The one Michigan based music blog I can rely on is Eat this City. They haven’t failed me since I discovered their website about a year ago and they’ve always keep shit simple- I like that.
I often times I find myself jabbering on about how the music makes me want to float on the clouds or eat freeze pops or break walls. Anyhow, Eat this City posted about PHONOTROPIC’s WICKED AWESOME BARBEQUED MUSICAL SAFARI at the Crofoot Complex and I emptied out couches and Coin Starred the piggy bank to make it. My family did too and it made for a really fantastic evening.
The bands I were able to see were The Victorious Secrets, Bear Lake, The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre, Marco Polio and the New Vaccines, Lettercamp, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and my favorite Michigan band in 24 years of existence- Bars of Gold. I caught pieces of other bands, but figured because I didn’t watch the majority of the set it wouldn’t be fair to pass judgment.
It was also interesting to be surprised with a Dog and Panther Spot for their new album “What Happened” right before Dale Earnhardt. Jr. Jr.’s set. I really love Dog and Panther and if they don’t play a show before I relocate to Marquette, MI I might be pissed off.
I also don’t understand why nobody dances anymore and why so many people come to a concert to sit and drink beer on the patio. I guess I am just a loser.
Bars of Gold
I’ve reviewed Bars of Gold like 5 times and its possible that this may be the last time I get to see them for a long while. I am moving to Marquette, MI to finish my degree and that means I may be far north for around 2-3 years. Despite Bars of Gold losing their organ, breaking a bass drum head and losing a drum pedal they still delivered a fantastic performance.
They have an album being released through Friction Records on August, 24th 2010 titled “Of Gold”. Their record release show is on September 11th at Founder’s Brewery in Grand Rapids. It will be a religious experience and I hope at least a couple people besides the band dances.
Oh and I just noticed the pre-order is now available. Check it out.
The Jesus Chainsaw Massacre were upstairs in the Pike Room delivering a fun and fantastic show. I laughed more than I danced, but that isn’t a bad thing. Why? Because I was having fun. Isn’t that the point?
I can’t help but dig the tongue and cheek attitude delivered on stage. The guys on Eat This City mentioned them before and I am glad I got to see the music in person. Loco Gnosis and Duende! front man joined the Massacre for a song. Good times.
The Victorious Secrets are tight and deliver some awesome music fit to air guitar. They are currently in the running for the FreeCreditReport.com commercial- you should click here, vote for them and support Michigan Music. The Victorious Secrets was one of the most radio friendly bands on the lineup with their fun attitude and catchy songs.
Marco Polio and the New Vaccines always deliver an energetic and bizarre performance. The first time my Fiancée’ and I saw them they didn’t have a drummer and relied entirely on a drum-machine. Now they have a drummer the music is much fuller and I was impressed by the change. I danced more at this show than any other and because I am fat I was too tired to give my all at Bars of Gold =(. Marco Polio blends electronica, eighties noise guitar and stage antics fit for a great time. The best way I can describe
their live performances is with this simple statement, “Regardless if there is one person in the audience or a thousand Marco Polio delivers something worth experiencing.”
Bear Lake is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket but allows their music to cascade over the audience. Me and my father bought their CD’s which were extremely affordable (2 for 10 bucks). I am going to listen to them this week and get a couple reviews up on the blog. I really love big synth sounds coupled with the acoustic guitar- it’s a personal favorite of mine. I guess they had songs on Melrose place and stuff… pretty cool for Michigan.
Lettercamp delivers a darker side of sexy pop songs complete with a fantastic stage show that ties it all together. There is just something unstoppable about funky bass lines, synthesizers and female vocals. Lettercamp was delivering their 10” vinyl via Five Three Dial Tone Records last night as well.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. was good fun. I didn’t realize the two guys were from other projects one being the Silent Years and the other being the Victorious Secrets. I really love the Silent Years and would have probably caught a show earlier if I knew there was a relationship between the two different bands. I should’ve just taken Eat This City’s advice the first time and saved myself the revelation. Anyhow. I was also presently surprised by the Dog and Panther spot before their set started. I really love Dog and Panther.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. crafts delicious pop songs and I always love when people sing or play strange instruments like the telephones, easy buttons and the other assorted things. The live show was REALLY loud and usually I don’t mind, but something about the treble really fucked me up. It was almost as brutal as seeing Dinosaur Jr., but maybe my old age is transforming me into some picky asshole who always finds the music to loud. Regardless the Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. EP is now for sale and its really awesome. I really hope I can see them again before I move to Marquette.
Using my other reviews here and here, I’ve concluded that Bars of Gold are rock and roll scientists whose hard-work and love for their craft creates something emanate and beautiful. They helped support Childbite for their Album Release at the Magic Bag in Ferndale on June 19th. Bars of Gold is tentatively releasing their album “Of Gold” on August 24th. The record release concert is being held at Founder’s Brewery in Grand Rapids on Saturday, September 11th. Its $5 dollar entry. You can listen to three songs on their Myspace Page and their new single “The Hustle” at Friction Records website. I believe “The Hustle” is the only song they’ve released online that is fully mastered- however thats just a guess. One thing I’ve noticed about Bars of Gold is undeniably a Michigan band and its something I cannot find the right words to explain. Thanks to www.onethirtybpm.com for linking me here.
Fawn is a solid three-piece band destined for car speakers. My father and I had a discussion about how awesome it would be to have a Fawn CD for our drive to Copper Harbor, Michigan. During Fawn’s performance we kept glancing at each other with smiles. Fawn is exactly the band me and my Father love; its rock and roll with character. Dual female and male vocalists add to Fawn’s character. Also impressive was their drummer (who also drums for Javelin). I am excited to see Fawn again to hear what else they have to offer. You can listen to their music on Facebook here.
The first time I saw Child Bite they were dressed as Rage Against the Machine performing a set of cover songs for Halloween 2009. I could tell that Child Bite was quirky, but really wanted to experience what their music had to offer. I saw Child Bite as themselves when they opened up for Trevor Dunn’s Madlove at the Pike Room in Pontiac. I was surprised that there was no saxophone and only three members on stage, but the music was unexpected reminiscent of art rock or the post-rock genres. From the beginning of their set Child Bite was fast, aggressive and funky. Their album release show was solid and flashier than other performances -the audience loved them. With the $10 entry we were able to choose between CD, Cassette or Vinyl copy of their new CD on Joyful Noise Recordings called “The Living Breathing Organ Summer”. You can buy the album here.
Silverghost is a lovely two-piece creating pop music filled with fuzz and analog synths . I didn’t know what to expect when I saw a floating head move around on the screen behind them until my Dad educated me on the 1974 film Zardos. It was an a strange movie backing the bizarre and intriguing pop songs that emanated from Silverghost. You can download their new EP for free here.
We’ve reimaged the Sunday Idiom a bit and I’ve kept on doing the whole digital illustration-digital art- graphic design thing. It’s a lot of fun, but I keep disappointing myself with the lack of music reviews. Honestly it’s all about the money and disposable income. My fiancée’ just got cut to part time and keeping up with technology to keep the site running, as well as a list of other excuses is growing longer. Things are tight, but that doesn’t mean The Sunday Idiom is going to stop. I am going to continue doing what I love and nothing is going to stop me- not even Michigan’s bleak economy. Things like the Bars of Gold concert review may not happen as often, but they will keep happening. I am going to start school at the International Academy of Design and Technology in August with hopes it will take me down the right path. Top of Page
I don’t know Bars of Gold, but I can’t help but feel like I do and why they’ve decided to become musicians is also riddled with unanswered questions, but they settle in my stomach, my feet, my chest, my arms. I think about them often, like old friends whose short-lived visits create the memories that last lifetimes. They leave me in awe. There is an excitement in the air when I know I can make it to a show. Hell! In honor of Black History Month I played Bear Vs. Shark and Wildcatting for my kids with the reasoning that this is a Michigan band upholding the spirit of Chuck Berry, Little Richard and all before them. None of them really gave a shit, but one of my older members said, “I like this. I can feel it.” That statement alone means more than most can understand and it will live with me the rest of my life.
Bars of Gold are hardworking people- they have to be, because creating such a dynamic between the audience and their music isn’t easy, if it was easy, most other bands would’ve accomplished the connection- they haven’t. There is an unrelenting core in Bars of Gold and its surreal to watch them perform; photographs and YouTube videos will never be able to capture what it’s like to be in the audience. I’ve seen them twice before- once as Bars of Gold and once as the Talking Heads and this review marks the third. And when Bars of Gold brought elements of Mandolin, Banjo and vocal manipulation I knew this would be a band I could follow for the rest of my life. I hope Bars of Gold are successful enough to create the music they want for the rest of their lives and are able to live off of it too. Maybe I am being selfish because in all honesty I don’t want to wait to be disappointed by a new Mars Volta album every year or continue paying money for CD’s that don’t live up to their expectations.
It’s hard for me not to break down with tears in my eyes and thank Bars of Gold repeatedly for motivating me to just “be”. All of my hostility, frustration and sadness is left behind after an evening of Bars of Gold. Sadly people reading this may believe I’m dramatic or exaggerating, but they are horribly mistaken. Music is what I find hope in; it’s what I use to make it through my day, just like others who find God at their bed sides or hope in their Presidents. Everybody needs something to believe in.
And like I’ve mentioned, I don’t know why Bars of Gold decided to become musicians, but with their decision they’ve managed to get a 325 lb. dude to dance with fever and spirit. And when I left the show this time I mentioned to my girlfriend that I needed to lose weight- not for her of course, but so that I can dance without fear of having a heart attack – we both laughed.
As a side note I wanted to mention that in 2009 I listened to over 140 CD’s and that maybe one-third of them were worth listening to again. Out of those listenable CD’s maybe only a dozen or so I would take with me for the rest of my life. It’s a problem for me because it’s really hard to say someone else’s form of expression isn’t good- it bothers me to do so; just like it bothers me when others dismiss Bars of Gold just because their singers is too abrasive or that the the songs don’t have a proper chorus. My eyeball usually twitches and I remind myself to just let it go. It’s as if people can’t appreciate the energy and emotion behind music anymore. Months ago I talked to another local band’s singer that I really enjoy watching and he seemed almost jealous of Bars of Gold, dismissing them by saying the drummer was going to leave the band and the singer is too monotone. If anyone can enlighten me on the validity of such things, please do, but in all honesty I don’t believe this people have a fucking clue. And it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. You can Catch Bars of Gold at the Hamtramck Blow Out at Smalls in Hamtramck at 10:40 p.m. (never trust the start time) on Friday March 5th. After this post there will be another about Loco Gnosis and their showcases for the event. I’ve never been and so that instantly makes me an asshsole or some dude without a clue.
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