Living This Side of a One Hit Wonder
Writing songs about 30-foot Smurfs is hardly the way for a band to get taken seriously. An entire album filled with such things will likely get that band nowhere; making an entire career with them is almost unthinkable. For The Presidents of the United States of America, however, that is certainly not the case. For about 15 years now, The Presidents have been writing songs about frogs, peaches, volcanoes, and golf clubs and show no signs of stopping. The band’s new album, These are the Good Times People, features equally intriguing song topics such as ghosts, butterflies, and turtles. Judging by the song content alone, the band has remained pretty much the same after all these years. These are the Good Times People is not only one of their best albums to date, but also easily affirms that The Presidents are one of the most unique bands in the last 20 years. The only bad part is that most people have not even heard of them –or at least in a really long time. The truth is, they are living this side of a “one hit wonder.”
The Presidents of the United States of America was formed in Seattle in 1990 by longtime friends Chris Ballew and Dave Dederer. After announcing themselves with different names at all their early shows, they finally decided on their current name. Like all the others, it too was just one of many. Picked at random, it was the longest name that Chris Ballew could think of at the time. Needless to say, it would be this name that stuck. Like any band at that important beginning stage, the duo soon recorded a demo tape which circulated around their local area and began to earn them a cult following. Ballew and Dederer met Jason Finn in 1991, but it was after much convincing that he finally agreed to join the band. In early December 1993 The Presidents played their first show as a trio at the Romper Room in Seattle. With a solid line-up in place, the band quickly became one of the most popular bands in Seattle. Although the band signed with a small local label in 1994, they finally got a needed break when they were signed by Colombia later the following year.
When The Presidents burst on the scene in 1995 with their debut The Presidents of the United States of America, their zany sense of humor and unique approach to music were immediately hailed as the next big thing. Everything about the band was different. They came from Seattle, but were nothing like their fellow Seattle bands. Instead of playing angst-ridden, distortion-heavy grunge like Nirvana, Soundgarden, and Pearl Jam, The Presidents favored a catchy punk-rock sound and lyrics about such things as cats, boll weevils, and blind spiders. It was not just the songs that made them different, however, it was also a few other things. Everything they wrote was an average of two minutes long and songs rarely went over the three minute mark. Their choice in instruments was equally unique. Rather than playing anything conventional, a three-stringed guitar and a two-string bass were the weapons of choice. Called the “guitbass” and “basitar” respectively, these modified instruments only added to the band’s totally unique approach to music. With only five strings between them, and an albums worth of material about who knows what, The Presidents of the United States of America were about to be on top of the world.
After releasing The Presidents of the United States of America, the band became almost an overnight sensation. After receiving support from radio and television, their music was almost everywhere. There was not an alternative rock station that the Presidents could not be heard on, and MTV even gave up coveted spots in their rotation for the band’s strange videos. In particular, it was the songs “Lump” and “Peaches” that put them over the top and gave them this mass audience. Due to the success of these songs, within a relatively short time the debut album went platinum. The band quickly embarked on a world tour, and often found themselves playing to the same type of devoted audiences that they received at home. Previously only done by artists like Weird Al, The Presidents were making a successful, professional career out of comedy rock. They were now on top of the world.
After touring the world relentlessly behind their debut, The Presidents realized that they had a good thing going and quickly went back to the studio to record. Effectively titled The Presidents of the United States of America: II, the bands second album was released in 1996, almost exactly a year after the band took off. With songs about bugs, twigs, volcanoes, and Brady Bunch tiki gods, clearly not much had changed with their sense of humor. Although the music had slowed down in spots, and some keyboards were occasionally added for texture, the core of the sound was still based on fast-paced drums, catchy hooks, and an energy that was as consistent as it was quirky. Notably, the band even continued doing everything with just five strings. The Presidents of the United States of America: II was everything that a sophomore album should be: a reinforcement in sound without re-doing the same things. Although there is always an inherent difficulty in finding that balance, The Presidents managed to pull if off. What they did not pull off, however, was keeping an audience.
Despite the strong reviews their new album garnished, The Presidents were not getting the attention they got before. If they seemed to appear on the scene almost overnight, they disappeared in about the same time; like a brilliant flash, they were around one minute and gone the next. It is difficult to figure out why exactly it happened. It was not that their second album was bad, because that is certainly not the case. It was also not that they had changed, or that they did something that could have affected their popularity. Perhaps they were just a bit too different. Perhaps, too, they just were not taken seriously enough. More than anything, though, it was probably the fact that the whole Seattle scene was dying. Kurt Cobain was gone, Pearl Jam was suffering from their battle with Ticketmaster, Alice and Chains was playing their last shows, and Soundgarden was breaking up. As The Presidents were always tied tight to this scene, when it suffered so did they. In a way, if the band was a reaction against grunge, or a foil to grunge’s protagonist, then when grunge goes away, they go with it. The reasons for the loss in popularity could be any combination of those things, but no matter what caused it, it happened.
Despite the lackluster sales of II and the declining Seattle scene, however, the band did continue to tour and make notable radio and television appearances. In addition, they managed to cover “Cleveland Rocks” for The Drew Carey Show theme song and “Video Killed the Radio Star” for The Wedding Singer. The acclaim and attention reached with “Lump” and “Kitty” was never fully regained, though. This previous success seemed to loom large and so after three years of relentless touring, working, and attempting to hold onto their fame, the band decided to call it quits. A collection of new tracks and B-Sides called Pure Frosting was released in March of 1998. This would serve as their third and final album for Colombia and a parting gift their fans. It collected songs that would have made up a third official album, as well as the covers done for TV and film. This time, as a last impression, the songs touched on Japan, sunshine, and mobile homes. Not surprisingly, even as culmination of leftover tracks, Pure Frosting was as strong as the albums that preceded it. With this icing on the cake so to speak, The Presidents of the United States of America had officially ended their term in office.
After ending the band, Chris Ballew, Dave Dederer, and Jason Finn returned home to spend time with family and friends, and devote time to other projects. Ballew formed bands called The Giraffes and The Chris and Tad Show, Dederer joined Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff Mckagan on a few projects, and Finn returned to his original band Love Battery, which he originally left to join The Presidents. For the most part, however, all of these projects were small and relatively unknown to a mass audience. In an interesting turn of events, a few years after the break up all three members ended up working with Sir Mix-A-Lot in a hip-hop rock band called Subset. Even with this full band collaboration in hand, it seemed like the band was still a done deal. From their breakup until the present, the Presidents were nowhere to be seen or heard, they were clearly taking the whole thing pretty serious.
In 2000, a small internet-based label approached the group about releasing new material. The band agreed, and soon released a few new singles. Due to contractual obligations, the band first reformed as The Quitters and then as just The Presidents before they were allowed to record under their original name. Freaked Out and Small was released on September 12, 2000, but only 25,000 copies were pressed. The release was so far under the radar most people —even many long time fans— were completely unaware of the reformation or the release. Although, all things considered, Freaked Out and Small was strong. Songs this time dealt with planets, Death Stars, and science experiments, and the music itself was still intact. While the album was good, however, it did feel a little different than their earlier work. Perhaps it was the fact that they actually played with conventional instruments, or maybe it was just that they had been away from the band for so long that things had changed. Whatever it was, there seemed to be a noticeable difference in the band. Shortly after the release, the label folded and the band went their separate ways once more. It seemed that Freaked Out and Small was just a one off release.
Seemingly out of nowhere, in 2003 The Presidents announce that they are back together and set to record a new album’s worth of material. As the distance from their1995 success has only grown bigger, even fewer people knew about this second reformation. But worldwide success was not the issue. There was no way that they could hope to cash in with a reunion tour or a big release from a long departed band. Most of the fan base had long since gone anyway so this type of drive would have made no sense. Importantly, the reunion was more for their own benefit than anything else; the fact was that they enjoyed making music together. The band released their new album Love Everybody on August 17, 2004. Picking up where they left off years ago, The Presidents sounded like themselves again. Freaked Out and Small was good, but this was an official comeback, like a visit from an old friend. Songs this time were about jackets, postmen, and positions in advertising. Notably, they were also back to the five string approach. Unlike Freaked Out and Small, the album received store distribution and began to collect a crowd, however small it was. It was like the Presidents were starting back at page one again, but that was not important. The important thing was that they were together and making music. The Presidents were back for an official second term.
After dealing with the loss of success, a failed reunion attempt, signing to a doomed label, and not playing a show together for five years, The Presidents of the United States of America are currently doing pretty well. They have been doing small tours of the United States, Europe, and Australia and are beginning to appear in at festivals. Movement has been steady for the band since they got back together. The only notable change is that Dave Dederer recently relinquished guitbass duties to Andew Mckeag to focus on his family, but he is still involved in the band. On March 11, 2008 they released their fifth official album called These are the Good Times People which is getting rave reviews. The album is so good, it feels like the band is hitting their stride again. Will they ever get the success that they had in 1995, though? Probably not. However, in the end, does that really matter? Is it even necessary to measure a band by hits? The answer is no. Despite lack of success The Presidents are one of the most unique bands of our age. Living this side of a one hit wonder can be tough, but if anyone can do it, they can.
Give ‘Em Enough Rope: Guns, Gangs and a Saxophone
It is a shame that The Clash’s Give ‘Em Enough Rope is overlooked and almost forgotten about. Released in 1978, the album followed up the acclaimed and popular The Clash, and it preceded the world wide phenomenon London Calling. Knowing these two albums and the amount of recognition they got, one would think that Give ‘Em Enough Rope should be just as well known as those two. For whatever reason, though, it is not. Perhaps it is just overshadowed by the towering London Calling, or overlooked simply because it does not have the Clash staples of their self titled debut. Likely, it is one of those two things because the album is as good as anything the band has released and certainly deserves a listen.
Give ‘Em Enough Rope burns through ten quick songs, and rarely loses energy throughout. From “Safe European Home” to “All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts),” the album is filled with many of the same sounds and themes as the bands debut. Building off the foundation established in The Clash, many of the songs are filled with blazing guitars, fast paced drums, and politically charged, angst ridden lyrics. For the band, though, the foundation created with The Clash is just that: a foundation. In typical Clash style, the band takes what they have already established, builds upon it and adds to it. Imparting further touches of roots rock and reggae to their already dynamic sound, the band makes a constant effort to avoid being painted in a corner. Notable changes also include the bands addition of piano, saxophone, and organ to a few tracks. These additions in style and instrumentation do not seem superfluous, but rather become seamless to the music itself.
Starting with the opening track, we already notice something different about Give ‘Em Enough Rope. The audible difference is not in the quality of the music itself —that has always been strong— but the change, instead, is in the sound quality of the music. We can easily hear that the scratchy, low quality tracks from The Clash are gone, and in their place are lean, heavily produced ones courtesy of producer Sandy Pearlman. Although good sound quality should never be looked at negatively, this addition to the music was originally met with negative reviews from some long time fans and critics. The new polished sound, coupled with the fact that Pearlman had previously produced bands like Blue Oyster Cult, led many to think that band had “sold out.” However, although the band does sound somewhat tame and controlled in this type of production, the disk does let the music become somewhat more accessible than in earlier offerings. Truly, in the end, quality and production do little to detract from the music throughout the album, which still remains excellent.
Give ‘Em Enough Rope starts with a bang. The lead off track “Safe European Home” is built on fast paced guitars and drums, quick call and response vocals, and –in traditional Clash form– politically themed lyrics. With instant fury filled start, and the shouted opening lines “Well, I just got home and I hope I never leave now,” we are immediately awestruck, captivated, held for the entire song. Easily one of the strongest cuts The Clash ever released, “Safe European Home” is also among the strongest on the album. The bar is set high for the rest of the album and one would almost think it impossible to follow up. However, The Clash does. The rapid succession of “English Civil War” and “Tommy Gun” keep the energy moving nicely and find the band sounding as strong as ever. “Tommy Gun,” especially, is a standout on the album. Topper Headon’s rolls scattered throughout the track are reminiscent of Hendrix’s “Machine Gun,” while his military like cadences add another reminder of the song’s war theme. While all the instrumentation is strong throughout the track, it is clearly the drums that define the song.
While The Clash has developed a certain rhythm and theme for the album with the first three tracks, we get something totally different with “Julie’s been working for the Drug Squad.” The beauty of the track is that we had no idea it was coming, or that The Clash could pull it off. The song is authentic, dance worthy, 50’s style rock & roll, and is easily inspired by anyone from Elvis to Jerry Lee Lewis. Featuring a grooving piano and some excellent “oh and ah” back up vocals from Mick Jones, the sound is completely new for the band. Truth be told, the Clash do not sound that much different from punk contemporaries The Ramones on this track. That group constructed a similar brand of 50’s inspired punk, and when Joe Strummer sings lines like, “It’s lucy in the sky and all kinds of apple pie/She giggles at the screen ‘cos it looks so green,” we cannot help but be reminded of them. Simply for its humor and originality –and authenticity– the track is certainly among the standouts on the album.
Following “Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad,” “Last Gang in Town” and “Guns on the Roof” show the band returning to familiar territory. One should note, though, that while the songs do have a familiar sound, The Clash is still moving forward. The songs are a bit slower than anything on The Clash, and the music itself is also more complex. As evidenced by these tracks, the band has settled into their sound quite nicely and has grown even more confident with it. On “The Last Gang in Town” we can still hear the bands trademark roots rock, punk sound, and paired with lyrics about warring gangs —and ultimately the Clash itself— the song is uniquely theirs. The following track “Guns on the Roof” is not the strongest cut on the album, and it is here that the album loses some momentum. The song is good, but compared to what the band has already done on this album and others, the sound and lyrical theme are a little rehashed.
As we quickly get towards the end of the record, “Drug Stabbing Time” and “Stay Free” are our next tracks. “Drug Stabbing Time,” like “Guns on the Roof” is a good song, but makes the album feel somewhat redundant with similarities in sound. The saxophone throughout the song is a nice feature, though, and does help add some texture. “Stay Free” is the following track, and stands as one of the centerpieces of the album. Stylistically, it is unlike anything the Clash had done up until that point. They were finally confident enough in themselves to open up musically and lyrically, and the results turned out quite well. In the song Mick Jones sings about the pains of growing up and the desire to remember his youth: “An’ if you’re in the crown tonight/Have a drink on me/But go easy…step lightly…stay free.” The song is one of the slowest, most pop laden songs they have released, but the sound perfectly fits the introspective lyrics. This song shows –more than any other until this point– represents that the Clash are not afraid to release the music they want to release. Clearly, it is not a matter of “selling out,” but rather a matter of being true to themselves.
Finally, the songs “Cheapskates” and “All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)” close out the album. Both songs are slightly slower in tempo, but each has a decidedly different sound from one another. “Cheapskates” is more dissonant and negative sounding, and in the wake of “Stay Free,” the song sounds not quite as strong. The personally charged, indicting lyrics are about the band coming back to town after making it big and not being accepted for “selling out.” Strummer argues that despite his status, nothing has changed. Where “Cheapskates” was lacking just a bit, “All the Young Punks” is simply superb. The band is embracing the pop sound of “Stay Free” and the lyrics revisit the theme of youth and the fear of growing old. Strummer sings “All the young punks/ Laugh your life/ Cos there ain’t much to cry for” and continues later “Face front you got the future shining/ Like a piece of gold/ But I swear as we get closer/ It look more like a lump of coal.” The Clash reinforce that fact that they are not afraid to open up musically and emotionally, and here it makes for an excellent song and an even better album closer.
Ultimately, Give ‘Em Enough Rope serves as a transition between the fasted paced punk rock of The Clash, and the multi-genre masterpiece London Calling. While the songs here can stand alone as some of the strongest The Clash released, many were almost prototypes for songs on future records. “Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad” and “Stay Free” may have sounded out of place on this record, but on London Calling, they would have fit right it. We get the sense, too, that The Clash were holding back just bit on the record. They tested the waters with some new sounds and instrumentation, but were not sure how far to take them. Regardless, The Clash proves that they are moving forward with Give ‘Em Enough Rope, and are refusing to remain stagnant and complacent with their sound.
Pros and Cons of the Festival World
Mentioning how R.E.M. headlined Langerado a few months ago got me thinking about festivals. First of all I would have loved to have been there to see them (of course), but I have tickets to catch them here in June. Naturally, I am really looking forward to it. Modest Mouse is opening, which makes it even better. Anyway, about those festivals…
First of all, I love live music, and I go to as many concerts as I can. This hobby does depend on available money and time, however, so it is impossible to catch everything I want to. A good solution to this problem is to attend festivals. Festivals are not only relatively cheap compared to purchasing a single ticket for a band, but also a chance to more than one of your favorite bands. Depending on how many stages are at the festival, one could feasible catch back to back concerts for a full day or more. With fewer stages, wait time between shows could be an hour tops. In all, the set up is not too bad.
For five years in a row I went to Music Midtown Festival in downtown Atlanta. This was from freshman year of high school in 2001 to Freshman year in college in 2005. The only reason I stopped going was because the festival was no more. Throughout all the years I was able to catch some great shows: Tom Petty, Foo Fighters, Counting Crows, Steve Winwood, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker, Buddy Guy, War, Jethro Tull, Cheap Trick, Blue Oyster Cult, Bush (when I listened to that…), Stone Temple Pilots, The Offspring, The Edgar Winter Group, etc.. For a three day pass to the festival tickets were generally between $45 and $75. For my Petty tickets this summer, I spent $55. Not too bad of a price, but my point is the whole Music Midtown weekend was about the same price. That’s pretty cool.
After Midtown ended, I decided to try another festival: Bonnaroo. Unlike Midtown, Bonnaroo is a camping festival (as I sure everyone knows) and that made things a bit different. But I liked the camping part. Although my friends and I had a bit of a walk, everything went pretty well. We had our own place to go back to, we could pack or own food, etc. and we got the chance to meet new people who were close by in our camp site. Like Midtown tickets were relatively inexpensive at about $180. They were more than Midtown, but the level of bands was much higher, and there more of them. In the years I went (2006, 2007), I got to see The Police, Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty, John Paul Jones, The Roots, Bob Weir, Ben Folds, Ben Harper, moe., Oysterhead, Mike Doughty, etc. Among them were some of my favorite shows (Ben Folds was my favorite of the two years combined) and I had some pretty good times.
There are some cons to the whole festival atmosphere though. First, it’s hot all the time. Much of the space at Midtown and Bonnaroo is in the blistering sun. At Bonnaroo, the campround had no shade. No shade means that there is no more sleeping in your tent past about 7:00 AM because it is literally like 100 degrees in there. Music doesn’t start until after noon, so you have nothing to do until you that time. I mean you can’t sleep.
Also, as a musician I like to be as close as possible to watch the band. That is also just part of human nature, too. Either way, to get up front means that you have to get their early and wait through several of the bands before that band. As people leave, you can slowly make your way up to the front. This also becomes a weighing thing too, becuase if you do wait long periods to watch a band, you may end up missing other good bands on other stages. At Midtown I once waited six hours in the same spot, on my feet to watch the Foo Fighters. At Bonnaroo, I waited under the same conditions for Tom Petty. This was not uncommon at either festival. Also, crowds are so tight up towards the front are always so crowded and hot. It was once so compact at Midtown that I was able to take the weight totally off my feet and still stand. Of course, wanting to stand up close is totally voluntary and that is just the price one pays to be so close. Some call it dedication, some call it stupidity. Whatever it is, the crowd thing is not the festivals fault but just a whole bunch of people wanting to get really close.
While festivals are good, there are some other things that I don’t like about them. First, I have always enjoyed the feeling of an intimate venue. I often purposefully avoid large arena concerts because I love smaller venues so much. Shows with one band also have the benefit of having a like minded crowd. All the people are there to see the same band. There is probably much more in common in a crowd at a single show than in a festival, and that is part of what makes that experience so cool. The venues are also alot cleaner and the shows are less work to attend. At a small, closed venue you can walk in, sit down and watch the show. At a festival you have to plan for a whole day or weekend. You also don’t walk away dirty, which is always nice. Also, the most important, and possibly underrated things about a venue show is that they are mostly at night. To me, concerts only feel right at night for some reason. Perhaps becuase that is just the nature of Rock and Roll.
These days, there are not too many festivals that I would want to go to. Although I love the music, I find more pros in attending small venue shows. I may go to Echo Project this year though. That one is in October, its camping on the Chattahoochee, and its just 40 minutes or so from my house. Definitely worth a try.
Let me know what you think about festivals!
War vs. The Joshua Tree: Getting into old U2
To finish up on my last post, I wanted to talk about U2’s War album in relation to their The Joshua Tree. I must admit that I have never understood how “getting into music” really works. I guess its often just a case of liking something or not liking it. Really, there is not much explanation needed past that. In over thinking things, however, I like to find out just why that is. It could be that just hearing a certain artist or album so often “forces” us to kind of acquire a taste for it. Beginning to like something can happen either willingly or unwillingly, and in fact, just hearing artists, albums, or styles often can help us gain an affinity for something without even realizing it. There are an endless amount of possibilities as to why we like certain music, and any one of them could have happened to any music fan. Am I over thinking things? Probably. So I should just probably move on and just assume that people either like something or do not, but there is always room to go between the two…
In the case of U2’s music, I have always like The Joshua Tree. Although the album has a completely original sound, it is has always seemed very accessible to me. The open, ambient, well-textured music was just something that drew me in. Like anyone who gets really into an band, I sought out more U2 albums to add to this disk, creating a kind of “collection” if you will. After doing a little research I decided to go with War. I had heard good things about the album, and especially after hearing songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Years Day” I figured that the album would be a good choice. After playing it, however, I didn’t like it. I knew that U2 were different in their earlier days, but not this different. There was no open ambiance, or layered texture, but rather a mix of post-punk and dance rock, with a hint of new wave. Basically, to not get too caught up in genres, it wasn’t The Joshua Tree. I liked “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” but that was really about it. A couple weeks later, I revisited the album. I had heard somewhere that some things take repeated listens to like, so a repeated listen is what I did. This time, I gave it time. It turns out that time is just what I needed. In forcing myself to listen through the entire album, I slowly began to kind of like the songs. Kind of liking the songs then turned into really liking them, which then became a kind of temporary obsession. In fact, War was all that I listened to for a few week period
I guess the whole feel of the album just kind of grew on me. The post-punk, dance beats really got me hooked. After repeated listens, I noticed that the album did have texture. Larry Mullen’s fast-paced drums on songs like “Two Hearts Beat as One,” Edges howling guitar solos –especially on “Drowning Man,” and Bonos politically-charged, loved-fuel, angst-ridden lyrics throughout. The song that I get attached to more and more on repeated listens is the song “40.” If no other song on this album does, this song predicts where U2 is heading in coming years. The slow tempo and light melody couldn’t close the album any better. The line “I will sing, sing a new song” gets me every time, just like it did the first time I listened to it, just like it will continue to every time after.
Sometimes, if nothing else, I guess that getting into something just takes time. I really can’t explain why or how exactly I get into what I do, but I guess its really just better that way. Sometimes I look back and go, why did I not like that before? Am I lame? Sometimes the answer is yes. There is no other explanation for it. Likewise, other times I look back and go, why did I like that. Another time and place apparently. Regardless, if I have learned anything from all this, its to give something a chance. War was something that I needed to give a chance to.
Putting the “Concert Meter” to the Test
Man! It has been a little while since my last post. The semester has kind of taken over. Anyway….
As you may have noticed, my last post was about my concert meter (kind of lame, I know. What can I say, I’m a lame guy…). To explain, there are certain things that make a concert memorable for me, and those things have formed a kind of personal checklist to rate my concert experience. Spontaneity, crowd interaction, the band playing in the moment, and seeing them “change things up” are all parts of this checklist. These are certainly not the only things that make a good concert, and we all have our personal test, but I guess you get the picture. (Feel free to check out my previous blog to get some more detail about all of my different areas.) After writing last month’s blog, I got the chance a few nights ago to test my concert meter at Smith’s Olde Bar. The show was from a band called RAQ that I had seen years before as an opening act. I had heard them a few times since that time, had wanted to see them again for a while, but never got the chance until then. Almost totally forgetting what they sounded like, I thought that this would be a good chance to try to rate the show, and even do a kind of concert review.
Briefly, RAQ can be defined as a “jam band” in that much of their music is devoted to extended, improved segments of songs. Unlike many other jam bands, though, they are heavily rock oriented and have a tremendous talent for tightly composed song structures. They are actually quite progressive if nothing else. They are influenced by bands such as Phish, moe., and the Grateful Dead, but also bands like Zappa, Dream Theater, and Billy Cobham. All of these play a role in the sound of the of the band, and all could be heard that night. As usual with a band like this, the instrumental interplay shined throughout the night.
From the start, the band was on fire. They ripped through the first song and didn’t stop for until their set was over 2 plus hours later, high energy the whole night. Again, it had been a while, so I had no idea what to expect from their show. I also own none of their music, and really had heard only a few clips of their songs to remind me what they sounded like. Walking into the show “cold” was a rather interesting experience, as most of the time I know exactly what to expect. I must say, though, that I was impressed with the show.
The show opener was a high energy rendition of a Zappa tune called “I am the Slime.” To put it simply, the song was really well done. (I have to admit, that I have recently begun the arduous task of getting into Zappa. I am still unfamiliar with much of his material, although I am pretty knowledgeable on his general style. Anyway, this was not one that I recognized, and it was not until checking online that I discovered it was a Zappa Song. Oh well….) It was obvious throughout the night that they were heavily inspired by Zappa, so it comes to no surprise that they opened with a cover of his. The rest of the night carried this same energy and much of this same Zappa type sound. As the band sped through the rest of their set, the played another 15 songs. Towards the middle of the set the band did another two covers: one was another Zappa song, while the other was a ZZ Top song. Now, I know what you’re thinking: a little too much Zappa, right? Well, I can see as how you might say that, but I assure you, it was not too much Zappa, as the band really embellished that Zappa sound to make it their own. As a ZZ Top fan, “I’m bad, I’m nationwide” was a nice touch. The mid-set covers were great, but it was really the band’s own material that seem to captivate me the most.
The only song that I remember hearing at their show the last time was “Welcome to the Donkey Show.” With such an odd title and lyrics, how could I forget? The song was full of energy, just as I had remembered it, and after hoping to hear it again, it was a nice addition to the set. The rest of the songs had a similar sound and while the band extended 15 songs to a substantial length, the show seemed to fly by. The night was filled with moments of funky grooves, low pulsing techno like moments, dance-worthy melodies, and overall excellent musicianship from all four members. While the songs did sound similar at times, there was still a good amount of variety to the show. The final song of the set was an obvious fan favorite entitled “Brother From Another Mother” which carried on RAQ’s trademark funky, rock sound. For the encore, (which no touring band can go without) the band played a lighthearted bluegrass groove called “Coming Home.” Overall, the show was one of the better that I have seen, and seemed to rate highly on the coveted concert meter.
As with any good jam band, spontaneity is always its highest. RAQ was no exception. Throughout the night, they always seemed to be on their feet and in the moment. I never knew what to expect from song to song, and within the songs themselves. Each part felt fresh and new, and many probably were. I never got the feeling that the band was simply going through the motions (and being a musician, I can usually tell these types of things pretty quickly). There was also alot of interaction between the band members, and they looked like they were having fun. I also know that with RAQ, setlists are different every night. Songs within those setlists are also different every night. Simply put, RAQ got a strong rating on the concert meter. The show was filled with what I consider strong qualities. I will not only go to see them again, but will hold my meter to a new standard.
I give this show a 7.5/10. Pretty solid. Go see this band, you won’t be disappointed!
What makes a good concert?
This question is one that I have been thinking over for quite some time. And after much deliberation, I do have some theories….
While some of us practically spend our lives at concerts, most probably only catch a concert on occasion. However often the attendance though, there is still something about a live performance that draws even the casual listener in. Perhaps it is the almost surreal experience of seeing your favorite band live, seeing those songs come to life on stage, seeing that music you have heard only on head phones take shape. You could go to “study” the music and watch the musicians themselves. It could also be the social aspect of a concert that draws you in. Concerts are something to do on a Saturday night, and are always a good choice for you and some friends. In addition to your friends, even, you could also seek to meet other like minded people at concerts. Chances are, if you like a certain kind of music and they like a certain kind of music, then you could be a fair bit alike. There are many reasons that bring us to a show. Music itself is certainly universal, and in a way, concert going is as well.
Often times we may never forget those moments spent in front of a good live band –I know that there are many that I will never forget. The question that I have been grappling with is just what is it that make those concerts so great? What makes certain concerts better than others. Seems simple enough right? You just know what is good and whats not. Well I thought so too, until I really started to think about it. What is it exactly that draws us in and keeps us there?
After much deliberation, this is what I have come up with. In a way, it kind of serves like a “concert meter.”
The essentials are:
1. The Unexpected. To me, one of the most important factors of a concert is that you don’t know what is coming next. The set list should be a good mixture of the new and the old material, the popular and the not so popular. Although I know that many people come to a concert to hear the hits, I believe that a concert can, and should mix things up a little. How interesting is it really if an artist just sticks to just their string of hits? I think that any song, from any album should be fair game. Perhaps a B side or a deep cut, or maybe even a cover could make things interesting. Examples: I have seen Tom Petty 3 times now. Now I am a big Petty fan, but I have to say that almost every time I have seen him, he has played almost the same set list, in nearly the exact same order. “Free Fallin’” has always third or forth, “American Girl” has always been the encore, and most of his staples seemed to fall in relatively the same order. A couple songs changed up here and there, but for the most part, the first time I saw Tom Petty could have been the last time I saw Tom Petty. Every night was really a night of the hits, with only a few songs that differed. An example for comparison is the band moe. I have seen moe. 5 times and each time has been a completely different experience. There have only been a few songs that have been repeated between all of those shows, any song serves as an encore, the shows are always a mixture of the new and old material, and the set list seems planned moments before taking the stage as opposed to planning one for an entire tour (or worse yet, a career).
2. The varied. Initially, this may sound similar to “the unexpected” but I am thinking of something a little different. What I mean here is varying the songs themselves. I certainly think that there is talent in being able to replicate a song exactly how it sounds on record. Some people appreciate that, and I can see why. For me though, this is not all its cracked up to be. After all, I already have the album, do I really want to hear the tracks played back verbatim? I could spend alot less time and money at home listening to the same thing. There is always something that can be done to change things up a bit. Perhaps a different solo or maybe a new arrangement could change it up. Maybe a new, unexpected intro to the song, or even extending parts of the song works for some bands. Anything to change things up. Example: I saw the Red Hot Chili Peppers play a few years ago on their By the Way tour and they did an excellent job of varying things up. John Frusiante’s solos differed from the ones on the original recordings and seemed more improved and on the spot, songs like “Can’t Stop” had extended intros that created anticipation of the song itself, and the band seemed in the moment at all times, as if they could change things up at any moment. They were never going through the motions, and their level of energy and willingness to experimentat showed it. A perfect counter to this was when I saw the strokes a little while ago. I like the Stokes, and I like their music. This show, however, was nothing to write home about (although, I guess I kind of am). Their songs were played straightforward with little deviation, there was really nothing “unexpected” about their show, and through it all, they seemed to be going through the motions. A band certainly does not have to change up their songs for them to seem “in the moment.” There were several things that turned me off from the Strokes that night, and that is just one of them.
Note: I did see the Strokes a couple years before and the show was much better, and rather enjoyable.
3. Connection to the audience. The connection to the audience can make or break a show quicker than anything else on this list, and is in many ways it is the most important thing here. There is really no getting around it, to be a successful band or musician, there must be a strong connection between them and the crowd. First, it is easy to spot an act going though the motions. You can hear it the music and see it in the band itself. For music to truly resonate with an audience, it first must resonate with the musician. Music must be inspired and from the heart to mean anything. It must have feeling and soul behind it to elicit a response. Second, some kind of verbal interaction with the crowd can go a long way. After all, the audience is why the band is there. This could be just a quick “How is everybody doing?” or casual conversation, or interaction on the level of encouraging the crowd to sing along with certain parts of the song (obviously without overdoing it). Example: At Bonnaroo ‘06, I caught Ben Folds. Ben Folds accomplished the “connection to the audience” requirement better than anyone I have seen, which made for one of the best shows that I have attended. There was energy behind every note of every song, he and his band were consistently in the moment, and the music was clearly made for the audience. Not only did Folds encourage the audience to sing along, he divided the entire audience into thirds and organized a complex three part harmony. Reminiscent of the Who, at the end of the show, Folds picked up his stool and repeatedly smashed it on the keys of his baby grand to sounds of clanking keys and screaming fans. It was one of the most energetic shows I have seen, and one where everyone was captivated.
4. Being in the moment. To reiterate briefly, being in the moment is essential. Going through the motions is simply not going to cut it live. This is the most important thing that any band can do. It is also the easiest to explain. Any good show must have this before anything else.
Basically, a good show is built on spontaneity, energy, and chance. If the band is in the moment, then chances are the crowd is too. Seek out those bands that are living to perform, not simply performing to make a living. To hold a crowd all evening takes talent, having them remember that night, every night, is a gift.
Oh, and next time you see Tom Petty, yell for “Wildflowers” or “Square One” before “Refugee.” (That is, if you are one of those who yells out songs. Not that there is anything wrong with that…) Anyway, you never know, he may want to play it as much as you want to hear it.
Is there anything left for true music fans in Atlanta radio?
After learning that 99x was going “the way of the dinosaur”:
Now, every commercial radio station is faced with a certain dilemma: play it safe and stick to the top 40, or take a chance once in a while and mix in some deep cuts and older tracks that may not be as popular. This can be tricky because most listeners want to hear the hits, but then again, many listeners want to hear a good variety of the new and old, the popular and not so popular. We must admit that commercial radio is primarily driven by hits, but for a good radio station, there is no problem in also playing some music outside the top 40 in their format. Truly, a good radio station finds a balance between the two areas and attempts to appeal to these two groups. To me, one of the last stations in my area that did this was 99x.
99x played a decent mixture of material and they had DJs who were seemingly true music fans. The station was not programmed from a central location (as many are), for the most part they played a good variety of songs, they actually had featured music shows, and the DJs were not hired simply because they had a good voice, but because they knew their music. Any radio station should meet these requirements, but unfortunately there are very few that do.
When I learned that 99x was leaving Atlanta radio, I was shocked and appalled. “How could this happen?” I asked myself. I mean, they covered the format of alternative rock, and were only one of two stations in the area to do so. Unlike the other station, they did a good job in their format. They played the standard, always popular Seether, Finger Eleven, and Linkin Park, but they also played decent music like Silverchair, Modest Mouse, and the new Radiohead and Eddie Vedder songs. These artists were paired with a good variety of older “alternative” music as well, and there always seemed to be a good amount of musical intelligence that went into programming. Where was the problem then? Maybe listeners just want the same Finger Eleven and Seether over and over again, and don’t care for anything else. Possibly, listeners may not really care what a DJ actually knows about the music they are playing. Perhaps it is this “cookie cutter” mentality that listeners like and appreciate, which is fine. After all, to each their own. Many listeners just want the hits. There are, however, others that don’t. I am one of those people.
99x was the last of a dying breed: a station that seemed to take some sort of value in what they played, a station with some substance. The hits weren’t on a loop, programs and shows focused on a variety of musical tastes within the “alternative” format, and they actually championed local music. Basically, 99x refused to be a copy of a Clear Channel radio station. After winning several radio awards, and in may ways acting as a minor “KROQ,” 99x’s new reward is removal from Atlanta radio.
Tom Petty released a song a couple years ago, called “The Last DJ” and immediately I am reminded of this song and how true it reads.
“Well you can’t turn him into a company man
You can’t turn him into a whore
And the boys upstairs just don’t understand anymore
Well the top brass don’t like him talking so much,
And he won’t play what they say to play
And he don’t want to change what don’t need to change”
Later Petty sings:
” As we celebrate mediocrity all the boys upstairs want to see
How much you’ll pay for what you used to get for free
There goes the last DJ
Who plays what he wants to play…”
Mediocrity pays the bills apparently. 99x could have been better, but since being bought by Cumulus, they really weren’t “allowed” much freedom. The hits became more frequent than ever, and the consequences meant less time for much else. They seemed to do all they could, however, to keep at least a shred of dignity. Long time shows like Steve Craig’s “Retroplex,” Matt Jones’ “Organic X”, and “Sunday School” regularly featured music outside the norm, and many songs in these playlists were scattered throughout regular hours on the station. I mean, if they had any kind of choice in the matter, many of the DJs probably would have never played the Plain White T’s any more than they deserved to be played (which in my opinion, is not at all). They probably would have focused more attention on other relevant up and coming artists, or at least ones that are less cliched and less played. However, advertisers want to pay for time on a well listened to station, though, and artists like that are well listened to. Ultimately, though, the decision to not play a song list of about ten popular songs (like project 96.1) cost DJs their jobs, and the station to be taken off the air.
For much of their time on the air, 99x was independent. After being bought by Cumulus, though, the station lost much of its appeal for me. Cumulus seemed to kept them on a “short leash” and let them play only so much. Now, breaking new artists like the Cranberries was almost unheard of, and instead 99x filled those spots with more Finger Eleven. After all, chances are risky, and could loss more ratings. The casual listener probably noticed little difference, but to the long time listener, there was certainly something different. The music became more restrained, and long time DJs (and station founders!!!) were let go for nothing more than ratings. This was not enough for Cumulus, and now the plan is to move the station to online only and move the “just the hits” Q100 radio station into its place. To me, Q100 represents everything that is wrong with radio, and this move is another sure fire sign that commercial radio is destined to be cliched and cookie cutter.
In the end, taking chances seems almost worthless if the reward is losing your job and your radio station. Putting the same ten songs on repeat seems like the most logical way to run a radio station these days. Radio becomes a place where creativity, spontaneity, and chance are sent packing, and redundancy, mediocrity, and commercialism take their place. Should we just acknowledge that we will not discover another Cranberries, that we will not hear some deep cut from the Cure on a show like the “Retroplex,” or that local artists do not deserve radio time? Clearly, with company’s like Cumulus and Clear Channel, the answer is yes. I mean after all, we all need a little more Nickelback.
