Tag: Shows

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6 Sep: Atlanta

Eddie’s Attic (Atlanta, GA)
solo w/ Alastor, weaklazyliar

So, when I go on and on about wanting to create some sort of community between all of the various pop bands in town, last night is what I meant. Shows with bands I know are already preferable, because, generally speaking, the music makes sense together, and there’s no worry that some band is going to try to pull some half-assed ego trip at some point. But last night it felt like there was a real sense of being in this together. I realize how that sounds, but it’s true.

Alastor played first, which I hadn’t expected. They put the show together and I had assumed they’d play last and that I, as the solo performer, would be going first. But a switch from 8pm to 9pm is no big deal to me, it’s not like I’m going to lose audience members from that. Alastor’s drummer, Scott, was playing his last show with them, although he played guitar for the evening. Alastor play a sort of post-punk pop style of music (it’s okay, I don’t really know what that meant… it seemed to make sense when I first typed it) that is similar to mine, I think, in the way that you have to pay attention to notice the fact that hidden behind the music the lyrics are pretty dark and complex (write that down, it may be as close to a self-compliment as you’ll ever see from me). Elizabeth is tired of the PJ Harvey/Patti Smith comparisons, I’m willing to bet, but they’re accurate (hey, I should be so lucky as to get comparisons like that) so why should I say otherwise? Anyway, they played a great set, that was all I was trying to say.

I went on next. I’d like to not become a broken record about my performances, so hopefully you’re not sick of hearing this, but I think I did pretty well. I thought my playing was a bit rough at times, but my vocals were pretty strong. It felt pretty good. It’s funny to think that just the prospect of the fact that acoustic shows are not all I do anymore makes such a difference to my mindset. If I have to pick a trade-off moment for the set, it’s that I played a version of “No Myth” that I really botched, balanced by closing with the new song (“You Are Her(e)”) that went over really well, it seemed.

weaklazyliar played last and played a full band show. They finally broke out the new stuff that they’ve been hoarding all this time. They really seemed ON, though they’ll tell you otherwise I’m sure, and of the new stuff “Someday” was really, really amazing. Gerlinda’s voice was just heartbreaking on it, it was really impressive. I got up and sang on “Snow” with them, something that I love to do. Sometimes I feel as if I’m forcing myself on them, but they keep telling me I’m not. Who do you believe? Anyway, I’d be perfectly happy to be singing back up vocals for them on as many songs as they want my goofy ass up there with them. I love singing to begin with, and there’s something even better about singing harmonies when they’re really working. There are times when I sing with G where it begins to feel like it’s becoming sort of… illicit.

That sentence ought to end any chance of me doing it again with them, don’t you think?

After the show there was a good hour or so of general shmoozing and talking. We’re all fans of each other, and there was just a lot of commiserating and whatnot. All three of us are in the midst of trying to record follow-ups, and we’re all struggling through various setbacks. It felt good to talk to people who are in the same situations, and that’s really why I think creating a pop community in this town would be so good. Also, Jeff, from the Accusations, and some of the Ethers from the Ether Family Presents… (who I’ve been pushing shamelessly on people for the past month or so) were in the crowd, and we were all chatting, swapping CDs, it was just a big ass-kissing love-fest and it just felt good. On a Thursday, no less!

I really think it would work, and be a good thing.

I just don’t have the slightest clue how to go about it.

The crowd for the show was really very enthusiastic, I think it even threw us all a couple of times, getting those lengthy stretches of applause. Thanks to everyone who could make it out. This whole idea for a pop community involves you guys, too, so please feel free speak up here, or at shows, or anywhere. Really.

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11 Aug: Atlanta

Dark Horse (Atlanta, GA)
w/ Chain Poets, Johnny Hyde

Another show involving medical treatment. Friday I was at the hospital with a kidney stone, doped up with Demerol. X-rays, CT-scan, the works. It was a whirlwind of fun. The stone is still with me and was able to enjoy the show, which I performed under the influence of Percocet (administered every four hours to keep the pain at bay).

This show Michael Lorant filled in admirably on the drums, particularly considering we only rehearsed for an hour on Tuesday before it was cut short by the first visit of this particular stone. We started the show at 10pm sharp, and burned through 35 minutes in 35 minutes. This show was somewhat tighter than the last, as could be expected, but still rough. I felt much more in sync with this show compared to the last. With some time between now and the next potential band shows it’ll be nice to actually pick apart the songs we’re doing and really work them up, and add a few more. I miss more backing vocals, which is something we’ll have to figure out, too. We did these two shows from three rehearsals (one with a different drummer) so I think, to have pulled them off as well as we did, I really have pieced together something good here. All of them seem to be looking at this as a BAND, too, from what they say to me. Things could be very good in the coming months.

Chain Poets were up next. I had rehearsed with them on Thursday since we had talked about doing a song together during their set. In the end at the show we did “Telephone Line” and “No Matter What.” I couldn’t hear my vocals on “Telephone Line” (I was doing the very high falsetto stuff and playing guitar while Greg played the keys) but “No Matter What” came off great and sounded tight. They seemed to enjoy their set, as well, and it was great sharing the stage finally. I got to know them just as RC was splitting, so we’d never played together before. Plus, being on stage with them during their set was an added bonus. A blast and I hope we manage to do it again soon.

What the show did for me, though, was solidify my desire to put together some sort of monthly package show featuring local pop bands. The only problem is figuring out where it can be done on a Friday or Saturday and how to get people out to see it. Pop fans don’t seem to make a regular trip out to see local music, so the trick is how do I let them know such a thing exists and get them out? Because, even if I manage to put this together once (and I think I can pull that off somehow), if I can’t pull a crowd they won’t have us back.

Once again people were there who I never really got a chance to talk with to my satisfaction. I suppose a room filled with live music is not exactly the best place to try and talk anyway, and then hopped up on goofballs doesn’t help, either. Thanks to Lee and Greg from Gentle Readers who made it out, and two of the Ether Family Presents… (who introduced themselves by their Ether names, which I thought was great, except that I was drugged and now can’t remember which was which), and Andrea from Daemon Records. Thanks to everyone else who made it out, I really do appreciate it. Write me some time and we’ll chat. Really.

Up next, I’m finally back in the studio, all next week.

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3 Aug: Atlanta

Hard Rock Cafe (Atlanta, GA)
Atlantis Music Conference

Paul’s Adventures in Atlantis

First off, from my experience at a lot of the showcases turnout was really poor. Previous to this year I’ve only actually caught one showcase that I recall, and turnout was very light for that, so I didn’t know how well these things were attended. But it is pretty bad across the board. I feel sorry for the bands that are making a long trek from out of state to play for a conference that presents itself as being a big deal and clearly is not (not to be confused with the bands I feel sorry for who expect a lot more than they’re going to get out of ANY music conference). There seems to be very little promotional push outside of the conference attendees, so the city itself doesn’t attend the shows. And I’m not even sure that what little industry turnout the conference has (and really, it seems pretty light) even comes out to the showcases.

Thursday I actually went out to four different ones. There were five bands playing who I know, each of them at a different time (thankfully) and at a different club (not so thankfully). Alastor played a great set at the Dark Horse to about 5 people. Kenny Howes and the Yeah! played at the Star Bar to a decent sized crowd of maybe 30 people, a bit light for a big show at the Star Bar, though. He was just back from playing IPO and had a great set. Gentle Readers played at the Echo Lounge to about 30 or so people, and everytime I see them they really do sound better and better, and it always catches me off guard. Then I caught Jeff’s (former bass player in Radiant City) band the Accusations at the Hard Rock, which had the biggest turnout I saw (about 40 or 50 people, the same as our turnout the next night at the same club). Jeff smiles a lot in that band which I find very gratifying. But I was too wiped out to make it to the Young Antiques show after that.

Friday I freaked out all day. It’s not so much the show itself but the lead up to it. I was stressed about things coming together, everyone showing up for load-in, nothing setting anyone off. Clearly, I have a lot to work through about my days in Radiant City. But load-in was no big deal, and even the minor crisis we had was handled easily.

The show itself was… well, it was good. But it was rough, too. I told someone later that I recognized it was a step forward, but it was a rough step. But it was all there, and that really does mean something to me. A lot of it was having only rehearsed twice up to that point. A lot of it on my part (and I think it was rougher for me than anyone else) was just not having been onstage with a band in so long. I have shows sometimes where I feel like, when I start, I’m not ready to start yet and I feel like the show is constantly 5 seconds ahead of me and I can’t seem to catch up. We launched into “Guy Fawkes Day” and I knew I was never going to feel caught up with the show. But it was okay. We were good. A little sloppy, but good.

And it felt so good to be there again.

A lot of people came out and I had my usual feeling that I wasn’t able to talk to anyone long enough. So for the record let me say that if you talk to me after a show and I ever seem not quite all there it’s because post-show I’m not all there but I’m really trying to be. Always come talk to me after a show, I live for that. weaklazyliar and Gina (M Records) brought me a card and a bottle of champagne to celebrate the grand re-opening of my band days, which I thought was really flattering. So once again I’ll take this opportunity to tell you that you need to get out and see weaklazyliar while you can. They’re one of the best bands in Atlanta and their new CD is due soon. You only have so much time left to catch them at this level before you have to shell out twenty bucks to catch them at some lame festival show where you can barely see the stage.

Thanks to everyone who could make it out. There’s more to come, thanks for sticking around.