Nestled in the Ozark National Forest on Mulberry Mountain in Arkansas, Wakarusa delivered it’s 7th installment of the festival with an incredible lineup. Four days of music, basically from noon to the early morning, with over 100 acts packed into 6 stages. With most festivals of this size, the main issue is planning out who you will see and making the sacrifices of the missed shows. The beauty of festivals like this is that you have scores of acts that you have yet to discover. As you float around, you are bound to make the serendipitous walk to a stage with an undiscovered treasure (at least to your ear holes) Each day presented the wonderful challenge of hopping from stage to stage, absorbing as much music as you can handle. Wakarusa’s layout of the stages works well with the natural flow of traffic. Only two stages were off the beaten path, The Backwoods and the Satellite, though still fairly close to downtown Waka. This detour was shorten by Shakedown Street. Food and merch vendors of all varieties added zest to the fest, ranging from the free oxygen bar at the State Farm booth to trippy holographic/3D images from Jumbie Art out of Louisville, KY. One of the favorites on the food side was Bearly Edible, serving up quesadillas. I have to admit, the Iamayamadilla was one of the greatest food items I have ever consumed.
DISCLAIMER: This is a glimpse into my Waka experience. Click for my Rough Road to Wakarusa story. The Show of the Day Awards are much more difficult to hand out that you can imagine. The acts at Wakarusa were some of the best live performances I have seen in recent memory. Each act works hard to get their music out, be it through the music, dance, antics on stage, lights, etc. Some of the hardest working bands in the country were represented at Wakarusa. I can honestly say that I did not see one show that I was disappointed in. This is why I go to the festivals. If you don’t believe me, check out these bands yourself. You will thank me later, I promise. Doctor’s orders!
Day 1 – Thursday (1% of lineup seen)
As noted earlier, my arrival was not as planned. Thusly, I missed a large portion of the lineup and why I have so many acts most missed. One of the early highlights was camping next to Beatle Bob, who has a claim to have been to a live show every night since Christmas Eve 1996. He has so much energy and knowledge of shows and bands and was a pleasure to hang around. I saw him later getting down on stage with Michael Franti at the end of the set. The discovery of the day was beyond a doubt, Ha Ha Tonka. This discovery came in part due to being in the right place at the right time. These United States just finished a great set themselves and as I was hanging with some familiar faces in TUS, Ha Ha Tonka was setting up. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had seen Umphrey’s McGee play recently in Lexington, I would have surely gone to check that set out. I decided to stick around and catch a few songs of this band from the Ozark region or Missouri. I am sure glad I did. This band was incredible and I was shocked that I had never heard of them. I kept asking the guys from TUS, “Have you heard of these guys? They are unreal right now” They of course were wise to the ways of the Tonka. Just when I thought they had hit their groove and didn’t have anymore to give, here comes an a cappella breakdown. Now, being a singer for most of my life and coming up through an a cappella choir, this is one of the more difficult things to do with just four people, and not just sound like a standard barbershop quartet. They actually had soul to accompany their amazing voices. The one voice that stood tall to me was the one of Luke Long, who has one of the silkiest baritone voices I have heard in a while. All I can say is, when either Ha Ha Tonka or These United States are in your area, make it a must see show.
Acts seen:
Michael Franti and Spearhead (Main Stage)
These United States (Backwoods Stage)– Show of the Day Runner Up
Ha Ha Tonka (Backwoods Stage) – Show of the Day Award
Lotus (Revival Tent)
Acts most missed on Day 1:
Those Darlins
Truth and Salvage Co.
TFDI
Pimps of Joytime – Most Missed Show of the Day Award
Minus the Bear
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals – Most Missed Show Runner Up
Umphrey’s McGee
Beats Antique
Kinetix
Day 2 – Friday (22% of lineup seen)
Friday was a day full of great acts, as is the trend of all the days. One of the toughest things for the media is balancing interviews and making to the stages for certain acts. Missing Cornmeal and Carrie Rodriguez to start the day was tough, though making it to Trombone Shorty was killer. The discoveries of the day were: Hoots and Hellmouth from Philly and Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band out of Asheville, NC. Totally different vibes, yet on top of their games respectively. One of the highlights for Friday was the press conference with Trombone Shorty, crew from STS9, Elliot Lipp, Ana Sia and Quixotic Fusion. I asked Troy (Trombone Shorty) about how fans who just see Trombone Shorty in his name might not know about his singing ability. He replied by saying, “When you are a horn player from New Orleans who is leading a band, you have to sing. We are following in the footsteps of Louie Armstrong, so it’s just part of the landscape for Nola. If you were a horn player from somewhere else, you might be able to just play horn. But being from Nola and representing the music that came before, it’s a respect and honor thing to lead the band with both horns and a voice” For my Show of the Day, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings get a little bias. They are one of my favorite bands out there right now, mainly because they have it all: power soul singer with some James Brown inside her, super tight band sound led by Bosco Mann and Binky Griptite, and some of the funkiest horns you will hear. They take me back to the old school soul days, yet are doing it right now. There are not a lot of bands that carry the soul power as this one. On the flipside, missing Ghostland Observatory was tough. This was attributed by taking a “quick nap” to power up for Bassnectar and Ghostland. Note to self: no naps at music festivals, unless you are willing to miss some music. One day, I will experience the lasers for myself.
Acts seen:
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue (Main Stage)– Show of the Day Runner Up
JJ Grey and MOFRO (Main Stage)
Hoots and Hellmouth (Backwoods Stage)
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (Outpost)
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (Main Stage) – Show of the Day Award
Parts of STS9/Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses/Rebelution (Main Stage/Revival Tent/Outpost)
ANA SIA (Satellite)
Galactic (Revival Tent)
My Morning Jacket (Main Stage)
Acts most missed on Day 2:
Cornmeal
Carrie Rodriguez – Most Missed Show Runner Up
The Heavy
Josh Phillips Folk Festival
Bassnectar
Ghostland Observatory – Most Missed Show of the Day Award
Day 3 – Saturday (22% of lineup seen)
While I could make arguments that each day was the best day, Saturday was really an incredible day for music. Let’s call it “Revival Saturday” as I spent most of my time at that stage. In talking to Big Sam before his set, I asked him about if he ever had dueled Trombone Shorty and he mentioned that in the documentary, Make It Funky! which features many New Orleans musicians, there is a face off of sorts. He also mentioned that he was going to sit in with Galactic right after his set and later with The Budos Band. That is another great benefit of music festivals, so many collaborations which are usually not advertised. It’s one of those things where you are either there to witness, or get the rehash of what awesomeness you missed. Now, you may think it’s a cop out for me to have 5 favorites for Saturday, but I am telling you, it’s impossible to sort them out. If I had to truly pick one, I would choose Quixotic Fusion, as they are my discovery of the day. This group out of Kansas City is a mixture of symphonic music, progressive music, dance (both traditional and modern), and acrobatics. It’s like a show from Vegas with added breadth and dimensions to give it an unique feel. This really does not even do this group justice. As a member of the crowd exclaimed, “This is like watching sex on stage” For me, it was an incredible show with elements that are rare to find bundled up into one package. The term “fusion” fits nicely, as it’s a blend of many influences and styles to create a beautiful performance. In talking with Anthony Magliano, composer and co-founder of the group, he attributes the complexities of the show to come together with each part having targeted rehearsals. They also have a rehearsal studio with 22 ft ceilings and a sprung floor to maximize the potential of each show. Wakarusa was their debut festival and were equipped with a dedicated stage to fully utilize their talents. The future is bright for this cast and will be worth checking out when the fusion rolls close to your home base.
Acts seen:
STEEZ (Revival Tent)
Big Sam’s Funky Nation (Revival Tent) – 5 Way tie for Show of the Day Award
Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band (Revival Tent)
Ozomatli (Main Stage)
MarchFourth Marching Band (Revival Tent)
Ben Harper and the RELENTLESS7 (Main Stage)
The Budos Band (Revival Tent) – 5 Way tie for Show of the Day Award
Thievery Corporation (Main Stage) – 5 Way tie for Show of the Day Award
Quixotic Fusion (Quixotic Performance Stage) – 5 Way tie for Show of the Day Award
Wookiefoot (Revival Tent) - 5 Way tie for Show of the Day Award
Acts most missed on Day 3:
Family Groove Company
Mumford & Sons – Most Missed Show of the Day Award
Grupo Fantasma
Mouth
Papa Grows Funk
Perpetual Groove
Big Gigantic
Day 4 – Sunday (0% of lineup seen)
(You can use this or cut Sunday out all together)
Unfortunately, this day ended up being a drive back to Kentucky to make it back by Monday day. That being said, I missed all of the acts for this day.
Acts most missed on Day 4:
Carrie Nation & The Speakeasy
John Brown’s Body
Here Come The Mummies – Most Missed Show Runner Up
The Beautiful Girls
Toots & the Maytals – Most Missed Show of the Day Award
Lance Herbstrong
That was Wakarusa for 2011. Overall, it was one of the most incredible music festival lineups I have ever seen and all delivered as advertised. Saw many bands that I already love and discovered many bands and acts that I now love. If you haven’t thought about Wakarusa before, now would be a good time to start planning for 2012. You can trust that another incredible lineup will be in place to satisfy any musical soul out there. Even through all the trials and tribulations that it took for me to get there, I will be hard pressed to miss future installments. See you on the mountain next year.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
The Rough Road to Wakarusa 2011
Anytime you head to a music festival, you have to make sure that you have everything you need: food, water, camping equipment, a little cash, camera/laptop (for press purposes) and roadside assistance. Oh wait, I am getting a little ahead of myself on the roadside assistance. The trip from Lexington, KY to Ozark, AR is about 11 hours one way, so not for the faint of heart in one scoop. The plan: leave Lexington around 7 PM and drive straight to get to the site early in the morning. So far, so good... until about 45 min into the drive, about to get on Bluegrass Parkway, I get that funny feeling all of us have had from time to time. I forgot something important. This time it was the backpack with all of my media gear: laptop, pens, paper, schedule of interviews, etc. Not something I could just leave behind. Since I had not reached the point of no return, I backtrack for the backpack. This set back my plan of arrival a couple of hours. The new plan: drive to Memphis, crash for a few hours, then continue down the road to Ozark, AR. Make it to Memphis, safe and sound. Zzz... Wake up, hit the shower, grab some grub for breakfast and back on the road...
Let me tell you, I-40W was/is littered with rubber from blown big rig truck tires. Usually, this is not an issue: bob and weave just like Ali used to. In any case, I am cruising along in Blue Black Jack, my old school Saab and Mulberry Mountain is only about 50 miles away at this point. Uh oh... a piece of rubber that cannot be avoided, due to someone riding on my side in the slow lane as I was trying to pass them. The dilemma: hit the piece of tire and take whatever happens, or pull some Hollywood driving techniques at 75 MPH. Tough choice, but I decide to take on the rubber. Oops... should have channeled my inner James Bond or Jason Bourne. As soon as I hit the rubber, I could smell the fumes pouring out of my tank and my car started to slow down. Obviously, not a good situation. As I make my way to the side of the road, I turn off the car, let it sit for a few minutes and then try to restart it. Note to all who are reading: NEVER DO THIS EVER! Luckily, my stupidity didn't cost me my life as each rev I was leaking fuel. Upon further inspection, I broke my fuel line. Any little spark or fuel hitting a hot piece of the car could have resulted in a flame up or worse. Again, thank God I have survived this point. Good thing I have AT&T Roadside Assistance... right? BUZZ! Wrong! Supposedly, I was too honest by telling them I hit a piece of roadside debris. Roadside debris = roadside assistance? Not according to the terms of service, which I didn't know verbatim. So, you could blame me for being prepared with roadside assistance that I had paid into for over 3 years with the notion that if poo hits the fan, I am covered. They were nice enough to offer calling assistance for me, at my own expense. Fortunately, the iPhone comes in handy here, looking up local towing services and auto repair shops for the nearest town, Russellville, AR. It was a blessing to break down only 10 miles from a town that has some commerce, which is not usually the case breaking down on the interstate. About 90 min on the side of the road, Wayne's Towing comes to pick me up and drag me into town. They drop me off at Anderson's Automotive, run by Bob Anderson. For all that live close to Russellville, AR, you should take any auto work to this shop. They are incredibly nice, affordable and extremely good at what they do. As they are fully accessing the damage and working on the repairs, I attempt to tell the world about what's going on via Facebook. I was able to post one status update, then the iPhone cycles off. Ok, hard reset, watch the Apple logo and we are back in business. Not so fast, my friend. If you are familiar with the term: trouble comes in twos and threes, this was the case. I don't know where I am officially on the trouble scale, though it seems like its just one thing after another...
Once the crew was done with Blue Black Jack, I get on the road to the nearest AT&T store (again, counting my blessings that Russellville has it going on) The diagnosis: the hard drive had crashed. Really? It's like that? Yep, it is. Once I get the new phone, I get back on the road to Wakarusa, some 5 1/2 hours later. Though I am lucky to be alive and grateful for all of the kind people in Russellville, I miss my first 6 interviews: Grace Potter, Minus The Bear, Truth and Salvage Co., Those Darlins, Carrie Rodriguez and Kinetix. That is the downside of it all. Good thing music helps take your cares away. As soon as I got to the festival, I instantly felt at ease and some peace with what had just happened. Along with the gorgeous drive on the site location with the Ozark National Forest as the back drop, the atmosphere on the mountain was welcoming and comforting. Check in, set up camp and on to the festival, where Michael Franti was starting to rock the stage.
A couple of days later, I had the highlight of the festival. While hanging out with the crew from Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band (awesome band, BTW) I was in the artist hospitality area and see Ben Harper immediately after his set. He was hanging with someone and I didn't have an interview planned, but I have wanted to meet Ben Harper for years. What to do, what to do? HOORAY BEER! I grab a beer and approach by saying, "Great set man! Here's a beer as I know you were headed that way. It's a pale ale, they are out of wheat right now" He replies with, "Thanks a lot man, I actually prefer pale ale anyway. I am Ben, thanks so much" and extends his hand. From almost burning in a blaze of glory in Arkansas to meeting one of my most favorite musicians of all time, I would say that I am blessed. This is what keeps me going to music festivals, the music brings you home.
Let me tell you, I-40W was/is littered with rubber from blown big rig truck tires. Usually, this is not an issue: bob and weave just like Ali used to. In any case, I am cruising along in Blue Black Jack, my old school Saab and Mulberry Mountain is only about 50 miles away at this point. Uh oh... a piece of rubber that cannot be avoided, due to someone riding on my side in the slow lane as I was trying to pass them. The dilemma: hit the piece of tire and take whatever happens, or pull some Hollywood driving techniques at 75 MPH. Tough choice, but I decide to take on the rubber. Oops... should have channeled my inner James Bond or Jason Bourne. As soon as I hit the rubber, I could smell the fumes pouring out of my tank and my car started to slow down. Obviously, not a good situation. As I make my way to the side of the road, I turn off the car, let it sit for a few minutes and then try to restart it. Note to all who are reading: NEVER DO THIS EVER! Luckily, my stupidity didn't cost me my life as each rev I was leaking fuel. Upon further inspection, I broke my fuel line. Any little spark or fuel hitting a hot piece of the car could have resulted in a flame up or worse. Again, thank God I have survived this point. Good thing I have AT&T Roadside Assistance... right? BUZZ! Wrong! Supposedly, I was too honest by telling them I hit a piece of roadside debris. Roadside debris = roadside assistance? Not according to the terms of service, which I didn't know verbatim. So, you could blame me for being prepared with roadside assistance that I had paid into for over 3 years with the notion that if poo hits the fan, I am covered. They were nice enough to offer calling assistance for me, at my own expense. Fortunately, the iPhone comes in handy here, looking up local towing services and auto repair shops for the nearest town, Russellville, AR. It was a blessing to break down only 10 miles from a town that has some commerce, which is not usually the case breaking down on the interstate. About 90 min on the side of the road, Wayne's Towing comes to pick me up and drag me into town. They drop me off at Anderson's Automotive, run by Bob Anderson. For all that live close to Russellville, AR, you should take any auto work to this shop. They are incredibly nice, affordable and extremely good at what they do. As they are fully accessing the damage and working on the repairs, I attempt to tell the world about what's going on via Facebook. I was able to post one status update, then the iPhone cycles off. Ok, hard reset, watch the Apple logo and we are back in business. Not so fast, my friend. If you are familiar with the term: trouble comes in twos and threes, this was the case. I don't know where I am officially on the trouble scale, though it seems like its just one thing after another...
Once the crew was done with Blue Black Jack, I get on the road to the nearest AT&T store (again, counting my blessings that Russellville has it going on) The diagnosis: the hard drive had crashed. Really? It's like that? Yep, it is. Once I get the new phone, I get back on the road to Wakarusa, some 5 1/2 hours later. Though I am lucky to be alive and grateful for all of the kind people in Russellville, I miss my first 6 interviews: Grace Potter, Minus The Bear, Truth and Salvage Co., Those Darlins, Carrie Rodriguez and Kinetix. That is the downside of it all. Good thing music helps take your cares away. As soon as I got to the festival, I instantly felt at ease and some peace with what had just happened. Along with the gorgeous drive on the site location with the Ozark National Forest as the back drop, the atmosphere on the mountain was welcoming and comforting. Check in, set up camp and on to the festival, where Michael Franti was starting to rock the stage.
A couple of days later, I had the highlight of the festival. While hanging out with the crew from Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band (awesome band, BTW) I was in the artist hospitality area and see Ben Harper immediately after his set. He was hanging with someone and I didn't have an interview planned, but I have wanted to meet Ben Harper for years. What to do, what to do? HOORAY BEER! I grab a beer and approach by saying, "Great set man! Here's a beer as I know you were headed that way. It's a pale ale, they are out of wheat right now" He replies with, "Thanks a lot man, I actually prefer pale ale anyway. I am Ben, thanks so much" and extends his hand. From almost burning in a blaze of glory in Arkansas to meeting one of my most favorite musicians of all time, I would say that I am blessed. This is what keeps me going to music festivals, the music brings you home.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wakarusa Preview: These United States
With so many bands coming to the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas for Wakarusa this week, it gets tough to get to know them all beforehand. Most of the bands, top to bottom of the lineup, already have dedicated regional fan bases. The main draw to festivals is to broaden their audience to as many people that can listen. There are sure to be scores of fresh ear drums listening to the group’s sound for the first time. Of course, with the internet at the ready (so long as your trusty device’s battery survives) you can look up an act on the fly. Others might pick a few new bands to inspect beforehand. Usually, it’s just grazing the surface. Lucky for you, we were able to grab a handful of bands and take them to the interrogation room for you. These bands range from all across the country. These United States come out of Washington, D.C./Lexington, KY, Ana Sia, currently out of San Francisco, CA and Cornmeal comes from Chicago, IL. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the introspection. Who knows, you may be reading about your new favorite band.
THESE UNITED STATES
Jesse Elliott, lead guitar/vocals
Welcome back to these United States. How was your time abroad in Europe? Any crazy stories you can share?
Mountains! Trains! Rooftops! Canals! They got all the same stuff we got over here, right, but it’s just so much older, ground down polished, the lure of the exotic. We can’t disclose all the streets we staggered down, not until we see you in person. It’s just not safe. It could fall into the wrong hands. We can’t let just anyone know what a weird and wonderful world this is – civilians might not be ready for it.
I was reading that you have played over 600 shows. Congrats on that feat. Are you planning anything special for when the show mark hits 1,000, or will it just be business as usual?
Yeah, it’s almost 800 now, I think, though I’ve been forgetting to count the last year or so. I used to love to count this, count anything really. It’s like climbing the world’s longest staircase, no end in sight, but it’s a spiral pointed at the heavens, so it’s worth the sweat. 1,000 will be about one one hundredth of the way up, as far as I can calculate. We won’t rest on that stair, not for more than one show.
What has had the biggest impact on you as a band over the years? Have there been any technological advances over your tenure that have made things easier or more difficult for you?
The gasoline-powered automobile was pretty huge for us. Electricity helped, too. We keep trying to make the leap to carefully labeled Excel documents, but there’s just not as much joie de vivre in it, you know?
Thanks to Ford and Edison. Have your roles/dynamics changed in the band over time? How do you get to the final product of a completed song?
Absolutely. All the time, slowly but surely, gradually then suddenly. I write the songs, in the beginning, but that’s been the only consistent part of the creative process. Tom, Robby, Colin, Justin, me, we all write and re-write each others’ ideas for each other. It gets messy. Sometimes it gets better by way of messy. Easier overall, for sure, just cause we’re knocking on the same zen door, over and over, and no one ever answers, which is the whole point of that door being there in the first place, but know we know that.
Has there ever been a time that you’ve considered going your separate ways?
We get to wander off from each other enough every night. Emotions run high. People look for different things in the late hours. None of us find them, not totally, and we slink back towards each other in the morning. Living in 3 different cities helps, too.
Taking that to the studio, how do you stay fresh with material and avoid getting stagnant for yourselves and your fans, yet stay true to your roots?
Are we doing that? Hm. Maybe we should establish that premise first. It’s very hard to see these things from the inside. Maybe we are the world’s most boring band, and everyone we know is too polite to tell us. We should call for an independent audit of this enterprise! Do you know any pollsters who would give us a family rate?
What do you listen to when you’re on the road? Favorite new album/band?
Because it’s required of us by the zeitgeist, we listened to the new Fleet Foxes album yesterday. Great stuff them bearded beauties are making. Raphael Saadiq blew me away the other day, too. Powerful, smile in that music as big as music. The classics. Our friends. Dylan bootlegs. Books on tape. There are one hundred million hours when you enter the van. There is nothing we haven’t listened to, as a result. The universe has not yet been able to create an amount of sound that is bigger than the amount of time we spend driving back and forth in a van.
What can you not live without when you’re touring?
Sound.
How much of your live show is planned out and what do you just let happen naturally?
Hmm. Tough to answer. It becomes instinctual, which is not exactly either of those, right? You just know. Partly training. Partly improvisation. You are the Karate Kid, or maybe just Zoot from the Muppets, just part of that immaculate flow.
Have you ever had an audience that just wasn’t into your music? What did you do to try to win them over?
Yes. We tried to buy them off. But we didn’t have money, either. So it didn’t work.
Any pre- or post-show rituals?
Usually just collective bloodletting and a round of beers. Or just a round of beers, if it was a long night of collective bloodletting the night before.
Favorite band to play with? Favorite festival experience? Band/artist you’d most like to play with in the future?
Oh, man, they’re all great. You can’t ask us to pick favorites. How will the other kids at the end of the kickball draft feel? Well, OK, since I’m thinking now of their festival they’re putting on same weekend as Wakarusa, we’ll go Fruit Bats, at the moment. Big old winery out in California – we’ll be soaring straight from mountains to orchards. And those bastards are some brilliant live music bastards, believe you me. I think we’re all excited to play with My Morning Jacket. Amazing people, amazing musicians, haven’t shared a stage with them yet.
Most exciting moment as a band? Do you remember what you were doing when you first heard one of your songs being played on the radio?
We were playing at a radio station when we first heard one of our songs make it to radio. I think they were probably contractually obligated or something. Lollapalooza last summer was a highlight, just cause it was a kinda old stomping grounds where a few of us grew up homecoming kinda thing. Pickathon was amazing, too. Does Wakarusa have a sister festival? That should be Wakarusa’s sister festival. Pickathon’s mind-bendingly amazing.
Biggest musical influences?
Parents.
Question you’d least like to answer? Worst interview you’ve had?
Let he who has been without bad questions cast the first dumb answer. Or whatever. We don’t kiss and tell, that’s the point. Especially if it was a bad kiss. That’s just embarrassing for everyone involved. And gets you kissed less in the future.
What’s next?
Festivals! All summer long! Hillside in Toronto – that’ll be a grand old time on Guelph Island. Lotsa new recording going on at Secret World Headquarters in Kentucky, too.
So, who is the calming presence of the band and who is the "Animal" like from the Muppets?
Justin and Tom both play that first role. Robby and I tag-team the second, though if you twisted my arm I would be forced to admit that he is more through-and-through animalistic.
If this band didn’t exist, what does everyone think they would be doing instead of rockin the heads of the masses?
Watching The Muppets. That is not a joke. Being rocked, in the receptive sense, would be a close second.
For some bands that have several albums under their belt, coupled with the seemingly endless tour schedule, how do you come up with the energy to keep creating?
Local bacon, micro beers, friendly vegetables, homegrown strawberries, eggs from just out back in the yard – we had all these things and some even more devious ones just in the last 4 hours, right outside of Ithaca. We just keep pumping fuel into ourselves. We are like some big hideous consumption goblin, very top of the food chain, Maslow’s laundry list having been satisfied, moving on to something to give all that constant craving and chomping a little bit of meaning – just guilt, really – just good old-fashioned Puritan work ethic god-help-us-all kinda attitude, you know? We owe the world a lot, whoever’s in charge. We know what the score is – we’ve seen the ledger. These are dark times.
Speaking of energy, what kind of energy or mood was the group in when in the making of this album? Any songs have an extra story behind the lyrics?
Well, yeah, OK, following on that last one, dark. It’s about drowning and death and then other deaths. It was made during winter. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye. There were some tense moments. Happy families are all the same – dysfunctional ones, you know, they bleed it out together differently.
There seems to be a heavy amount of soul poured into this album. Any particular influences on this album? How was the production of this album different from the ones before it?
Death, yeah. More death. It’s a life-affirming kind of death. One of the songs that didn’t make it, that hopefully we’ll get back around to one of these days, this song says “My diamond mama taught me life / my stoic daddy taught me death / which is a way to life your last breath / without knowing it’s your last breath.” You just never know when, so you gotta live like you just never know when. Production-wise, we in the band all took a larger role, especially our guitarist Justin – he directed a lot more bits and pieces this time around, along with an outside guy Dan Wise who was the one with this big gorgeous studio in the middle of the snowy eastern Pennsylvania winter woods.
One of the things that keeps me listening to TUS is the way that the vocals tell a story and the instruments help collaborate with a different voice of their own. For the most part, what comes first: vocals or instrumentation?
Well, vocals first, but it’s very chicken and egg, one builds on another, it’s a virtuous cycle, back and forth round and round again in an ever-upward spiral – which of course sometimes comes crashing back down, but often ends up suspended somewhere in mid-air, right where we want it, spin it around, look at it from different sides. The vocals and the instruments do this for each other – they’re like two blinded piñatas, each with his own bat, taking swings at each other in a very dark room suspended somewhere above the earth.
I enjoyed the blend of constant background distortion with a smooth up front melody in One You Believe. Was that the plan the whole time, or a serendipitous studio situation?
Hmm. Yes?
There is a certain quality about 'Just This' that feels like a ballad, though its much shorter. The guitar solo is raw, yet controlled. For some guitarists, they can play the same solo again and again. Others play it once and it will never be the same after that. How would you all characterize your solo styles?
As far as solos go, we tend towards constant crafting and refinement towards a collective ideal, rather than a more improvisational take. That solo you point out is a perfect example, in the sense that it’s not a solo at all. It’s actually three different instruments – Tom’s pedal steel, Justin’s guitar, Colin’s bass – plus a healthy heap of noise, all intertwining and building melodically on each other, one at a time, a little more pointing towards classical music with repeating overlapping of motifs, really. Those are our favorite ones, the ones that Tom and Justin build together, back and forth – they are more controlled and premeditated piñatas with bats than, say, Robby and I. We like that complement.
These United States has two sets at Wakarusa this year, both on Thursday. The first set is 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm at the Revival Tent then back at 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm at the Backwoods Stage.
Official Wakarusa Site
Printed in Glide Magazine, 6/1/11
Jesse Elliott, lead guitar/vocals
Welcome back to these United States. How was your time abroad in Europe? Any crazy stories you can share?
Mountains! Trains! Rooftops! Canals! They got all the same stuff we got over here, right, but it’s just so much older, ground down polished, the lure of the exotic. We can’t disclose all the streets we staggered down, not until we see you in person. It’s just not safe. It could fall into the wrong hands. We can’t let just anyone know what a weird and wonderful world this is – civilians might not be ready for it.
I was reading that you have played over 600 shows. Congrats on that feat. Are you planning anything special for when the show mark hits 1,000, or will it just be business as usual?
Yeah, it’s almost 800 now, I think, though I’ve been forgetting to count the last year or so. I used to love to count this, count anything really. It’s like climbing the world’s longest staircase, no end in sight, but it’s a spiral pointed at the heavens, so it’s worth the sweat. 1,000 will be about one one hundredth of the way up, as far as I can calculate. We won’t rest on that stair, not for more than one show.
What has had the biggest impact on you as a band over the years? Have there been any technological advances over your tenure that have made things easier or more difficult for you?
The gasoline-powered automobile was pretty huge for us. Electricity helped, too. We keep trying to make the leap to carefully labeled Excel documents, but there’s just not as much joie de vivre in it, you know?
Thanks to Ford and Edison. Have your roles/dynamics changed in the band over time? How do you get to the final product of a completed song?
Absolutely. All the time, slowly but surely, gradually then suddenly. I write the songs, in the beginning, but that’s been the only consistent part of the creative process. Tom, Robby, Colin, Justin, me, we all write and re-write each others’ ideas for each other. It gets messy. Sometimes it gets better by way of messy. Easier overall, for sure, just cause we’re knocking on the same zen door, over and over, and no one ever answers, which is the whole point of that door being there in the first place, but know we know that.
Has there ever been a time that you’ve considered going your separate ways?
We get to wander off from each other enough every night. Emotions run high. People look for different things in the late hours. None of us find them, not totally, and we slink back towards each other in the morning. Living in 3 different cities helps, too.
Taking that to the studio, how do you stay fresh with material and avoid getting stagnant for yourselves and your fans, yet stay true to your roots?
Are we doing that? Hm. Maybe we should establish that premise first. It’s very hard to see these things from the inside. Maybe we are the world’s most boring band, and everyone we know is too polite to tell us. We should call for an independent audit of this enterprise! Do you know any pollsters who would give us a family rate?
What do you listen to when you’re on the road? Favorite new album/band?
Because it’s required of us by the zeitgeist, we listened to the new Fleet Foxes album yesterday. Great stuff them bearded beauties are making. Raphael Saadiq blew me away the other day, too. Powerful, smile in that music as big as music. The classics. Our friends. Dylan bootlegs. Books on tape. There are one hundred million hours when you enter the van. There is nothing we haven’t listened to, as a result. The universe has not yet been able to create an amount of sound that is bigger than the amount of time we spend driving back and forth in a van.
What can you not live without when you’re touring?
Sound.
How much of your live show is planned out and what do you just let happen naturally?
Hmm. Tough to answer. It becomes instinctual, which is not exactly either of those, right? You just know. Partly training. Partly improvisation. You are the Karate Kid, or maybe just Zoot from the Muppets, just part of that immaculate flow.
Have you ever had an audience that just wasn’t into your music? What did you do to try to win them over?
Yes. We tried to buy them off. But we didn’t have money, either. So it didn’t work.
Any pre- or post-show rituals?
Usually just collective bloodletting and a round of beers. Or just a round of beers, if it was a long night of collective bloodletting the night before.
Favorite band to play with? Favorite festival experience? Band/artist you’d most like to play with in the future?
Oh, man, they’re all great. You can’t ask us to pick favorites. How will the other kids at the end of the kickball draft feel? Well, OK, since I’m thinking now of their festival they’re putting on same weekend as Wakarusa, we’ll go Fruit Bats, at the moment. Big old winery out in California – we’ll be soaring straight from mountains to orchards. And those bastards are some brilliant live music bastards, believe you me. I think we’re all excited to play with My Morning Jacket. Amazing people, amazing musicians, haven’t shared a stage with them yet.
Most exciting moment as a band? Do you remember what you were doing when you first heard one of your songs being played on the radio?
We were playing at a radio station when we first heard one of our songs make it to radio. I think they were probably contractually obligated or something. Lollapalooza last summer was a highlight, just cause it was a kinda old stomping grounds where a few of us grew up homecoming kinda thing. Pickathon was amazing, too. Does Wakarusa have a sister festival? That should be Wakarusa’s sister festival. Pickathon’s mind-bendingly amazing.
Biggest musical influences?
Parents.
Question you’d least like to answer? Worst interview you’ve had?
Let he who has been without bad questions cast the first dumb answer. Or whatever. We don’t kiss and tell, that’s the point. Especially if it was a bad kiss. That’s just embarrassing for everyone involved. And gets you kissed less in the future.
What’s next?
Festivals! All summer long! Hillside in Toronto – that’ll be a grand old time on Guelph Island. Lotsa new recording going on at Secret World Headquarters in Kentucky, too.
So, who is the calming presence of the band and who is the "Animal" like from the Muppets?
Justin and Tom both play that first role. Robby and I tag-team the second, though if you twisted my arm I would be forced to admit that he is more through-and-through animalistic.
If this band didn’t exist, what does everyone think they would be doing instead of rockin the heads of the masses?
Watching The Muppets. That is not a joke. Being rocked, in the receptive sense, would be a close second.
Local bacon, micro beers, friendly vegetables, homegrown strawberries, eggs from just out back in the yard – we had all these things and some even more devious ones just in the last 4 hours, right outside of Ithaca. We just keep pumping fuel into ourselves. We are like some big hideous consumption goblin, very top of the food chain, Maslow’s laundry list having been satisfied, moving on to something to give all that constant craving and chomping a little bit of meaning – just guilt, really – just good old-fashioned Puritan work ethic god-help-us-all kinda attitude, you know? We owe the world a lot, whoever’s in charge. We know what the score is – we’ve seen the ledger. These are dark times.
Speaking of energy, what kind of energy or mood was the group in when in the making of this album? Any songs have an extra story behind the lyrics?
Well, yeah, OK, following on that last one, dark. It’s about drowning and death and then other deaths. It was made during winter. We didn’t always see eye-to-eye. There were some tense moments. Happy families are all the same – dysfunctional ones, you know, they bleed it out together differently.
There seems to be a heavy amount of soul poured into this album. Any particular influences on this album? How was the production of this album different from the ones before it?
Death, yeah. More death. It’s a life-affirming kind of death. One of the songs that didn’t make it, that hopefully we’ll get back around to one of these days, this song says “My diamond mama taught me life / my stoic daddy taught me death / which is a way to life your last breath / without knowing it’s your last breath.” You just never know when, so you gotta live like you just never know when. Production-wise, we in the band all took a larger role, especially our guitarist Justin – he directed a lot more bits and pieces this time around, along with an outside guy Dan Wise who was the one with this big gorgeous studio in the middle of the snowy eastern Pennsylvania winter woods.
One of the things that keeps me listening to TUS is the way that the vocals tell a story and the instruments help collaborate with a different voice of their own. For the most part, what comes first: vocals or instrumentation?
Well, vocals first, but it’s very chicken and egg, one builds on another, it’s a virtuous cycle, back and forth round and round again in an ever-upward spiral – which of course sometimes comes crashing back down, but often ends up suspended somewhere in mid-air, right where we want it, spin it around, look at it from different sides. The vocals and the instruments do this for each other – they’re like two blinded piñatas, each with his own bat, taking swings at each other in a very dark room suspended somewhere above the earth.
I enjoyed the blend of constant background distortion with a smooth up front melody in One You Believe. Was that the plan the whole time, or a serendipitous studio situation?
Hmm. Yes?
There is a certain quality about 'Just This' that feels like a ballad, though its much shorter. The guitar solo is raw, yet controlled. For some guitarists, they can play the same solo again and again. Others play it once and it will never be the same after that. How would you all characterize your solo styles?
As far as solos go, we tend towards constant crafting and refinement towards a collective ideal, rather than a more improvisational take. That solo you point out is a perfect example, in the sense that it’s not a solo at all. It’s actually three different instruments – Tom’s pedal steel, Justin’s guitar, Colin’s bass – plus a healthy heap of noise, all intertwining and building melodically on each other, one at a time, a little more pointing towards classical music with repeating overlapping of motifs, really. Those are our favorite ones, the ones that Tom and Justin build together, back and forth – they are more controlled and premeditated piñatas with bats than, say, Robby and I. We like that complement.
These United States has two sets at Wakarusa this year, both on Thursday. The first set is 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm at the Revival Tent then back at 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm at the Backwoods Stage.
Official Wakarusa Site
Printed in Glide Magazine, 6/1/11
Wakarusa Preview: Ana Sia
It seems like most festivals have added DJ music on their own stage and late night sets. What are your thoughts on the progression?
I’m really grateful that festivals have opened up to having diverse music and acts, whether it be live or straight electronic stuff. It makes for more of a well rounded atmosphere. There is room for it all
You have traveled so many places to spread your music to the masses. Any place in particular you have grown fond of? Any place you weren’t a big fan of and why?
The midwest has been really good. Colorado specifically I tend to gravitate to a lot. There is something special with the CO music scene. The wide minds of the people and the general openness, not hell bend on a specific genre that they only listen to. I can’t say that I have had a disappointing experience anywhere. Always meeting true music lovers all over in the most surprising of places. That makes me really happy.
We won’t bash anyone here then. How did you end up in San Francisco?
I was born in Minnesota and lived there till I was 17, went to NY for 5 years, the big island of Hawaii for a while and in San Francisco for the last five years.
Seems like you have been across the states literally. You see yourself living somewhere else in the future?
I really love it, can’t see myself living anywhere else unless it was somewhere really foreign. For me, the West Coast and San Francisco is the perfect quilted together blend of every place I have lived. The weather, the vibe and everything makes San Francisco that much better for me.
Will Wakarusa be your first time in Arkansas, or have you rocked AR before?
This will be my first time in Arkansas, first time at Wakarusa.
What’s the best and worst thing about being on the road?
The best thing about it is threading all these communities, small town to big cities and meeting like minded individuals. The thread is art, music and dance, which is special. The worst thing is food and or learning how to sleep in public spaces.
I hear the terms “glitch hop” and “dub step” all the time, used to describe DJ music generally. Labels are a touchy subject, so how would you classify your own music?
Multi tempo bass music? I play everything from drum and bass to house to funky to two step to old dub step to classic hip hop. The similar thing to all of those is bass. Nobody likes the labels, especially being mislabeled. My music, my taste and what I try to bring everybody each time I see them is going to be different and fresh, probably a 180 from the batch of tunes I was playing before. That’s why it’s hard to define what I play. It keeps people guessing and keeps people interested for sure.
Keeping on the music motif, who are some of your influences, modern and retro?
Now it’s a lot of UK producers, Untold and Raska, some more of the UK funky in house producers, Frite Nite Crew here in San Francisco, people around me and my musical family. In the past I was a pop junkie as a kid. A lot of Prince, a lot soul, and r&b stuff, but I also played and listened to a lot of classical music.
Are there other musical instrument interests outside of your DJ magic? What do you listen to at home?
I played a couple as a kid, but only kept up with piano. At home, I still listen to a lot of classical music. I love good solid music, whether it’s hip hop or electronic. My at home listening is less electronic than anything.
What was your musical foundation - did you have one beyond piano?
I mostly got into the electronic music scene being part of a dance community. I started DJing 5 years ago and was in a strong dance community for 5 years before that. I mainly got involved being a person on the dance floor and wanted to step into a DJ role just for fun really because I was musical. It unfolded into what I’m doing now and being able to provide a dance experience I would like to have. So it was kind of like, “I want to be the one that makes people dance”? Not from a selfish point of view, more of a selfless act of wanting to share some great music I get a hold of and keep people motivated for dancing.
How much of your show is planned and how much is spontaneous?
It’s mostly a freestyle situation. Definitely have the new freshies I am going to play all the time, but the other stuff depends on the crowd.
Do you do live producing?
I don’t do a lot of producing, I do a little. Most of the music that I make is quite different from the stuff that I play. I tend to lean toward the down tempo style.
You have tons of energy, jumping around on stage and getting into every beat. It’s amazing really. Where do you get your energy from?
Complete enjoyment of what I am doing. I can’t help that I am a very expressive person and it mostly comes out in actions. I don’t know how to be any other way. I tried standing still once. I had a pretty bad neck injury and had to do some shows, but it didn’t stop me.
I couldn’t imagine you standing still for a show. That would be more shocking than you jumping through the ceiling. How much of this energy do you get from the crowd?
It’s a very reciprocal experience, I get everything from them. It would be pretty weird experience if I wasn’t getting anything back from them.
I personally am into tattoos so let’s talk about ink for a moment. Are there any on you that hold a higher meaning than the others? Any plans to add on in the near future?
I am pretty much done with ink. All of them are meaningful. Some of them are spontaneous and some are more thought out. The closest ones to me are the clouds I have on my back and my shoulders. They are the picture name of what my father named me as a kid.
I tend to ask each artist this question: what are your pre and post show rituals, if you have any.
Yeah, I have a couple. Pre show is usually sushi and a couple of good wall stretches. Post show is champagne and coconut water.
What kind of sushi is your favorite?
I usually like a nice Tataki, a seared fish situation. I try and usually am able to have sushi before every show. It’s fantastic.
Have to ask, PC or Apple? I have a feeling, but figured I would let you tell me yourself.
Apple, for sure. I can’t even imagine and it boggles my mind when I don’t see people on a Mac. I am so into my Mac toys. If Apple made groceries, I would probably buy their groceries. I was one of the first to use the iPad as a MIDI controller.
What is the next step in your musical development?
I am putting out a compilation by the end of the year on Frite Nite, my music label and affiliation family in San Francisco, focusing on North American artists only. We have some real incredible artists involved and are really, really proud of this project. Really happy to use that platform to bring some really fresh stuff. We are doing a Fall tour for the album, so I think we are looking at September, or at least to have the 12” out by September. We have sick art for it already and super excited about it.
Any last words for the fans and for those coming to Wakarusa?
A very giant thank you for all the support and trust for the last few years.
Ana Sia plays at Wakarusa on Friday night from 9:30 pm - 11 pm on the Satellite Stage.
Official Wakarusa Site
Printed in Glide Magazine, 6/1/11
Wakarusa Preview: Cornmeal
Chris Cangi - String Bass, Vocals
How has the music scene changed for you over the years? Do you do things differently now than you did when you were first starting out?
Its has changed drastically over the years and its been really interesting to watch it develop into a digital realm that can reach millions in a click of a button. We do everything differently now. As an independent artist you have to be on the cutting edge of media development to survive and the digital world has leveled the playing field for bands like us by making it cheaper and easier to get our music out to the masses.
Was there a large bluegrass following in Chicago when you first started playing or did you have to work to turn them on to it?
There was a following but we had to work our asses of )and still do) to turn people on to what we are doing because it lies somewhere between the traditional and the extreme. I think a lot of Chicagoans overlook what we are doing because it is so different than what most of chicago is known for and what the media nurtures here.
Do you think Cornmeal would have a different sound if you guys formed the band in Kentucky? How much has Chicago influenced the band you’ve become?
Of course, your environment completely manipulates who you are and the experiences you have and unless you are a robot, it is destined to come out in the music you perform if you are an honest performer.
What has had the biggest impact on you as a band over the years? Have there been any technological advances over your tenure that have made things easier or more difficult for you?
I think the biggest impact has been the relationship we have with our fans, they move us in new directions and push us to achieve things we never thought possible. Being in this genre really allows you to become close to your fans and puts us all on the same level of respect and admiration. Its very symbiotic. As for technological advances, well it is amazing that I can manage a whole entire month long tour in the palm of my hand from directions to the club, to booking hotels to finding restaurants, gas stations, repair shops and more. Man I remember touring where we would constantly be lost on the back roads somewhere, late and pulling over to find a pay phone to call the bartender for directions. That was a whole different universe. Don’t know how Zeppelin did it back then.
Has someone emerged as a leader in the songwriting process?
Wavy Dave, Kris Nowak and myself are the primary songwriters. While we all chip in for musical production and arrangement, it is us three that bring the songs to the table. And I think we all have this unspoken burden on our shoulders to write the next great song. So that pressure really pushes us to reach deep and bring something to the band that we can really be proud of. We take songwriting really seriously and we all feel that over the years in this genre is has been over looked. I think its importance is coming back to light with the advent of some really strong songwriters in the genre.
Has there ever been a time that you’ve considered going your separate ways? What keeps you coming back for each show? How do you keep your performances fresh and exciting for yourselves?
That’s sort of a loaded question. This life is definitely not easy at times and not everyone is built for it but we all love what we do and it is just so ingrained in us. I’ve been working close to the music industry since I was 18 and I just don’t see doing anything else for a living. We just keep pushing each other and keep each other positive in order to bring the best we can to each performance.
Taking that to the studio, how do you stay fresh with material and avoid getting stagnant for yourselves and your fans, yet stay true to your roots?
I think by staying fresh you stay true to your roots. We are unavoidably a Jam Band and we just keep diving deeper into what we are and sometime you come up with a great little gem.
What do you listen to when you’re on the road?
Mumford and Son - Sigh No More
What can you not live without when you’re touring?
Cliff Bars
How much of your live show is planned out and what do you just let happen naturally?
I think about 50/50
You’re pretty intense on stage, any injuries sustained from playing so hard? Do you go through a lot of Band-Aides?
We rip through our own skin pretty regularly. Can’t play with Band Aides on so we use crazy glue.
Have you ever had an audience that just wasn’t into your music? What did you do to try to win them over?
Yes it happens once in a while and you just have to read them and try to figure out what they might like. Our repertoire is really diverse so you’re bound to hit on something someone likes and if not well that’s really humbling cause it’s easy to play in front of a thousand screaming fans that love your music but put a band in front of an audience that’s hates them and you can really see what they are made of.
After the show, what do you use to recover?
Ice bags and Ben Gay
Do you remember what you were doing when you first heard one of your songs being played on the radio?
I do remember, I was painting a new apartment I was renting and heard our song come on XRT local anesthetic and suddenly my phone starting ringing off the hook with friends and family calling to congratulate us. It was a really big affirmation that I was on the right path in my life.
Biggest musical influences?
We have so many but I think early classic rock, early country and Bill Monroe would sum it up. And John Hartford of course.
A new album in the works? Do you plan on slowing down your tour schedule?
We are actually heading in to the studio right after Wakarusa to start recording a new studio album. Tracks are also being gathered for our next live release, a follow up to 2010’s Live In Chicago, Il Vol. I. We just got back from our first NW tour and had such a great response that it looks like we have absolutely no plans of slowing down our tour schedule at this point but only to step it up more.
Cornmeal has two sets at Wakarusa this year, Thursday from 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm at the Outpost and Saturday from 1:30 - 2:30 at the Revival Tent.
Official Wakarusa Site
So there you have it from the horse’s mouths. Oh wait, I am headed to Razorback Country. Wherever you are coming from for Wakarusa, there will surely be many familiar sounds as well as new ones that will rock you, funk you, soul you, you get the point. Many more insights from bands will be following this write up so keep checking back for more.
Printed in Glide Magazine, 6/1/11
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