Now on to the Wildbirds.
The Heartless Bastards are up next.
The PBR is flowing at Grammer's.
I am drinking it.
Friday, September 25, 2009
MidPoint Day One Complete
Day One of the MidPoint Music Festival went off with a thumbing of the nose to the rain! I was extremely impressed with the crowds. Thursday is traditionally a slow night for MidPoint, but there were really good last night, especially at CAC for the Seedy Seeds.
My Plan started me out at 8PM to see Serenity Fisher at Coffee Emporium, a fresh song writer with a great voice. (Full Disclosure: She's a friend)
Next up I caught the end of the Messerly & Ewing show, which because of illness, one of which happened just before the show, the four piece became a three with a fill in drummer. The Trio carried on to the cheers of the Madonna's Crowd. Since I knew half of the crowd by name, I had hoped they were all cheering for my arrival, but no, alas, the band was earning it. I hope to have the regular line all healthy and ready to go soon, I think they play next weekend, in fact.
After an hour and a half into the festival, the planned schedule seems a bit to much motion, since I was planning on going up to Grammers. Instead we walked by the Segway Room to catch some of The Daredevil Christopher Wright, but the small venue was packed, so we moved on.
Being in my neighborhood, we hit the Know's two stages instead and caught the end of the Vanity Theft from Dayton. They have potential. The all female band has several good musicians and their music had a mix of fun pop and indie angst. The could be more tight, musically, as a group.
Heading downstairs at the Know Theatre, I was pleased to notice that the next band was one I had heard good things about.
The best show I saw on Thursday goes to John the Savage from Milwaukee. They have an very unique sound the has a massively eclectic mix of instruments: Guitar, Accordion, Megaphone, Piano, Violin, Aux Percussion, String Bass, Drums, Chains, Trumpet, Trombone, Chains, Mandolin, Cello, Bells, and some type of wind-key board. The sharp musicianship gave the harsh and intellectual tone a base to allow the entire group to writhe on stage. A friend purchased their CD, so I am going to have to borrow it a listen, very intently.
After dodging a few more sprinkles we hustled down to the CAC to catch the Seedy Seeds for what ended being the most packed show I'd seen so far. The basement stage at the CAC was a steamy sauna filled with hipsters, aging hipsters, downtowners, arts professionals, creatives, and at least one very sweaty blogger. The Seeds are really a local musical treasure that I really hope everyone can see and expereince live. Their sound has a very popish tone, though they really can't be defined, but live they really pull all of the raw power they can out of their sound. Tonight, however, the sound mixing was not very good, at least in the back. It got a little be unbearable with the heat and sound. That takes nothing away from the band, who as usual gave a great performance.
The night ended with a small crowd at Washington Platform for Brighton, MA. They are a solid band, but rocked a bit too much for the space. WP is a little more suited for a slate of Americana Bands.
Night one was fun. The rain didn't hurt much at all. I do think I need to follow the Scion Streetcar Schedules better, since every time I saw a series of cars go by, I was about a block from my next destination.
Day Two is next!
My Plan started me out at 8PM to see Serenity Fisher at Coffee Emporium, a fresh song writer with a great voice. (Full Disclosure: She's a friend)
Next up I caught the end of the Messerly & Ewing show, which because of illness, one of which happened just before the show, the four piece became a three with a fill in drummer. The Trio carried on to the cheers of the Madonna's Crowd. Since I knew half of the crowd by name, I had hoped they were all cheering for my arrival, but no, alas, the band was earning it. I hope to have the regular line all healthy and ready to go soon, I think they play next weekend, in fact.After an hour and a half into the festival, the planned schedule seems a bit to much motion, since I was planning on going up to Grammers. Instead we walked by the Segway Room to catch some of The Daredevil Christopher Wright, but the small venue was packed, so we moved on.
Being in my neighborhood, we hit the Know's two stages instead and caught the end of the Vanity Theft from Dayton. They have potential. The all female band has several good musicians and their music had a mix of fun pop and indie angst. The could be more tight, musically, as a group.Heading downstairs at the Know Theatre, I was pleased to notice that the next band was one I had heard good things about.
The best show I saw on Thursday goes to John the Savage from Milwaukee. They have an very unique sound the has a massively eclectic mix of instruments: Guitar, Accordion, Megaphone, Piano, Violin, Aux Percussion, String Bass, Drums, Chains, Trumpet, Trombone, Chains, Mandolin, Cello, Bells, and some type of wind-key board. The sharp musicianship gave the harsh and intellectual tone a base to allow the entire group to writhe on stage. A friend purchased their CD, so I am going to have to borrow it a listen, very intently.
After dodging a few more sprinkles we hustled down to the CAC to catch the Seedy Seeds for what ended being the most packed show I'd seen so far. The basement stage at the CAC was a steamy sauna filled with hipsters, aging hipsters, downtowners, arts professionals, creatives, and at least one very sweaty blogger. The Seeds are really a local musical treasure that I really hope everyone can see and expereince live. Their sound has a very popish tone, though they really can't be defined, but live they really pull all of the raw power they can out of their sound. Tonight, however, the sound mixing was not very good, at least in the back. It got a little be unbearable with the heat and sound. That takes nothing away from the band, who as usual gave a great performance.The night ended with a small crowd at Washington Platform for Brighton, MA. They are a solid band, but rocked a bit too much for the space. WP is a little more suited for a slate of Americana Bands.
Night one was fun. The rain didn't hurt much at all. I do think I need to follow the Scion Streetcar Schedules better, since every time I saw a series of cars go by, I was about a block from my next destination.
Day Two is next!
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Hurt Traveling to Cincinnati
The main act at the CAC on Thursday, Scotland Yard Gospel Choir, was in a car crash in Indiana on their way to Cincinnati for the MidPoint Music Festival. All six members of the Chicago based band were involved in the accident and suffered injuries. One band members, Mark Yoshizumi, suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to a local hospital.
Let's hope for a quick recovery for everyone and we'll see them at next year's festival!
More Here
Let's hope for a quick recovery for everyone and we'll see them at next year's festival!
More Here
Thursday, September 24, 2009
MidPoint Field Report Day One
As of 10 pm the best of the festival is John the Savage.
Seedy Seeds up next.
Kings Island Making National News
Kings Island had planned to feature plastic skeletons posed to resemble dead celebrities as part of its Halloween Haunt. WLWT's Karin Johnson reported the story, which is starting to get some national attention (link: New York Daily News). Some of them, I thought, were pretty funny--like Ted Williams in a freezer case. Others--like Steve McNair or Michael Jackson--probably crossed the line between good and bad taste due to how recently the celebrity had passed away. And a Kings Island spokesman was quoted as promising more dead celebrity spoofs, including Ted Kennedy.
The "outrage" over the display has, of course, convinced Kings Island to pull the plug on the whole thing.
I have to wonder: how many people who insist that the plastic skeletons are "offensive" had no problem paying money for entrance to "Bodies: The Exhibition" and examining actual, posed and manipulated cadavers in awe and wonder? I guess the rule is that if a dead person is American and famous, it's taboo to reference his or her death for entertainment purposes, but if someone is Chinese and poor, we can do whatever we want with the body for commercial purposes.
The "outrage" over the display has, of course, convinced Kings Island to pull the plug on the whole thing.
I have to wonder: how many people who insist that the plastic skeletons are "offensive" had no problem paying money for entrance to "Bodies: The Exhibition" and examining actual, posed and manipulated cadavers in awe and wonder? I guess the rule is that if a dead person is American and famous, it's taboo to reference his or her death for entertainment purposes, but if someone is Chinese and poor, we can do whatever we want with the body for commercial purposes.
Westwood Concern Run By Right Wing Nuts
Yes, the title states something most people would say is akin to making a grand statement that "Water is wet." That being said, those few hold outs or deniers should read about the insane flier Kevin Osborne wrote about on CityBeat's blog.
To say that the authors of what Osborne calls "Melva's Manifesto" are living in an alternate universe is putting it lightly, assuming they actually believe what they are writing about. They either believe we live in Iraq or are lying to their potential supporters in hopes that fear of the poor and blacks will drive them to get in line and support their insanity.
I am glad CityBeat provides commentary and news facts about this group. Other News Outlets, the rest of them in the city, give these nutcases a free ride. I guess the hate they represent speaks for a lot of Westsiders? I really don't think that is true, but somehow Westward Concern is taken as speaking for more than a few nuts. I hope Kevin's post will convince others
To say that the authors of what Osborne calls "Melva's Manifesto" are living in an alternate universe is putting it lightly, assuming they actually believe what they are writing about. They either believe we live in Iraq or are lying to their potential supporters in hopes that fear of the poor and blacks will drive them to get in line and support their insanity.
I am glad CityBeat provides commentary and news facts about this group. Other News Outlets, the rest of them in the city, give these nutcases a free ride. I guess the hate they represent speaks for a lot of Westsiders? I really don't think that is true, but somehow Westward Concern is taken as speaking for more than a few nuts. I hope Kevin's post will convince others
MidPoint is Live #mpmf
And so it begins with live.mpmf.com. What will the flood of tweets be like? Will we read about more than one 23 old women at MidPoint swear she will not sleep with another musician, ever!? Will we read 30-something guys swear that Erika W. remembers serving him a beer the last time she worked the bar at the Tavern? He was the one guy who did not order PBR, and she noticed. Will we find links to naked photos of wanna be groupies in the Lodge Bar bathroom?
Let's hope so! Well, assuming its not a groupie for an all female Japanese Punk Band.
Anyway, this experiment should be interesting where anyone with using the #mpmf hash tag on Twitter will be included in the stream, or if you are a Cincinnati Bell Wireless Customer and text to 4632. I hoping for a combination of the insightful and insane and a little bit raunchy, but actually, no naked shots please, we don't actually need to see your balls. That means you: band members of Lions Rampant!
Let's hope so! Well, assuming its not a groupie for an all female Japanese Punk Band.
Anyway, this experiment should be interesting where anyone with using the #mpmf hash tag on Twitter will be included in the stream, or if you are a Cincinnati Bell Wireless Customer and text to 4632. I hoping for a combination of the insightful and insane and a little bit raunchy, but actually, no naked shots please, we don't actually need to see your balls. That means you: band members of Lions Rampant!
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