Sunday, March 20, 2016

Jose Gonzalez and yMusic- Pabst Theater, 3/19/16

photo by Brian Davis
Majestic, exquisite, goose-bump inducing and breathtaking- these are the words that come to mind when describing Jose Gonzalez and yMusic's performance at the Pabst Theater.   The evening began with the classical revivalist group, yMusic, performing a brief but compelling set.  The New York based sextet which features virtuoso musicians Rob Moose, Nadia Sirota, Gabriel Cabezas, Alex Sopp, Hideaki Aomori, and CJ Camerieri, has earned quite the following with appearances last year at the inaugural Eaux Claires festival, alongside the Tallest Man on Earth, S. Carey, the Staves and Bon Iver.  Most recently, the group has collaborated with Ben Folds and Jose Gonzalez.  The ensemble performed to a packed house, with everyone in their seat in time for the opening band- a rarity for a weekend show in Milwaukee.  The set consisted of a series of newly arranged pieces, alongside a cover of an old Sufjan Stevens electronic song from his 2000 A Sun Came record.

Following a brief intermission. the second part of the show featured Jose Gonzalez coming onstage solo.  Armed with only one acoustic guitar, the Swedish indie folk singer began a six song set by himself, which featured selections spanning his lengthy career.  The prestine finger-picking on the guitar came across crystal clear with an audience who may have been the quietest I've ever been part of at a venue the size of the Pabst.  Not only was the crowd quiet, but I cannot recall being at a show where I saw no one take out cell phones to take pics or videos without the artist specifically asking that they refrain from doing this.  I followed sut, and soaked it all in, taking just one pic during the encore, and my friend, Brian Davis, who was front row for the show, taking a couple of quick photos at the start of the set for this blog. To be honest, the lack of technology use at the show was refreshing.
 

photo by Brian Davis
Highlights of Gonzalez's solo mini-set included set opener, "Stay in the Shade," one of Gonzalez's earliest works, and "Line of Fire," a standout tune that Gonzalez penned with Junip in 2014 (and earned the group the Pipes's Picks Album of the Year Honors for that year).  

Then came the main event, where Gonzalez asked yMusic to join him for the remainder of the set.  There is a true sense of humility to Gonzalez who sat to the far left of the stage with yMusic more in the middle.  This was not yMusic backing up Jose Gonzalez, but rather a joint performance of the songwriter and the classical ensemble.  Their set together was well-oiled and fluid, showcasing the musicians' strive for perfection in their crafts.  yMusic added detail to older Gonzalez tunes like "Crosses," "Lovestain" and set closer, "Heartbeats" (a cover of The Knife's song).  However, while these tunes may have seem enhanced by the chamber orchestra's arrangements, the newer material off of Gonzalez's acclaimed 2015 release, Vestiges and Claws, soared, as yMusic added a sweeping dramatic dimension to tracks like "Open Book" and "With the Ink of a Ghost."

For an encore, Gonzalez saved some of his finest work, performing his biggest hit, "Down the Line" solo, followed by a truly rousing rendition of his latest single, and set highlight, "Let it Carry You," from Vestiages and Claws, accompanied by yMusic. 

Jose Gonzalez rarely tours or plays Milwaukee, so seeing him joined with yMusic made this a truly special and unique evening.
photo by Will Piper

Sunday, March 13, 2016

Fort Frances- Cedarburg Cultural Center, 3/12/16

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
You could tell from the moment that David McMillin, Aaron Kiser, Jeffrey Piper and newest member of Fort Frances, Jason Ryan, took the stage, that these were four gentlemen who loved playing music together.  They entered the stage caring brass instruments they amusingly found in the backstage area the ornately intimate Cedarburg Cultural Center, with ear-to-ear grins.  Needless to say, the saxophone and trombone never made their way into the set, but the band delivered a riveting ninety minutes of career-spanning material featuring tracks from their 2001 debut LP The Atlas up to tracks off of their latest record set to drop next month, Alio.  If I had to summarize Fort Frances's live performance in one simple sentence it would be: Fort Frances is fun.  

The Cedarburg Cultural Center is known for having one of the most respectful audiences of any venue around- where patrons politely clap between numbers and don't talk during songs, which makes it a great place to both see live music as well as for musicians to perform.  However, McMillin quickly instructed the crowd after their set opener, "Habits," to feel free to get up, dance, get beverages, etc., saying that we're here to have fun.  And have fun the strong crowd at the CCC had!

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
Fort Frances is an audience-friendly band, and the musicians quipped frequently on stage about everything from how Cedarburg should be the hub of Milwaukee, and the rest of the city its suburb to creating an improv jingle for "Piper Pancakes," in honor of bassist Jeffrey Piper's affection for the ever-fluffy flour based breakfast confection.  The palpable joy exuded from the musicians on stage, transferred into their songs, and brought large grins to the audience members as well, who gave a riviting standing ovation to end their performance.

Fort Frances couples McMillin's self-described "sensitive rock" lyrics and slightly drawling vocals with a solid indie rock sound from Kiser's percussion, Piper's bass and Ryan's piano licks and guitar work.  Kiser and Piper often sing harmony along with McMillin to form stunning soundscapes  and robust refrains on numbers like "These Are the Mountains Moving."

In many ways, the band's latest material is some of it's most adventurous and progressive.  New numbers like,  "Light Years," "You Got the Wrong Man," and "Building A Wall," were well-received and showcased the band pushing its boundaries more.  These tunes make the audience wait in anticipation for the band's second official LP Alio to drop next month.

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
In addition to original material, Fort Frances played two beautiful reworked covers. The first was a piano-driven rendition of Wilco's "I'm Always In Love," which they recorded as a Valentine's Day treat to their fans and released online.  The second was an encore performance of "I Shall Be Released," by Bob Dylan which featured the quartet gathered around the gorgeous Cedarburg Cultural Center's Steinway piano with McMillin playing and the rest of the guys singing along.  This was certainly a goosebumps inducing selection in a set that was filled with the magic of what fun it is to create and experience good rock music.


 Opening for Fort Frances was Will Pfrang.  Pfrang is a young singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso who performed an engaging thirty minute set in a style similar to Jack Johnson in many ways.  Pfrang mixed refreshing numbers from his 2015 release "All Figured Out," along with some well-placed covers.  Despite some technical issues with the mix early on, Pfrang demonstrated outstanding poise on stage, choosing to make technical difficulties a reason to sing Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth" unn-miced and acoustic.

Fort Frances Setlist:

Habits
Ghosts of California
How to Turn Back Again
Anonymous
I'm Always in Love (Wilco cover)
These Are the Mountains Moving
Best of Luck
Light Years
Piper Pancakes (**first time played)
You Got the Wrong Man
Building a Wall
Days Get Heavy
I Had Love
Plastic Hearts

Encore:
I Shall Be Released (Dylan cover)
Cities in Dust

Friday, March 11, 2016

Fort Frances Brings Windy City Indie Rock to Cedarburg



This Saturday, the indie rock winds will blow into Cedarburg as Fort Frances takes the center stage at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  Fort Frances is an indie rock trio whose progression of music in recent years makes them one of the more exciting and riveting acts on the scene today. The trio consisting of Aaron Kiser (drums, percussion and vocals), David McMillin (guitars and vocals) and Jeff Piper (bass and vocals) have had an interesting journey as musicians.  

Their first full length record The Atlas came out in 2011 and generated considerable attention from noteworthy musicians, including Adam Duritz (singer-songwriter of Counting Crowes) who, along with prominent music blogger Ryan Spaulding of “Ryan’s Smashing Life,”  featured the trio as part of their “Outlaw Roadshow” showcase at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.  Durwitz was quoted saying that, “Fort Frances blew me away-- song after killer song.”

Not too long after that, the band recorded an unusual cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s 1991 classic, “Summertime,” stipping down the song and performing the melody on piano.  In addition to the cover, the band released a catchy music video which featured Kiser, McMillan and Piper dressed in NBA jerseys with a boombox, cassette tapes and basketballs.  This video caught the attention of comedian David Tosh who featured the group on his popular Tosh.0 Comedy Central show.  The musically engaging remake of “Summertime,” coupled with the fun and campy video created a viral reaction.  As of today, Fort Frances “Summertime” cover has more than 1,150,000 views!  

In the years that followed, Fort Frances continued to grow their fan base, releasing a series of EPs, each of which was better than it’s predecessor.  Harbour was released in 2013, along with Breathing Room, which featured “Plastic Hearts,” one of the band’s most recognizable hits.  2015 brought us No One Needs to Know Our Name, Fort Frances’s  most artistically adventurous set of songs yet.  Along with these releases, the band continued to expand their touring-- including, most recently, a successful run opening for Langhorn Slim and the Law, which brought Fort Frances to the Turner Hall Ballroom  in Milwaukee this past fall.  In addition, Fort Frances has made a name for themselves in Appleton, playing the “Mile of Music” festival the past two years. Last summer’s show saw them drawing a beyond capacity crowd, where fans were huddled on sidewalks near the venue to hear their set.  

While Fort Frances was crafting great songs, touring rigorously and progressing their craft from an Americana act (in the style of early Wilco and Ryan Adams), to a tightly-woven  innovative modern rock outfit, the “Summertime” video was taking on a life of its own, and not only in the United States.  In fact, it was most popular in Lithuania of all places!  Thanks to Internet reaction and positive feedback, Fort Frances was invited to perform at the premier music festival in Lithuania, the “Loftas Fest,” last summer.  This experience was a transformative one for the band, who has named its first full length record in five years, Alio, which means “hello” in Lithuanian.  Alio is set to be released early next month.

I recently had the chance to catch up with David McMillin who shared his thoughts about Fort Frances headlining the Cedardburg Cultural Center.
1) What type of show are listeners going to see when they come to the Cedarburg Cultural Center this Saturday night?

This show is going to be a really special evening. We’ve been gearing up for the release of our new record, so this show will include some never-before-played songs. And of course, we’ll also be pulling from our last few releases, too. We haven’t been playing live much since last year, so we’re really looking forward to stretching our creative boundaries again. Also, if I remember correctly, I’ve played at the Cedarburg Cultural Center solo, many years ago, and the venue is pretty intimate. That’s our favorite kind of venue.

2) You are a band that continues to evolve... how would you describe your evolution as a group of musicians?

We’re always aiming to push the songs into new territory. We really started out wearing some Americana shoes — very much in the vein of Ryan Adams and early Wilco. It certainly feels different today than when we started working on our first record in 2009. I don’t think it’s been a conscious-let’s-do-something-different mindset; it’s really always been about answering one question: how can we constantly keep ourselves inspired? So, when we started working on this new record, I think one of my main personal priorities was to shape these songs into something that didn’t necessarily fit into our preconceived notion of what “Fort Frances” should sound like.

I think that’s paying off live, too. We’ve been playing with a fourth member — Jason Ryan — and the addition of a versatile piano/guitar player is opening doors for new directions on stage. I’m looking forward to seeing how playing out this spring and upcoming summer will continue to push us further.

3) You have drawn large crowds in Milwaukee in previous appearances.  Can you comment on what it's like to play in Milwaukee?

I call Milwaukee my City of Dreams. It’s an incredible place. The people are so welcoming, and the beer is so great. We’ve created a lot of memories over the past five years, and some of our favorites are in Milwaukee including a rain-soaked Bastille Days 2014 and our fall 2015 show at Turner Hall opening for Langhorne Slim. Milwaukee never disappoints.

4) Along those same lines- what’s the best gig and worst gig you've ever performed at?

Best gig: Loftas Fest in Vilnius, Lithuania last summer. It was so rewarding to explore a new country and get to share our music with fans far from home.

Worst gig: You know, I don’t know if we have a “worst” gig. We always find something to love when we’re on stage. I’d say one of the toughest was when we were scheduled to open for Gomez in Indianapolis. We drove down to Indiana, super excited to share the stage with one of our favorite bands. When we arrived, we found out their bus had broken down, and they wouldn’t be coming to the show.

5) The village of Cedarburg is most well known in Southeastern Wisconsin for its quaint ambiance and its Strawberry Festival in late June/early July. What is your favorite strawberry-based product?

Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita.

Actually, I’ve never had a Bud Light Straw-Ber-Rita, and it sounds horrible. I like chocolate-covered strawberries.

I also like the song Strawberry Fields Forever.

I also just Googled “strawberry” and discovered that there is a horror movie called “Strawberry.” The reviews are not good.

Fort Frances performs at the Cedarburg Cultural Center on Saturday, March 12th with Will Pfrang kicking off the night at 7:30.  Tickets are $16 in advance and $18 the day of the show.