Along with the undisputed segmentation of the music industry has come a complete explosion of new music festivals, and renewed energy poured into the resurgence of classic festivals that have perhaps lost a bit of their sheen over the years (i.e. this year's Lollapalooza which was heralded as the best and most diverse lineup in the festival's existence). Many of these festivals are curated by musicians rather than promoters, such as is the case with Wilco's recent Solid Sound Festival, Pavement's involvement with ATP in May, and Bryce Dessner of the National's co-curation of Knoxville's Big Ears Festival this past March.
So our big "What If" to you....
What if you were a nationally renowned musician and had the opportunity to curate your own music festival? Who would you choose if you could present a festival featuring five individual musicians/comedians/artists. And if you're feeling verbose, I'd also like to hear why...
I'll start.
1) Genesis w/ Phil Collins + Peter Gabriel trading lead vocals.
Why: Because I missed their 2007 reunion tour, and have a suspicion that they may never tour again. Plus for some weird reason, I feel like they would draw a huge crowd. "The Hangover" has given Phil Collins renewed street cred.
2) The New Pornographers
Why: Festivals need that on-the-cusp indie powerhouse capable of either headlining a small club, or a big ampitheater. These guys fit that bill pretty well. Plus I just flat out love them.
3) Arcade Fire
Why: They are the next U2. Stadium sellouts are right around the corner.
4) Dawes
Why: They are my favorite band right now, and are going to achieve great things in the next few years. The masses should get some exposure to this explosive California-based American-rock quartet. And their live show is top-notch.
5) Many folks would expect me to say Wilco here, but I'd like to see them put out another great album before I give them this coveted spot. Instead, I'm going to go with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, based almost purely on reputation. I've heard to witness their live show is a life-changing experience.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Fall of the Washington Times, Rise of TBD.com...How do you Gather Your News?
For all of you marketing and PR pros out there, it's no big secret that in the world of print news, it's a dog eat dog type of environment. Meanwhile, countless numbers of online news portals spread across a variety of topics take shape on a daily basis, giving you a headspinning number of options for access to local, national, and international news. After reading this quick piece from the DCist prognosticating the forthcoming demise of the Washington Times and pointing out the emergence of and buzz surrounding TBD.com, it occurred to me that while Washingtontimes.com's "Riffs" section has been generous this summer with Wolf Trap show reviews, I can't remember the last time any Wolf Trap content showed up in the print edition. On the other side of the coin is the newly launched TBD.com, which has proactively called our PR department on three separate occasions seeking interviews with artists and also our CEO for a piece on the hot button industry issue of trending ticket sales.
Given all of this, I thought it'd be fun to take a quick poll to gather information on your news outlet of choice, and similarly, how you pull your news. What's your favorite publication, and why? Do you prefer the print edition or web-based version? If web-based, do you navigate directly to a .com site, or subscribe to feeds? It's exciting and also a little bit scary how anyone can basically customize the internet to suit their preferred method of information consumption. Let me know, I'm anxious to poll your responses.
Given all of this, I thought it'd be fun to take a quick poll to gather information on your news outlet of choice, and similarly, how you pull your news. What's your favorite publication, and why? Do you prefer the print edition or web-based version? If web-based, do you navigate directly to a .com site, or subscribe to feeds? It's exciting and also a little bit scary how anyone can basically customize the internet to suit their preferred method of information consumption. Let me know, I'm anxious to poll your responses.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Memories - Sparked by Wolf Trap Opera Company's Family Day: Behind the Curtain
Guest post from Kim Rottschaefer, Wolf Trap's publc relations intern -
Some think it is impossible to trace a lifestyle or career path to one defining moment. While reflecting on my road to this internship at Wolf Trap, I disagree. I grew up with an intense interest in the arts, and immersed myself in the arts as much as I could on my own. In fact, my friends and family were often subjected to many household productions of Les Misérables or Phantom of the Opera starring my very own Barbie dolls, thanks in part to the creative talents of my siblings.
Despite the fact that I always held this interest, I distinctly remember my first real hands-on experience in the performing arts – I was eight years old and performing as a cast member in my school district’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Now, I wasn’t playing the role of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, or even the Cowardly Lion. Rather, I had the incredibly important supporting role of “Munchkin.”
Yes—I stood on stage behind the lights, adorned in an adorable colorful costume, and, while holding a gigantic sunflower, I sang “follow the yellow brick road…”
This one moment may not appear grand and life-changing. However, experiencing the arts in such an authentic and hands-on way truly hooked me. From there, I learned how to incorporate the arts into my life in a way that works for me—not always performing, but always supporting. I am now in graduate school studying arts management, so that I can continue to play a supporting role for arts organizations. My internship here at Wolf Trap is one more step in that direction.
This memory came to mind after learning about Wolf Trap’s upcoming Family Day, Behind the Curtain. Coming up this Monday, August 16 at 10am, Behind the Curtain gives children and their families an opportunity to see the Wolf Trap Opera Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream from the backstage perspective. Children will stand on stage under the lights and see the sets and costumes, tour the backstage of the Barns, and make masks of their favorite animal. This is all followed by lunch with the other participants and performing artists of the 2010 Wolf Trap Opera Company – the Filene Young Artists.
You never know what your child’s defining moment will be. My parents never knew that one experience would affect me so much; they simply gave me the experiences that seemed right at the time. Behind the Curtain is an event for the whole family, and a great way to introduce and incorporate the arts into your child’s life. Tickets are required. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
Some think it is impossible to trace a lifestyle or career path to one defining moment. While reflecting on my road to this internship at Wolf Trap, I disagree. I grew up with an intense interest in the arts, and immersed myself in the arts as much as I could on my own. In fact, my friends and family were often subjected to many household productions of Les Misérables or Phantom of the Opera starring my very own Barbie dolls, thanks in part to the creative talents of my siblings.
Despite the fact that I always held this interest, I distinctly remember my first real hands-on experience in the performing arts – I was eight years old and performing as a cast member in my school district’s production of The Wizard of Oz. Now, I wasn’t playing the role of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West, or even the Cowardly Lion. Rather, I had the incredibly important supporting role of “Munchkin.”
Yes—I stood on stage behind the lights, adorned in an adorable colorful costume, and, while holding a gigantic sunflower, I sang “follow the yellow brick road…”
This one moment may not appear grand and life-changing. However, experiencing the arts in such an authentic and hands-on way truly hooked me. From there, I learned how to incorporate the arts into my life in a way that works for me—not always performing, but always supporting. I am now in graduate school studying arts management, so that I can continue to play a supporting role for arts organizations. My internship here at Wolf Trap is one more step in that direction.
This memory came to mind after learning about Wolf Trap’s upcoming Family Day, Behind the Curtain. Coming up this Monday, August 16 at 10am, Behind the Curtain gives children and their families an opportunity to see the Wolf Trap Opera Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream from the backstage perspective. Children will stand on stage under the lights and see the sets and costumes, tour the backstage of the Barns, and make masks of their favorite animal. This is all followed by lunch with the other participants and performing artists of the 2010 Wolf Trap Opera Company – the Filene Young Artists.
You never know what your child’s defining moment will be. My parents never knew that one experience would affect me so much; they simply gave me the experiences that seemed right at the time. Behind the Curtain is an event for the whole family, and a great way to introduce and incorporate the arts into your child’s life. Tickets are required. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Newport Folk Festival 2010 As Reported by Lee Mergner, Editor-in-Chief of JazzTimes Magazine
This past weekend, I finally was able to cross off a significant line item on my live music wish list, as I basked in the historical significance and mix of old-school and new-school acts that comprised this year's Newport Folk Festival. It was an incredible treat, with perfect weather, an energized and highly relevant group of heritage and blossoming acts, and great company from friends and family. Upon returning from the festival, I started emailing a bit with Lee Mergner, the Editor-in-Chief of JazzTimes Magazine, and noticed that after about three hours, we had produced a pretty length email string filled with reviews, musings, and reflections. I thought to myself, this back and forth banter would make a pretty good post. However, rather than feature off the cuff remarks, Lee thought it might make sense to draw up an official review, since, well ya know, he's a writer and that's what writers do. So below, I'm honored to present a guest post from Lee Mergner, Editor-in-Chief of what is widely regarded as the world's leading jazz publication. A special thanks to Lee for his words, and to his daughter Melissa Mergner and my father Frank Binder for their photographic contributions.
Likewise, it was also disappointing that soul and R&B dynamo Sharon Jones didn’t sit in with Helm. The woman could sing the phone book and make it sound funky. Her set on Saturday with the Dap-Kings gave the festival crowd a lift. People come to the folk festival for the lighter acoustic fare but yet they always respond to energy, such as the earthy yet electric kind that Jones and company stir up. Watching her with her soul revue band, you feel transported back to the hey-day of Stax and Muscle Shoals, when the funk was both new and raw. The Dap-Kings’ music is not really new, but since nobody else does it now, or at least does it so well, it sure seems new.
Other highlights included: an emotional and often beautiful set from the Low Anthem, who only a few years before had been working on the grounds picking up garbage; a great side-stage performance by the Punch Brothers, a virtuoso “newgrass” outfit who have honed their ensemble playing and stagecraft so the packed crowed were always in their thrall; a stirring set from The Swell Season which is basically Glenn Hansard, with support from Marketa Irglova (his co-star from Once film) and at this gig, his former band, The Frames. The effusive Hansard is never shy about showing his influences and Newport’s spirit seemed to take hold of him, though perhaps he was thinking of Woodstock. He dedicated one hard-strumming tune to Richie Havens (who played earlier), quoting “Freedom,” and during another original he sang “Rain on me” ala Daltrey, and he also performed Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” The energetic and heartfelt singer did sit in later with Helm for the obligatory “The Weight,” along with Havens (who struggled to read and sing the lyrics). He looked like he had just won the lottery.
Levon Helm is in the midst of a heroic and triumphant comeback from throat cancer, bankruptcy and god knows what else. A few years back he started performing gigs at the barn/studio attached to his house in Woodstock, inviting special guests and calling the shows “Rambles” after the touring shows of his youth. For the last year or so, he’s been taking the Rambles out on the road, performing a mixture of Band tunes as well as various country, blues and R&B tunes. During recent performances at JazzFest in New Orleans and Wolf Trap, Helm had shown that he can still play and drive a band and his current one is solid with guitar-slinger Larry Campbell on guitar and a bona fide jazz horn section. And if he sometimes comes up short vocally, as he did at Newport, he can rely on his daughter Amy Helm (from Ollabelle) or Teresa Williams to pick up the slack. Plus, for many of the tunes the audience was singing along loudly, so perhaps they hardly noticed that Levon could barely get above a whisper on this day. No matter. It’s the spirit of the place that buoys nearly all the performances. When Helm closed the festival with “I Shall Be Released” he brought up to the stage what seemed like every artist within a mile of the venue (well, except Thile, James and Jones, my picks), in a giant sing-along like what one would imagine at folk festivals of yore. Seeing all those young hipsters with arms around each other, you could tell that the cynical ones in the bunch may have been trying to smirk rather than smile, but even they knew they were part of something bigger, whatever you want to call it.
***************************
Newport Folk Festival 2010
Spirit in Tradition
By Lee Mergner, Editor-in-Chief, JazzTimes Magazine
When you tell people you’re going to the Newport Folk Festival, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to hear, “Wow, I didn’t know you were a folkie.” You’re then put in the awkward position of explaining that you’re not really a folkie, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but that you like all sorts of roots music and the festival is about more than folk music and anyway, you like punk and hip hop too, OK?
Likewise, the festival is in the awkward position of either keeping a name that has a rich heritage and name recognition (read: brand) or jettisoning it for some sort of generic title, like Newport Music Festival or Newport American Music Festival, either of which would likely confuse people and make matters worse. In any case, it’s not your father’s (or grandfather’s) folk festival anymore and we all have to adjust our own expectations of the festival, which has evolved from a seminal folk festival into one of the great roots music festivals in the world, held on the first weekend of August every year on the grounds of Fort Adams state park. The genres represented this year, as in most recent years, included blues, bluegrass, country, rock, R&B, gospel and even a little jazz.
Indeed, many of the younger artists performing at the festival, including Chris Thile (formerly of Nickel Creek, now with the Punch Brothers) and Jim James of My Morning Jacket (appearing as Yim Yames, solo artist) made a point (or two or three) to say that they were honored to be there and that they felt as if they were treading on hallowed ground. The ground may be hallowed but, like the music, the audience is not the same as it was 40 years ago or even 10 years ago. Under the guidance of festival booker Jay Sweet, the programming has tilted more and more to include younger artists who don’t let their love for traditional forms stop them from mashing the genres up in modern ways. And the crowds are decidedly younger. As a 50-something baby boomer, I was more often the exception rather than the rule.
There were many performances this exceptional old man enjoyed at Newport this year. I arrived about halfway through the actor/banjoist Steve Martin & the Deep Canyon Rangers concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was very disappointed for what I may have missed because Martin’s onstage patter and introductions recalled the brilliant wit and timing of the stand-up comic he used to be. It’s easy to forget that he retired from that racket about thirty years ago when he was still on top of his game. Bluegrass is clearly something he does for fun to break up the tedious work of film acting, but I wouldn’t mind if he did quit his day job. They even closed with a bluegrass rendition of “King Tut.” Now that’s entertainment.
Jim James, or whatever he may have been called on the bill, was a ubiquitous and supportive presence at the festival. Besides performing an acoustic set of material from My Morning Jacket and his solo work, James sat in with at least five other groups, playing bass or singing harmonies, and could also be found to the side of many a stage, listening intently and respectfully to his peers and idols. My Morning Jacket fans may have found his solo performance a bit too emo-ish, but James seemed mostly to be caught up in the unique spirit of the place and time. Dressed on both days in a three-piece suit and tie, with wayfarer shades, James evoked cool even when sweating in the summer heat. His recent recording and tour with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was reprised here as he sat in for some jazz crooning with that trad jazz band on one of the side stages. Their mutual affection has become palpable.
James may well have been the most famous musician there all weekend, but as he strolled from stage to stage or wandered around in the huge backstage area inside the fort, his only entourage were friends, fellow musicians and the occasional well-wisher or autograph seeker. It was disappointing that he didn’t get to sit in with the festival closer, the Levon Helm Band, given that MMJ was clearly influenced by the Band and they did “It Makes No Difference” on a recent Band tribute album. Still, on the closing performance on Saturday evening, James did sit in with John Prine, dueting with the noted singer-songwriter on a few tunes, and the two happen to share a passion for the problems of the coal country of Kentucky and its environs. After seeing James engaged with nearly every aspect of the festival, I had to wonder if it was time for James to consider curating his own festival. He’s passionate, knowledgeable and committed with an affinity for nearly every form of American roots music. James is no self-absorbed indie-rocker, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Spirit in Tradition
By Lee Mergner, Editor-in-Chief, JazzTimes Magazine
When you tell people you’re going to the Newport Folk Festival, there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to hear, “Wow, I didn’t know you were a folkie.” You’re then put in the awkward position of explaining that you’re not really a folkie, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but that you like all sorts of roots music and the festival is about more than folk music and anyway, you like punk and hip hop too, OK?
Likewise, the festival is in the awkward position of either keeping a name that has a rich heritage and name recognition (read: brand) or jettisoning it for some sort of generic title, like Newport Music Festival or Newport American Music Festival, either of which would likely confuse people and make matters worse. In any case, it’s not your father’s (or grandfather’s) folk festival anymore and we all have to adjust our own expectations of the festival, which has evolved from a seminal folk festival into one of the great roots music festivals in the world, held on the first weekend of August every year on the grounds of Fort Adams state park. The genres represented this year, as in most recent years, included blues, bluegrass, country, rock, R&B, gospel and even a little jazz.
Indeed, many of the younger artists performing at the festival, including Chris Thile (formerly of Nickel Creek, now with the Punch Brothers) and Jim James of My Morning Jacket (appearing as Yim Yames, solo artist) made a point (or two or three) to say that they were honored to be there and that they felt as if they were treading on hallowed ground. The ground may be hallowed but, like the music, the audience is not the same as it was 40 years ago or even 10 years ago. Under the guidance of festival booker Jay Sweet, the programming has tilted more and more to include younger artists who don’t let their love for traditional forms stop them from mashing the genres up in modern ways. And the crowds are decidedly younger. As a 50-something baby boomer, I was more often the exception rather than the rule.
There were many performances this exceptional old man enjoyed at Newport this year. I arrived about halfway through the actor/banjoist Steve Martin & the Deep Canyon Rangers concert at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and was very disappointed for what I may have missed because Martin’s onstage patter and introductions recalled the brilliant wit and timing of the stand-up comic he used to be. It’s easy to forget that he retired from that racket about thirty years ago when he was still on top of his game. Bluegrass is clearly something he does for fun to break up the tedious work of film acting, but I wouldn’t mind if he did quit his day job. They even closed with a bluegrass rendition of “King Tut.” Now that’s entertainment.
Jim James, or whatever he may have been called on the bill, was a ubiquitous and supportive presence at the festival. Besides performing an acoustic set of material from My Morning Jacket and his solo work, James sat in with at least five other groups, playing bass or singing harmonies, and could also be found to the side of many a stage, listening intently and respectfully to his peers and idols. My Morning Jacket fans may have found his solo performance a bit too emo-ish, but James seemed mostly to be caught up in the unique spirit of the place and time. Dressed on both days in a three-piece suit and tie, with wayfarer shades, James evoked cool even when sweating in the summer heat. His recent recording and tour with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band was reprised here as he sat in for some jazz crooning with that trad jazz band on one of the side stages. Their mutual affection has become palpable.
James may well have been the most famous musician there all weekend, but as he strolled from stage to stage or wandered around in the huge backstage area inside the fort, his only entourage were friends, fellow musicians and the occasional well-wisher or autograph seeker. It was disappointing that he didn’t get to sit in with the festival closer, the Levon Helm Band, given that MMJ was clearly influenced by the Band and they did “It Makes No Difference” on a recent Band tribute album. Still, on the closing performance on Saturday evening, James did sit in with John Prine, dueting with the noted singer-songwriter on a few tunes, and the two happen to share a passion for the problems of the coal country of Kentucky and its environs. After seeing James engaged with nearly every aspect of the festival, I had to wonder if it was time for James to consider curating his own festival. He’s passionate, knowledgeable and committed with an affinity for nearly every form of American roots music. James is no self-absorbed indie-rocker, not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Likewise, it was also disappointing that soul and R&B dynamo Sharon Jones didn’t sit in with Helm. The woman could sing the phone book and make it sound funky. Her set on Saturday with the Dap-Kings gave the festival crowd a lift. People come to the folk festival for the lighter acoustic fare but yet they always respond to energy, such as the earthy yet electric kind that Jones and company stir up. Watching her with her soul revue band, you feel transported back to the hey-day of Stax and Muscle Shoals, when the funk was both new and raw. The Dap-Kings’ music is not really new, but since nobody else does it now, or at least does it so well, it sure seems new.
Other highlights included: an emotional and often beautiful set from the Low Anthem, who only a few years before had been working on the grounds picking up garbage; a great side-stage performance by the Punch Brothers, a virtuoso “newgrass” outfit who have honed their ensemble playing and stagecraft so the packed crowed were always in their thrall; a stirring set from The Swell Season which is basically Glenn Hansard, with support from Marketa Irglova (his co-star from Once film) and at this gig, his former band, The Frames. The effusive Hansard is never shy about showing his influences and Newport’s spirit seemed to take hold of him, though perhaps he was thinking of Woodstock. He dedicated one hard-strumming tune to Richie Havens (who played earlier), quoting “Freedom,” and during another original he sang “Rain on me” ala Daltrey, and he also performed Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.” The energetic and heartfelt singer did sit in later with Helm for the obligatory “The Weight,” along with Havens (who struggled to read and sing the lyrics). He looked like he had just won the lottery.
Levon Helm is in the midst of a heroic and triumphant comeback from throat cancer, bankruptcy and god knows what else. A few years back he started performing gigs at the barn/studio attached to his house in Woodstock, inviting special guests and calling the shows “Rambles” after the touring shows of his youth. For the last year or so, he’s been taking the Rambles out on the road, performing a mixture of Band tunes as well as various country, blues and R&B tunes. During recent performances at JazzFest in New Orleans and Wolf Trap, Helm had shown that he can still play and drive a band and his current one is solid with guitar-slinger Larry Campbell on guitar and a bona fide jazz horn section. And if he sometimes comes up short vocally, as he did at Newport, he can rely on his daughter Amy Helm (from Ollabelle) or Teresa Williams to pick up the slack. Plus, for many of the tunes the audience was singing along loudly, so perhaps they hardly noticed that Levon could barely get above a whisper on this day. No matter. It’s the spirit of the place that buoys nearly all the performances. When Helm closed the festival with “I Shall Be Released” he brought up to the stage what seemed like every artist within a mile of the venue (well, except Thile, James and Jones, my picks), in a giant sing-along like what one would imagine at folk festivals of yore. Seeing all those young hipsters with arms around each other, you could tell that the cynical ones in the bunch may have been trying to smirk rather than smile, but even they knew they were part of something bigger, whatever you want to call it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)