her.

And for life, I look to my friends who are doing great things in their lives as inspiration.

As for straight up professional musical influences, the Esbj rn Svensson Trio, Yann Tiersen, Brad Mehldau, and Max Richter supply me with endless musical genius.

BB: What can we look forward to from you in the near future regarding recordings or live performances ?

SJ: I will always keep performing in some capacity. Sometimes it will be as Pan Pan and sometimes it will be as a guest musician with other great bands. I’ve recently indulged in my need to play louder music and have started a project with Matt Curtis called Chambers. Its loud, gritty, and oh so wonderful. I think there are parallels to my “sad piano” music, but the music now requires ear plugs.

BB: Discuss your tenure with one of the greatest bands in history, Sad Dad & the Lonesone Fathers aka Dad Shredder aka Strongbow & the Bitches?

SJ: Who doesn’t already know about Sad Dad? It’s the greatest band I’ve ever been in. It was the product the the latest Band Lottery, hosted by JINX. It’s the band that gave me the guts to play guitar and sing in front of people. I’m sure it was very out of tune and a bit difficult to listen to, but it was all balls to the wall and I had a great time doing it. SAD DAD!

BB: Why Strongbow?

SJ: I don’t drink beer and Sean Jerns introduced me to my very first Strongbow about three years ago. It was love at first sight. For all of those that don’t know, its a great and cheap cider. Although, I like to get classy sometimes and drink the “pricey” cider. It’s all about class with me. FOX BARREL 4 LIFE!

BB: What is your goal in life?

SJ: Play music. Be happy. Have good health. Make enough money to pay rent and buy musical gear. Make a lot of good friends along the way. Done.

BB: Is your family interested in finding out who stole then susequently returned baby jesus to Jerns Funeral Home lawn because they felt bad during the holidays circa 1980 ?

SJ: Yes.
LONG LIVE BABY JESUS!

August 2011 Cover. Awesomeness by Mark Heimer

Hey! My name’s Casey Nolan and Brent Cole has graciously/ senselessly asked me to write Le Beat for the month of August. He specifically wrote to me, “approximately 15,000 people read the mag each month so don’t just tailor stuff to your group of friends… And don’t be snarky about music that you’re not into.” Come on, when have I ever been snarky?

To start things off, I can’t help but remember what it was like reading Le Beat in What’s Up! Magazine for the first time. I had just moved to Bellingham and was attending Fairhaven Middle School where come 3:02, school was out and I had some time before my Mom came to pick me up (sorry I’m writing this and not applying to jobs right now Mom). I remember walking to a coffee shop and grabbing the mag, which was a booklet at the time, finding a spot next to Dirty Dan in the Village Green (before the make-over), and discovering a whole new world of this town that I just moved to. Years past, shows and bands have come and gone, and here I sit on my post-college futon writing to all of you. I’ll do my best.

ON THE ROAD

It is August, the month of touring, so let’s just start here:

Candysound, Palisades, and Cat From Hue are going on tour in August, which is basically the definition of a party bus. The kick-off show is Aug. 19 at Boundary Bay with the notorious No-Fi Soul Rebellion and Rookery. When the boys are back in town, Thin Lizzy style on Aug. 30, So Adult will join the trio for an all-ages show at The Old Foundry. Have fun guys! And wear your seat belts! You’ll be crazy if you don’t.

Speaking of crazy, Teo Crider is having an intense 2011 summer with working on a farm, recording a new EP with Candysound, and going on a 13-show tour to California. He has also created a site for himself that has all of his solo songs, which he never plays in Candysound. I can’t say this enough, this guy is ridiculous. Seriously, I remember meeting him at Western’s Summerstart in 2007 while wearing my “Support Local Music” shirt (thanks Typical Ace).

Speaking of Typical Ace, Derek Rickard, pro-father and gear nerd, is now the bassist of So Adult with Bo Stewart officially back at the drums. So Adult is currently on tour with Jason Clackley and the Exquisities down to California and back. They made a split together courtesy of Andrew Nickerson, currently available online (expect another split featuring So Adult soon). Their tour kick off was at the JINX Art Space with Trees & Stars and EllenOprah.

Falling Upstairs has an album coming out in September and are currently finishing up plans for a tour with Todos Somos Lee and Ship to Ship. I hear they are trying to fit all three bands’ worth of gear into one van. Let the force be with you guys on that one.Falling Upstairs is also playing a show on Aug. 6 at The Shakedown with JILL BRAZIL(!). Should be an amazing show, one not to miss for all those instrumental-math rock nerds out there. I also have to agree with the talented and studdly Toby Riff-ster in that Ship to Ship is amazing and needs to put their real adult lives to the side and play more often.

Now onto things a little bit more serious: SCUMEATING! Good band. Good people. Backed hard. They have a new album coming out in August ON VINYL and they’re also going on tour. Their Aug. 9 show at Glow kicks off the tour and they will be joined by Chambers and Thimble vs. Needle. There’s also a little show coming up Aug. 23 with Broken Water and Grass Widow at The Shakedown…

Let’s talk about Rookery. They’re currently finishing recording an EP and just finished a show with Le Butcherettes at The Shakedown on July 30. I wasn’t able to go because I was in Seattle seeing The Divorce do a reunion show (which by the way was AMAZING), but from what I have been hearing/seeing about this Shakedown show, was that it definitely was “one of those shows.” What I mean by that is this one of those particular shows that you will hear about five years from now and see pictures of downtown and you either wonder “why wasn’t I there?” or my favorite and most common thought when going to The Shakedown’s bathroom, “I wish I was old enough to go to that show.”

SUMMER FLINGS

The ever-popular grassroots music festival Summer Meltdown is coming up. This lineup looks pretty rad thanks to Flowmotion and Terra Roots. Four stages worth of music, onsite camping, river floating, and music workshops– it seems impossible to even imagine being bored at an event like this. Summer Meltdown’s lineup this year features Everyone Orchestra, Orgone, Clinton Fearon & Boogie Brown Band, Acorn Project, Polecat, The Endorphins, Keaton Collective, and so many more!

Then there is the Subdued Stringband Jamboree! I look forward to this every year not even for the festival, but to see the amazing poster that Bison Bookbinding prints for it. Even the tickets look beautiful! This year’s fun times are courtesy of Robert Blake, The Librarians, Yogoman Burning Band, Rattletrap Ruckus, The Crying Shame, Bent Grass, The Gallus Brothers, Naked Hearts, and seriously, so many more bands.

This year’s lineup for the amazing thing that is Total Fest (in Missoula, MT) is simply amazing. But since I just had to destroy my heart and cancel the year-long plan I had of going to my first Total Fest, I will keep this short as to minimize the amount of tears rolling down my cheek: Hammerhead, Big Business, Helms Alee, Japanther, Thrones…I can’t take it any more…

COMINGS & GOINGS

Now on to something that will cheer anyone up: Sarah Jerns. Where do I start with this one? Well, she has a new project. And it’s awesome. The band is called Chambers with Matt Curtis and Ryan Wapnowski. They had their first show at AMP Fest and I must say it’s nice to see Sarah playing guitar. She does a fantastic job and you can tell that she is stoked.

Big ups to new band on the scene Olio. They won Whatcom Community College’s battle of the bands a few months ago and recently finished their album over at Crestview Recording. New bands that are good always rule. You have the opportunity to see them live Aug. 6 at The Old Foundry with Keaton Collective and Trees & Stars.

Another new band that I can’t wait to hear all the time is Totalizer. It is comrpised of Ryan Greer (Black Eyes and Neckties/Rookery) and Ryan Clapper (Tearamanapart/Leatherhorn/Torero) on guitars, Chis Howard on bass, Kyle Roe (Tearamanapart) on the drums, and Nick Dillon on vocals. Their first gig is house show on Aug. 3, but I know that you will be able to catch them all over town soon. There are also some recordings coming out as well…yay!

On a serious note, two of my favorite Bellingham ladies are leaving. Anjali Kusler (EllenOprah/LOA/WhAAM/Ladyfest/Food Not Bombs) is heading off to Seattle. She is one of those people in this town that doesn’t get nearly enough recognition for the amount that she does. I hope wherever she goes has numerous neighborhood cats for her. Valerie Brogden (Mechanical Dolls/Connecticut Four/ Shrapnelles/Burn Out) is going off to Peru to teach for a year! I’ll never forget seeing her play for the first time at the Viking Union for Localpalooza when she was drumming for Mechanical Dolls–I still think she is one of the coolest girls in the world. Bellingham will miss you both!

Bye-Bye Bunker Haus. Yet another house has fallen victim of a noise citation. The Bunker will no longer be having shows at the house. This falls in question as to where will all of these underground touring bands play? To all those who live at The Bunker, I know I’m not alone in saying thank you for your hospitality, your indoor half-pipe, and the chill times that you provided.

Pirate Pirate Motorhome had their last show on July 29 at The Fairhaven Pub. That band has definitely been going for a while in town and around the Northwest region. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of them.

We’d like to welcome Joel Ricci of Lucky Brown and The Librarians fame back to Bellingham. Recently married, he and is wife Ivy have decided to move from Portland and make Bellingham home. Welcome back!

RECORDS & RELEASES

Because of the weather this summer, it appears that all these musicians and bands have been okay with being inside writing and recording. There are so many new releases!

The Bad Tenants is releasing Our Neighborhood at the end of this summer. The Carnelian Agency helped out the Endorphin boys put out their latest CD called Union of Opposites. Bellingham’s hardcore band Envision has a new record, which is joyous to anyone’s ears. Todos Somos Lee also has a new album coming out in August. I was able to hear some of it, and it sounds flawless! Fanny Alger also is coming out with a new record. IG88 currently has a new album available online called Blackberry Light, and just in case you forgot, the band features Jenni Potts, Mike Harris and Ricky Wilson. Vantage has a second full album coming out. Librarians also have a new album coming out called Lorem Ipsum. Additionally, the band just returned from a trip to Woodstock, NY to record their first full-lenth record which will be at the Subdued Stringband Jamboree.

RAD TIMES

Snug Harbor recently took down the newly painted and beautifully styled Make.Shift van down south for a show. That’s right folks, the van is ready to hit the road! If you’re in a band and need transportation to a show, you can go to Make.Shift’s website and find more information there. It’s pretty easy. The van is parked outside of Make.Shift’s new spot at The JINX space if you would like to go to check it out. Personally, I would love to see this van become part of Bellingham’s one of many visual staples. You know what I mean, those sights where all the Western freshman take pictures by and title the group of photos “Bellingham Adventures: Part 1.”

Speaking of good things, need to say a happy 21st to Carlton Eide. He turned 21 this past month and is now able to join the big kids at shows. Congrats man, you’ve earned it. Carlton is doing a nice job over at The Old Foundry and managing local Western band Lamppost Revival who have a new live album out for all of our ears to listen to. The dude does many things in this town and in Seattle. I’m glad to hear that he had a good birthday.

The Pickford Film Center is having their Official Grand Opening starting on Aug. 12 and going all weekend long. Look out for some local musicians playing their lobby while volunteers and staff give tours and some buskers play before each showing on Friday! More information can be found on the Pickford’s website.

Attention kids who went to Yellingham: remember all of those cameras that you saw everywhere? No, they weren’t undercover police interns BUT friends of Jake Waluconis, a student at Evergreen College who has made a documentary on Yellingham for his schoolwork. The class required him to make a 15-minute film, but he still has all of the footage (he had to buy a new hard drive) and plans to make a full-length film including “special features” showing a song of each band playing. Hopefully we can look forward to a viewing at The Pickford’s new center?

In the ultimate grudge match, two of Bellingham best DJ crews, Wishbone and Blessed Coast will square off on August 18 at Glow in a head to head, winner take all battle where the winner… Well, frankly, I don’t what’s at stake, but this should be a hell of a fun night for fans of Wishbone or Blessed Coast.

Well, I hope you enjoy this issue of What’s Up! Magazine. Thanks Brent for giving me the chance to write this issue’s Le Beat, and thanks to Mark Heimer for creating this month’s cover. Genius. Hi Mom and Dad!

Casey Nolan

EDITORS NOTE

I’d like to thank everyone who came out to the What’s Up! benefit at Glow on July 27. Special thanks go out to DJ Einstein, who organized the whole event and Evan Cooper, the owner of Glow who kept me laughing all night. Many thanks go out to Boris Budd, Luke Warm and the Moderates, Jenni Potts with IG88, Bloodshot with Raw Jawz, Keaton Collective and Polecat for their great performances. We made a nice chunk of money that helped tremendously with our printing bill. AND, thanks to all who came down!

We’d like to also bid fond farewell to Boris Budd, who will be moving on to other projects. Boris has put in some serious time with the magazine and we’re forever grateful. Thanks man!

Brent Cole

What's Up! Cover - February 2011. Artwork by Jerry Fowls at Lucky Lady Tattoo

Well, well, well, good day my friends. I hope yer are all surviving the nasty virus going around town. We’re surviving here at the What’s Up! office/Cole family home, but that’s been about it. So, if you’ve been wondering where the hell the paper is over the first week of February that’s the word, bird. Our production guru, my wife Becca, came down with the virus that’s been knocking everyone out and it knocked her out. Which is pretty amazing soul sister never gets sick and this one took her out for a full week.

So, we’re sorry for the delay. Unfortunately, when you run a mom and pop organization and the mom part is very sick, and then everything grinds to a halt. Which, in the grand scheme of things is fine I just hate seeing my beautiful wife sick like that!

Anyhow stay healthy everyone.

I’d like to thank everyone who participated and came out to the What’s Up! Pre-Pre, Pre and “The” Awards shows. It was a great time had by all we showcased some of the best bands this town has to offer while all celebrating this amazing and vibrant music community. I’d like to thank Candysound and Biagio and the Argonauts for playing the Pre Pre Awards Show at the Underground Coffeehouse (titled Pre Pre because it’s the one before the Pre Awards Show), Dog Shredder, Lampost Revival, No-Fi Soul Rebellion and Acorn Project for playing the Pre Awards Show on campus as well Glowbug, Zorbatron, Baltic Cousins, Keaton Collective, The Productionists and Polecat for playing the Awards Show; Poops, DJ Postal and the Dirty Bird Cabaret for between set entertainment, Eli Ziebell and James Gillies for help with the trophies, Sam Eisen-Meyers and Megan Housekeeper for booking the shows on campus; Casey Nolan, Andrew Nickerson, Lupe Flores, Zach Zinn, Sarah Jerns, Jordan Rain, Carey Ross, and Josh Holland for presenting awards as well as Qt Kiwi for handing out the awards. Finally, I’d like to thank Brittany Smith and Hallie Anderson for running the show it was by far the smoothest and most stress free awards show we’ve ever done, Craig Jewel and the Wild Buffalo for letting us host the show there, my wife for guiding me through all the stress of putting the show together and Braden Peterson, for being a badass behind the bar (as well as the rest of the staff at the Wild Buffalo). Congrats to all the winners as well we had approximately 200 more legitimate votes this year over last and I’m continuously amazed at the support this town offers local musicians. Don’t believe me? Try to find a What’s Up!, an awards show, a local all ages venue (which we’ll talk about shortly) and bunch of great venues as well as house shows in any other town with less than 100,000 people in it! This is a special place and I’m damn honored I get to cover what all the great folks around here are doing.

As I just mentioned, Bellingham will soon have its own, legit, all ages venue! WhAAM and Make.Shift had a goal of $8,500 needing to be raised by Jan. 16 and they raised over $12,000! 150 people donated over $12,000 averaging to $80 per person. Again, I’m so, so very proud of this community and the support it’s shown the music scene. A legitimate all ages venue is KEY to the vitality of a music scene it opens up access to music for those under 21, it gets them excited about music! The new spot won’t just be a venue, though, as we talked about last month. There will be classes and a host of things bands can utilize to promote, tour or just get organized. It’ll be a hub for the local scene and it’ll be amazing. There are still a lot of things that are needed for the venue, so please check out www.makeshiftproject.com for more information. The battle isn’t over now that they’ve got some money please continue to help either through donations of money or supplies. Look for a potential spring opening.

So, yeah, that’s cool, right? I mean, seriously, a devoted all ages venue/hub is possibly the coolest thing to happen to the town this year… if this were a typical year. Instead, we get another shot of good news! The Shakedown, located at 1212 North State Street (old home of the Factory, Callaloo and Plan B) should be open sometime in March if all goes as planned. You can expect a 3B inspired vibe there, though without a retro feel to it it’ll be the medium size rock ‘n’ roll club the town needs. It won’t just be rock ‘n’ roll, obviously, but it’ll have a cool edgy vibe to it. I lay awake at nights thinking about the awesomeness of The Shakedown. You will love it.

3 six 0 Music will be opening their doors in February (that’s the plan, at least). The new music shop – which will feature primarily used gear with some new as well as music lessons – will be housed in the old Video Extreme building on Holly Street (kind of by the Lighthouse Mission).

To recap new all ages venue, new medium size club and a used gear shop all happening this spring. HOT DAMN!

Ok, now to the bands.

BELLINGHAM POWER

Last year, we were graced with Chris Otepka (The Heligoats) moving TO town (as opposed to the normal exodus of talented people moving out) and this year Louis Ledford has decided to make Bellingham home. Louis moved up from New Orleans and while I haven’t had a chance to find out exactly what prompted the move (I assume sexy sexy Robert Blake had something to do with his relocation), I’m thrilled he’s here. You might’ve caught Louis at the Subdued Stringband Jamboree the dude is a talented songwriter and musician and you can start catching him more often around town.

Speaking of The Heligoats, they’ve just released a new split 10″ with Sam Humans from Portland, which I assume will be amazing (but haven’t heard it yet). Chris also spent some time back east in December when NPR flew him out to do a Tiny Desk Concert for the web. That, my friends, is really, REALLY cool. Seriously, a local was flown to Washington D.C. to play on NPR. Stunning, absolutely stunning. The Heligoats also landed on NPR’s All Songs Considered top 10 for 2010 list. Congrats, Chris!

Daniel Anderson is about to head out on tour with Hyro Da Hero that’ll take him to the UK in March and April. Where’s that leave his latest project, Glowbug? Not playing enough live shows, I’ll tell you that much. Band was amazing at the awards show.

There was a time when people could say Bellingham was a fun town, but a dead end for musicians if you really wanted to do something on a more professional level. Louis, Chris and Daniel (and bands like Acorn Project who tour often) have proved that isn’t the case anymore.

GOOD TIMES

The Cabin Tavern continues to book some great bands, including the Mumlers on March 2 (this one courtesy of Zach Zinn and his new company Orgoner Productions). The band has a pretty weird, but mellow sound that really blows me away (hence why we’re sponsoring the show). The chance to see the band in such a cool intimate setting is gonna be amazing.

On March 28, we’ll be having our What’s Up! magazine 13th birthday party, also at the Cabin. Why a Monday night? ‘Cuz that’s when the Strange Boys can play! Out of Austin, these guys are one of my favorite, favorite bands they play a mid-60s garage rock reminiscent of the 13th Floor Elevators or early Rolling Stones.

Ex-pat Chris Riffle, one of the best voices you’ll ever hear, is making his way back to Bellingham once again playing the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern on Feb. 24. This will be the third time in under a year that Chris has been in the area and I suggest everyone that reads this paper should make it down to the show. In all the years of doing this magazine, Chris is one of my favorite songwriters with an incredible voice. Don’t miss this show! He lives in NY, so who knows when he’ll be back!

We had planned on running a story on the Mud Jugglers at the Bellingham Circus Guild this month, but with the delay, we couldn’t… which sucks the Circus Guild is doing some great events each month and we wanted to help shine a spotlight on ‘em. Please check out their website, BellinghamCircusGuild.com, for a full calendar.

Good to see the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern still alive. As it is with all clubs locally, if you don’t go to shows, don’t drink, they can’t survive. So, please, support these venues so Bellingham can remain amazing. Tons of great shows there this month.

Bellingham Nite Life is hosting a new electronic music night at the Fairhaven Pub on Feb. 17 and March 3 with DJ Lithium, Erin Bersch, Neural Net, and JGuyver, as well as rotating local DJs. Check it out if that’s yer scene!

The Shadies, which have taken over part time residency at the Cabin Tavern on Wednesday nights, are playin’ some old time country music. As of this writing, their last show included them playing at a table with no PA, which they dug a lot. Oh yeah, the band includes Andy Rick, Lucas Hicks, and Reeb Williams, plus guest musicians. Good times!

The 3rd annual Winter Commission will be held at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity on Feb. 26. This year’s theme is Storytelling and will include film, amazing music, 30 artists as well as tons of other artistic goodies. The folks who do the Winter Commission like Music for Moderns, have always blown me away; it’s an incredible way to highlight the creativity of the town.

COMINGS & GOINGS

Caulfield and his Magical Violin have changed their name to The Violins and will be releasing Before You Die. I REALLY like the new name less distracting than old the name and I really dig this band, so should you (at least I think you will too).

Mary Mary have changed their name to Marriage, I assume to avoid any conflict or confusion with the gospel band Mary Mary. It’s also a different band to an extent with the addition of Drew Fitchette and Peter Woiwood. New name, same awesomeness.

Idiot Pilot are on “indefinite hiatus,” which I think is code for “broken up” in 2011 speak. Singer Michael Harris is moving to NY in the beginning of February and Daniel Anderson is working on Glowbug, Ghost and the Grace as well as touring with Hyro Da Hero. The boys had a great run and I’m sorry to see it go, but it sounds like they’re both moving onto bigger and better things. Good luck, guys!

I’ve heard from a couple different folks that The Slacks are their new favorite local band, which is amazing, ‘cuz I think they’ve only played a couple shows. The trio features LP from the Holy Tailfeathers, Andy Piper from Sugar Sugar Sugar and Jonathan Sampson from Bar Tabac. That, my friends, is an all-star line up.

Bayside Recording is changing their name to Champion St. Sound Studios. I was going to make up an elaborate story as to why, but I’m pretty tapped at this point. Baltic Cousins, Pan Pan and Marriage have all either been in or are in the studio right now.

RECORDS & RELEASES

Beam Me Up! by the Yogoman Burning Band will be out on vinyl in late February or early March. According to Yogoman himself, they’ve been getting some great airplay on KUGS as well as on KHUM in Arcada CA, which is, ya know, damn cool.

Robert Blake is releasing his latest recording, A Short Series of Long Nights Remembered-The Belfast Sessions on Feb. 25 at the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern. The album was is a collection of Irish folk songs recorded with Irish musicians (in Ireland, I assume that’s how Robert rolls). Opening is Giants Causeway, who are an amazing band as well.

The Baltic Cousins are releasing their debut CD in February. Though they’ll probably have it in time for the Lucero show at the Wild Buffalo on Feb. 12, their CD release party is at the Contra House on Feb. 25 with Ship to Ship, Monogamy Party and Blood Orange Paradise. In other Baltic Cousins news, Rabia Magnusson has joined on keys she made her live debut at the awards show. I REALLY love this band and Rabia added a cool element to their sound. Watch for a story on ‘em in the March issue.

Well, I’m out of room, so I’ve gotta stop. Please have a happy and safe February and remember when we reconvene for the next issue, baseball will have started back up we’ll have survived another winter, spring is on the way. Watch for updates on our facebook page and online at www.whatsup-magazine.com.

Hugs and kisses.

-Brent Cole

editor@whatsup-magazine.com

Sarah Jerns: Tales from the road

Sarah Jerns: Tales from the road

It was time for me to finally come to the realization that as a musician in this town, I needed to earn my stripes and do my time. I needed to go where oh so many have gone before and live the experience. It was time for me to break my tour virginity and hit the road with Yogoman Burning Band for 27 days.

I’m not going to lie; the thought of going on tour for that long terrified me. As a Bellingham native, I like things simple. I drink the same coffee every morning, drink at the same bar every weekend, and see the same people walking around town who are doing the same old Bellingham grind as I am. “Bellingham = Simple.” Or should I really say, “Bellingham = Safe.” I was like so many other musicians out there and I was staying in the safe zone that is Bellingham. I had never hit the road and rarely even played out of town. But the YBB changed all of that.

It was easy to tell that this was not the first tour for the YBB. That became extremely clear when I found myself unpacking my stuff onto a converted old school bus. I hear the horror stories of people jamming into vans and sleeping sitting up, but I had walked onto a vehicle that let me watch the sights go by, while sitting on a day bed. Meals could be prepared at any time, hot or cold and no one went hungry. It was almost like unpacking my stuff into the family RV, about to embark on an epic family vacation.

Missoula, Montana was our second stop on tour, but the first stop where I realized I wasn’t home anymore. I took a stroll around town and tried to find some comforts of home to fill the void; I obviously wasn’t in Bellingham anymore. A shout out to a stranger revealed that the hot spot in town was a local sushi joint. I was offered an invitation to join the young man, but I declined on the fact that I felt even the freshest of sushi couldn’t be that fresh in Montana.

The YBB played that night at the Top Hat. It was an old theatre that had been converted into a bar that still had its old antique charm, walls plastered in crown royal bags, and a house sound engineer who had a fetish for on-board reverb and delay. The YBB set was like any other. Everyone brought their energy to the forefront and the audience showed their appreciation by dancing with us. It’s a give/give relationship to be in this band of particular genre. The band feeds off the energy of the audience and the audience feeds of the energy of the band.

Week one of the tour ended in Wyoming and Colorado. Even after a week, my body was still adjusting to life on the road. I was unsuccessfully matching my pee schedule to that of the road side system of rest stops and nothing could make my back feel normal. Four-hour gigs had left my face swollen with a pair of lips that looked like the perfect advertisement for Botox. Every morning revealed how much damage I had done to my face the night before and it became to me very clear how seasoned the members of YBB were. I was thankful to them for bringing me and putting me through battle to turn me into a seasoned musician, even if I was somewhat a wreck because of it.

New Mexico and Arizona is finally when I hit the beauty of being a traveling musician. At first I had anxiety of leaving all forms of major bodies of water, but New Mexico and Arizona showed the true beauty of what a desert is. At around 7,000 feet in elevation, we had the pleasure to play just outside of Taos, New Mexico at the Seco Pearl. The Seco Pearl brought the first extreme feeling of living an experience that would not have happened unless I was on the road. It was a coffee shop that lived more like a community center. Their main focus was on making every individual feel welcomed. The hospitality was truly overwhelming.

The YBB played that night to just around 20 people, gasping for air the entire time due to the elevation. It was nice because the barrier of band and audience was broken and it almost seemed as if everyone was a part of the entertainment that night. The audience even had their own sense of humor and when they liked what they heard, they would yell “You suck,” and often flipped us off. It was a bizarre experience that I have yet to have locally and will always remember.

California is where I became a real touring musician. I had been on the road for almost three weeks and the lifestyle seemed normal. It was second nature to drive for almost the entire day, only to immediately unload all sound and band gear and then to play three or four sets. I had learned how to nap all day to pass the time, how to dodge creepy drunk men, and that Sun Chips and a gas station version of a vanilla latte was the perfect meal replacement. The band’s set became second nature, and the music flowed out of my fingers. I knew almost every musical cue from the master himself, Jordan Rain, and I could hang with the big dogs.

It took about a week to adjust to being home. I often woke up not knowing if I was on school bus or my own bed. I feel proud to have made it through 27 days with an experienced band on the road. I know I wasn’t up to par every day, and I truly thank the YBB for bringing a newbie on the road and letting me grow as a musician with them.

Kristin Allen-Zito: The Atlas. Artwork by Zach Wise.

Armed with a beautiful voice and a gift for melodies, Kristin Allen-Zito’s latest release The Atlas on Clickpop Records is one of the most stunning pieces of music ever released by a local artist.

On The Atlas, Kristin touches on a few reoccurring themes family, home and nature in which she uses the imagery to relay points within the story. All of this while hints of love, heartbreak and confusion are woven throughout the songs. It’s as if Kristin wants to sit and tell you about several years of life, but instead of telling you stories, she’s molded them into beautifully illustrated songs.

It’s the theme of home; both family and Bellingham that runs through Kristin’s most stunning track “Pedal My Bike.” “So that’s why I came back home/So I could try to figure out where I stand /Maybe I could be more like my mom/And brave the rain and hold your hand.” Breath taking and beautiful lyrics set up against a wonderful vocal and guitar medley and well placed slide guitar and cello.

While “Pedal My Bike” is the song that was the most stunning for this reviewer, to say it was a standout track would be to downplay the beautify of the other songs. The opener, The Atlas, is equally amazing.

Often times the genre of singer/songwriter can feel like a diluted mess of mediocre musicians who feel their voice is the most important and the story so interesting it has to be told. And there in lies another aspect of The Atlas that is so breathtaking the album is without a hint of pretension or self-importance. It’s as if Kristin was compelled to write these songs and they just happened to see the light of day it’s about as honest a recording as you’ll ever hear.

The Atlas not only showcases Kristin’s musicianship, but some of Bellingham’s (and ex-Bellingham) best musicians were enlisted for the recording, including: the late great Larry Knechtel, Rich Canut, Andy Simmons, Dylan Rieck, Andy Simmons, Michael Harrison, Jordan Rain, Jenni Potts, Kristina Olsen, Mark Detrick, Ryan Soukkala, Jacob Block, Drew Fitchette and Sarah Jerns.

The added musicians, though, are used sparingly, only brought in where it accentuates the songs beautiful backing vocals by Jenni Potts, or spot drumming by Jordan Rain. It’s always first and foremost a Kristin Allen-Zito record.

Part of what makes the record so stunning is the engineering of Paul Turpin (of Bayside and Clickpop Records). Kristin sounds crisp and warm with the vocals perfectly balanced with the guitar which also sounds phenomenal. The recording itself jumps out at you from the first notes it’s obvious Paul went to pain staking lengths to ensure the album’s quality and sound, and it has paid off and then some.

When all is said and done, Kristin Allen-Zito’s The Atlas is a remarkable piece of music that will be enjoyed by any listener.

Over the first weekend in November, Bellingham will be home to a unique music experience. Aptly named Minifest, it consists of two shows comprised of music pieces, videos, songs and improvisations up to two minutes long all extremely varied in style and substance. Approximately 60 percent of the event will be international music videos while the remaining part is live performances by local artists. Local video and installation art will also be shown in the lobbies.

It’s the type of event you’d expect to find in big cities such as Seattle or New York, not Bellingham. But, thanks to primary inspiration and organizer WWU professor Bruce Hamilton, his concept of Minifest has become a reality.

The idea for Minifest has been building for Bruce Hamilton for “for a while,” he stated. “For one, I enjoy making, performing, and listening to a lot of short pieces and songs, and have done so for years. More recently I’ve become involved in an online music community that specializes in short-form tracks, and started thinking about presenting several such artists in concert.”

The final piece of the puzzle came a couple months ago when Bruce presented two 60×60 mixes from Vox Novus, a New York-based collective that “curates hour-long recorded sets of tracks each 60 seconds in length, sometimes linking them with dance or video.”

Realizing the concept could be added to by using live performances from local artists, Minifest was born.

For Bruce, musical miniatures are fascinating. “They tend to betray immediacy, formal economy, and (paradoxically) explorations that might be more problematic in a longer time-frame. Miniatures strung together into a continuous set can form a kind of meta-piece, one in which whether one likes what’s happening or not, something new is just around the corner,” he said.

“Many artists can participate, highlighting the musical diversity a location has to offer,” he continued. “They can also be challenging, as there is little time for development of ideas, and many short contrasting sections in a row can create a bewildering experience for some; the ordering of pieces can be very important.”

The festival, which is spread over two days, is a who’s who of Bellingham’s more unique artists including Sarah Jerns, Jordan Rain, David Ney, Kristin Allen-Zito, Kat Bula, Karl Olson, Kali Tupper-Richards as well as Bruce himself just to name a few. Performers will play solo or in different group combinations throughout the sets. There is no “headliner,” according to Bruce.

Each performer is allowed to do what they want, as long as the segment doesn’t go over two minutes. Besides that, anything can happen. “The fact that there will be a bizarre mixture of styles on display neatly intersects with my own interest and promotion of eclecticism. If some artists feel more freedom to be adventurous within this format, well, that makes me smile.”

Adding to the unique flavor of the festival, there be a 60×60 mix with 120 composers from around the globe being represented. “Each show will feature 60 one-minute music-videos; all the video was created by Chicago-based artist Patrick Liddell, but the audio tracks represent 120 different composers and sound artists from around the world.”

The mixes were curated by Robert Voisey and his Vox Novus organization out of several hundred submissions. Bruce added. “Electroacoustic music and experimental electronica feature prominently in these mixes, but there’s all sorts of stuff and with 120 artists there is naturally quite a variety!”

Getting musicians to play wasn’t difficult for Bruce, who initially put the word out among musicians that would appreciate the Minifest concept and those who would bring something unique. “Along the way more musicians heard about it and sent me inquiries. It didn’t take long to fill up the available spots, partly because we wanted people to have more than one chance to play within the shows.”

While Bruce has worked on other festivals, such as the Bellingham Electronic Arts Festival (BEAF), Minifest is a one-of-a-kind project.

After all the planning, Bruce is excited to simply see how the whole festival fits together. “I’m also excited to see how each artist approaches the task. We’re very, very lucky to have a talented group of artists willing to try something different.”

The festival is a co-presentation of Sound Culture, Vox Novus/60×60 Project and WWU Music.

The shows will take place on the WWU campus on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. in the Old Main Theater, and Sunday, Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall. Both shows are $5 general admission. For more information, contact Bruce Hamilton via e-mail at skiks.bh@gmail.com.

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

Music for Moderns: Tonight we're gonna party like it's the 1940's

In its second year, Music for Moderns takes the idea of a conceptual event to dizzying heights by harkening back to a time before most of our parents were born. Centered around the theme of a 1940′s USO party the night before the troops are sent off to war, there will be food, music, and dancing an event for the ages.

Primarily organized by Marie Biondolillo, Kat Bula, Amy Gibson, Tracy Reilly and Katie Rickard, Music for Moderns is based on a simple idea. “We wanted to throw a really awesome party that was also a fundraiser that young people could afford to go to, and that had bands that people really wanted to see,” Tracy said.

The group also wanted to bring more attention to the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, located on Bay Street, and help raise much needed funds. “I always really liked the Radio Museum and I wanted to be a part of it somehow. I really like the radio station, KMRE, and I like the music of that time,” stated Katie.

Last year, Music for Moderns used the theme of a Speakeasy during prohibition, while this year, they’ve moved onto the next generation. “Last year we tried to have a speakeasy feel. The emphasis was on Prohibition, so we were going for an illicit feeling–secret drinking and sexy things. This year is more straightforwardly fun more balloons and streamers,” Tracy said. “Less debauchery, more flirting,” Amy added.

Each organizer had a different reason for being drawn to the 40′s USO dance concept. “When you think about the ’40s, it was a time when people were going through something rough, but they were coming together and figuring out how to have fun, which is kind of like what we’re trying to do now,” Katie said. “We liked the musical feel of the ’40s. My grandpa was in a jazz quartet and used to play trumpet in dance halls. They would take requests, and it was a very social way of presenting it, and we were inspired by that.”

Added Tracy, ” In the ’40s, there was more of a focus on the working woman and on practical clothing and suits–it was a shift for women in showing them what they were capable of physically and economically in the labor market. That felt really relevant.”

The aesthetic of the time is partially why Amy is excited about the 40′s. “I just like glitter and glam.”

For Marie, it was the party itself. “The appeal of the USO dance is that people partied like it was their last night in town BECAUSE it was their last night in town. The only people wilder than a bunch of speakeasy patrons are sailors on leave.”

This year’s event also includes a silent action, fresh pizza made on site by Peace Love Pizza, with champagne and cider to go along with the beer and wine. “The biggest change is that we’ve gone 1940s instead of 1920s, and that most of the entertainment has been created specifically for this event,” Marie said.

All of this year’s entertainment has been geared specifically for the 40s. “Laine and Naked Hearts are doing ’40s sets, and Ursula VanderRodd (Krissa Woiwoid) is putting together a song and dance number just for the event. We’ve got Rumba Northwest doing a ’40s dance number and quick lesson, and Kat Bula put together people from pretty much every band in Bellingham Ross Robinette (Lumpkins), Sarah Jerns and Coltan Foster (Pan Pan), Jessica Sele, Anna Arvan (Go Slowpoke), Chris Stainback (Thimble Vs. Needle), Mark Detrick (Rooftops), Karen Kunkel (Four Players), Robert Lashley (Scumeating), Wes Davis (Pirates R Us), Mars Lindgren (Yogoman Burning Band), Kit Nelson (Timmy Sunshine and the Conductors), Poops (Hawaiian Ghost Punch), and Tina North (Memes)–into a giant supergroup swing band. It’s a massive undertaking, and I’m really interested to see what it looks like,” Marie stated.

While Marie, Kat, Amy, Tracy and Katie are the primary organizers, the event is put together by a large contingent of people. Tana Granack, AMRE’s Operations Director, is very much logistically involved, along with volunteers Troy Greig, Ross Brackett, David Ney, Nora Hughes, Sheana Sisselman and Eric Holl.

As a big production, they’re all working for one common cause. “Our ultimate goal is to throw the best party ever–awesome music, beautiful clothes, and having it benefit people so that you can feel good about having fun. All the stuff that we love in one space,” exclaimed Marie.

Music for Moderns II: Last Night in Town A One-Night-Only Costume Party/Silent Auction/Dance will be held Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the American Museum of Radio & Electricity, 1312 Bay St., Bellingham. Tickets are $5 advance and $7 at the door. 21+. For more information, contact musicformoderns@gmail.com.

On Aug. 6 I was faced with a hard decision. It was the Downtown Art Walk and there were four really great shows happening around town. Should I see the always amazing Pan Pan at Jinx? Or how about the fantastic Rooftops at the Cabin Tavern? But then I would miss my favorite band in town, Keaton Collective, who was playing at the Wild Buffalo. And just to make things even harder, the fun rock band, Citizen Escape was playing at Plan B. After thinking about which show I wanted to see, I decided that I didn’t just need to go to one show, I could see them all!

Since it was the first Friday of the month, the Downtown Art Walk was happening. Every first Friday of the month, all the galleries in town open their doors for free to allow people to come in and see what all of our talented artists in town have been creating. The great thing about the Downtown Art Walk is that it focuses the city’s attention all on the huge underground artist community that we are fortunate to have.

During this art walk, I was particularly excited that the new Pickford theater, the Dreamspace, was having an open house. Already being in love with the Pickford, I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the Dreamspace. Due to lack of funding, it has been taking them longer than anticipated to open. However, on this art walk, and continuing with every art walk forward, they opened their doors to allow the public to see the status of the theater and hopefully to raise some donations. The space is fairy still bare bones with the layout complete and the wooden risers for the seats set in the two different theaters. There was a projection playing in the smaller theater, which will hold about 90 people and a band playing in the bigger theater, which will hold 145 people. The band, Bar Tabac, who are John Sampson on guitar, Andy Piper on a percussion contraption and Terry Wergeland on accordion, were playing haunting, echoey music. Or as my friend described it “crazy clown gypsy carnival blues.” The band would create sounds with their instruments and then John would trap the echoes the instruments created and loop them, while Andy and Terry would start creating something else to play on top of those echoes. Occasionally, John would switch from playing the guitar to the trombone and Terry would switch from playing the accordion to the trumpet. The haunting echoes that Bar Tabac were playing was the perfect match for the eery bare bones theater that we were sitting in.

After wandering around the Dreamspace studios, and seeing some awesome things that can be done with toasters, I made my way over to Jinx. Another great thing about the Downtown Art Walk is that there are usually free shows happening at the galleries. This art walk, Pan Pan was playing a free show in the Jinx basement. The show was to start promptly at nine since everyone, including Sarah Jerns, wanted to see the Rooftops. When I got to Jinx, the folk band, the Moandingers were just starting their set. Usually a three member band, tonight the band consisted of Kayla Brodgen on an acoustic guitar and Bill Lohse on cello. Kayla, who has the sweetest, most heartfelt voice, would lay down a playful melody on either her guitar, mandolin or accordion and then Bill, who sung harmonies, would add a serious tone with his cello. Their six song set, which consisted of songs such as “The Ghost Song” and “Gold, Gold, Gold” was blissfully mellow and made me want to hear more from them.

As the Moandingers were finishing their set, the crowd swelled, all waiting to hear Pan Pan. For this performance, Sarah Jerns brought along Austin Richy on drums and Ryan Wapnowski on saxophone. I knew from seeing Sarah play her trumpet in random bands around town that she was great and had always read that Pan Pan, was simply astonishing. Even though Pan Pan has been playing in town now for a couple of years, I’ve never seen her play a show or have listened to her album. After finally watching her perform live, she more than exceeded my expectations. It was just extraordinary to see how much ferocity and passion Sarah put into that piano. Through the entire set, her beautiful piano, soulful saxophone and great backing percussion blended flawlessly together to create breathtaking melodies.

After Pan Pan was done blowing my mind, I headed over to the Cabin Tavern. When I got there, Mary Mary had just got done playing and Biagio and the Argonauts were setting up. Being impatient as I am, I headed over to the Wild Buffalo to hear Keaton Collective. Just getting back from their “Time and Pressure” tour, Keaton Collective was playing a free show to kick off the Buffalo’s free August Fridays. I always love to see Keaton Collective live since they impressively demonstrate their own controlled chaos. Having six members in a band, four of which are vocalists, play a range of music from country to rock just spells a recipe for disaster. Keaton Collective, however, perfectly blend their forceful rhythm section, commanding drums and harmonies together all while being great showmen. At the time, the band was playing their country material, off their new album “Time and Pressure.” Since it was relatively early, there was only a small crowd at the Buffalo and I decided to head back to the Cabin just as the band started to play “Hilltop Saloon.”

When I got back to the Cabin Tavern, Biagio and the Argonauts were just about to start their set. The band is Biagio Biondolillo on main vocals and acoustic guitar with the Argonauts who are Kat Bula on violin as well as harmonies and Rabia Magnusson on piano. Biagio writes the songs and Kat and Rabia add beautiful vocal harmonies, strings and piano melodies. As the band started to play, they created an intimate setting since all three of the members had decided to play while seated, which had led a group of 15 or so people to sit on the floor of the Cabin along with them. The problem with playing an intimate show at the Cabin Tavern is that it is usually hard to hear the music over all the conversations. Being a great billed show, the Cabin was packed with people, all talking, which made it hard to hear anything other than Biagio singing and his guitar. However, while talking to friends, I did find the music enjoyable and relaxing to hang out to.

During changeover from Biagio and the Argonauts to the Rooftops, I went back to the Wild Buffalo to catch some more of Keaton Collective. Luckily for me, now they were playing more of their rock songs off of their first album “The Wash”, including my favorite “Hitler Doesn’t Own That Mustache.” After dancing to a few other songs, like “Be A Mess,” I heard that Citizen Escape had already started at Plan B and decided I better hustle up there before the Rooftops started at the Cabin. Sure enough, when I got to Plan B, the high energy Citizen Escape was already rocking through their set. The four man band, Jason on vocals, Billy on guitar, Ryan on bass and Chad on drums, blend elements of punk, rock and alternative music together to create a headbanging fun and fast sound. Paranoid that I was going to miss the Rooftops, I only stayed for about twenty minutes, which was long enough to hear the band play some originals and covers, including one of an Incubus song.

Running back down to the Cabin, I made it before the Rooftops even started. If you don’t know who the Rooftops are, then seriously, what rock have you been living under? Still, if you don’t know, the Rooftops are a four man band consisting of Mark Detrick, Drew Fitchette and Jonathan McIntyre all playing guitars, and Wendelin Wohlgemuth on drums. They intricately layer guitars, horns, strings, percussion and sparse vocals into irregular rhythmic structures and intersecting melodies to create their own union of math rock and post rock into indie-post-math-rock. Looking back on my notes from the evening, the one word that appears most is incredible.

Reminising on the night, I had seen seven remarkable bands in a period of six hours. The even more remarkable thing is that I only had to pay a cover at two shows. Bar Tabac was free, The Moandingers and Pan Pan were free, Biagio and the Argonauts and the Rooftops were a three dollar cover, Keaton Collective was free and Citizen Escape was only $2. Seven amazing bands for only $5! This night in my mind solidified the fact that we are so lucky to have such a great local scene.