Weekly wrapup and looking ahead - week of Feb 15, 2013

Closing in on the last couple weeks of my day job and my show calendar is filling up nicely. I'm still not 100% what the future holds for me professionally, but I am working behind the scenes to try and step up the blogging and show review content... to be continued!

Local Beer, Local Band: Katharine Whelan and A Mad Affair - Tir Na Nog - 02/07/13

Not a densely attended show, once again, I will blame the weather... It was raining and cold and overall shitty out... but I finally got to see Ms. Whelan do her solo thing:

 

Seeing live music with musicians is always a completely different experience than seeing a band with buddies who just like music... I spent the majority of her set absorbing comments from Jay and Brian re: "What kind of guitar is that, that she's playing?" (a tenor guitar) and the pointing out of the U2-esque VOX amp, as you can kinda see to her left. the boys practically tripped over themselves to get up front first after her set to get the scoop.

I enjoyed the set, it was a lot more down-tempo than most, right up until the last song that kicked a little swing. I knew to expect subdued, as the only thing I've really heard from her post-SNZ's is the work she did with Stephin Merritt for the 6ths albums (ps, if you've not investigated these albums, I highly recommend "Hyacinths and Thistles"...) I'd be interested to hear recorded work, but google seaches leave me empty handed... anyone?

My Friend Valerie's band was next - A Mad Affair

A Mad Affair is basically everything that is still a little bit pure and chaste in local indie-folk music; the perfect formula of acoustic guitar, upright bass and ukelele... Valerie has always had one of the most stunning voices I have ever heard and it seems to have been created specifically for the bright, cheery, quirky Americana folk sound that these three have found together. I wish I had seen this show on a warm April Sunday afternoon outside on a porch with a Sangria and paper fan, rather than stuck in the dark dreary rainy almost midnight Irish pub... But hey, maybe that's the point, the sweetness of it all makes you a little bit warmer on the inside. Favorite moment: the cover of "Tonight You Belong to Me" from the Jerk. I was soooo waiting for that trumpet solo!!! (it didn't happen). A Mad Affair is one of those bands where, if I ever can find myself in a situation where I want to marry someone and I get that dream wedding by the lake with paper lanterns and a pig pickin', I'd love them to play.


Saturday: Gray Young in-store performance at Schoolkid's - 02/09/13

I forgot to take this after the show, I will never forgive myself.

Are you tired of hearing about Gray Young in my blog? HAHA TOO BAD. Okay seriously, if I had consistent access to U2 or Morrissey shows, the way I do to Gray Young, then you would only be seeing U2 posts. But I do not, so you see Gray Young posts...

the boys played for about 30-40 minutes worth of material from the new Album, Bonfire, which was released like... sometime... recently... I don't know... I should know. February... sometime. (I did the kickstarter thing and the guys know I am the superfan, so I've been hearing a lot of these songs for a while. and I got my vinyl copy in the mail a while back... but I did buy myself a CD version after the performance, just to cover all bases.) We also got a random Staysail song, which, I think we can all agree, is perfectly acceptable aka WONDERFUL.

Chas takes a random stroll around to browse the diverse selection of vinyl, mid-song... I AM KIDDING. he is just being awesome, as per yooshe.

I took 8,000 pictures, as is par for the course, but I feel this is the moral imperative as the self-appointed fanclub president. that being said, I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE, but it is quasi-Dopko deficient :/

I  haven't really gotten the chance to review Bonfire on the blog, but I am worried that I will come across as too gushy and biased (I am). I have thought about it since I first heard it a few weeks back, as to what I would say about it, but I keep coming to the conclusion that any attempt would be akin to a mother writing an essay about why her kid is the smartest and cutest kid in the world. 

DON'T FORGET: (Like I would let you): The CD Release Party with Wesley Wolfe and Bronzed Chorus has been rescheduled for March 29 at King's!!!

Here is how happy I am after a Gray Young show:

note: U2 shirt peeking out - unplanned but excellent!

Brian wanted me to close out my weekly review by giving the random guy playing acoustic Paul Simon cover songs, etc., in the front room at O'Malley's Pub last night. We had a brief discussion about being "that guy playing music at the front of the bar no one is looking at"... I've never been "that guy" - I am too ragingly ego-maniacal. I would break down and cause a scene, probably.

Other local music news 

(btw, anyone have any opinion or interest in the arbitrary "Just Announced shows" posts? They are fun for me to write and scoop other blogs, but I'm not sure if sticking with just the bi-weekly wrapups is the key or not. I'd be interested in your thoughts!)

• Just announced: The Black Keys and Flaming Lips at Walnut Creek, July 11. tickets on sale 02/15, or Black Keys fanclub presales go up Thursday, 02/14/13. That'd be a nice Valentines' gift, eh? I'd like to go to this and the prices seem reasonable ($30-$60) but I don't know, I was so spoiled by Hopscotch...
• WKNC has a thorough article up on their blog re: Art Lord and the Self-Portraits, who are playing their 10th anniversary show at King's Thursday night.They are playing with Lonnie Walker.  (Lonnie Walker opening for Future Islands??? WHOEVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING! - said no one ever.) Also Sam Herring (Future Islands) is playing a FREE show tonight in the front room of 506 tonight with Rapdragons and 83 Cutlass at 9pm - RANDOM!
• Brian John Mitchell aka Remora aka my boyfriend has launched a new Kickstarter campaign called "Droneuary" - "A month recording thirty hours of songs & drones of source material for Remora's new album." I couldn't be more proud. Also, it would appear that several local and not so local artists may appear on the recordings (including yours truly!)
•  This week: 
• Art Lord (aka Future Islands) at King's, Thursday (Valentine's Day) 02/14/13
• The Love Hangover at King's, Friday 02/15/13
• Caspian at Local 506, Saturday, 02/16/13

• Just Announced:
• WAVVES at King's, April 14th
• DUCKTAILS at King's, March 7th 
• FOALS in Charlotte at the Neighborhood Theater, May 1. With Surfer Blood. I gotta make this happen. I've tried to see Foals twice now. love them.They are also playing the Orange Peel in Asheville on June 12. Maybe I do both, eh???

Weekend surprises and looking ahead - week of Feb 8, 2013

I don't know if it's me or if it's just life in general - but the best laid plans of mice and men and all that... If you read back on where I *said* I was going in my last post and then kept up with me and saw where I actually went, I was really only about 20% accurate in my predictions. I've been wondering if I should really only post about the things I say I am going to when I have tickets in hand, but that's not the whole picture. I tend to change my mind about a bajillion times a day and I am spontaneous to the point of compulsion, so who knows with me, really? I am thinking it's almost just as well that I post where I *think* I'll be and you guys can just take it as a 50/50 shot that I'll actually be where I say...

I said I was going to Greensboro with Brian - THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!

he played weird loopy noises in between spoken word poets re: feminism while he, our friend Will, and I sneaked Newcastles behind the curtain behind me on the floor. The poetry was decent, the kids were very young, but I took some awesome pics of my dude.

Friday night - I told you i was going to Casbah for Bull City Metal Fest? ....NOPE! Brian and I actually both got kinda ill from either the Thai food we had in Greensboro or (gulp) hangover ihop the next morning... we struggled through (albeit amazing) dinner at Fiction Kitchen and in walking back to the car we both decided the best thing would be to stay close to home and keep very, very still. therefore... Friday.... FAIL!

Saturday, While I was at my part time job for a lunch shift, Brian setup shop at Tir na Nog for the Double Barrel vendor show...

the view from BJM's booth

I showed up very, very late, but just in time to snag a House of Swank tee that I have coveted for long enough and run next door to catch Organos at Pour House!

omg friends!

Saturday - EVERY INTENTION of going to Durham for the second night of BCMF ... nope! I am totally open to the excitement and suggestions of others and was told by three people in a row that I would be totally nuts to miss Whatever Brains opening for Airstrip at King's... so guess where I went?

Apparently it's been longer than I thought since i saw WB last because there are like, 3 more people in the band? huh? that's cool though... good times.

gone with the wind?

MARIA LOVES ME BAAAAARF

where'd all these other dudes come from?well... the more the merrier!

So, having been up since 630am and sipping brews since about 430, guess who was way too drunk way too early? lil ole me... (Mom will be proud reading this one, I assure you.) This can be proven by two very important pictures:

the first.... I was apparently so enraptured by the fact that i accidentally broke a coat hanger in my attempt to take back my coat that there were (ready for it) ... SIX PICTURES... of it. they all basically look like this...

yup, that's a broken coat hanger, alright

THEN... on the way down the steps, I demanded Brian take this exaggeratedly (not too exaggerated) pathetic picture...

sad karla is sad

so guess what I did on Sunday? ....Laundry and suffer. I'm not proud, I'm not bragging, but I am just trying to let you know... Where I say I'm going to be, what I say I'm going to do... man, just sometimes (most times) they just don't line up...

THAT BEING SAID:
here are the things on my horizon this week:
Thursday: LBLB this week is take 2 for Katharine Whelan (whose show w/ Birds and Arrows was cancelled earlier this year because of bad weather) - no B&A this time (boooo) but my friends' band A Mad Affair is opening. don't know this Izzy and the whatsy whats -  sounds ok though?

Saturday is the in store performance for Gray Young at Schoolkids at 2pm. this just reminded me i have to send some emails right now and switch my part time job schedule around a little so i won't miss this - YIKES!


looking ahead:
If you don't have valentine's plans, you could always spend a special evening with Art Lord (aka Future Islands before they were future islands) at King's.
don't forget: The Love Hangover: 02/15/13: King's
don't forget: Caspian: 02/16/13: Local 506
don't forget: Menomena: 02/20/13: Motorco

don't forget: Major Lazer: 03/07/13: Cat's Cradle (sold out!)

just hitting my radar now:
Invisible Hand is playing LBLB: 02/21/13 - YEAH!
Toon & the Real Laww at Pour House: 02/23/13
Bronzed Chorus: LBLB: 02/28/13
Birds & Arrows cd release party at Local 506: 03/15/13
Motorco just announced Ebsen & the Witch in April... oooooooooh!

Where I've been, Where I'm going - week of Jan 25, 2013

Busy, Busy, Busy!

First some news:

• If you missed it, be sure to check out my local venue guide (made some changes this morning in, fact!)
• My good friends at Crank Arm Brewing Company have their Kickstarter Launch Party / Beer Tasting Tomorrow (Friday) night at Raleigh Times from 5-8. If you haven't already, you should hit up their Kickstarter and get psyched for the opening of the Brewery this Spring (in the former White Collar Crime space)
• I found out this past week that I am being laid off from my current position of 8 years at the end of February. this means several things; you will probably see more updates from me, as I may be having more time to do so and I will be working on more personal projects... SUCH AS: My boyfriend and I have started a Custom Button Printing side project. contact info, templates and prices are listed in the link!
• Holy Shit it is cold outside! 

Where I've been:

• Jan 12, my buddy Courtney and I wandered off to Chapel Hill for the 2012  Tar Heel Soundfest. It took place at three venues (Cave, Nightlight and 506) and I was pretty disappointed by the turnout, but the sound was amazing. Ended the night at 506 with White Cascade:  

•  After hearing the news about my layoff, my boyfriend (Brian John Mitchell) and I headed down to Myrtle Beach. He played a show (As Remora) with Wicked Gift and Feel No Other at a fairly decent Biker-ish Bar called the Rockin' Hard Saloon. I thought Brian was excellent, but the patrons of the bar were blitzed and surly and the set was cut short. The other bands were excellent and hey, guess what... Myrtle Beach has a music scene...! Who knew?? (Interesting fact: I got folks to do the electric slide.)

• A last minute addition to the weekend, Brian and I found ourselves at the "first of an upcoming matinee series" of shows at Chapel Hill Underground. The show started 6ish with a band called The Bros. Alien, as the headliners... One of Silber's band's, Irata (amazing, btw) and then something new and yummy: a band called Set and Setting, from St. Pete Florida. I'd highly recommend giving these guys a listen - double drummer sludgy post-rock... aw yiss!!! They (along with Irata) are playing at The Flat Iron in Greensboro this coming Sunday if you are around.

Where I'm going:

•  Tonight is officially side-Project night at Tir Na Nog for LBLB; Bands/performers from North Elementary, Schooner, etc will be playing. I cannot confirm 100% that I will be at this show, as it is barely going to get above freezing today, so like... I dunno, man. I wanna, but dang.
• Tomorrow night I would walk through the fires of hell or infinite snow-drifts for... GRAY YOUNG'S CD RELEASE PARTY!!! the new album, Bonfire, is being "officially" released (although, those of us that backed their kickstarter already have a sneak peek ;)) They are playing with Wesley Wolfe and the Bronzed Chorus at King's Barcade. Doors at 9, no pre-sale tickets, so get there early! SNOW, BE DAMNED!
• January's 919noise showcase is going to be at Nighlight on Jan 30. featuring M is We and Isotroposphere
• Thursday, Jan 31, Brian and I will be at Maya on Tate in Greensboro; he will be performing/providing ambient drone for a feminist poetry reading... word.
• DILEMMA TIME: (Brian/silber will have a vendor booth at double barrell, but dang lookit that lineup for the metalfest!!!) .....Feb 1-2:  Double Barrell Benefit at the Pour House **OR** Feb 1-2  Second Annual Bull City Metal Fest at Casbah - what's a girl to do??

Look-ahead, get this on your radar now:

• The (14th annual) Love Hangover is at King's Feb 15...  a tradition and an added Bonus: Erik Sugg (of Corvette Summer) and Rose Higgins (who demolished us all as Janis Joplin at this year's Great Coverup) are playing a set together!!! also... Maria and Reid are playing a set together and I may barf. (i kid.... xoxoxo...)
• Caspian will be at the Local 506 on Feb 16 (been looking forward to this fo-evah)
• Menomena will be at Motorco on Feb 20 (not to be missed. if you've never seen them live, you're missing out!)

 Holler if you spot something i've missed that is like all, not to be missed and such.
xoxo
karla anne