I had a great time at Bands on Grand and so did just about everyone I ran into, musicians and patrons alike. There was something special in the air and despite the nearly two inches of rain that fell, people were out in good numbers, soaking it in if you will.
Click to enlargeSonic Thrills at Trunk Space, complete with
mop bucket and puddle.
To borrow an idea expressed by my interview subject and local musician Jim Miles, the first rain in 147 days made it seem like the festival was taking place in another city. This added to the sense of adventure and discovery.
I was soaked more than once, my old mohair jacket smelled like a wet dog and several times I stepped in deep water, but somehow it added to the experience. I think most felt the same way, like we were all in on something cool that required a little tenacity to fully experience.
The first stop on the circuit was Trunk Space for the blues-punk rockin’ of Sonic Thrills. We arrived a few minutes after show time but the band was running late due to a leaky ceiling and a huge puddle on the concrete floor.
I’m glad we stuck it out because they rocked. The set featured super high energy garage rock and explosive guitar solos from local guitar vet Michael Johnny Walker, well placed changes, strong vocals and moves from James Monarch and excellent playing from everyone.
While Sonic Thrills played their seamless 3-minute retro-punk energy blasts, drunken fools danced on the sidewalk outside of the space, captured cinematically in the huge steamy windows of the club.
Next up was Reindeer Tiger Team at Fat Cats. I enjoyed the cheesy light show provided by stuck-in-the-’80s, poodle-haired owner Jim, and the band’s mathy Wolf Parade-ish take on energetic indie rock. The music room was full at the start and about half-full after about six songs. The band had some gear problems that may have distracted some of the crowd but overall it was a good offering.
After this I saw Tremulants at Paisley Violin and hate to report that it wasn’t a very strong show for the band for a number of reasons, including the mix and the acoustics of the long room. The coffee house crowd was respectful but not responsive. The band got better at the end, but it wasn’t their show. Despite this poor showing, Tremulants are still one of the most original up and coming bands in town.
I saw two songs of Andrew Jackson Jihad at Paper Heart featuring Owen from Asleep in the Sea on banjo before zipping over to watch a few from Fatigo at Perihelion Arts. They sounded very strong and the charged skies seemed to electrify the audience they played their furious melted Flamenco and spastic Bossa Nova offerings. That show had a special vibe and I wish I could have spent more time there, but for old times sake I wanted to see Dead Hot Workshop.
Soul Invictus was running an entire set behind, which meant we could have stayed at Perihelion, but now were relatively far due to the weather, so we returned to the Paisley Violin to check out Green Lady Killers. Only 30 minutes or so after the lukewarm reception given to Tremulants, the ladies and gent had the house in their hands, playing their kitschy scary punk.
For some reason guitar player Dusty Jimenez looked like someone peed on his shoe the whole show but he played admirably. Rock goddesses Kathleen, Katherine and the new-ish bassist Roxy Lee looked kool while kicking out the jams.
By this time Dead Hot was ready next-door and I was prepared for a somewhat diminished trip down memory lane. I hate to say it but the last few times I’ve seen the band in its current incarnation they were fairly poor, and appeared distracted.
Thankfully I can say the little theater was all Dead Hot and people were reverent and pumped for the band. The bald Babb brothers, Curtis and Brian employed the way back machine and pulled out the old classics as well as some newer material, and the songs and the band sounded great.
At Soul Invictus I was reminded of some of the best shows I’ve seen from the band post original guitarist Steve Larson, and my friend and I rocked out as hard as you can sitting on a couch.
Bands on Grand was a complete success in my opinion. Now if we can have the streets this filled on non-first Friday or special event nights we might become a real music town.
Since I don’t have a clone (yet) I wanted to get another person’s reaction to the event to provide a more complete picture of the festival. I tapped Jim Miles, local guitarist and music fan, most recently featured in The Reluctant Messiahs and The Wormwood Brothers (myspace.com/wormwoodbrothers).
AZNightBuzz: Can you outline some of the local music projects you’ve been involved in.
Jim Miles: I was a member of downtown Phoenix band The Heartgraves. I released a solo album a couple of years ago, Seven of Swords. In the past year or so I’ve played twangy guitar with Lonna Kelley and The Reluctant Messiahs.
AZNB: What are you doing musically now and when is your next show?
JM: I’m the songwriter/guitarist/singer for Wormwood Brothers. Tony Robinson (bass) and Phil Dittrick (drums) along with me comprise the core members of our band. We sound a little like Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison arm wrestling in the desert for who wins the last swig of bourbon. You can see us April 14, 10 p.m. at Hollywood Alley along with Psycho Square Dance, Dolphins Kill for Love, Runaway Diamonds, and Greenlady Killers.
AZNB: On to Bands on Grand – did you consider not attending due to the huge amount of rain that came down?
JM: No it wasn’t a problem at all. I love rain. I grew up in the midwest so rain is no big deal. Plus I think all of the shows were at indoor venues, so there were no hairy hippies wallowing in the mud ala Woodstock.
AZNB: Do you think the rain added anything to the festival?
JM: The first rain in 100 plus days on the first Bands on Grand festival, kinda poetic. It added a feeling of being in a different city, for me (which is cool… as if I went on vacation, but only had to drive 10 minutes to get there). It added the feeling of being in a John Cusack movie. Hopefully this will grow into to a yearly showcase of local talent.
AZNB: Who did you see and where?
JM: I saw World Class Thugs at Paper Heart. At Fat Cats I saw Colorstore, Reindeer Tiger Team, and Brodie Hubbard. Then saw Fatigo at Perhilion and a bit of Tierra Del Fuego at Trunkspace.
AZNB: Interested to know what you think about Tierra del Fuego. Also were there a lot of people watching Brodie Hubbard, had you seen him before and how was he received?
JM: I really like Tierra Del Fuego… judging by their presentation I vote for more bands that sit on chairs and play acoustic instruments. They’ve added a lot of harmonies to their americana inflected show and it’s inspiring. I miss the pedal steel guitar, though.
There was a decent crowd watching Brodie, not packed, but a healthy amount of folks. I think he was well received from what I could tell. Who can’t relate to heartbreak and bitterness?
AZNB: How many times did you drive from one spot to another? If it hadn’t rained would you have walked everywhere?
JM: We only had to drive once, from Paper Heart down to Perhilion. We might have walked if it hadn’t rained. You see, it was raining and cold so my friends thought it’d be more comfortable just to drive down the 4 blocks or so to Perhilion.
AZNB: What was your overall impression of Bands on Grand?
JM: I really liked the whole event. It was well planned and advertised – I’ve known about it for a long time. I’m sure the planners would have liked a bigger turn-out, but it seemed like a good turnout nonetheless. I’m not sure if there was a handbill of the bands/locations but that would have been helpful to be given one at the point of ticket purchase.
This was a grassroots event of supported by fans of local music. I think that’s a great thing & shows there are in fact some positive things going on in our little Phoenix scene. There was something for everyone with Bands on Grand – all ages or over 21. That it was along one street that included bars (where older folks could drink if they wanted) and art galleries (which could host underage fans) was a big plus. Kudos to Donald and Scott Sanders for putting this on.
AZNB: Where did you have the most fun? What show was your favorite and why?
JM: I probably had the most fun at Fatigo’s show – they’re always a blast to see & have a really fun vibe. I think my favorite show however was Colorstore. They ended up being a revelation to the group of friends I brought along as I don’t think they expected to see a local band impress them so much. So I believe I helped Colorstore gain some new groupies… you guys owe me one or two now!
AZNB: Did any show or location disappoint?
JM: No disappointments.
AZNB: Was there a favorite moment in the night?
JM: Fatigo’s “Robin Vining vs. Kevin Cardosa” showdown. Melodica vs. Trumpet… who’ll be the victor????
AZNB: What band got the best crowd response?
JM: Of the ones I saw I’d say Colorstore, with Fatigo running a close second.
AZNB: In general who is your favorite local band and what was your favorite show of the event?
JM: At the moment I’d probably say Fatigo is my fave local group and was also my fave of the event. They’re always fun make me smile.
AZNB: How wet did you get?
JM: This was a rare occasion for me to wear my vinyl orange hoodie, so I stayed pretty dry for the whole night.
AZNB: Were there any bad tech or sound problems, rain related or otherwise?
JM: I noticed a bit of feedback at the World Class Thugs show, but it was corrected.
AZNB: Where did you see the most music fans?
JM: The room seemed pretty much packed at Colorstore’s show (Fat Cats). I think Fatigo had a real good turnout too.
AZNB: If Bands on Grand happens again is there something you would like to see that wasn’t offered?
JM: I was going to say ‘get a more diverse musical lineup’ but honestly I think that might have been a negative rather than a positive. For instance, if there was a hip-hop show would those crowds cross over to see Tierra Del Fuego? maybe not… I don’t know.
AZNB: Did you get a feeling about the local music community from the showing and what do you think this festival said about it?
JM: Mostly this was an event of bands that revolve around the same ‘scene’ (e.g. The Shizz and the indie scene) and their fans do too so I think it was a cool manifestation of those folks all coming together. This festival showed that a good and vibrant indie scene does exist here (despite some skepticism amongst some people) and with some effort a fun festival can be had that will raise the profile of the local talent in this city.
I’ve been told by people in large cities elsewhere that we should be lucky to have what we have here because comparatively there is little in some other places where you’d expect there to be a good scene happening.
AZNB: Why did you have your raincoat hood strapped down on your head inside Fat Cats?
JM: I was doing my impression of Kenny from South Park.
— marco holt 03/21/2006 07:34 AM #
— Montoya 04/02/2006 01:04 AM #