Posted by Toby on Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
(Above: Pocahontas County file photo by Toby Cryns)
Pocahontas County returned to their old stomping grounds at the 331 Club in Minneapolis for a one-time reunion show on Friday night after taking a 6-month hiatus. The reception was explosive, as the crowd sang along with the local bluegrass heroes throughout their hour-long set. Lead singer and guitarist, Jackson Buxton, led the way as the group of misfits crowded around their single multi-directional microphone and played tracks off their self-titled album in addition to a few other favorites. All the band members took lead vocal responsibilities at different points in the evening, but it was banjoist, Colin Anderson’s stanza at the end of the set that stole the show. Anderson’s tire-iron tenor yelps on the traditional “Diamond Joe” struck a chord with the audience, who greeted the unexpected lyrics with thunderous applause.
Opening the show was up-and-coming local rock/bluegrass trio, LOUDRAY, who showcased their new washtub bassist Curt “Tubs” Perry’s formidable talents for the first time in the Twin Cities. Perry, whose instrument consists of a broom handle strung to a big metal washtub, provided a bottom end to a sound that is anchored by John Stoll’s mature tenor vocals. Meanwhile, Colin Anderson’s banjo and energy on stage provided the crowd with much to crow about. The Sans Souci Quartet closed out the evening.
LOUDRAY will be releasing their first LP in a show at the 331 bar on Feb. 29 with my totally awesome band, Cryns #3. Hope you can make it!
Posted by Charlie on Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
Al Gore’s “hip” new television channel Current TV broadcast a documentary film created by Radiohead tonight. It contains a complete broadcast of their new record In Rainbows performed live track to track in their Oxford studios. The channel itself is made up of short documentaries or “pods” of information about a range of subjects for 24 hours. It’s pretty interesting for people who can’t hold a thought for more than 10 minutes at a time. Admittedly, I like the channel and bringing Radiohead in for an hour definitely wins them points. Where do I begin?
If you are a true music junkie like me, you have many things to say about Radiohead. Whether it’s that they haven’t put a good record out since The Bends or they have become too popular or they are the greatest band of our century or they are the festering machine of indie rock royalty, it will always be a popular and sometimes endless debate amongst us nerds.
I have traveled many miles to see this band. I have slept in odd places and even sold cigarettes to make a bit of extra cash outside of Giants Stadium in New Jersey (That is another story). I have even wept to Kid A in my room alone, stoned and heartbroken. Ugh. The magic of Radiohead is that no matter how successful they get and how many losers (like myself) listen to them, it still feels like they are playing to only me.
Now for the tough part. I hate Pablo Honey. I’ve haven’t put The Bends in my CD player for at least five years. I know every note on OK Computer and can still whistle Let Down in my sleep. I still enjoy the Kid A/Amnesiac one-two punch.
In Rainbows is Radiohead finally knowing what they sound like and doing it. Thom isn’t the weirdo that he once was and they are all richer than Coldplay. The record is like any other Radiohead record in that it gets better with a few listens. It’s also a bit closer to a full album feel unlike the “here is a song, oh! And here is another song” feel of Hail to the Thief. After my first listen, I couldn’t recall a single melody from the record. Radiohead, forgettable? Even so, I can’t stop listening to it.
Seeing them play the songs in the studio was like diving into the world of Radiohead. Except the studio wasn’t as I had imagined it to be; in a cave buried in a mountain in a country you can’t pronounce where they speak their own language to each other and live on bats and depression. The studio seemed small with Johnny, Thom, the sometimes useless Ed, and Colin in one room and Phil Selway, the often over-looked member of the band in a drum room to the side. Phil is the loyal soldier in this war. He finally gets to be on the battle field playing drums again. Johnny Greenwood plays regrettably a subdued role both on the new record and in the performance tonight. Thom, Ed and Colin all play like well greased door hinges. The songs finally come alive. Opening with my favorite song off of In Rainbows, Arpeggi/Weird Fishes, I was presented with a new view of the record. They worked together like a team. Thom sang beautifully. Ed….did stuff. There were moments of vintage R&B music from Colin’s bass. Johnny played with equipment that if improperly used, might have the ability to destroy human lives. Phil, like a threatened species in the world of Radiohead, could be the most reliable back beat since Billy Cobham. Download this performance from Current.com and enjoy this New Years gift.