Venice is Sinking never sinks

Sheila and I with Venice is Sinking

Amnesty International finished off their human rights film festival on Tuesday with a generous helping of Venice is Sinking. Ever since February, I've been dying to see them again, and this was truly the perfect opportunity. Unlike at the 40 Watt, we were in close quarters with the band in Cine's lab which was an entirely different type of experience. Because the room was so small, sweet music engulfed the audience, filling everyone with a sense of other worldliness. Karolyn Troupe's ethereal voice blended beautifully with Daniel Lawson's softer, deeper tone to create an almost unearthly sound. I felt as though I had been transported, like I was drifting over flowered fields, carried by a warm and gentle breeze.

Unfortunately, it seems that I will forever be followed by faulty show equipment. This time, Daniel's microphone was a bit too quiet, causing some of his singing to pass away unheard as the drums, guitars, and violas played. However, since he began to sing significantly louder in the later songs, this quickly ceased to be an issue. Also, although being so close to the band meant that the instrumental music was quite loud, they still maintained a sound level fit for humans as all well-practiced bands do. This was quite a feat, in fact, because they used at least nine different instruments throughout their performance. Very impressive.

Once again, I must commend the band for its ability to relate to its fans and its knack for showing a more humorous side. Karolyn, in particular, provides that ever so important fan to band connection. When I initially walked into the room, she smiled at me and exclaimed, 'It's the glow stick girls!" I wore a glow stick the very first time I saw them perform, and apparently it stuck. It's always so lovely to be remembered! Then, during the show, she and drummer Lucas Jenson had a rather hilarious, good-natured fight about the pronunciation of their latest CD AZAR. After that, while Amnesty chose winners for a few free givaways between songs, the band members piped in with amusing little exclamations of excitement over each of the prizes. Best of all, after the show the band agreed to take pictures with my friend Sheila and I which was a funny fiasco in and of itself because the man they asked to take the picture had clearly never used a camera before.

As everyone began to leave at the end of the show, the keyboardist spontaneously decided to play some covers of songs, making even the journey home a pleasant one. All in all, I'm incredibly glad I took time out of my Tuesday night studying to go see them. It was an absolutely wonderful show!

The Man in Dreads Speaks the Truth

Pholksinger Josh on the Myers Quad
(The band played a grand total of five instruments at once. Wow!)

The whip cream on top of this musically delightful weekend occurred at HPSC's Night on the Quad right in front of Myers Hall on the UGA campus. We were treated to a banquet of several bands, each uniquely delicious. Excellent!

Having caught only half of Pholksinger Josh's show on the twentieth, I was eager to see him perform again. Luckily, I managed to obtain my free t-shirt and food in just enough time to leap to the front of the audience and claim my spot before he began. I've checked out his songs on MySpace several times, but truly, I think that they need to be experienced live. There's a certain energy and passion that exist in his live show, particularly when he's singing about failed relationships, that draws you into the songs and makes you want to sing along. Also, the combination of his talents and those of his bandmates Andrew and Hannah is inspired. Although the three of them won't be playing together after this, I certainly wish them luck in their future (sure to be plentiful) musical endeavors.

Honestly, it's quite difficult to describe Pholksinger Josh's sound. He calls his genre "gangsta folk", but I feel that the music, at times, definitely has a bit of a hard rock edge as well. I'm generally not a huge fan of folk music, but his sound is so wonderfully unique that to class it in just any one genre would be an insult to his creativity. Most specifically, his songs Imperfection and 18th Summer (April to August) caught my fancy. He truly has a way with the lyrical word!

The bands that followed Pholksinger Josh were certainly worth listening to as well. Jam Manual, a rather loud hard rock group, performed quite an excellent cover of a Muse song. Later, Stone Irvin, a talented lone guitar player, sang an amazing original tune entitled Spiderweb. Then the female vocalist of the freshman band, Quiet Hours, finished off the night by sharing her beautiful voice with all of us.

However, one band that performed in the middle of the show, Cyrnaca, particularly captured my interest. I'll be honest. It's awfully hard for me to be truly impressed by bands that I have no previous knowlege of, but Cyrnaca managed to completely break through my skeptical wall. Their musical style was ground-vibrating hard rock, very intense. I was shocked when they said that they've only been together for six months! They were rather awesome.

Altogether, this weekend gave me an exquisite sampling of some of the more established acts as well as some of the fresher ones that the Ath-town has to offer. Thirteen bands in just three days! All of this joy never ceases to blow my mind. Tuesday night's Venice is Sinking show at Cine at 10 pm certainly has a lot to live up to, but I'm sure it won't disappoint.

For a fun time, call Doctor Squid...

Doctor Squid at Legion Field

I've seen Doctor Squid three times over the past year, and I keep coming back for more. Their upbeat music always fills me with joy, and their songs are ridiculously infectious. Every good band has their signature move, and Doctor Squid is no exception. They begin most of their shows with a clever little "testing the mic" song which always makes me smile. It's truly an awesome way to kick off the rock.

They chose to start yesterday's Local Bands Live show with one of their more established tunes, Stop the Show, but they had quite a short set so I couldn't blame them for filling it with as much squidrock as possible. In fact, they were in top form at this show... I've never heard them sound so amazing! It's clear that they've been honing their talent, and the new songs they debuted were absolutely delightful. Regrettably, I was unable to stay for the entire show, but even as I walked by the building formerly known as the SLC on the way to meet a friend, I heard their songs echoing throughout campus. I couldn't help singing along as I walked which earned me a few weird looks. Trust me, seeing one of their shows is such a joyful experience that you just can't stop the excitement! The group of dedicated fans they have that know all of the words to their songs can attest to this. As one of my five current Athens favorites, Doctor Squid is certainly the band to see if fun is what you desire.

Happy Here and Now

Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings at Go Bar

Sometimes you've got to just embrace your life even when times are tough. Chris McKay took this idea to heart when he rocked out on the Go Bar stage with the rest of the Critical Darlings last night despite having a concussion. He just can't stay away from the rock! I'm utterly amazed at his ability to still maintain some semblance of his trademark rockstar energy while suffering from head trama. That's nearly superhuman!

Although the sound quality at Go Bar was rather horrible and Joe's microphone was most tragically dead, Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings still managed to fill my ears with some of their most danceable tunes. Their songs never cease to pull me to my feet and put a smile on my face. They've got a style that hearkens back to the days of classic rock, and there's a certain edgy joy in all of their lyrics which is evident in every one of their performances. And, on top of all of this, they're some of the sweetest guys ever. I seriously urge everyone to check these guys out!

After the Darlings, Alanta band the Pinx took the stage. The first thing that caught my eye even before they stepped onstage was a plastic owl with glowing red eyes that they apparently bring to all of their shows. Props for the props! I loved it. Once they began playing, it was clear why the Darlings and the Pinx are such good friends. They have a similar energy that the Pinx displayed last night with lots of head banging and some rather nice guitar parts that, at times, resembled the wildly impressive sound of the band of demons in the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. They ended their set with some songs that had a darker edge to them that I truly enjoyed.

Afterward, while walking back through downtown, I ran into some friends who were dancing just outside of the gate of the Boar's Head Lounge to some 80's tunes. Now, I wouldn't mention a cover band in this blog unless they were amazing, but Velvet Runway, the band that was playing there, was just that. They rocked the songs as if they had written them, and it was impossible for all of us not to dance. Apparently, our enthusiasm was infectious because several people we didn't know joined us in our outdoor dance fest. Our excitement also sparked the interest of many potential lounge patrons, and during one of the songs, a guy informed us that we looked like the badasses from a scene in some old movie. Thanks, dude! Even the band showed their appreciation. Awesome.

Basically, the night was a blast! Two live bands and a cover band all in a row... You've gotta love Athens!

Misheard in Athens

Hello, my friends! I've been rather busy lately, finishing up all of my class projects and preparing for finals and such. Tragic. Sadly, I'm also a bit behind in my show write-ups. Be on the lookout for my review of two of Pholksinger Josh's shows sometime soon after Sunday night. However, I have had a few humorous experiences during the past couple of days while pumping some of my favorite Athens acts, and I thought I'd share some of them with you. Apparently, good hearing is quite scarce on the UGA campus.

The first of the lovely mix-ups occurred while I was discussing the wonderfully exciting Crumbling Arches show coming up on May 8th. I told my friend that they were opening for the Presidents of the United States of America, but understandably, she thought I had said that they were playing for the President. The mental image of Obama mouthing the lyrics to the Preachings of Priamides while Sasha and Malia dance beside him certainly put a smile on my face.

Just a few moments later, as I shared the news of Aman Amun's May 1st show with another friend, a second mix-up occured. I was enumerating the event details listed on his website for her (free food, free music, free art) when I came to the last item: free booze. Of course, with her head firmly in the gutter, she heard "free boobs." Apparently, Mardi Gras is happening twice this year, the second in UGA's very own art building! I'll let you handle the visual image on that one.

My favorite moment occured not long after that. Filled with excitement after the Pholksinger Josh show I had just seen, I mentioned to a friend that several of his songs had been used in an indie film. In shock, she replied that she had no idea he had been involved with the Indian film industry. Oh, Bollywood will never be the same for me after this! The mental image of Josh's dreadlocked personage dancing Indian-style in colorful, traditional garb was nearly too much for me to take. After a long bout of hysterical laughter, I decided to give Athens music a rest for the day.

Now, however, I'm back full force. This weekend is going to be a wild treasure trove of Athens bands! Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings will kick off the weekend with their sure-to-be amazing Friday show at 10 pm at Go Bar. On Saturday, the party starts early with a seven-band Local Bands Live show at Legion Field beginning at 11 am. Don't miss Doctor Squid's set at 12:45 pm! Then we'll have the delightful opportunity to hear Pholksinger Josh again as well as six more local bands rock out on the Myers Quad for HPSC's Night on the Quad on Sunday starting at 5 pm. Athens has certainly outdone herself this time! Enjoy.

A Shockingly Exciting Calendar Update for April

The 40 Watt lights

Wow, this month keeps getting better and better! I've just added a few more shows to the incredible lineup of acts to see in April right here. Coming up soon: the Modern Skirts will be showering their audience with tunes at the 40 Watt Club this Friday, and the Atlanta band Stellate will show us what pop rock should sound like at the Athens Creative Theatre (which apparently actually is a real place) this Saturday! Don't miss them!

Also, I just found out that I'll be celebrating my half birthday with what just might be the greatest week of music ever! All five of my current favorite Athens bands and acts will be gracing stages all around this lovely town starting on the 24th of this month. Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings, Doctor Squid, Venice is Sinking, Crumbling Arches, and Aman Amun... I'm nearly speechless with excitement!

Update: Crumbling Arches will no longer be playing on April 30th in order to prepare for their show at the 40 Watt on May 8th with The Presidents of the United States of America!

Update 2: It seems that the end-of-the-year Crumbling Arches show is cursed. Stay tuned for more information on the date of their next show.

Update 3: Forget the curse! Crumbling Arches will now be playing a FREE show at the 40 Watt on May 8th. Don't miss it!

Crumbling Arches: Beyond the Rock

This is the level of excitement I generally reserve for my favorite band.

Note: I first saw Crumbling Arches perform live in April of last year. Wow, what a difference one year makes!

Over the past year, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of seeing Crumbling Arches perform a ridiculous seven times. I’ve come to find that each of the band members brings something both awesome and unique to the metaphorical table of rock. In the past, I’ve described the intense effect their music has on those who listen to it, but the band members themselves provide a live show experience that cannot be overlooked either. So, for anyone out there who’s interested, here’s how I (and many of my friends) view this group of musical adventurers…

I’ll start with singer/ guitar player Alex McKelvey because he’s the first one everyone notices, the quintessential front man. Basically, Alex is the “sex, drugs, and rock and roll” of the band, and in every way, he shows this. He brings a taste of danger, badassery, and sexual humor to everything he does. In fact, it can be argued that Alex’s mere existence was enough to put several college girls through a second puberty. Also, he is quite possibly the only person I’ve ever met who is (apparently) the proud owner of some “testicles of […] identity.” Honestly, though, he has a rather unique view of the world which he generously shares with all who care to listen to his song lyrics.

Singer/ guitar player Brian McGaw is the shadowed genius of the group, the experimental artist. A wonderfully sweet but elusive mystery, you’ll often find Brian behind the scenes, creating melodies, developing technologically fascinating devices, and testing out new ideas. As a determined perfectionist, he constantly works to improve the band’s image and performance, making each new show something definitely worth experiencing. Also, Brian demonstrates his rather incredible musical range both with his use of an array of different instruments and in his separate solo project, Aman Amun (described conveniently in the blog below). Furthermore, he too shares his delicious ponderings with the world through the lyrics that he writes.

Bass player Ian Hennessee has the lovely gift of making everyone in the audience feel special. His clear enthusiasm for the music permeates every space where he performs, and his bouncy demeanor and active presence fill the audience with quite a spectacular amount of anticipation and glee. However, most of all, Ian is known for his smile. Nearly every concert-going lass leaves the show convinced that he was smiling at her, and more than a few friendly fights have broken out after these shows with regards to this fact. Best of all, Ian is a genuinely friendly person who always takes the time to talk to all of the fans and to let them know how much he appreciates them.

During performances, you may not see Zachary Hennessee at first, banging away on his drums, but you’ll feel the wonderful rhythms and beats that bring a sense of completion and certainty to the Crumbling Arches melodies. Although he may be playing in the background, he’s far from being a background member of the band. Zachary shares a wealth of love for the fans at every show, and he’s always up for a hug and a chat. Even after the show ends, he makes sure that each fan knows that he hasn’t forgotten them, and he showers them with appreciation. It’s enough to make anyone feel incredibly important. Essentially, he completes the package of rocktacular perfection.

As a whole, Crumbling Arches manages to operate as one musical body. The harmonization of Brian’s and Alex’s voices creates a sound for the band that is wonderfully unequaled, and they share the task of entertaining the audience between songs with humorous anecdotes, interesting details about the songs, and clever sayings. Zachary and Ian’s talents combine to thrill the ear and intensify the rock quality of each of the songs. And, to top it all off, their collective fashion sense can only be described as spectacular. Basically, they are Crumbling Arches. No other words should be necessary.

Don’t miss their highly anticipated, end of the year performance on Friday, May 8th at the 40 Watt Club with The Presidents of the United States of America!

**Update (4/5/09): PUSA can no longer make the show, but Crumbling Arches will still be rocking the club that night. Be sure to check it out! It will be a FREE show!