I'm up in Massachusetts visiting my family, but just wanted to stop in and wish everyone a prosperous holiday season! I'll check back in with you all in early January, when Wolf Trap's winter/spring Barns season kicks into high gear. All the best for a wonderful end to your 2008 and an even better 2009.
Cheers,
Graham
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Wolf Trap Holiday Party 2008!
Kind of a strange entry for public viewership, but I thought it may be interesting for a lot of you to see what goes into a Wolf Trap holiday party. As employees of a performing arts organization, we are by association a very creative and expressive body of individuals, which, for this year, sort of co-branded this get together as first a celebration of the holidays and each other, and second, a talent show! And as you can see by the following slideshow of photos, we did not skimp on visual and audio entertainment! You name it, we provided it. Everything from poetry to tap dancing. I feel honored to work amongst such talented, motivated and diverse individuals. Wolf Trap is truly a special place. Before heading over to Bernie's place for the afterparty, my night (actually my year) was capped off by jamming on The Barns stage with a few co-workers. Reputed as one of the finest concert halls in the country, what a thrill it was to stand and "perform" on that stage. Rock and roll is definitely a powerful drug.
Pictures below...thanks Andrea!
Pictures below...thanks Andrea!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
NPR's Best of 2008 Listeners Poll Results
I think this is a great list with the exception of Vampire Weekend at #2 and Conor Oberst even being on this at all. But to be fair to Oberst fans, I just can't really wrap my brain around his appeal. I understand it's Dylanesque, but the musicianship just isn't there for me. And am I the only one who thinks his voice is a bit like nails on a chalkboard? There are only three records on here that I haven't familiarized myself with; those being Sigur Rós, Girl Talk, and Brian Eno/David Byrne, but they have become high priorities for the next couple weeks.
Check it out and let me know what you think! Did you vote? What were your top 10?
Check it out and let me know what you think! Did you vote? What were your top 10?
Friday, December 12, 2008
No, Music Doesn't Drive the Culture. Is This a Problem?
After reading this post by Bob Lefsetz, author of the popular Lefsetz Letter blog, I felt compelled to point out a few holes that I find in his arguments.
Statement # 1 - The public is OVERWHELMED with music. They don’t know what to listen to and your e-mail is not going to encourage them. They might go see a dinosaur at an inflated price, but not your developing act.
My rebuttal - Hmm, ok. I'll agree that the public is overwhelmed with music. I often feel this way, but I absolutely love it. 30-40 years ago, the battle to capture the public's attention did not really exist, since all of them were signed to a major label, and their A&R reps along with the marketing and promotion team worked their records within radio, commercial television, and print. In the '60s and '70s, labels knew what was cool, what would sell, and provided the only real viable medium for artistic exposure. Now, with the explosion of social media tools, home recording software, networking sites, internet radio stations, and so on and so forth, artists have a vast array of file-sharing tactics at their finger tips, allowing them to do much more on their own, ultimately widening the pool of artistic brilliance available simply by clicking a button on your computer. So yeah, we're overwhelmed, but at least we're not limited to what the mainstream media and major label corporations are shoving down our throats. It's all about options, and choice, and accessibility. And this should be embraced, not shunned.
Statement #2 - The funny thing about great albums? Everybody knows they’re coming out.
My rebuttal - Really? I mean I guess I know when a decent portion of "great" albums are expected to drop, but I think Bob is being a little bit shortsighted here. I'm not sure how can you just lump the public into one preferred listening category and surmise that we all know and agree upon what musical components comprise the next "great" album. What if you love Rihanna, and I love Wilco? I don't really pay attention to R&B, and you may not pay attention to alt-country/indie-rock. If you were to take a sample size of 1000 people and ask them each what they consider to be "great" music, you'd have folks siloed off in so many different directions your head would spin.
Statement # 3 - And if you think Britney Spears is about music, then you don’t ever read "People" or "Us" or surf from TMZ to PerezHilton. Britney’s about train-wreck. That’s a business, but the music is incidental.
My rebuttal - I don't have one. This is perfect :)
Statement #4 - We don’t have a theft problem. We’ve got a MUSIC problem.
My rebuttal - Labels have a A&R problem. The public is in music heaven. Who cares if we're a little confused...I'd rather have more than less, and for once in our lives, maybe we'll slow down and start listening to music because it touches us on a personal level, rather than because your local pop station repeats a certain song 15 times a day.
Statement # 5 - Sure, we wanted to go to the gig to hang out, but we NEEDED to hear the music. We NEEDED to be closer to the geniuses who made it. We felt it was us versus them, the act and its audience versus the system. Whereas now the acts ARE PART OF THE SYSTEM!
My quasi-rebuttal - I don't think the first two statements have ever been truer than they are at the present. This craving is what drives me to see as much live music as I can possibly fit into my schedule while still maintaining a degree of financial sustainability. I think the last statement pretty far from the truth. This may be true for a select group of bands... (Nickelback) but I think the majority of respectable bands are in the process of cutting ties with "the system."
That's all for me on this wintry Friday.
-G
Statement # 1 - The public is OVERWHELMED with music. They don’t know what to listen to and your e-mail is not going to encourage them. They might go see a dinosaur at an inflated price, but not your developing act.
My rebuttal - Hmm, ok. I'll agree that the public is overwhelmed with music. I often feel this way, but I absolutely love it. 30-40 years ago, the battle to capture the public's attention did not really exist, since all of them were signed to a major label, and their A&R reps along with the marketing and promotion team worked their records within radio, commercial television, and print. In the '60s and '70s, labels knew what was cool, what would sell, and provided the only real viable medium for artistic exposure. Now, with the explosion of social media tools, home recording software, networking sites, internet radio stations, and so on and so forth, artists have a vast array of file-sharing tactics at their finger tips, allowing them to do much more on their own, ultimately widening the pool of artistic brilliance available simply by clicking a button on your computer. So yeah, we're overwhelmed, but at least we're not limited to what the mainstream media and major label corporations are shoving down our throats. It's all about options, and choice, and accessibility. And this should be embraced, not shunned.
Statement #2 - The funny thing about great albums? Everybody knows they’re coming out.
My rebuttal - Really? I mean I guess I know when a decent portion of "great" albums are expected to drop, but I think Bob is being a little bit shortsighted here. I'm not sure how can you just lump the public into one preferred listening category and surmise that we all know and agree upon what musical components comprise the next "great" album. What if you love Rihanna, and I love Wilco? I don't really pay attention to R&B, and you may not pay attention to alt-country/indie-rock. If you were to take a sample size of 1000 people and ask them each what they consider to be "great" music, you'd have folks siloed off in so many different directions your head would spin.
Statement # 3 - And if you think Britney Spears is about music, then you don’t ever read "People" or "Us" or surf from TMZ to PerezHilton. Britney’s about train-wreck. That’s a business, but the music is incidental.
My rebuttal - I don't have one. This is perfect :)
Statement #4 - We don’t have a theft problem. We’ve got a MUSIC problem.
My rebuttal - Labels have a A&R problem. The public is in music heaven. Who cares if we're a little confused...I'd rather have more than less, and for once in our lives, maybe we'll slow down and start listening to music because it touches us on a personal level, rather than because your local pop station repeats a certain song 15 times a day.
Statement # 5 - Sure, we wanted to go to the gig to hang out, but we NEEDED to hear the music. We NEEDED to be closer to the geniuses who made it. We felt it was us versus them, the act and its audience versus the system. Whereas now the acts ARE PART OF THE SYSTEM!
My quasi-rebuttal - I don't think the first two statements have ever been truer than they are at the present. This craving is what drives me to see as much live music as I can possibly fit into my schedule while still maintaining a degree of financial sustainability. I think the last statement pretty far from the truth. This may be true for a select group of bands... (Nickelback) but I think the majority of respectable bands are in the process of cutting ties with "the system."
That's all for me on this wintry Friday.
-G
Monday, December 8, 2008
"I Used to Rule the World...."
What does everyone think about this Coldplay/Joe Satriani fiasco that has dominated web-based discussion throughout this past week? I think it's pretty absurd to contend that Chris Martin and co. purposefully stole this riff from Satriani given that Brian Eno, one of the most respected names in sound engineering produced Viva La Vida. With a man of his stature at the helm, you think he would lead Coldplay down this path of indelible scrutiny unless he sure the band's work maintained unique properties from Satriani's "If I Could Fly"? Also, when was the last time you think the guys from Coldplay listened to Joe Satriani? Satriani's music has as much influence on Coldplay as Insane Clown Posse.
Below is the video that is sweeping across YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I
Below is the video that is sweeping across YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ofFw9DKu_I
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Dr. Dog at 9:30 Club, 12/3/08
It's tough to rally for a late show at 9:30 club in the middle of the week. It's easy to stay home, watch TV, and say to yourself, "I'll just catch them next time they are in town." It's a comfortable alternative to making a trek into D.C. late at night. However, when a band like Dr. Dog rolls through town touring behind what I believe to be one of the top five albums of 2008, I completely refuse to resign myself to this type of complacency. So I got in my car and headed into the city; rocking out to the aforementioned album Fate on my mediocre, yet adequate Mazda 3 sound system. After rendezvousing with my buddy Ben, we had a couple PBRs at Solly's tavern at U and 11th NW, and made the quick four block jaunt over to the 9:30 club.
A quick aside...it seems that every time I attend a concert at 9:30, this one club employee (let's call him Biff) seems to be working the door. He's an intimidating presence to say the least, standing close to 6'5" with multiple tattoos and the most extreme ear "stretch" rings I've ever seen. I mention Biff because the first time I attended 9:30 (for a Wilco show of course) he tried to throw me out because he claimed I looked exactly like a guy whom he had kicked to the curb the night before. Luckily, I was able to convince Biff that I was indeed not this rules effacing gentlemen (he had apparently tried to fight a bartender) and I was able to proceed with my concert experience which culminated in meeting Wilco after the show. Anyways, maybe it's paranoia, but Biff always seems to scrutinize me more closely than other patrons when I go through the ID check process.
Anyways....I digress. On to Dr. Dog.
Let me sum up this band's talent and cultural relevance in a simple, direct phrase...I personally feel as if this quintet is currently the best band on the planet. I realize this is a bold statement and I know I said this about Wilco no longer than 2 months ago, but I'm just enamored with these guys right now.
For those of you who would like me to stop gushing and tell you what to expect when considering a download or a CD purchase, Dr. Dog 's sound is best described as an organic synthesis of three of rock & roll's most significant and pioneering bands in the history of music, The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys. Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken serve as the band's principle songwriters and alternate lead vocals on every subsequent track on Fate. The discrepancies in Leaman's and McMicken's creative output are vast, with Leaman channeling The Band's distinct Americana sound, and McMicken taking seemingly all of his cues from Lennon and McCartney. Songwriting aside, the musicianship is stellar, with tightly constructed three part (!) vocal harmonies, soaring, harmonized guitar solos which never seem indulgent but rather necessary, and highly infectious bass grooves from Leaman.
Last night's show was heavy on tracks from Fate, and a few mixed in from previous albums We All Belong, and Easy Beat. Only issue for me was that McMicken's and Leaman's vocals were mixed pretty low causing them to be occasionally overpowered by the instrumentation. And as a visual bonus, the stage was set up with props straight out of a tropical beach, so my Miller Lite's tasted like Pina Coladas. Needless to say, I rocked out very hard, and I’m currently in withdrawal.
Please guys, come to Wolf Trap....
A quick aside...it seems that every time I attend a concert at 9:30, this one club employee (let's call him Biff) seems to be working the door. He's an intimidating presence to say the least, standing close to 6'5" with multiple tattoos and the most extreme ear "stretch" rings I've ever seen. I mention Biff because the first time I attended 9:30 (for a Wilco show of course) he tried to throw me out because he claimed I looked exactly like a guy whom he had kicked to the curb the night before. Luckily, I was able to convince Biff that I was indeed not this rules effacing gentlemen (he had apparently tried to fight a bartender) and I was able to proceed with my concert experience which culminated in meeting Wilco after the show. Anyways, maybe it's paranoia, but Biff always seems to scrutinize me more closely than other patrons when I go through the ID check process.
Anyways....I digress. On to Dr. Dog.
Let me sum up this band's talent and cultural relevance in a simple, direct phrase...I personally feel as if this quintet is currently the best band on the planet. I realize this is a bold statement and I know I said this about Wilco no longer than 2 months ago, but I'm just enamored with these guys right now.
For those of you who would like me to stop gushing and tell you what to expect when considering a download or a CD purchase, Dr. Dog 's sound is best described as an organic synthesis of three of rock & roll's most significant and pioneering bands in the history of music, The Beatles, The Band, and The Beach Boys. Toby Leaman and Scott McMicken serve as the band's principle songwriters and alternate lead vocals on every subsequent track on Fate. The discrepancies in Leaman's and McMicken's creative output are vast, with Leaman channeling The Band's distinct Americana sound, and McMicken taking seemingly all of his cues from Lennon and McCartney. Songwriting aside, the musicianship is stellar, with tightly constructed three part (!) vocal harmonies, soaring, harmonized guitar solos which never seem indulgent but rather necessary, and highly infectious bass grooves from Leaman.
Last night's show was heavy on tracks from Fate, and a few mixed in from previous albums We All Belong, and Easy Beat. Only issue for me was that McMicken's and Leaman's vocals were mixed pretty low causing them to be occasionally overpowered by the instrumentation. And as a visual bonus, the stage was set up with props straight out of a tropical beach, so my Miller Lite's tasted like Pina Coladas. Needless to say, I rocked out very hard, and I’m currently in withdrawal.
Please guys, come to Wolf Trap....
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
It's That Time of Year
Crazy that we're suddenly in the midst of the holiday season isn't it? What happened to the last few months? I hope everyone had a nice thanksgiving and is looking forward to some additional R&R towards the end of December. I enjoyed my Turkey Day up north with my dad's side of the family, and while my time at home was very relaxing and unfettered, my drive home on Sunday...was. NOT. MAN. Never again will I make that drive on that day. 13 hrs. in the car, through the rain, and worst of all...through NYC. But, I'm back now and have put that painful memory behind me :)
December is a bit of a slow month show wise here at Wolf Trap, but if you've been missing summer days at our Filene Center, we will present our annual Holiday Sing-A-Long this Sunday, December 7 from 4pm-5:30pm. As is tradition, the United States Marine Band will once again lead the audience in traditional holiday songs, alongside more than 400 members representing vocal groups from across the Washington, D.C. area. Admission is totally free, and no tickets are required! If you're feeling especially benevolent and philanthropic, donations of new, unwrapped toys will be gratefully accepted at the entrance for Toys for Tots, but are not required for admittance.
If you're interested in a glimpse of what to expect from a Wolf Trap Sing-A-Long, WETA just released its 2008 Guide to Christmas which features the event as one of the top 5 free seasonal music performances in the D.C. metro area. Surf to WETA, click on the WETA Guide to Christmas, and pay close attention between 9:22 and 10:20.
See you Sunday!
Graham
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