http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-06/17.shtml#arthur
― breezy, Friday, 17 June 2005 13:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Friday, 17 June 2005 13:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― breezy, Friday, 17 June 2005 14:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:31 (eighteen years ago) link
SONIC YOUTHSLEATER-KINNEYTHE BLACK KEYSCAT POWEROLIVIA TREMOR CONTROLT-MODEL FORDMERZBOWTHE JUAN MACLEANDEAD MEADOWCOMETS ON FIRESUNN O)))SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCEVETIVERJOSEPHINE FOSTERSUNBURNED HAND OF THE MANWOLFMOTHERGROWINGCIRCLERADAR BROS.EARTHMARISSA NADLER & JACK ROSEMAGIK MARKERSFUTURE PIGEONBECKY STARK & THE LAVENDER DIAMONDWINTER FLOWERS
― dan (dan), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― the Stanmore signal (nordicskilla), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:36 (eighteen years ago) link
1. Sunset Junction isn't free--it's $10/day.
2. This was the best weekend we could book at Barnsdall. No weekend is perfect.
Jay
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan (dan), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:43 (eighteen years ago) link
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Friday, 17 June 2005 20:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:07 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan (dan), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:25 (eighteen years ago) link
http://importantrecords.com/jacobs/
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link
But as for SJ vs. this, let's not fite. Let's all go to both weekends. So many pretty hipsters and empanadas and aguas frescas and moon bounces.
I am so psyched to see Comets on Fire live.
Sunset Junction hasn't announced who's playing yet, right?
― On a Strict El Cholo Diet (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:33 (eighteen years ago) link
They haven't announced any of the "indie" acts yet, which is part of what prompted my curiosity here. There are a few of the other acts listed at the moment.
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link
Looks fun! I'd go if I hadn't seen about 80% of the bands I like on the lineup already.
― donut e-goo (donut), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:41 (eighteen years ago) link
― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 17 June 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan bunnybrain (dan bunnybrain), Saturday, 18 June 2005 07:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― I shift gears when I see tears (deangulberry), Saturday, 18 June 2005 17:39 (eighteen years ago) link
scott, explain, I went there.
― T. Weiss (Timmy), Saturday, 18 June 2005 23:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 19 June 2005 00:06 (eighteen years ago) link
I must consider this fest more and more. Hmm.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 19 June 2005 01:05 (eighteen years ago) link
Oh I heard about that! Unfortunately, I was out of town that weekend.
― T. Weiss (Timmy), Sunday, 19 June 2005 01:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― scott seward (scott seward), Sunday, 19 June 2005 01:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 19 June 2005 01:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― merck mcneil, Sunday, 19 June 2005 20:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― glenny g2003 (glenny g2003), Sunday, 19 June 2005 21:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Monday, 20 June 2005 00:05 (eighteen years ago) link
* BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT* BRAD LANER (ELECTRIC COMPANY, MEDICINE)* MODEY LEMON
to the lineup, with a bunch more to come.
Two-day passes are now on sale; info at arthurmag.com
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 17:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 21 June 2005 21:24 (eighteen years ago) link
DAY ONE: SUNDAY, SEPT. 4Sonic YouthSleater-KinneyThe Black KeysT-Model FordSunburned Hand of the ManWolfmotherSix Organs of AdmittanceGrowingMagik MarkersJosephine FosterRadar Bros.EarthBrightblack Morning LightLavender DiamondFatso JetsonViking MosesWinter FlowersResidual Echoes
DAY TWO: MONDAY, SEPT. 5JUST ADDED: Yoko OnoJUST ADDED: SpoonCat PowerThe Juan MacleanComets On FireOlivia Tremor ControlDead MeadowMerzbowSunn 0)))VetiverMarissa NadlerJack RoseBrad Laner (Electric Company, Medicine)Future PigeonNora Keyes (Centimeters)Modey LemonGeronimowith ADDITIONAL SURPRISE GUESTS to be announced
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 22:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 19 July 2005 22:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― These Robust Cookies (Robust Cookies), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 02:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― nicholas de jong (nicholas de jong), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 02:50 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 03:09 (eighteen years ago) link
ArthurFest will also feature rare film screenings (more info on this in two weeks), a special appearance by the legendary Henry Jacobs (co-creator of the Vortex dome happenings in the '50s/'60s), food stands from neighborhood eateries, a Karl Rove Appreciation Tent, a special workshop led by the New Energy collective, an information booth featuring 82-year old bluesman T-Model Ford (the star of Arthur's popular "T-Model Knows Better" advice column) and other attractions to be announced.
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan (dan), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 18:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Wednesday, 20 July 2005 22:08 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan (dan), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 31 August 2005 20:30 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 1 September 2005 06:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― kickitcricket (kickitcricket), Thursday, 1 September 2005 16:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:55 (eighteen years ago) link
SUNDAY SEPT 4
** LAWN STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**THE NIGHT PORTERRADAR BROS.WOLFMOTHERSUNBURNED HAND OF THE MANTHE BLACK KEYSHENRY JACOBS filmSLEATER-KINNEYHENRY JACOBS filmSONIC YOUTH
** PINE STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**DOSNORA KEYESVIKING MOSESWINTER FLOWERS(6:00) LAVENDER DIAMONDJOSEPHINE FOSTERT-MODEL FORD
** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE SUNDAY SEPT 4 **GERONIMORESIDUAL ECHOSCIRCLEMAGIK MARKERSSIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCEPOLEMERZBOWBRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT
MONDAY SEPT 5
** LAWN STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **FUTURE PIGEONDEAD MEADOWOLIVIA TREMOR CONTROLCOMETS ON FIRETHE JUAN MACLEANYoko Ono/John Lennon filmSPOONYoko Ono/John Lennon filmYOKO ONO
** PINE STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **YOUNG JAZZ GIANTSJACK ROSEMARISSA NADLERVETIVER[SET BY SECRET GUEST]CAT POWER
** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **THE TIME FLYSFATSO JETSONMODEY LEMONBRAD LANEREARTHGROWINGSUNN O))))
― dan (dan), Thursday, 1 September 2005 17:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Thursday, 1 September 2005 18:00 (eighteen years ago) link
Ah right. *prepares almanac reading*
Query to all and sundry -- there's a strong chance I'll need a place to crash Sunday night. Might I please ask if anyone is willing to put up with me for an evening?
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 1 September 2005 18:29 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 1 September 2005 18:31 (eighteen years ago) link
PRE-ARTHURFEST GIGS.EARLY Thurs, Sept 1 at The Echo // $7.00 // 18 and up7:00pm: doors open7:30pm: MAGIK MARKERS8:30pm: SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN
Friday, Sept 2 at Amoeba Music (Hollywood) // FREE /// 6pmArthurFest Kickoff party with in-store performance by FUTURE PIGEON
Friday, Sept. 2 at The Echo // $10 adv; $12 dos / 18+8:30pm: doors9pm: THE MOON UPSTAIRS10pm: DARKER MY LOVE11pm: DEAD MEADOW
EARLY Sat Sept 3 at The Echo // 7pm/ $10 / 18+7pm: doors open7:30pm: THE RED ONIONS8:30pm: T-MODEL FORD
Sat, Sept. 3 at Spaceland // $10 // 9pm // 21 & over WOLFMOTHER
LATE Saturday, Sept. 3 at The Echo // 10 PM / $10 / 18+ 10pm: doors open10:30 PM: POLE11:30 PM: THE JUAN MACLEAN
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Thursday, 1 September 2005 18:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:16 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― huell howser (chaki), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― Stormy Dr. Glen Y. Abreu (dr g), Friday, 2 September 2005 05:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― gear (gear), Friday, 2 September 2005 08:18 (eighteen years ago) link
** LAWN STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**1:00 doors open1:45 THE NIGHT PORTER2:45 RADAR BROS.3:45 WOLFMOTHER4:45 SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN5:55 THE BLACK KEYS- HENRY JACOBS film -7:25 SLEATER-KINNEY- HENRY JACOBS film -9:00 SONIC YOUTH
** PINE STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**1:00 doors2:20 DOS3:20 NORA KEYES4:20 VIKING MOSES5:20 WINTER FLOWERS6:20 LAVENDER DIAMOND7:20 JOSEPHINE FOSTER8:20 T-MODEL FORD
** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE SUNDAY SEPT 4 **1:00 doors2:00 GERONIMO3:00 RESIDUAL ECHOS4:00 CIRCLE5:00 MAGIK MARKERS6:00 SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE7:00 POLE8:00 MERZBOW8:45 BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT
** LAWN STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **1:00 doors1:40 FUTURE PIGEON2:30 DEAD MEADOW3:30 OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL4:45 COMETS ON FIRE5:55 THE JUAN MACLEAN- Yoko Ono/John Lennon film -7:25 SPOON- Yoko Ono/John Lennon film -8:50 YOKO ONO
** PINE STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **1:00 doors2:20 YOUNG JAZZ GIANTS3:20 JACK ROSE4:20 MARISSA NADLER5:20 VETIVER6:40 [SET BY SECRET GUEST]8:15 CAT POWER
** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **1:00 doors2:00 THE TIME FLYS3:00 FATSO JETSON4:00 MODEY LEMON5:00 BRAD LANER6:00 EARTH7:15 GROWING8:15 SUNN O))))
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Friday, 2 September 2005 16:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Friday, 2 September 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
?
― Legroom at the Vista (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 2 September 2005 22:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 2 September 2005 22:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Sat, Sept. 3 at Spaceland // $10 // 9pm // 21 & over WOLFMOTHERMARISSA NADLERJACK ROSE
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Saturday, 3 September 2005 00:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 3 September 2005 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― r3000, Saturday, 3 September 2005 18:56 (eighteen years ago) link
info here:http://www.myspace.com/arthurfest
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Saturday, 3 September 2005 19:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― JayBabcock (jabbercocky), Saturday, 3 September 2005 20:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Sunday, 4 September 2005 01:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:07 (eighteen years ago) link
My brief breakdown of what I saw --
The Night Porter -- promising, okayDos -- REALLY great, reminded me of the last time I saw them -- twelve years ago! Kira and Watt both in high spirits and playing wonderfullyResidual Echoes -- just caught the end, seemed good, I liked the early nineties Flaming Lips jones in the guitar if not the singingCircle -- as noted. Majik Markers -- easily the best 'show' in a theatrical sense I saw. Doubt it could be replicated on disc but damn, it worked!Six Organs -- wunnerful as always, different from the other times I saw him as always, rahLavender Diamond -- hey, nice! j rosenberg, which one were you in the band? I find it hard to describe the style to my satisfaction but y'all were definite crowd-pleasers, good band to put a smile on your faceSleater-Kinney -- wow, they do indeed rock liveSonic Youth -- heh heh heh. I have a LOT of great photos. And I was one person away from being Thurston Moore's guitar pick.
Great time overall, I think it's a lovely setting for a show like this and it never felt too crowded outside of the understandable crushes at the main stage, and even that was never too bad since you could easily move around the back. Food still seemed a little expensive but much better than other venues -- they need more food booths next time I figure, the lines were a bit long! But everyone got fed in the end.
One thing I think should be mentioned, though -- even though I'm sure it was noticed by everyone, Jay not least -- it's next to impossible to do ins-and-outs for the Gallery Theatre shows. I guess it boils down to there being too few seats for more than the expected amount of people, but I heard that after I got in there for Circle the line to get in took *forever*, and that it was basically luck and timing as to when you got in at all. I was going to see Sunburned Hand of the Man in between Circle and Six Organs but when I realized what was up I figured I'd better stay put. After Six Organs when I did leave I could see they weren't kidding about the length of the line, and checking on it later I saw that it was still there and still pretty extensive well into the evening. Now maybe it moved a lot more quickly than I realized but pretty much it means today I'm going to check out a couple of the opening bands in the open air and then get down there for Fatso Jetson and pretty much *not* leave for the rest of the day, since I wanted to catch Brad L., Earth, Growing and Sunn 0))). I'll regret missing Vetiver and 'the secret guest' but that seems to be how things are shaping up. (At least the theatre has restrooms, a bar and a water fountain!)
― Ned elsewhere (rogermexico), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:31 (eighteen years ago) link
Oh yeah, forgot about him and the Jacobs film. Film was cool, Brownstein was, um, all right? I mean, I agree with the sentiments for the most part, I'm just not moved by rabble-rousing spoken word in general (this is why I don't like political gatherings either).
― Ned elsewhere (rogermexico), Monday, 5 September 2005 15:38 (eighteen years ago) link
Residual Echoes - no commentCircle - I'm worried that nothing else this weekend can top Circle
Then we left the theater to see Sunburnd hand of the man which was a mistake. They sucked pretty hard so we decided to get back in line on the chance that we could still see 6 organs and we got back in just in time. Then I saw:
6 Organs - nicePole - much better than I expected!Merzbow - mehand we stayed for a couple of SY songs but left because we were to far back and the sound sucked. That Brownstein guy was just painfully embarassing.
I saw you in the front row for Circle Ned but I was too shy to say hi.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
Yeah Circle set a high bar but I have faith shows today will equal it. Cool to hear that Pole went over well, would have liked to have seen it but Sleater-Kinney called...
Sound for SY/mainstage...yes, true, but I suppose that's unavoidable. Up close, perfect, farther back, eeg.
― Ned elsewhere (rogermexico), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― President Busch (dr g), Monday, 5 September 2005 16:54 (eighteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Monday, 5 September 2005 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 5 September 2005 20:35 (eighteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 05:57 (eighteen years ago) link
Highlights for me today were Comets on Fire, Jack Rose (nice Fahey-esque solo guitar), and Growing. Dead Meadow were good and they looked like Spacemen 3 with Ginger Baker on drums. I caught a bit of Vetiver who looked and sounded like they stepped right out of the Royal Tennenbaums. I also watched special guest Devendra from the theater line but I couldn't hear much.
Circle was still the most exciting thing I saw by far.
― walter karnz, Tuesday, 6 September 2005 05:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 06:07 (eighteen years ago) link
I saw Yoko and ended up liking it. She kind of has a slick stage show (I heard someone say she's 72, so more power to her) and I didn't like the first thing I heard because of the sappy sentiment, but by the time they got to "Thin Ice" and "Don't Worry Kyoko" I was won over. Also came home with a couple Onochord flashlights, sure to be collector's items! She ended her set saying "See you next year."
I also saw Ned before Brad Laner's show (also front row) but he seemed too involved in the people he was with so I didn't go over. That was a great show, Brad, did you do the visuals too? I took a lot of pictures that looked good on the camera's LCD.
― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 06:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 14:51 (eighteen years ago) link
Anyway, so the second day -- got to meet and chat with Mr. Jay Babcock himself, a fine feller; we chatted about the Theatre crunch problems from the first day a bit (as he sagely noted, since it was the only place with a/c, the temptation to stay there was rather strong...). Got up there, poked around a bit and figured that the best thing to do was, indeed, settle into the Theater early. Ended up getting the last open seat in the center front row, which was cool -- some Southern Lord/Sunn O))) fanatics were already there!
So working through the Theater bill:
The Time Flys -- Ramones meets Hellacopters meets opening band for Kiss 1976 (the first, sound; the second, tude; the third, look)
Fatso Jetson -- surprisingly 'normal,' I guess; for the ur-band of stoner/desert rock etc. it was more like heavily amped-up bar-band blooze with off-kilter moments. Did like the sax and harmonica though.
Modey Lemon -- pretty good, got better as it went as they changed from aggro three-piece 1971-noise into Moog-overload on top of same
Brad L. -- like Nick said, really enjoyable, great photos to be taken. Brad said to me afterward, tongue piercing cheek, "Sorry about the Medicine song, maybe you liked it better without the chick singer." ;-) Touche!
Earth -- admittedly I really haven't kept track of them (or Dylan Carlson in particular) over the moons so the transformation into a very meditative/doomy three piece that played like Codeine on even stronger downers and no vocals and distortion (much) was a bit of a surprise to me. Very good but almost overwhelming
Growing -- only half an hour and marred at one point by a technical glitch but damn they were great; reminded me of a more violent sounding Windy and Carl (and this was before I realized they had albums on Kranky!)
Then I had to face my moment of truth -- stick around to at least see the start of Sunn 0)))) or try to catch bits of the other stages, especially since Jay had mentioned needing to see Yoko if at all possible. Since Sunn 0)))) are playing near the end of October I figured 'to heck with it' and went for the other spots. Alas, I think I made the wrong choice in the end -- Spoon, who I never heard before, came across as terribly generic and obvious; crowdpleasers yes but I wasn't pleased. Cat Power I only vaguely noticed and while I was primed to see at least some of Yoko's set, the fact that (as I could notice from my vantage point) it took the roadies 15 minutes to do apparently absolutely nothing with a keyboard proved rather frustrating since by the time everything was about ready to go I had to leave to catch the last train back to OC. Ah well.
Great time overall though! Good to meet Walter and Jay, chatting with Brad briefly was fun, and much thanks to Rogermexico for the crash space, he's a fine feller! More thoughts later, have to go to a co-worker's farewell party...
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link
No, I didn't mean any criticism. I just thought the drummer looked an awful lot like Richie Tenenbaum and the couple of songs I heard sounded like nice Nico-esque chamber pop that wouldn't be out of place on a Wes Anderson soundtrack.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:08 (eighteen years ago) link
And my on-site purchases were:
An Arthur (as opposed to Arthurfest) T-shirtThe Golden Apples of the Sun compSonic Youth, Hold That TigerCircle, ForestSunn O)))), The GrimmBold Demos
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:35 (eighteen years ago) link
I am glad to see all this love for Circle. I have wanted to see them for years and they delivered. Dude from Aquarius who was their tour guy said they had sold out of their new album already on the tour and there was a rush to get CDs and shirts after the show -- good signs, I would say! Would love to see them back and doing an even longer set.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 15:58 (eighteen years ago) link
other highlights for me were dos, circle, merzbow, earth, and brad laner.
― dan (dan), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:04 (eighteen years ago) link
A pisser -- sounds like Growing's problems affected them too. Or maybe both bands were just too loud!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:25 (eighteen years ago) link
'twas nice to see ya ned, nice savage republic tee : )
― Brad Laner (Brad Laner), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:31 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:35 (eighteen years ago) link
And also would have been nice to have a piano there for Steve.
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
I feel awkward speaking for Jay but I hope he doesn't mind my saying this for now (and please correct me if I'm wrong when you see this!) -- in talking with him about things briefly yesterday, he noted that one reason why the bands in the gallery theatre were there was becase so many were going to be using heavy constant bass tones and drones and etc., which would have caused some problems about noise complaints or worse had they been in the Pine stage location instead. I had overheard someone wondering on the first day why the Pine stage folks weren't in the theatre -- controlled environment and better for the 'quieter' bands -- but perhaps this was the best that could be managed, per Jay's description.
Perhaps that slightly lower location near where the staircases for general entry ended would be better for Pine-stage style bands, being further away and more isolated for sound? Monday morning quarterbacking, I realize, but the Park's such a nice location that if it happens again I'd love to see a repeat of the setting. The flipside is that makes the fest more spread out from the central booth/food zone. Just thinking out loud!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 16:47 (eighteen years ago) link
Some of the bands playing in the theater could have and should have been playing for much bigger audiences and at first it seemed strange to me to have a lot of the loud bands in there. On the other hand I thought the theater had the best sound of all three stages and most of the acts in there benefitted from the darkened environment, stage lighting and intimate atmosphere. If the room didn't have seats and more people could have packed in it would have been ideal.
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 17:04 (eighteen years ago) link
I think all three stages could have been bigger for the crowds that were there, but quite an accomplishment anyway, Jay. How is the video shot during it going to be used?
― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:32 (eighteen years ago) link
Cat Power freak out on stage? Why that's as likely as Thurston Moore playing a guitar with a baseball cap!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― nickn (nickn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:51 (eighteen years ago) link
No, he just took one from a photographer instead. ;-)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― j. rosenberg (pukeandburn), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 18:59 (eighteen years ago) link
The way I see it, ArthurFest took on a general model from get-togethers like Terrastock and ended up making it broader than its various sources of inspiration -- much as I love the Terrastocks, for instance, there's no way the Juan Maclean would have ever been on one of the bills for them. That deserves much credit, and frankly I'd love to see what could happen in going even broader still -- but I am not one of the organizers. ;-)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 19:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― r3000, Tuesday, 6 September 2005 20:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 20:13 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 6 September 2005 20:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― r3000, Tuesday, 6 September 2005 21:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 01:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 01:14 (eighteen years ago) link
― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 07:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 13:12 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 14:30 (eighteen years ago) link
I was told the next day that I had a VIP pass and could come and go as I pleased... d'oh!!
Easily the best festival I've ever been to, and would probably be the best american rock festival of the last five years if they would just get some hip-hop. (Seriously, Subtitle was probably just working at Amoeba all day)
Kudos to Jay and the Arthur gang. Seeing Sunn0))) and Yoko in an hour was totally life-affirming.
-Earth ruled since they sound like Neurosis Dude Ranch now. -Nora Keyes spooked everyone out like Cruella DeVille.-Young Jazz Giants were all three. -Merzbow was hella loud and i got to imagine I was riding a train.-My girlfriend won't talk to me anymore after making her sit through Sunn0)))
― Whiney G. Weingarten (whineyg), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 15:09 (eighteen years ago) link
*cries with envy*
Earth ruled since they sound like Neurosis Dude Ranch now.
Hahahah, how perfectly accurate!
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 15:10 (eighteen years ago) link
oh yes: i saw a couple of these bands in Austin at that excellent Arthur mag party and they blew me away. No chance to have the next Arthurfest here in Italy, eh? :(
― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 15:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― maria tessa sciarrino (theoreticalgirl), Thursday, 8 September 2005 01:42 (eighteen years ago) link
HirakeMike2@aol.com
― Michael Brooker, Thursday, 8 September 2005 05:47 (eighteen years ago) link
ArthurFest yields an eclectic and bountiful crop, with Yoko Ono particularly vibrant. By Steve Hochman, Special to The Los Angeles Times
There are a lot of awkward names being tossed around for the various intersecting spheres of the music underground these days: post-rock, weird folk, wyrd folk, weird Americana. Well, the beautiful Barnsdall Art Park on an East Hollywood hilltop was Weird World Headquarters over the weekend.
That was the site of the inaugural ArthurFest, a two-day event featuring some of the artists most prized by fans of these evolving sub-genres, as championed by the Los Angeles-based monthly Arthur magazine.
How weird? Some people waited in line Sunday for as long as a couple of hours to watch Japanese sound manipulator Merzbow sit stone-faced at a table creating sheets of tonality-free white noise from two laptop computers.
How wyrd? Quaint singer-songwriter Josephine Foster's set took on a Renaissance Faire quality when several fans were invited on stage to dance à la a May Day fete.
How post? Sonic Youth, once the poster figures of rock's most avant-garde edges, sounded positively conservative in the context of its Sunday headlining appearance on the largest of the event's three stages.
But the ultimate validation of ArthurFest's assemblage of such contrasting and distinctively non-mainstream scenes came with the very last piece of the very last performance, when Monday's headliner, Yoko Ono, chose her encore slot to be the first time she has performed her quintessential "Don't Worry, Kyoko" since 1972.
The song, written in 1969 as a raw, anguished cry from the soul to Ono's young daughter, who had been taken into hiding by Ono's ex-husband, was Monday turned into a guttural ode to survival. The bleats and squalls for which Ono became famous/infamous were now expressions of a wide range of emotions as her band, led by her son Sean Lennon, pounded out primal art-blues.
The pure, unfiltered quality was even more profound coming just minutes after her performance of "Walking on Thin Ice," the song she and John Lennon had been recording the night he was murdered. During the song, Ono suddenly screamed, "You killed my man, you bastard!" Appearing shaken, she turned first away from the audience and then back to face it, as fans started blinking small flashlights that had been handed out, in a code that had been explained in a film before the set: one blink for "I," two for "love" and three for "you" … i-ii-iii … i-ii-iii … i-ii-iii ….
"Thank you, I feel much better," said Ono, 72, who has given music performances only rarely in recent years.
It was a perfect demonstration of the underlying nature of Ono's public persona, one that can be summed up as "Be your art." That could well serve as the motto for ArthurFest itself, one lived out thoroughly by the most striking of the 42 musical acts spread out over Sunday and Monday. It was a roster encompassing rousing blues (Mississippi octogenarian T-Model Ford), neo-hippie folk-pop (a joyous performance by Devandra Banhart), buoyantly melodic rock (Spoon), fragile confessions (Cat Power) and various approaches to noise assaults (the psychedelic freakouts of Comets on Fire, the glacial chording of Earth).
Barefoot hippies, arty bohemians and grizzled post-punkers alike (with capacity attendance of 2,000 each day) moved from the genteel folkiness of Foster of Marissa Nadler to the stun-level garage blues of Modey Lemon without blinking an eye.
Arthur founder and editor Jay Babcock sported a look of equal parts delight, disbelieving wonder and utter exhaustion as he moved from stage to stage on the grounds of the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed center. There were a few glitches (perpetually long lines to get into the small theater and at the food concessions), but nothing that spoiled the overall experience.
Among the Sunday highlights: On the indoor Gallery Theatre stage, Six Organs of Admittance (a.k.a. guitarist Ben Chasny) showed that delicate folk-blues beauty can share space with harrowing dissonance. On the outdoor Lawn Stage, the Black Keys crafted earthy garage blues, followed by the trio Sleater-Kinney, whose mix of stinging guitars and humanist declamations has toughened into one of the most bracing sounds in rock today.
Monday's most notable sets included Jack Rose's John Fahey-inspired folk-blues guitar work on the outdoor Pine Stage, Modey Lemon's Hendrix-and-beyond blast in the Gallery Theatre and Comets on Fire's Fillmore-meets-free-jazz explosions on the Lawn Stage.
And one more highlight: Before walking off stage, Ono cheerily said, "So, I'll see you next year."
― nickn (nickn), Friday, 9 September 2005 06:30 (eighteen years ago) link
see article for pictures
SEPTEMBER 9 - 15, 2005
Live in L.A.
Arthurfestby JOHN PAYNE
(Photos by Wild Don Lewis)
ARTHURFEST at Barnsdall Park, September 4-5
Well, well, well, looks like we’ve got an instant, de rigueur classicon our hands. The swelling throngs at last weekend’s two-day Arthurfestat Barnsdall Park proved a major point: For many progressive (i.e.,uncomplacent and independently minded) L.A. music and art lovers,there’ve been huge gaps unfilled by the plethora of rockbiz-as-usualevents guided by the now ludicrously corporate mainstream media’sstrictly enforced separation between the spheres of electronic dance,filigreed new folk, deep-listening laptop noise, authentic Delta blues,ultra-black metal and the avant-garde poets and filmmakers that mirrorthe exploratory leanings of all of the above.
Yet Arthurfest, the brainchild of Jay Babcock, brazenly idiosyncraticmusic and culture mag Arthur editor/founder, brought it all togetherwith resounding success at Barnsdall Park, high on a hill in the middleof Hollywood. In a sort of very broad form of Arthur-stylenarrowcasting, the ingeniously conceived lineup featured a chaotic andvery punky Sonic Youth, hindered unfortunately by a booming, mid-rangeysound mix that obliterated the many fine points the band was makingwith its essentially microtonal rock — though, as usual, a humorouslyhumorless Thurston Moore (dumping water on himself and pulling agonizedart-suffering faces) and the icily beautiful bassist Kim Gordon atleast made them fun to watch. Politically direct thrash courtesy thenewly psychedelicized Sleater-Kinney also suffered a bit from sound-mixblahs, but not enough to prevent the crowds from pumping their fists;Electric Ladyland–type slide blues from the Black Keys had the hairyold rockers in attendance grinning and shaking their jowls; thegut-churning low frequencies of Berlin’s Pole and the brain-shearinghighs of Japanese noise kingpin Merzbow’s laptop ruminations wereenthusiastically received. (Merzbow’s incredibly focused andnear-physically painful locomotions through an industrial landscape —at once exhilarating and the most extreme and demanding music heard atthe fest — also produced the only standing ovation I witnessed, whichsays a lot.)
Aside from the sight of a 75-year-old woman with purple hair flashingthe devil’s sign at the severely thumping electro of a peaking JuanMaclean, other highlights (for at least substantial portions of theattendees) included a buncha Hawkwindy neck-vein bulging from a rabidComets on Fire; somber musings from a reticent, beer-sipping Cat Power,tension-soaked indie-pop stylings courtesy Spoon and a tuba- andsaw-enhanced set by a re-formed Olivia Tremor Control; trance-blueskingpin T-Model Ford and his almost absurdly true-grooving drummerprovided real sweaty heat and a lotta connecting musical DNA. There wasextremely radical sonic Sabbathery from SUNN O))); Six Organs ofAdmittance, a Devendra Banhart–aided Vetiver, Marissa Nadier & JackRose and Winter Flowers provided a post-post-hippie-post-irony-whateverheartfeltness with their forthright acoustical strains. Other actsincluded an inspired, potent solo set by Medicine/Electric Companylaptop/guitarist/videomaker Brad Laner, Josephine Foster, SunburnedHand of the Man, Wolfmother, Circle, Radar Bros., Earth, Magik Markers,Future Pigeon, Becky Stark & the Lavender Diamond. The second day’sevents were capped by a good-humored and lovingly received Yoko Ono,who distributed flashlights among the crowd for their participation inOnochord, wherein all concerned dared signal in visual Morse code “I –LOVE – YOU” at any and all of our fellow well-wishers. Yes, her sonSean was there, leading her young, tough band, and, yes, he’s thespittin’ image...
About 2,000 (are you listening, media “tastemakers”?) apparently veryhappy people also enjoyed screenings of little-seen art films, andbooths offering food, drinks both alcoholic and healthful, clothing,jewelry, super-underground indie records and mags, and Arthur columnistT-Model Ford’s own booth, where he dispensed “wisdom and kisses, for asmall price.” No one in attendance seemed to think that this weirdjumble of events was anything other than the way things ought to be,and are. Sorta makes you think, doesn’t it?
― jeffrey michael rosenberg get in here right now young man (pukeandburn), Friday, 9 September 2005 15:22 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 25 September 2005 01:05 (eighteen years ago) link
Lance Bangs made a feature length film on ArthurFest. Sadly, 10 years after the event, the film remains unreleased, but Lance is planning to screen 70 minutes of footage from the film this Sunday at Cinefamily in LA. Here's the teaser he put together: https://vimeo.com/138262254
― jaywbabcock, Friday, 4 September 2015 04:06 (eight years ago) link
Comets on Fire's 37-minute ArthurFest afternoon outdoor set as filmed by John Moloney (!). Sound improves with 2nd song. Ferocious, grand
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8st_Li5glpI
― jaywbabcock, Monday, 14 May 2018 17:33 (five years ago) link
nice
― tylerw, Monday, 14 May 2018 17:34 (five years ago) link
Thirteen years ago, what a weird feeling.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 14 May 2018 17:36 (five years ago) link