Saturday, July 25, 2015

Judah and the Lion with Jay Matthes, Cedarburg Summer Sounds, July 24,2015

photo by Will Piper
The news around town this week focused on the Milwaukee Lion, an elusive beast that was reported as being seen in the north side of the city by several residents.  While the infamous #mkelion was no where to be found in Ozaukee County last evening, a lion of a different nature turned up at picturesque Cedar Creek Park in the form of Americana rockers from Nashville, Judah and the Lion.  They were a "mane" attraction for festival goers to say the least.

Keeping with their theme of booking up-and-coming national acts, the park was packed to hear jams from this talented group of musicians, fronted by Judah Akers on lead guitar and vocals, Brain Macdonald on mandolin and vocals and Nate Zuercher on banjo and vocals.  The two words that come to mind when describing Judah and the Lion are "high-energy."  Whether playing their own original tunes or an eclectic array of covers, the passion and enthusiasm was easily seen and heard on each track from the band.

Judah and the Lion's original work from their 2014 debut release Kids These Days, played best and showcased the individual and collective prowess of the musicians.  Tracks like the foot stomping, "Kickin' de Leaves," and "Hold On" were highlights.  Some of the crowd was very familiar with Judah and the Lion, and requested some of their earlier Christian rock numbers, which in many ways were show stand outs in terms of capturing the raw energy and passion of this act.

Opening for Judah and the Lion was Wauwatosa native Jay Matthes who I had the pleasure of interviewing recently for Ozaukee Magazine.  Like the headliner, Matthes drew from a combination of original tunes and diverse covers.  His rendition of Michael Jackson's infectious "Billy Jean," was well received as was original song, "Eleven Eleven," his set closer, the upbeat "What Pretty Girls Do" off of his debut record, A Drier Place released last year.

On a hot and steamy summer's evening, it was clear from the sweaty condition the performers were in at the end of their sets that Jay Matthes and Judah and the Lion did their best to bring the heat to Summer Sounds.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Eaux Claires Music Festival- Eau Claire, Wisconsin July 17-18


photo by Chuck Rozewicz
In the final scene in Cameron Crowe's exceptional 2000 film, Almost Famous, the teen-aged character William Miller asks musician friend Russel Hammond the simple yet complicated question, "So Russel, what do you love about music," to which he replies, "To start with... everything."  This sentiment expressed by Russel was echoed by me over the weekend after attending my first multi-day destination music festival, Eaux Claires.

Credit the moonshot thinking of Eau Claire's favorite son, Justin Vernon and his friend Aaron Dessner, of The National. who curated an innovative festival in rural Wisconsin drawing over 22,000 people to enjoy music, art, companionship and camaraderie. The festival served as a mecca for bands and fans of bands in the upper Midwestern indie music scene.  This was a unique experience where acts that I've seen normally play for a thousand people or less garnered HUGE crowds, where musicians eagerly collaborated with each other to make one-of-a-kind performances, and where the fans were treated to wonderful artists performing with the utmost passion and energy.  To quote fellow festival attendee and friend, Kevin Gonring, "Eaux Claires was about pure reverence... for nature, music and friendship.  It felt like something that was distinctly and seemingly mystically all connected, from the design to the guest features, it felt like you were part of something rather than just observing it."

As a rookie festival goer, I realized one thing very quickly... there was no physical way to "see it all." Factor in sweltering heat and humid conditions and the sheer logistics of the festival, and I quickly had come to the conclusion that I needed to live in the moment of what I was seeing and experiencing, and not worry about what I wasn't.

For starters what I was experiencing was some of my favorite current artists performing sets of music in a pristine location, amidst the natural beauty of Chippewa River flowing as a literal backdrop behind the artists, and the ethereal topography of the famous "North Woods" of Wisconsin all around us.  This setting served as a primary point that connected the festival goers and artists. Within the confines of this scenic place overlooking a flowing river, we were treated to two days of amazing music, friendship and fun.

Friday's musical experiences:  Rocking Out in the Heat
Hiss Golden Messenger:  The Durham, North Carolina based Americana outfit provided great southern rock influenced jams and country tinged melodies to kick off the festival.


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Field Report:  Christopher Porterfield kicked the intensity of his band's performance up to eleven with a soulfully uplifting set of music anchored by a marquee rendition of "I'm Not Waiting Anymore."


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Sturgill Simpson:  The spirit of Duane Allman traveled across the Chippewa River and into the guitar licks of Laur Joamets, who anchored Simpson's traditional country set with jaw-dropping slide guitar work.  Simpson's passion and tales, coupled with his band's tight-knit sound made his set a festival favorite of mine, especially the later part of the set where Simpson flowed songs and jams into one another and incorporated a great deal of bluegrass.  Simply put, Stugill brought the country heat on a squelching warm day.  


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
The Staves: The lush music and perfectly pitched harmonies of this group of British sisters soared in the Staves' late afternoon set.


 Photo by Amanda Roscoe Mayo from Consequences of Sound

Doomtree:  Minneapolis hip-hop super-group had the audience bouncing from the moment the crew took the stage.  Special credit goes to Dessa whose back up vocals on most tracks and stage swagger stole the show.


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Spoon:  I can't top Justin Vernon's simple, yet spot on words in the Eaux Claires Field Journal for describing Spoon. "Category: American rock band.  Category closed."  


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Tallest Man on Earth: Kristian Matsson backed by a full band, including the No BS! Brass Band, and a great fiddle player had the honor of playing while the sun was going down, creating a stunning back drop for the indie folk musician's tunes.  The Tallest Man delivered one of the best sets of the fest, with rich sonic timbres and arrangements of his new and older material.
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch


The National:  This was my festival highlight.  Backed with one of the best visual displays I've ever seen at any concert, the National played an hour and forty minute set, with an encore.  Their songs were rich and powerful, and backed often by the No BS! Brass Band.  Moreover, covering the traditional Americana song, "Peggy O," (often played by the Grateful Dead) and being joined on stage by Sufjan Stevens and Justin Vernon for several numbers, made their headlining performance extra special.


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch



Saturday's Musical Experiences:  All About Surprises
Forever Love: Trees and Longing
Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson featured the Dessner twins from The National and Gyoa and Kristin Anna Valtysdottir, formerly of the Icelandic band mum, dressed in turn of the century county fair attire, performing a series of songs that quoted poets such as Sylvia Plath, Bas Jan Ader and e.e. cummings.  A personal highlight was talking later in the day with the extremely humble Kjartansson about the project and how he and the other artists put it together two weeks ago especially for this particular space.  It was a song for a summer's day indeed.


 Photo by Amanda Roscoe Mayo originally appeared on Consequences of Sound.net


Elliot Moss: This was the surprise show of the fest for me.  Mixing together elements of electronic music and rock, and segueing in and out of trippy, hypnotic jams, Moss engaged the crowd with music that is best described by my friend and fellow festival attendee, Brad Dunning, as "tight, intense, passionate and mature."  I was blown away by this band!


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

S.Carey featuring the UW-Eau Claire Jazz Band: Having seen S.Carey perform within the intimate confines of the Cedarburg Cultural Center this winter, I was curious to see how he would do in a festival setting.  Backed with the UW- Eau Claire Jazz Band, his arrangements soared into one of the best surprises of the festival.


photo by Luke Rivard
Charles Bradley:  The festival's oldest performer, 66 year old Charles Bradley delivered sultry seductive grooves (again to quote my friend, Brad Dunning) as the "Screaming Eagle of Soul" kicked off his late afternoon performance.
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Phox: The Dells Stage tent was packed for the Baraboo indie-folk outfit with singer Monica Martin seeming genuinely overwhelmed by the support of the fans in attendance and the large crowd.  Hearing the intricate inter-working of Martin's voice amid the acoustic guitars and banjo overlooking the forests around the stage was a show highlight.


photo courtesy of Gishots by Stephen Bloch
Sylvan Esso: This is a concert experience I will never forget... a sweaty tent packed shoulder to shoulder with people of all ages bumping, bouncing and swaying during the electronic indie pop duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn's set. The band played their debut record along with new tunes in what was a festival show-stealing performance


photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Sufjan Stevens: With the sun setting, Stevens delivered a rare festival performance, focusing on interweaving tunes from his critically acclaimed Carrie and Lowell record along with other tracks from his rich catalog.  Highlights included the reflective "Casmir Pulaski Day," "Fourth of July" which featured Bryce Dessner of The National, and "Chicago," which featured The No BS! Brass Band adding an extra layer of bright timbres to make the song really take off.
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch


Bon Iver: Before Bon Iver took the stage for their headlining set Saturday night, author and festival emcee, Michael Perry addressed the 22,000+ festival attendees gathered around the main stage for the event's final act-- organizer Justin Vernon's most well-known project, "Bon Iver."  Perry's words pretty much encapsulate the spirit an sentiment of the two-day event.  

To quote Mr. Perry, "We’re pretty much an unbeautiful bunch, man. We are flat-footed clodhoppers who feel inside like maybe we could dance, and we don’t really know any other way than to just get at it and have at it. And we know it wouldn’t happen without our neighbors, without those who raised us, without this Chippewa Valley, and without you. If you hold yourself still and silent now, you can feel that river behind you. Runnin’ through the night. Runnin’ through all time.It’s good to have music near a river. There’s this idea of baptism. Of absolution. No matter what you believe. Better yet, it’s good to have music near a place where two rivers come together. A confluence. For what are we but a confluence—a confluence that lives and breathes, a confluence of dream and song, a confluence of 22,000 beating hearts.And so here we are, cradled by a river in a sanctuary of sound.


This was Justin Vernon's fest and naturally his most well-known band reunited and were joined on stage with special guests throughout the set which opened with a chilling version of "Heavenly Father."  "Towers's" lush soundscapes played well into the scenic beauty of Foster Farms.  Two new tunes were debuted along with a goose-bump generating version of "Perth," which featured the Staves on vocals along with the No BS! Brass Band, whom Vernon called, "the festival's MVPs" during his Bon Iver set.

The musical performances, and sense of community that took place at Eaux Claires was second-to-none and only made the attendees start anticipating next year's festival.  



photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch of Main Entrance Installation by Hottea

For more great pictures, please check out Stephen Bloch's Gigshots Flickr album,


Sunday, July 12, 2015

Fort Frances- Bastille Days, Milwaukee, WI 7/11/15

photo by Will Piper
While winters in Milwaukee are rough, summers are a myriad of good times.  As "The City of Festivals," Milwaukee offers up Bastille Days-- a four day celebration of French and Creole culture in the streets of downtown Milwaukee.  This festival starts with a 5k "Storm the Bastille" run on Thursday night and carries on throughout the weekend with unique food and beverage stations, Fraco-art booths, local and regional vendors, and lots of family fun.  Did I mention that there is a lot of music too?

Enter amid all of this, and the backdrop of a large inflatable Eifel Tower, Fort Frances, a band from Chicago that that has little to nothing to do with Franco-American culture, but a lot to do with fun. For the second consecutive year, Fort Frances was a featured Bastille Days artist, this year moving up to the big stage in Cathedral Square Park.  The band delivered a 90 minute set which spanned the history of their material.  This was by far the largest crowd I've seen Fort Frances play for... I've seen them play to as little as a handful of people at last year's rain-soaked Bastille Days set, to perhaps about 75 people at an earlier Club Garabaldi show.  This time, conservatively speaking, there were 150 people seated in the bleachers, plus the group that was listening and having kids play on the jungle-gym and explore the cultural booths in the back of the park.

This past May, Fort Frances released its third E.P. No One Needs To Know Our Name.  This album  was recorded in fall of 2014 in Maine with producer Sam Kassirer (who has worked with national acts such as Lake Street Dive and Josh Ritter).  The songs off of No One Needs To Know Our Name feature a fuller sound and increased instrumentation when compared to Fort Frances's earlier material.  Simply put, the band continues to evolve, and for the better.  This summer, the Chicago trio has been performing more with additional members, including keyboardist/guitarist Jason Ryan who sat in with the band at Bastille Days.  Ryan's presence not only helped transform the newer songs live, but also provided richer and more complex timbres to the band's earlier material.  Drummer Aaron Kiser continues to hone his skills and establish himself as a driving force behind the band. The one-two-punch of bassist Jeff Piper and singer/guitarist David McMillan tie everything together.  McMillan's affable nature and humility on and off the stage makes the act an especially approachable and fun one.

It is clear at that these guys enjoy playing music together and can have fun in any setting.  Some fun take-away memories from this performance included the jam during "Up on Cripple Creek" (a cover from The Band) causing many of the folks in the front row to dance, an overzealous Fort Frances fan asking David to play Earth Wind and Fire towards the end of the show, and the general exuberance and confidence that the band displayed with its most recent material.  For fans traveling to Appleton for Mile of Music in a couple of weeks, Fort Frances is an act you don't want to miss.

Setlist:
How To Turn Back Again
Ghosts of California
Anonymous
Habits
These Are The Mountains Moving >
Cities in Dust >
Boogie On Reggae Woman^ >
Jam >
Plastic Hearts
City by the Sea (slow intro)
Best of Luck
Year Ago
I Got Love
You Got the Wrong Man
If the Ocean Runs Dry
Up on Cripple Creek*
Building a Wall

^- Stevie Wonder cover
*- The Band cover


Saturday, July 11, 2015

John and Jacob- Summer Sounds, Cedarburg, WI 7/10/15

photo by Will Piper
Nashville's John and Jacob have all the right tools to become a break out artist.  Following a heavy run on the festival circuit last summer, including appearances at Boneroo and South by Southwest, and an American and European tour opening up for country stand-out star, Kasey Musgraves, the road traveled band fronted by co-lead singer/guitarists John Davidson and Jacob Bryant stopped off at picaresque Cedar Creek Park for a beautiful Friday of music and fun.  Summer Sounds has a real knack for booking performers who appeal to diverse audiences, and John and Jacob were no exception.  Part country, part throw-back rock 'n roll, and part Americana, John and Jacob delivered a high energy set.  On stage, they have exceptional energy, and reminded me lot of the Avett Brothers.  Both singers traded off vocals fluidly and were backed with a tight band which included Austin Smith on vocals, guitar and keyboard, Jake Thrasher on bass and Trevor Davis on drums.

One of the show highlights included the band covering the Everly Brothers's hit, "Wake Up Little Suzie."  The band admitted to often times being compared to the Everly Brothers in their prime, and with their matching suits and wonderful harmonizing, this was an easy comparison to see. This tune made you feel like you weren't in Cedar Creek Park in Cedarburg, but rather rocking out in a malt shop in a different era.

John and Jacobs's set drew heavily from their 2014 debut self-titled release.  Tunes like the rocking feel-good summer anthem "Ride with Me," got the crowd to its feet.  "Be My Girl," another stand out track, was warmly received especially with the energy displayed on stage.  The retro-rock infused "Breaking the Law" was another stellar track with Thrasher providing some great grooves on the bass.  I have a feeling that the next time John and Jacob play Milwaukee that they might be in a larger venue, but it will be great to say that, "we saw them at Summer Sounds."

photo by Tony Frontier

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Field Report- Miller Lite Oasis, Summerfest, 6/28/15

photo by Will Piper

The Milwaukee Bucks basketball club has a slogan right now that states, "Own the Future."  It is a unique play to get fans excited about the new direction that the franchise is going in... new owners, young players, and a general sense of exuberance and energy around pro basketball in Milwaukee.

In parallel terms, Milwaukee singer-songwriter extraordinaire, Christopher Porterfield, might have been channeling the same sentiment of the Bucks' slogan when he appeared on stage at the Miller O. wearing a "new logo" Bucks hat for Field Report's Summerfest set which spanned from twilight into dark on a seasonably chilly Sunday evening in late June.

The autumnal themes of Field Report's latest release, Marigolden,(which was one of my top two records of last year) fit the weather and the mood of the sizable crowd who gathered to watch.  Field Report is not a typical Summerfest act by any means.  It is a singer-songwriter act, filled with nuance laden music... not a "get up on the bleachers and dance act."  For a festival crowd, the fans supporting Field Report were about as respectful as one could expect from the venue.  Granted it wasn't "pin drop silent," like the band's homecoming performance at the Pabst Theater last fall, but that is to be expected while performing at a festival show, especially at "The Big Gig."  However, given the venue, it was about as polite of a crowd as one could muster for Summerfest and the Miller O.  To quote an older gentleman in his mid sixties who was standing next to me, and told tales of being at every Summerfest from the first one on, "These guys are darn good!"  Simply put, frankly, I couldn't agree more, sir.

The set began with the building tempos of the title track off of Marigolden, and went into a series of standout tracks from last year's gem, including "Michelle," "Decision Day," and the 88.9 Radio Milwaukee favorite, "Cups and Cups."  "Wings," followed next which showcased the musical range the band can explore through the layered jams in the middle of the track.  Porterfield delivered a particularly soulful version of "I'm Not Waiting Anymore," a track that recently was covered, to critical acclaim, by the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Consistent touring since the fall, including solo dates for Porterfield with Bahamas, and a European tour for Field Report with Tweedy (fronted by Wilco songwriter, Jeff Tweedy) seems to have resulted in a sense of looseness in the band, where the group can easily adapt to providing slightly different takes on their tunes while keeping their signature musical tightness.

Following the emotionally heavy tune, "Pale Rider," Field Report invited local sister duo Vic and Gab onstage to provide back-up vocals for a particularly well-arranged version of "Fergus Falls," off of Field Report's first record.  Vic and Gab stayed on stage to provide harmonies which enhanced the performances of "Home (Leave the Lights On)" and "Summons," my personal favorite Porterfield composition.  "Taking Alcatraz" and "Enchantment" filled out the set as dusk turned to night at Summerfest, and Field Report exited the stage to a loud ovation from the crowd.

Like with the Milwaukee Bucks, and even more so with my beloved Milwaukee Brewers, I'm a natural fan of the home team.  I'm proud to say that I think Milwaukee will be "owning the future," watching Christopher Porterfield and this magnificent group continue to progress and hone their talents as musicians as they progress.

Setlist:
Marigolden
Michelle
Decision Day
Cups & Cups
Wings
I'm Not Waiting Anymore
Pale Rider
Fergus Falls
Home (Leave the Lights On)
Summons
Taking Alcatraz
Enchantment