[CoolDad Note: After four straight nights back and forth to Brooklyn, away from the CoolFamily, including an 11:30pm, Sunday night change of a flat tire on the Garden State Parkway, I had to rest my old bones and stay in. The dream team of Allyson Dwyer and Dentist's Emily Bornemann have you covered when it comes to Mitski, though. Allyson gives us her review and Emily documented the entire evening with all of the pictures in this post. They're two of my absolute best buds and great at what they do. I can't thank them enough.]
Or Screw You Garfield. My Monday Was Awesome.
by Allyson Dwyer
A Monday show at The Saint? Could I do it? For this line up -- Algebra II, Secret Mountain, and headliner Mitski -- there was never really an option. I bought a ticket the day the show was announced.
CoolDad couldn’t make it to the show because he had partied so hard at Northside all weekend, so it was up to me and Dentist’s Emily (with CDM’s camera diaper bag) to pick up his slack.
And I think he missed a pretty damn good show. The place was jam packed, thankfully with mostly short people like me, making it an extra good occasion. The energy was high. Maybe it’s because I was up front, but something just felt special about the show. Like all eyes in the room were on the stage. I think because every single person in that room wanted to be there. And not just for one band, but for the entire bill.
The first opening band was Asbury Park’s Algebra II, a three-piece fronted by Asbury Park Feminist Collective’s Maggie Pakutka (Maggie had also toured with Mitski back when Mitski played the Lanes). Although having existed for three years, Algebra II joked onstage this was like their "tenth show” ever. You would have never known because they played so perfectly together. Self described on Facebook as "friendship rock/quiet grrl," their music was a gorgeous mixture of soft sounding melodies and rock-pop tunes infused with even a bit of country. The band was also collecting money to help those affected by the tragedy in Orlando, and I believe they've since raised over $200. A beautiful way to open the night, and I hope to see more and more of them.
Algebra II
Secret Mountain followed. I cannot tell you how unprepared, and then blown away, I was by this band, beginning with their first song, "Shift Happens." The one thing I kept thinking the whole time I watched them was that they were like a punk-lo-fi-indie jam band. The entire room, if not bouncing along, either knew the words or knew the right moments to dance to songs. Lots of freaking out and laughing and in-jokes between the band and audience. There was a lot of love in the room for this band, and it was hard not to feel that.
Secret Mountain
Time seemed to fly watching both bands, and it was time for Mitski. Taking the stage at around 9:30, Mitski and her band came right out and opened with "Townie." They followed that up with my favorite song of hers, "First Love/Late Spring." I didn't think the set could get any better just two songs in, but she and her band also played "Thursday Girl," an early favorite of mine from listening to Puberty 2 on NPR. It's incredible how, with just three musicians on stage, Mitski is able to reinterpret the production of her songs in new and interesting ways that give them even more depth.
Of course, she also played "Your Best American Girl," a track that has been talked about quite a lot and played just as much on SiriusXMU and other stations. To be honest, I was sad to not hear a live version of "Happy" because of how intuitive and new sounding the live versions of these songs were. But we were spoiled with so many other songs that I didn't even realize I missed it until writing this.
Mitski closed out the show solo, switching from bass to guitar, and singing the closing tracks to Bury Me at Makeout Creek and Puberty 2, "Last Words of a Shooting Star" and "A Burning Hill." These solemn songs are just as captivating -- if not more so -- than the songs she played with her full band. Just a moment between a really gifted lyricist and an audience dying to hear her sing those lines out loud.
One of the best times I ever had at Asbury Lanes, at any show, was the night Mitski opened for Screaming Females. The place was packed; and, when Mitski took the stage, I realized it was possible maybe most of the audience was there to see her. Even though I had to stand off to the side far away, her material immediately clicked with me. And now, not much later, I was right in the front, mouthing along and finding myself getting emotional at certain lyrics.
After that Lanes show, we talked a little bit -- mostly about Sailor Moon -- and she signed my copy of Bury Me at Makeout Creek. It's probably one of my most played and treasured records. And I can't wait to listen to Puberty 2 on vinyl over and over. And hopefully the next album around, Mitski will be back in Asbury Park.
You can see all of Emily's photos from the evening in CoolDad's Flickr galleries.
It's been three years since I could see Fear Of Men again.
Mitski, Protomartyr, Tacocat, Fear Of Men, Beach Slang (again)
I was beat when I got up on Friday morning. Thursday was one long, hot, humid day; and I may have overdone it a bit. On Friday, then, I decided to take things kind of easy and see some of the acts I'd come to see but had missed so far. The Pitchfork Day Party at Barracuda had a few, so that's where I made my first stop.
Mitski has been to Asbury Park a few times; but, for various reasons, I missed her every time. I resolved to catch one of her sets at South By Southwest, and I'm happy I did. The crowd was quite attentive and quiet during her set, which Mitski appreciated. That quiet attentiveness would change as the place filled up.
I made my way over to the outside stage and set up for Protomartyr. They're probably one of the main reasons I was so excited to come to Austin. Their last two albums, Under Cover of Official Right and The Agent Intellect, are two of my favorites from the last several years. Singer Joe Casey snarls the lyrics like he's just about to burst into a rage, remaining precariously calm as the band lets loose around him.
Protomartyr
Katie Crutchfield was finishing up her set inside as I made my way towards the door. By this time, the crowd had swelled, and the attentiveness from earlier in the afternoon had disappeared.
Not wanting to overdo it again, I decided a sit down lunch was in order. I made my way over to Iron Works Barbecue and was thrilled when I found no line and plenty of seats. Amazing what walking a few blocks can do. Brisket, a beer, and just some sitting. Then it was time for Tacocat over on Rainey Street at Container Bar.
Tacocat took the stage to the strains of The Everymen's "Spain" and powered through some sound issues to deliver a set of smart, funny, and subversive pop. They'll be at Mercury Lounge on April 12th, and you should try to catch them.
Back out to my hotel for some R&R.
I made my way back downtown to Sidewinder for the Flowerbooking / Polyvinyl / Topshelf showcase where I'd get to see Fear Of Men and Diet Cig, both of whom I'd been trying to catch all week, along with Beach Slang. The two surprises of the night for me were Palm and Wildhoney. Philly's Palm are mathy and complex. Wildhoney from Baltimore are dream pop in the vein of, well, Fear Of Men.
I've waited to see Fear Of Men again since catching them at FYF in 2013. Since then, their sound has moved from jangly post punk to something more synth driven. The songwriting and singing of Jess Weiss, though, still carry things; and, freed from her guitar, she's able to lose herself a little bit more in her performance. They were great.
Diet Cig guitarist / singer, Alex Luciano, is some combination of a kid on a sugar high and an aerobics instructor. From the opening chord of Diet Cig's set until she made her way down into the crowd for the end, she was non-stop high kicking, bouncing, and smiling. A few folks down front were right there with her. Drummer Noah Bowman gave some heft to the band's poppy bounce.
Diet Cig
It was time for Beach Slang again. Compared to the set at Frank the day before, both the audience and the band were a little more ramshackle. A few folks up front decided that they would try to direct the show, and frontman James Alex took the band well past their time limit, repeating "Noisy Heaven" as requested and throwing in covers of songs by Jawbreaker and The Replacements (2). Another great set for totally different reasons. Watching the band absorb and adapt to the crowd was pretty amazing.
That took me right up to 2am. I made it back to my hotel and tried to get enough sleep to collect my energy for one more day. I can barely walk anymore, but I'll dig deep. Until next time.
I'll be covering Brooklyn's Northside Festival as press again this year. The music portion of the festival goes Thursday through Sunday, June 11-14.
It's exciting because I saw a lot of really good bands and met some really cool people last year. It's a little scary because humping it back and forth to Brooklyn on a late spring weekend isn't the easiest thing in the world logistically when you're a suburban husband and father of two. We've got guitar lessons, bat mitzvah tutoring, birthday parties, and softball practice. And that's just Thursday and Friday nights. Saturday involves softball games, post-game ice cream, and a swim meet. On Sunday CoolMom leaves for a business trip. I'll make it all (well, some of it anyway) work somehow.
Anyway, today I present the first of probably two previews with what I hope to see on Thursday and Friday evenings, June 11th and 12th. Like last year, I'll probably generally shy away from the big headliners in order to focus on some of the smaller bands playing. There are some headliners I won't be able to bring myself to miss, though.
Thursday, June 11th Luna at McCarren Park
Here's one headliner I probably won't be able to miss. 1990s dream pop band Luna have reunited for a few dates, and one of them is the Thursday night free show in McCarren Park. Dean Wareham's guitar and vocals will be a beautiful way to ease myself into the craziness to follow.
Expert Alterations / Beverly at Alphaville
The first thing I saw at last year's festival was the Kanine Records showcase at Cameo Gallery. This year, the Brooklyn dream pop / pop label will host their showcase, along with Culture Collide and Terrorbird, at Alphaville. I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it over there, but I hope to get there in time to catch the late sets from Expert Alterations and Beverly.
I just received my Expert Alterations 12-inch EP, and I've been loving their REM / Feelies-inspired jangle pop. I wasn't able to head up to Brooklyn for NYC Pop Fest a couple of weeks ago, so I'm happy to get another chance to catch this Baltimore trio.
Beverly, the project started by Drew Citron and Frankie Rose (since departed), was the secret headliner at last year's Kanine Records showcase. By the time I figured that out, I'd already made my way across the borough and missed them. In keeping with the overall Kanine aesthetic, Beverly are another group that trade in the sounds of dreamy garage pop.
The Muscadettes at Living Room
Another band that do the reverb-heavy, female-fronted, dreamy garage thing are Montreal's Muscadettes. Fronted by twin sisters Chantal and Kathleen Ambridge, The Muscadettes are a band that I stumbled on when they showed up as a last-minute opener for Dead Heavens at Wonder Bar.
They put out the 6-song Side A back in April, and I've listened to it pretty regularly since picking it up with the last few bucks I had on me at that Asbury Show.
Fort Lean at Echo
Fort Lean, who have made a couple of trips to Asbury Park, look poised to blow up at any second. Their debut LP, Quiet Day, just came out on June 2nd. On the singles I've heard so far, it sounds like the band have added a bit more of an electronic / synth-y sound to their jangly guitar pop. "Cut to the Chase" has worked especially well for me. I'll be interested to see how the band have evolved since I last saw them a little more than a year ago at APYC.
Ringo Deathstarr at Grand Victory
I haven't decided if this band have the worst or the best name in the world. It doesn't matter, though, because their combination of influences -- from My Bloody Valentine to Dinosaur Jr. -- make theirs a sound that I can't get out of my head.
They're kind of playing at prime time on Thursday, scheduled for 10:15; so I'll have to sacrifice something to check them out. It is their only scheduled show of the festival as far as I can tell, though.
Sharkmuffin at The Gutter
Sharkmuffin were one of the revelations for me at last year's Northside Festival. Their sound drenches short, catchy pop songs in a swirl of grungy, surfy dirt making the ferocious sweetness of their name wholly appropriate.
They've also just announced that they'll be working with our friends at Little Dickman Records for the release of their debut LP, Chartreuse. I've gotta make to one of their sets to say hi and congrats. Like Ringo Deathstarr, they've got a prime time slot on Thursday; but I believe I've got multiple chances.
Friday, June 12th Neko Case, Rhye, Magical Clouds at 50 Kent
I'd say Neko Case has a beautiful voice -- and she does. But I feel like that doesn't fully capture the way she puts it to use. It's almost like a weapon, like a superhero's special power. She plants her feet firmly on the stage and -- when she's not playing guitar -- tenses her arms at her sides and just unleashes it on you. All you can do is stand there with your mouth open as it washes over you and maybe even musses your hair a little bit.
Dentist, Vomitface, The Planes at Pet Rescue
Our friends over at Hearts Bleed Radio are holding their 2015 showcase at Pet Rescue on Friday. That show was the source of a lot of fun and new friendships for me last year, so I don't want to miss this one.
Stephen Perry's The Planes, whose single "Evacuation Route" we premiered here a while back, and Jersey City's Vomitface were both standouts for me at last year's festival. And Dentist make their way to Brooklyn for this one. I can't miss Dentist. I love them way too much.
Dead Stars, Slonk Donkerson at The Gutter
Will it finally happen? Will the stars finally align so that I can see noisy / fuzzy / Dino poppers Dead Stars? We'll see. If I miss out -- again -- I think I've got another chance on Sunday, but Sunday's iffy with the CoolMom trip and all. Ugh.
If I do make it to this one, I'm excited to catch Slonk Donkerson as well. Like Ringo Deathstarr, their so bad it's good name is just part of the appeal for me. Their loud, sludgy, guitar-based pop is the real draw.
The Meaning Of Life at Bar Matchless
Matchless. The Meaning Of Life. I could relive one of my favorite moments from last year's festival, Marta DeLeon's smoky vocals filling up the little cave of a performance space in the back of the bar. We'll have to see how geography, logistics, and set times play out for this one.
Mitski at St. Vitus
Unbelievably, I missed Mitski both times she came to Asbury Lanes this year. I've gotten reports from friends that the Don Giovanni artist's sets have been amazing and transformative. This is one I'd really like to make work.
Spider Bags, Ex Hex at MHOW
Spider Bags are heading out on tour with Titus Andronicus. They're also playing at Saturday's Asbury Park Night Bazaar at The Anchor's Bend. I saw them at The Saint last year; and their all-out, southern tinged garage punk blew me away.
I've been kicking myself for the last couple of months for missing Mary Timony's power trio, Ex Hex, when they played WFMU's Monty Hall. I'd love to see them, but it would mean giving up on a few sets I already listed. Decisions.
SLEEPiES at Aviv
SLEEPiES' Weird Wild World is pretty much a masterpiece of intelligent, quirky punk rock. They were one of the first bands to reach out to me in the early days of CoolDad Music, and I've never been able to catch one of their sets. This is a late one, so the only thing that could stand in my way this time is whether I can still stand. I'll make it.
OK. So this list is beyond aspirational. I'm sure that it's physically impossible to do all of this, but in an ideal world... Well, in an ideal world, there's even more stuff I'd like to see. There will be those surprises that happen too, bands I happen upon by accident that could end up as highlights of the weekend.
Back tomorrow with a list of stuff I'd like to see on Saturday and Sunday.
Marissa Paternoster at Asbury Lanes. Another fantastic shot by Mike Petzinger.
Words by Allyson Dwyer, Pics by Mike Petzinger, Bonus Pics by Gentleman Jim
I could end up being the Wally Pipp of vanity music blogging. The skill with which both Allyson Dwyer and Mike Petzinger have covered for me -- and now add in some extra special coverage from Gentleman Jim Norton -- may have put me out of a job for good. Even if that doesn't happen, we've barely skipped a beat here thanks to the talents of some of the great friends I've made while running CoolDad Music.
This show was a tough one for me to miss. I love Screaming Females and ROMP live, and I was excited at the prospect of finally getting to see Mitski. Family vacations are important, though; and this one's been fun so far. And, honestly, this week's takeover has been about as close to being at these shows for me as I ever thought I'd get.
Enjoy Allyson's recap and Mike's photo highlights. Don't forget to keep scrolling to get the insider, backstage view from Gentleman Jim Norton.
Time for my audience with the Pope.
Screaming Females, Mitski, and ROMP at Asbury Lanes
words by Allyson Dwyer
photos by Mike Petzinger
backstage photos by Jim Norton
Hey! It's me again! At the time of this writing, CoolDad is in Venice riding a gondola with George; and he said he might not ever come back. CoolAllyson Music takeover imminent.
Back here in New Jersey, the Italy of the US, Saturday was perfect. It felt like the real first Spring day of the year. And for me, it was one of those days that is the right mix of lazy and fun, starting with an awesome breakfast, some writing, good coffee, drinks, and a show at my favorite venue, Asbury Lanes.
The line-up was a dream: ROMP, Mitski, and Screaming Females. The show also marked the release of the Asbury Park Feminist Collective's second annual Women's History Month 'zine. Rachel Casey and members worked really hard on it, and I contributed my own little blurb on why Sailor Moon means so much to me. It was really fun to read and even more fun to see the various bands up on stage give a shoutout to the group. Plus, they had free Matzo!
I picked up SIMGE's Chris Rotolo in my slick ride, aka Flareon, and headed over to the Lanes with the intention of buying a lot of vinyl. I assisted sound man Gentleman Jim Norton in selecting some badass female-fronted music for a playlist. Not too long after, New Brunswick-based and CDM fave ROMP took the stage with their joyous pop-punk. I had only heard ROMP's EP, having not yet caught them live. The band has a dedicated following, and the crowd was full of excited sing-alongs and bobbing bodies, everyone wearing stickers that said “ROMP is...” - fill in the blank. They're an incredibly special band, both for their catchy music and their lovable live show.
Next was Mitski, an artist who I had been waiting to see since I saw the show announcement. Mitski's Bury Me At Make Out Creek got much deserved high praise last year and she's recently signed to Don Giovanni. I wasn't the only one excited, she had some very dedicated fans, all in the front of the crowd, singing along passionately word for word. Adding even more excitement was the fact that Mitski's guitarist was Maggie Pakutka, local resident and member of the Feminist Collective.
Mitski was a force on the stage that couldn't be denied. While she spoke softly and kindly about how wonderful the night was, and how much she loved the internet; she would transform through her songs into another being. On tracks such as “Drunk Walk Home,” her voice would erupt like an unexpected volcano; and, as soon as the song ended, her demeanor would soften and she would return to her composed self. Her album is already so intimate; but live, these songs feel even more intimate. In those moments when she lost herself, as she did when she sat down to chant into the caves of her guitar strings, I forgot there were hundreds of people around me. And even afterward, when I went up to buy her album, we talked for a little bit; and she signed the sleeve and took the time to write a personal message. Her thoughtfulness is part of what makes her special.
The crowd began to surge toward the stage for the appearance of Screaming Females. They had packed the house, no different than the last time they came to the Lanes. But, in contrast to last time, this crowd wasn't as responsive, or even as invested in the show. As the band came out and played not just new songs, but classics like “It All Means Nothing” - most people were barely phased. I know people just want to be somewhere on a Saturday night; but if you feel like having a conversation louder than Marissa Paternoster's guitar solos, go to the back room bar. Don't stand next to me at the stage.
But yes, if you need to know, Screaming Females were wonderful. I personally love Rose Mountain, and I love the tight, poppier direction of the production. Many were worried that this was going to take the edges off the roughness that is Screaming Females. But fear not. None of that has changed the band. If anything, these tighter songs have only given them a jumping off point from which to play around and experiment on stage. That is the brilliance of seeing them on this tour.
The band closed out their set with a favorite of mine, “Boss,” and proceeded to extend it with a very long, very intense finale. Marissa passed her guitar into the audience to continue playing, and I saw Chris right there in the midst of it having a blast.
As the set ended, the lights came up, and the band members jumped right off stage into the crowd. Another wonderful night at the Lanes.
Here are some more photos by the talented Mike Petzinger. Keep an eye on Mike Petzinger Photography for more.
And here are some backstage shots of Screaming Females and ROMP by Gentleman Jim Norton.
