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The current issue of West Coast Performer includes a fantastic live show review for this year’s Noise Pop festival. (Of course, I say it’s wonderful because I wrote some of it…) Noise Pop, held in San Francisco, brings together fantastic musicians, artists and filmmakers for a week-long celebration of creativity. 2008 marks the festival’s 16th anniversary…
Minipop / West Indian Girl / Two Sheds / the Trophy Fire @ Bottom of the Hill (02.27.08)
“West Indian Girl played to a packed audience at Bottom of the Hill. The band’s vocal harmonies shot out from every direction, filling the venue with epic audio splendor. Minipop appeared next, playing an ambient set ushered by smoke and beams of light. Tricia Kanne’s soothingly soft vocals carried surprisingly well over the rest of the band’s flash flood of sound.”
Unpublished: The show opened with The Trophy Fire and Two Sheds. Vastly contrasting, The Trophy Fire brought rollick and fun, while Two Sheds provided a more subdued, sultry performance despite the lead singer’s professed affliction with the flu.
Port O’ Brien / Delta Spirit / What Made Milwaukee Famous / The May Fire @ Cafe du Nord (03.01.08)
“Co-headlining Café du Nord with Port O’Brien for the first show of their joint U.S. tour, Delta Spirit appeared to a full house of fans with a growling performance drenched in classic, soulful, folk-rock charisma. Light sparkles of piano illuminated their harmonic vocals and rolling rhythms in a set that spanned the breadth of the genre. Finally, Port O’Brien closed with a lineup that periodically grew in size, at one point including M. Ward on guitar. The band offered the biggest finale of the night with “I Woke Up Today,” providing pots and pans to an enthusiastic audience that rhythmically pounded on them long after the set was over.”
Unpublished: The May Fire opened the night with a flurry of brutal drum beats and supersonic guitars as lead singer, Catty Tasso hopped about stage, one shoulder exposed in true rock fashion. The set included current numbers and a look to new songs on their upcoming EP. And Catty’s response when I asked for a quote? “We’re rock whores.”
(more…)
Noise Pop 2008 Expo Education Session @ 12 Galaxies (03.01.08)
Day 1 of the Noise Pop Expo consisted of an afternoon of panels featuring industry luminaries and established musicians discussing the indie music scene. I attended a few of the panels with our lovely WCP Editor, Katherine, and Festizio’s drummer, Nick. Before we left, I found the fortune of meeting with Jennifer Maerz, SF Weekly’s Music Editor, and she was quite friendly as well.
Here are some lovely quotes from the Education Session…
“Being humble and working hard are two important things… Nobody owes you anything. The harder you work, the luckier you get. You just have to be nice to people. But definitely expect to work hard. The image of the rock star getting stoned… I’m sorry, but that’s not a good career model.”
-Cory Brown (Founder, Absolutely Kosher & Misra Records)
“You have plenty of time. Don’t rush. It takes a long time to make your music awesome. It should take a long time. The best thing an artist can do is be awesome.”
-Michael Zapruder (Artist & Music Curator, Pandora.com)
“Really, it’s about being as connected as you can with your audience without seeming corporate. I mean, I don’t make this stuff – the band does… Every band should have a blog. Every band member should have a blog… Tell us your favorite video game…”
-Angela Poe (Marketing & New Media, Eenie Meenie Records)
“Success to me means doing exactly what you want to be doing everyday – making the music you like to be making, working with the people you like to be with… When I see a band I like on a weird commercial, I say, ‘good for them.’ Take whatever you can just to make money. It’s kind of sad, but it’s true.”
-Lisa Light (Vocalist & Bassist, The Lovemakers)
“Make sure to keep your rent low. Wear protection. Kids are expensive.”
-Bryan Garza (Vocalist & Guitarist, Scissors for Lefty)
