The New Alternative Music Festival at Asbury Park's Convention Hall, Night 1, 9/16/16

Screaming Females headlined Night 1 of Don Giovanni Records' New Alternative Music Festival

Live and Commercial-Free

It was a huge undertaking: 3 days and 50-plus bands inside Asbury Park's cavernous Convention Hall without corporate sponsors and without utilizing the infrastructure provided by the major monopolistic players in the live music business like Ticketmaster. About a week before the New Alternative Music Festival started, there was evidence that maybe it was too much too soon. Don Giovanni Records announced the cancelation of Sunday, the festival's third day, lopping off all but one or two of the bands that were scheduled to play that day. They were left with a two-day festival featuring bands like Screaming Females, Downtown Boys, P.S. Eliot, Laura Stevenson, Girlpool, Sex Stains, Ought, and more. Plenty for those of us in attendance to gorge ourselves on and, looking back, more than I could even imagine handling.

The festival had been underway for about 3 hours by the time I arrived after fulfilling my school pickup and swim carpool duties. Ithaca, NY rapper, Sammus, was just setting up; and it was a great start to my weekend. She was able to turn the vast space into something intimate as she rapped about frustration and anger while mixing in exhortations to positivity and self-respect. Sammus ended her set on the floor without a mic, weaving around the audience, shaking hands and thanking almost everyone personally.

Sammus

The huge Convention Hall stage was divided in two with one band setting up stage right as another band played stage left and vice versa. It was like a whirlwind. We sidled from one side to the other as acts took the stage at a relentless clip. Following Sammus, we got The Max Levine Ensemble, California X, Nude Beach, Radiator Hospital, Tenement, P.S. Eliot, Ought, and Screaming Females.

Each of those sets had something great to offer. I've been a fan of California X, Nude Beach, and Radiator Hospital for a while now; and all three were major reasons why I looked forward to NAMF as soon as it was announced. Montreal's Ought came highly-recommended; and, after their set, I'm going spend some more time digging deeper into their music. The highlights of the evening for me, though, were the sets from Tenement, P.S. Eliot, and Screaming Females.

Nude Beach

Radiator Hospital's Sam Cook-Parrott

I've seen Wisconsin's Tenement a few times, always as a trio. They come out onstage and deliver songs at a relentless clip. No bullshit. Singer / guitarist, Amos Pitsch, channels all of the energy from the band and just blasts it out over the audience. For their performance on Friday, they'd expanded with the addition of keys and backup singers. They steamrolled us all and concluded with a noisy set finale that saw the backup singers pick up a violin and a sax to add to the din.

Tenement

Ought

Then, it was back across the floor for the reunited P.S. Eliot. Katie (Waxahatchee, Great Thunder) and Allison Crutchfield (Swearin', solo) have produced some of my favorite music since I started CoolDad Music. Don Giovanni just re-issued the back catalog of the sisters' early band, P.S. Eliot, and the audience were ready to get back into it. A guy standing next to me had flown in from Amarillo, TX for the set and lost it at the opening chords to almost every song.

P.S. Eliot

In all the times I'd seen Katie Crutchfield with Waxahatchee, solo or fronting a full band, I'd never seen her just rock out the way she did with P.S. Eliot. The whole band appeared to be having a blast.

At one point during the set, an altercation over dancing / bumping / personal space erupted between a man and woman in the front row. Katie Crutchfield stopped the band and told both to "chill out" as she was forced to play elementary school teacher and direct a few people to stand between the pair to keep them separated. It was a tiny bump in a fantastic set, and people screamed for more when it was done.

Screaming Females played to the largest crowd of the two days. Things were running a little bit ahead of schedule (surprisingly), and the band started about 15 minutes early. They blasted through a set that was heavy on selections from 2015's Rose Mountain.

Something happens to singer / guitarist Marissa Paternoster when she puts on that black dress and starts to play. The music runs through her and she goes to another place. You can see it flick off when she speaks to the crowd while tuning her guitar, and it flicks back on again as soon as the next song starts. King Mike (bass) and Jarrett D (drums) are right there with her; and the whole band came together on some extended jams, facing each other and kind of reveling in the noise they were making. As the set went on, I could see sound people and techs standing in the wings or massing on the stairs just to catch a glimpse of what was going on onstage.

Screaming Females

When the set was done and Paternoster had thrown her guitar to the floor, several people up front chanted for more; but the band was done. The switch had flicked off again; and Paternoster was calmly shaking hands, introducing herself, and thanking fans for their compliments.

I was bleary-eyed and kind of in a bit of pain feet and leg-wise. Time to go grab a Korean burrito, head home, and re-energize for the next day.

I'll have a recap of Day 2 with some overall thoughts on the festival a little later. I'm still working my way through pictures, but I'll have shots from both days up in the Flickr galleries when I'm all done.

Friday Listening with Tenement, Sweet John Bloom, Corrina,Corrina

Tenement at Knitting Factory Brooklyn in February.

#POWERPOPPOPPUNK

Just running through the inbox and the social media feeds today and came up with a few gems for a Friday afternoon.

Tenement, "Curtains Closed"

Tenement have blown me away each time I've seen them. No filler. No stage banter. Just get up there and rattle off a bunch of songs that, taken together, really don't pigeonhole the band into any genre. Even if it makes things a little more difficult for shiftless, lazy bloggers like myself when it comes to writing about the Wisconsin trio, it's a refreshing and defiant approach.

This week, the band released "Curtains Closed" via a really fantastic write-up by Steven Spoerl at the blog Heartbreaking Bravery. It's an unconventional bit of piano and guitar-driven power pop from their upcoming 25-song Predatory Headlights. A collection that ambitious will definitely highlight all of the different places that Tenement will take you. It's out June 2nd via Don Giovanni Records. For the moment, just let this one take you into your weekend.



Sweet John Bloom, "Night Thing"

"Night Thing" from Cambridge, MA's Sweet John Bloom blends loud guitars and doubled vocals into a catchy combination reminiscent of the classic indie rock of bands like Superchunk or Pavement at their most concise. I came across this one while going through the inbox, and I've been listening to it all day. The song premiered over at Absolute Punk.

The band's Weird Prayer is due for a digital release via Tiny Engines on June 9th with vinyl slated for July. Tiny Engines have really put together an amazing stable of bands with Cayetana, Beach Slang, Restorations, and more. It sounds like they may have another good one on their hands.



Corrina, Corrina, "Distance"

Finally, our friends over at You Don't Know Jersey premiered the second track off of Corrina, Corrina's upcoming 2-song flexi for Little Dickman Records. "Distance" is another short, sharp, shock of pop punk that showcases the band's facility with creating a memorable song.

Head over to YDKJ for a fuller write-up, but just know that I'll be looking forward to hearing this one tonight at Langosta Lounge.



Time for a beer. Have a great weekend.

Don Giovanni Showcase / Screaming Females Record Release at The Knitting Factory Brooklyn, 2/28/15 (PHOTO LINKS)

Night 3

Here it was three weeks since Night 2 of the 2015 Don Giovanni Records Showcase and time for the third and final night. New Brunswick power trio, Screaming Females, had put out Rose Mountain earlier in the week; and this evening would double as their record release show. Also on the bill were Cincinnati's Vacation, Appleton, Wisconsin's Tenement, and DC's Priests. When Night 3 was announced, it sold out quickly; so Don Giovanni added a second, late show. I'd be attending the early one.

I saw Don Giovanni co-founder Joe Steinhardt briefly before I went inside the Knitting Factory's performance space. He looked a little harried. I can imagine that putting together two separate 3-plus-hour shows and ensuring that everything runs on time might be a little stressful. As it turned out, the early installment ran like clockwork even with a few, brief onstage technical difficulties.

Vacation

Unlike the previous two nights, Chris Gethard wasn't there to host this one. Instead, Vacation came out unannounced right on schedule just before 7pm and lit into their set. 2013's Candy Waves was a standout album for me that year. I hadn't seen the band since last year's showcase, and it was cool to hear "Horny Politicians" and "Pyro Hippies" live again. Singer / guitarist Jerri Queen gave the songs all the snottiness that I love hearing on the record.

Tenement

Tenement were next and played a set that, I think, clocked in at around twenty minutes. They were relentless, though; and didn't pad things out with any stage banter. There were several chants for more as the band walked offstage.

Last year, Night 3 fell on CoolDaughter #1's birthday, so I had to miss the show. That was the night that Priests played; and, until last night, I'd still never seen them live.

Priests' 2014 Bodies and Control and Money and Power is a short gut-punch of politics and paranoia. Saturday night, guitarist G.L. Jaguar and bassist Taylor Mulitz combined riffs and basslines into some kind of not-quite-surf / not-quite-post-punk sound doled out in short, frantic bursts and punctuated by Daniele Daniele's drums. Vocalist Katie Alice Greer was a force, delivering the band's lyrics decrying consumerism, television, and disposable culture as she moved frantically onstage atop a pair of perilously high heels. Her stage presence and the band's sound were impressive and nearly stole the evening. Nearly.

Priests

Screaming Females took the stage at around 9pm and played a set featuring both Rose Mountain cuts and favorites from their back catalog. The Marissa Paternoster-designed Rose Mountain logo adorned the amps and bass drum. I feel like the band are poised to blast off to another level of popularity. Their set was the same controlled intensity and fury that I've seen show after show, and it's what's gotten them to the verge of blowing up.

The crowd had been pretty calm all night, but I think some mosh pits started at some point during the set. I felt myself pushed up against the stage several times, anyway. I was too fixated on taking pictures and screaming lyrics with my camera held up to my face to really see what was going on behind me.

Bassist Mike Abbate and drummer Jarrett Dougherty held things down as Paternoster stalked the stage, bellowed lyrics into the mic, and did her furious soloing. People seemed to have a good handle on the new songs already. I've had the record in very heavy rotation since it began streaming at NPR. So too, apparently, have many of the people in Saturday's crowd.

Everything was done before 10pm, and we filed out to make room for the next crowd. Each of the bands on Saturday's bill was intense and unique. I often wonder how bands are physically able to tour and play shows every night. I can't even imagine having to do two performances at the level I saw from each band, but I'm sure the late-night crowd got something just as special as I did.

Screaming Females

Here are links to photos for each of Saturday's bands. I went a little nuts during the second half of the evening.

Screaming Females
Priests
Tenement
Vacation

Don Giovanni Records Showcase Starts Tonight. New Brick Mower.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

New Brunswick's Don Giovanni Records has grown into, quite simply, one of the most important independent record labels in the country. Nowhere is that more evident than at the label's annual showcase. Founded as kind of an alternative to the industry / corporate showcases at events like CMJ or SXSW, the Don Giovanni event features bands from the label, bands who are friends of the label, and a real sense of community.

This year's event spans three days in Brooklyn. Tonight's show is at Death By Audio and features Tenement, Vacation, Nuclear Santa Claust, The Groucho Marxists, and the Jersey Shore's Night Birds.

Nights Two and Three take place at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tomorrow night's lineup consists of Laura Stevenson, Shellshag, Upset, Worriers, and Nude Beach; while Saturday brings Screaming Females, California X, Brick Mower, Priests, and the currently Asbury-based Black Wine.

These are some great bands that I've written about often here and elsewhere (click the little tags at the bottom of this post or the "Speak Into My Good Eye" tab up above to see all of that). As of right now, it looks like tickets are still available for each night, including two-day passes to the MHOW shows. If you can't make it, watch for my coverage over at Speak Into My Good Eye.

Also, take a listen to the brand new "Shitty Parade" from New Jersey Pop Punks Brick Mower whose album Teenage Graceland comes out March 25th on Don Giovanni.

Screaming Females and Waxahatchee Played Asbury Lanes with Tenement and Kicking Spit, 9/28/13 (PHOTOS)

Don Giovanni Records 10th Anniversary Tour

I've been talking up the Screaming Females live show to CoolMom for a while now. She loves the records but still hasn't had a chance to see them play. Turns out last night wasn't going to be her night either. As the day wore on, babysitting options slowly fell away; and it looked like I was going to cover this one on my own again.

CoolDaughter #2 had a couple of birthday parties to attend. The early party started at 10:45 and was out at iPlay America. Her afternoon party was around the corner from our house. CoolMom came back from dropping her off over there and said, "We have to go back over to that party. The whole town is there."

As we got closer to the house, all the little kids at the party passed us on the road, being driven on a little train. The yard had three bouncy houses, a little carnival spinny-type ride, and plenty of beverages for all of the parents. There were piñatas and water balloon wars. Another couple that we're friends with were there accompanying their kids, and I jumped at the opportunity to invite another cooldad to the punk rock show with me. I'm not sure if he knew what to expect; but I don't think either of us really could have imagined what we were about to see.

Presented by our friends at Speak Into My Good Eye, this was another all-ages show. Music started early so that the show could finish up before midnight. New Brunswick's Kicking Spit started things. The band, like Screaming Females, play a brand of punk rock that relies on some powerful lead guitar. Through the noise, the trio reference lots of classic rock in a way similar to Dinosaur Jr. Guitarist Mark Bronzino was impressive in the J. Mascis role.

Tenement, recent Don Giovanni signee from Appleton, WI, were next. More noise pop or pop-punk than Kicking Spit's, Tenement's sound also contains traces of classic rock, though with fewer extended guitar solos. The band lived up to their reputation as all-out live performers, and appeared completely spent following their short set.

My friend and I were loving the evening so far, and the two headliners were still to come. We hit the merch tables before Waxahatchee's set, and then moved up front.

Katie Crutchfield and her band took the stage at around 9:30, opening with Cerulean Salt's "Peace and Quiet." The set was heavy on tracks from that record, and -- as has been the case the last couple of times I've seen Waxahatchee -- even songs like the title track from American Weekend got the full-on power trio treatment.

Waxahatchee are kind of the outlier stylistically on this tour. That's not a bad thing at all. Crutchfield's songwriting and unique voice held the crowd rapt for the entire set. My friend -- the father of a daughter the same age as CoolDaughter #1 -- turned to me and said something along the lines of, "I wish my daughter could have been here to see that, to know that she could write songs and front a band that way."

"Just wait, " I said.

At about 10:20, Screaming Females -- the New Brunswick trio of Jarrett D (drums), King Mike (bass), and Marissa Paternoster (guitar / vocals) -- took their places, and lit into "It All Means Nothing" from 2012's Ugly. Up to this point, I'd only ever seen Screaming Females as an opening act; and I'd never seen them when Paternoster had the room to move afforded by the large stage at Asbury Lanes. It was almost like I'd never seen them before.

Paternoster stalked and leapt around the stage, played from her knees or while lying on her back. And the band never let up, never stopped. There was no stage banter. There were no breaks between songs. The set was more than an hour of non-stop music, Paternoster executing her guitar wizardry the whole time. As usual, the rhythm section -- a huge part of the band's sound -- was excellent. But, and this is meant as no slight to Jarrett and Mike, it was almost impossible to turn your gaze from Marissa.

Paternoster finished the main set by setting her guitar aside, disassembling the mic stand and making her way into the crowd. The band returned for an encore, taking the stage one-by-one; and we all stood open-mouthed when they finally walked off for the final time.

My friend, who'd never heard a single note by any of the bands before last night, just shook his head in disbelief over what we'd just seen. On the car ride home, we talked at length about what it would mean to our 10-year-old daughters to see bands like Waxahatchee and Screaming Females perform live. I think we'll both be on Amazon this morning, shopping for some tween-sized earmuffs as we wait for the next opportunity.

Don Giovanni Edition

Tenth Anniversary Eve Friday

Oh, I've been waiting for this one.

Tomorrow night, Speak Into My Good Eye will be presenting the Don Giovanni Records 10th Anniversary Tour featuring Kicking Spit, Tenement, Waxahatchee, and Screaming Females at Asbury Lanes.

I have documented my great affinity for both Screaming Females and Waxahatchee here at great length. The inclusion of both Kicking Spit and Tenement on this bill makes things just that much better.

Trust me. This is one you do not want to miss.

Try to contain your excitement. I know I'm going to have some trouble.

Rock on.

Screaming Females / Tenement 7". New Waxahatchee Video. All 3 Coming to Asbury Lanes.

A Little Whistle Wetting

In a little over two weeks, our friends at Speak Into My Good Eye will be bringing the Don Giovanni Records Fall Tour featuring Screaming Females, Waxahatchee, and Tenement to Asbury Lanes. We got a little something from each of those bands today.

First, Waxahatchee (Have I mentioned how much I enjoy Waxahatchee? I think so.) gave us the video for Cerulean Salt track "Misery Over Dispute." Katie Crutchfield has been building up the Waxahatchee sound from its lo-fi beginnings on American Weekend, giving many of those songs the full-band treatment in her live sets. Maybe she'll throw in some tap dancing at Asbury Lanes. You never know.



Then, Screaming Females and Tenement released their split 7" over at Recess Records. The first 100 (well, 99 now) orders come on orange vinyl.

Screaming Females' "Ancient Civilization" and Tenement's "Wouldn't Let you Go" complement each other nicely, both featuring sections of feedback and noise. As usual, Marissa Paternoster's vocals and guitar take center stage on the Screaming Females track, but the band's sound is really just as much about the rhythm section of King Mike and Jarrett D. Tenement's cut features equal parts garage punk and beautiful, droning noise.

Today provided us with some nice, little tastes of the great evening that awaits us all here in just a couple of weeks. Can't wait to see you there.