Remember the handful of months earlier this year when HAC’s fate was uncertain? This show was supposed to be at the HAC, but because of the closing, it had to be relocated to a nearby church in Hamilton. It was a pretty good time considering, with a lot of bands, including Needle Gun, Couggar Jazz, Hazardous Guadalupe, Human Host, and an awesome lights show done by Imaginary Voyage. I really like the song Rosemary Krust performs in this video, and it’s been a favorite of mine ever since I put it up back in June. This was only their second show.

Earlier I said that I wasn’t feeling it during the Trockeneis set, and that’s true. But, this show turned out to be one of those shows that I didn’t like then, but I like now. It’s not something I’d put on to impress my friends (you’d need a video of Trockeneis to pull that off), but it’s definitely going in the rotation of music I like to listen to as background when I work on recordings.

Setlist

The audio files for this show have been removed.

I hadn’t really planned on hitting this show, primarily because it was on a Tuesday night and I hadn’t heard anything by any of the bands playing. I knew that Daniel Higgs was one of the main guys behind the band Lungfish, but they’re a band I was never familiar with. I had also heard of one of the other bands playing, Trockeneis, but had never heard their music…it was the fact that they had a member who played dry ice that really drew my interest and curiosity. The rest of the lineup featured solo and group performances by a variety of Japanese musicians playing a variety of non-traditional instruments. All of the performers on this bill (except Higgs and Giovando, I think) are performing this weekend at High Zero Festival. The High Zero Festival is an annual Baltimore event of improvised and experimental music that draws artists from across the world.

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really feeling it when Trockeneis played after Higgs and Giovando. My curiosity on how one plays the dry ice was quickly sated and I just didn’t find the music interesting enough to keep my attention…which wasn’t really disappointing at all because it gave me more time to hang out and talk with a friend I knew at the show (I usually spend my time at shows with my gear, but this evening I just hit record and went and enjoyed myself for once). I guess the disappointment of Trokenesis carried over to the Japanese performers, because I didn’t even bother to wait for them to start…I packed up my gear and headed home.

So back to the first set of the night, Daniel Higgs and Chiara Giovando. This set turned out to just be incredible in so many ways. In the info file for this show, I list some of the instruments I saw played, and one of those listed for Chiara is “mouth.” It’s not like a human beat box thing, but she has an amazing talent of creating sounds from her mouth and throat. There’s an instrumental jam (track 3) and if you had no idea what instrument they were both playing, I bet 99% of you would guess the didgeridoo. In truth, they were both jamming the Jew’s Harp (also known as a juice harp or jaw’s harp). But my favorite parts were the first song Living in the Kingdom of Death and the last, untitled because I don’t know what it is. Higgs’ voice is amazing and, I’m sure, would make a great storyteller, as evidenced by both of these songs. His lyrics remind me of some of the early solo material of Rick Wakeman from the progressive rock band Yes. In fact, if I were to pigeon-hole Higgs’ into one style genre or another, I would suggest progressive folk music. It was just an amazing set and well worth coming out for.

Download MP3

I had planned on hitting The Depot this past Saturday night for Heroin UK and Bad Liquor Pond, but I discovered last minute that Bad Liquor Pond was replaced by another band. So I made a game time decision to skip it altogether and head to The Talking Head for the WZT Hearts cd release show (for Threads Rope Spell Making Your Bones), with Microkingdom and Thank You opening.

I’ve seen WZT Hearts a few times and really like their sound, sort of a mellow controlled noise thing. I’ve seen the band Thank You once before at Whartscape (one of the best sets of the weekend!), and had never heard of Microkingdom (I’ve heard John Dierker playing with Lafayette Gilchrist), so why not?

This was my first time taping at the Talking Head since it re-opened earlier this month. They’ve made a bunch of improvements and it will be a work-in-progress for awhile, but they made one change that turns the place into a completely different club: it has an air-conditioner. Believe me, even in late September, that AC is a godsend in there.

It almost makes up for the fact that I arrived at 8pm (their website listed doors at 8pm) only to discover that doors wouldn’t be until 9pm and the show wouldn’t start until 10:30pm. It sucks enough that I have to arrive before anyone else to claim my spot, but then have to wait another hour? But that’s all the complaining I’m allotted since the staff not only let me in, but let me in for free.

I wish I could say the night was beyond memorable. Well, it may have been, but not in a way I’d care to describe here. Let’s just say I had my first honey crisp apples of the year that day, six or seven of them actually. I was polishing off another while waiting at the club. During Microkingdom’s set, my stomach started up and I knew it was time to get out. After their set, I packed up my gear, apologized to Jason Ulrick (of WZT Hearts) and said goodbye to my fellow Beatbotters (Beatbodies? Beatbotners? Beatbots?).

So while I’m bummed not to be able to offer up the WZT Hearts and Thank You sets, I’m as excited as a pig in shit to offer up Microkingdom’s excellent opening set. To be honest, before they played, I was wondering why they were on the bill at all? I listened to some of their music beforehand and it was good jazz, but I didn’t see it with Thank You and WZT Hearts. I thought they’d be more comfortable playing at An die Musik. I couldn’t have been more off base with my initial assessment. They rocked the house! I will definitely be looking to catch them again…and it’d be great if it were at An die Musik.

The audio files for this show have been removed.

An half-hour dubstep mix, with a little bit of traditional dub inside.

download here

Stream:

This morning I woke up, after walking the dog, I grabbed my coffee and headed downstairs to begin working on last night’s recording of Leprechaun Catering and Celebration. I originally had other plans for last night. I had met a woman through some Personals online and had setup last night to go out. When she didn’t respond to an e-mail and a text message on Thursday and Friday, I realized that my plans had changed. I had a choice between Oxter/Tad Pole Angel at Joe Squared or heading over to Floristree for Leprechaun Catering and Celebration. It was a tough choice, it always is when Tadpole Angel’s involved.

So I hadn’t heard from this woman for a couple of days and we missed our date. So I’m thinking one of two things: she got hit by a bus or she’s not interested. Hopefully the bus didn’t hurt her too bad…

Wait, there’s an e-mail from her this morning:

I’ve really been procrastinating all day on getting back with you. The truth of the matter is that I’ve been having an affair (he’s married) with my boss for the past 2 months. We decided to end things a few weeks ago and that’s when I looked at the personals. I was really hoping that my time away in XXXXX would cool things down between he and I, but unfortunately, when I returned the situation was somehow re-ignited. I’m truly sorry about this, I’m usually a little more levelheaded than getting involved with married men. I didn’t want to go out with you, without being honest about this situation.

What else can I say but “I’m sorry.”

When I finished reading, my eyes were glazed over, I was staring at the screen in front of me thinking….this recording of Celebration’s set last night is fucking amazing! I was totally blown away by their set. I had listened to a bit of their music beforehand, but I wasn’t expecting to see one of the best live sets of the year. And as usual, I’m catching the boat a bit late on the band and, apparently, women.

Setlist

The audio files for this show have been removed.

Ok, so the kid doesn’t look like a leprechaun…give me a break, I’m a taper not a photographer and he was the closest I could find. As good as this recording sounds, only video would really give justice to Leprechaun Catering. Apart from the drums, I don’t think there was a single traditional musical instrument played. I wish I could tell you what they played, but I’m not even sure myself…Jason Willett started out playing something with his mouth and the sound it produced was identical to an upright bass. I think there was a xylophone with alumnium foil on top, but it was played more with the hands than mallets.

As continued evidence that I’m not doing my homework, I don’t know the names of the other two guys in Leprechaun Catering, or what instruments they play. And I don’t really know how to describe the music. Oddly enough, while they were playing, it didn’t strike me so much that they were making music, but more they were painting on a canvas. I’m not saying they produced a masterpeice, but it’s certainly better than a black velvet Elvis poster. And it was fun as hell to watch!

Leprechaun Catering
Floristree
Baltimore, MD
September 21, 2007

Check out the setlist (not that exciting since it’s one track and improv)

The audio files for this show have been removed.

Retrospect and I tagged on Wednesday the 19th at Beyond. I split the three-hour live chillout set into six parts. Enjoy! Trip-hop, hip-hop, funk, rock, blues, jazz, reggae… It’s all here.

Part 1 can be downloaded here! - 37.9 MB, 41 minutes

Part 2 can be downloaded here! - 26.5 MB, 29 minutes

UPDATE 10/3: You can find the rest of the parts here!

     Photo by: eatsdirt

I had my reservations about making this recording public because there are several flaws (distortion) and Double Dagger had their reservations because they didn’t feel they played too well. In the end, DD decided to let the fans decide for themselves. In the words of the band,
“maybe you could add a note to the text file that says something like, “Double Dagger says: first 3/5 set is pretty terrible. last 2/5 is pretty good!” I agree, from No Allies to the end, this set smokes (but it drags after the first track…you can skip track 3 and be spared).

I thought this was, by far, the best lineup of local bands assembled for a day of music this year. And I’m sure many remarked that “this is the best lineup for Hampden Fest ever.”
Normally it would have been tough to decide which stage to plant myself at for the day, but the Atomic Stage was a no-brainer: Baby Aspirin (love em!), Jason Dove and The Magic Whip (I’ve seen Jason solo, but the full band is excellent!), The Secret Crush Society (my second time to see them, they were really good), Double Dagger (first heard them at Whartscape and they were one of the best acts of the festival), The Ubangis (my second time to see them), and my retarded boys The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad.

The other stages had some excellent bands, many of which I’m bummed I didn’t get to check out…even more bummed thinking that the sound at those stages was probably better than this one, but what can you do? To be honest, while the Flute Squad set is available here, I really doubt any of the other recordings will see the light of day.

Rather than talk about how excellent this recording sounds (for the most part) or how excellent the band rips through “Luxury Condos for the Poor” (recently voted City Paper’s Best of Baltimore “Best Song“), I’d like to take this time and space to bitch and moan for a moment. A long story short: this guy, who’s not in any of the bands, is shaking a yellow tambourine during Baby Aspirin, Jason Dove, Red Crish Society. A few minutes before Double Dagger was coming on, I asked a friend of his if he could stop. Normally while taping, I let the audience do whatever they do…I’m there to record the music and not interfere with other fans….though I had one show at The Depot where I paid a guy five bucks if he and his chatty friends went away.

Anyway, you can hear on the first track the tambourine in the background…this is after I asked that he not shake the tambourine. This guy was such an asshole that he walked over to the sidewalk near me, and continued shaking, and looking over at me. He continued that for a few minutes, but, thankfully, stopped and left as the first Double Dagger song hit the air. I think that sucks. Forget that I was taping, it was just rude behavior to shake the tambourine. And then to continue doing it, on purpose, is just shitty.

Thanks Shitty Tambourine Man, this set’s for you….

Setlist

The audio files for this show have been removed.

This was the most incredible night of my life. At the very least, it was the most eventful. I, along with several other people, duped the Recher Theatre into letting us perform on a bill with a bunch of shitty pop punk bands. They were predisposed to hating us because we had so many members. They had no idea what was to come next. For half an hour, we yelled, we kicked, we fought, we fell, we sang, we chanted, we bearded, we sworded, we fucked up, we destroyed shit…needless to say, they were PISSED at us. By 9:00 pm, I had a gash on my right elbow, the left leg of my pants was split all the way up the side, my fake beard was in pieces scattered throughout the audience, and I had sung “Tubthumping” by Chumbawumba about three times to the crowd. These videos are a document of a night that will surely go down in history as legendary…the night when BEARDED MOTHERFUCKING SWORDS invaded the Recher Theatre and took a shit in their salad. FUCKING FUCK SHIT FUCK RUSH.

The Bearded Swords Ensemble is:

Mike Allison
Brian Averill
Christopher Babcock
Taylor Batton
Tyler Brock
Graham Crisler
Max Eilbacher
Sam Garrett
Ken Greller
Jeremy Johnson
Alex Mamunes
Jack Patterson
Timmy Shaw
N.O. Smith
Aaron Waesche