arthur magazine festival

DAY ONE: SUNDAY, SEPT. 4
Sonic Youth
Sleater-Kinney
The Black Keys
T-Model Ford
Sunburned Hand of the Man
Wolfmother
Six Organs of Admittance
Growing
Magik Markers
Josephine Foster
Radar Bros.
Earth
Brightblack Morning Light
Lavender Diamond
Fatso Jetson
Viking Moses
Winter Flowers
Residual Echoes

DAY TWO: MONDAY, SEPT. 5
JUST ADDED: Yoko Ono
JUST ADDED: Spoon
Cat Power
The Juan Maclean
Comets On Fire
Olivia Tremor Control
Dead Meadow
Merzbow
Sunn 0)))
Vetiver
Marissa Nadler
Jack Rose
Brad Laner (Electric Company, Medicine)
Future Pigeon
Nora Keyes (Centimeters)
Modey Lemon
Geronimo
with ADDITIONAL SURPRISE GUESTS to be announced

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.

SUNDAY SEPT 4

** LAWN STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**
THE NIGHT PORTER
RADAR BROS.
WOLFMOTHER
SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN
THE BLACK KEYS
HENRY JACOBS film
SLEATER-KINNEY
HENRY JACOBS film
SONIC YOUTH

** PINE STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**
DOS
NORA KEYES
VIKING MOSES
WINTER FLOWERS
(6:00) LAVENDER DIAMOND
JOSEPHINE FOSTER
T-MODEL FORD

** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE SUNDAY SEPT 4 **
GERONIMO
RESIDUAL ECHOS
CIRCLE
MAGIK MARKERS
SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
POLE
MERZBOW
BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT

MONDAY SEPT 5

** LAWN STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **
FUTURE PIGEON
DEAD MEADOW
OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL
COMETS ON FIRE
THE JUAN MACLEAN
Yoko Ono/John Lennon film
SPOON
Yoko Ono/John Lennon film
YOKO ONO

** PINE STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **
YOUNG JAZZ GIANTS
JACK ROSE
MARISSA NADLER
VETIVER
[SET BY SECRET GUEST]
CAT POWER

** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **
THE TIME FLYS
FATSO JETSON
MODEY LEMON
BRAD LANER
EARTH
GROWING
SUNN O))))

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?

PRE-ARTHURFEST GIGS.
EARLY Thurs, Sept 1 at The Echo // $7.00 // 18 and up
7:00pm: doors open
7:30pm: MAGIK MARKERS
8:30pm: SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN

Friday, Sept 2 at Amoeba Music (Hollywood) // FREE /// 6pm
ArthurFest Kickoff party with in-store performance by FUTURE PIGEON

Friday, Sept. 2 at The Echo // $10 adv; $12 dos / 18+
8:30pm: doors
9pm: THE MOON UPSTAIRS
10pm: DARKER MY LOVE
11pm: DEAD MEADOW

EARLY Sat Sept 3 at The Echo // 7pm/ $10 / 18+
7pm: doors open
7:30pm: THE RED ONIONS
8:30pm: 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 open
10:30 PM: POLE
11:30 PM: THE JUAN MACLEAN

SUNDAY SEPT 4

** LAWN STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**
1:00 doors open
1:45 THE NIGHT PORTER
2:45 RADAR BROS.
3:45 WOLFMOTHER
4:45 SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN
5:55 THE BLACK KEYS
- HENRY JACOBS film -
7:25 SLEATER-KINNEY
- HENRY JACOBS film -
9:00 SONIC YOUTH

** PINE STAGE SUNDAY SEPT 4**
1:00 doors
2:20 DOS
3:20 NORA KEYES
4:20 VIKING MOSES
5:20 WINTER FLOWERS
6:20 LAVENDER DIAMOND
7:20 JOSEPHINE FOSTER
8:20 T-MODEL FORD

** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE SUNDAY SEPT 4 **
1:00 doors
2:00 GERONIMO
3:00 RESIDUAL ECHOS
4:00 CIRCLE
5:00 MAGIK MARKERS
6:00 SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE
7:00 POLE
8:00 MERZBOW
8:45 BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT

MONDAY SEPT 5

** LAWN STAGE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **
1:00 doors
1:40 FUTURE PIGEON
2:30 DEAD MEADOW
3:30 OLIVIA TREMOR CONTROL
4:45 COMETS ON FIRE
5:55 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 doors
2:20 YOUNG JAZZ GIANTS
3:20 JACK ROSE
4:20 MARISSA NADLER
5:20 VETIVER
6:40 [SET BY SECRET GUEST]
8:15 CAT POWER

** BARNSDALL GALLERY THEATRE MONDAY SEPT. 5 **
1:00 doors
2:00 THE TIME FLYS
3:00 FATSO JETSON
4:00 MODEY LEMON
5:00 BRAD LANER
6:00 EARTH
7:15 GROWING
8:15 SUNN O))))

?

Sat, Sept. 3 at Spaceland // $10 // 9pm // 21 & over
WOLFMOTHER
MARISSA NADLER
JACK ROSE

info here:
http://www.myspace.com/arthurfest

My brief breakdown of what I saw --

The Night Porter -- promising, okay
Dos -- REALLY great, reminded me of the last time I saw them -- twelve years ago! Kira and Watt both in high spirits and playing wonderfully
Residual Echoes -- just caught the end, seemed good, I liked the early nineties Flaming Lips jones in the guitar if not the singing
Circle -- 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, rah
Lavender 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 face
Sleater-Kinney -- wow, they do indeed rock live
Sonic 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!)

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).

Residual Echoes - no comment
Circle - 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 - nice
Pole - much better than I expected!
Merzbow - meh
and 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.

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.

see article for pictures

SEPTEMBER 9 - 15, 2005

Live in L.A.

Arthurfest
by 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 classic
on our hands. The swelling throngs at last weekend’s two-day Arthurfest
at 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-usual
events guided by the now ludicrously corporate mainstream media’s
strictly 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 mirror
the exploratory leanings of all of the above.

Yet Arthurfest, the brainchild of Jay Babcock, brazenly idiosyncratic
music and culture mag Arthur editor/founder, brought it all together
with resounding success at Barnsdall Park, high on a hill in the middle
of Hollywood. In a sort of very broad form of Arthur-style
narrowcasting, the ingeniously conceived lineup featured a chaotic and
very punky Sonic Youth, hindered unfortunately by a booming, mid-rangey
sound mix that obliterated the many fine points the band was making
with its essentially microtonal rock — though, as usual, a humorously
humorless Thurston Moore (dumping water on himself and pulling agonized
art-suffering faces) and the icily beautiful bassist Kim Gordon at
least made them fun to watch. Politically direct thrash courtesy the
newly psychedelicized Sleater-Kinney also suffered a bit from sound-mix
blahs, but not enough to prevent the crowds from pumping their fists;
Electric Ladyland–type slide blues from the Black Keys had the hairy
old rockers in attendance grinning and shaking their jowls; the
gut-churning low frequencies of Berlin’s Pole and the brain-shearing
highs of Japanese noise kingpin Merzbow’s laptop ruminations were
enthusiastically received. (Merzbow’s incredibly focused and
near-physically painful locomotions through an industrial landscape —
at once exhilarating and the most extreme and demanding music heard at
the fest — also produced the only standing ovation I witnessed, which
says a lot.)

Aside from the sight of a 75-year-old woman with purple hair flashing
the devil’s sign at the severely thumping electro of a peaking Juan
Maclean, other highlights (for at least substantial portions of the
attendees) included a buncha Hawkwindy neck-vein bulging from a rabid
Comets on Fire; somber musings from a reticent, beer-sipping Cat Power,
tension-soaked indie-pop stylings courtesy Spoon and a tuba- and
saw-enhanced set by a re-formed Olivia Tremor Control; trance-blues
kingpin T-Model Ford and his almost absurdly true-grooving drummer
provided real sweaty heat and a lotta connecting musical DNA. There was
extremely radical sonic Sabbathery from SUNN O))); Six Organs of
Admittance, a Devendra Banhart–aided Vetiver, Marissa Nadier & Jack
Rose and Winter Flowers provided a post-post-hippie-post-irony-whatever
heartfeltness with their forthright acoustical strains. Other acts
included an inspired, potent solo set by Medicine/Electric Company
laptop/guitarist/videomaker Brad Laner, Josephine Foster, Sunburned
Hand of the Man, Wolfmother, Circle, Radar Bros., Earth, Magik Markers,
Future Pigeon, Becky Stark & the Lavender Diamond. The second day’s
events were capped by a good-humored and lovingly received Yoko Ono,
who distributed flashlights among the crowd for their participation in
Onochord, wherein all concerned dared signal in visual Morse code “I –
LOVE – YOU” at any and all of our fellow well-wishers. Yes, her son
Sean was there, leading her young, tough band, and, yes, he’s the
spittin’ image...

About 2,000 (are you listening, media “tastemakers”?) apparently very
happy people also enjoyed screenings of little-seen art films, and
booths offering food, drinks both alcoholic and healthful, clothing,
jewelry, super-underground indie records and mags, and Arthur columnist
T-Model Ford’s own booth, where he dispensed “wisdom and kisses, for a
small price.” No one in attendance seemed to think that this weird
jumble of events was anything other than the way things ought to be,
and are. Sorta makes you think, doesn’t it?

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

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

nice

Thirteen years ago, what a weird feeling.