Athens Face/Off #4
Thursday, September 4 @ 40 Watt Club
originally published September 3, 2008
It's time for a fourth round of Face/Off madness! While the name suggests some sort of battle of the bands, Face/Off is really an exercise in collaboration, not competition. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, Face/Off works like this: Event organizer Jeff Tobias assembles an eclectic list of local musicians and throws their names into a hat. He then pulls out names in pairs and calls the unsuspecting twosome to let them know they have a show in one month. During that month, the unlikely duo must prepare 10 minutes of material. How they choose to use that time is up to them.
Tobias says that with each new Face/Off he has seen the participating artists grow more creative and inventive. While the first event featured mostly improvisational jams, since then duos have incorporated dance, video, performance art and more. "There are 17 new bands playing their first show and probably the last show... There is a cool, nervous energy as artists get to stretch out their legs and try out completely new creative choices. People tend to think outside the box a lot, and I am constantly bowled over by everyone involved."
Face/Off features artists across all genres and of varying levels of experience, which is a big part of the fun. Here are the latest pairings:
- Gordon Lamb & Craig Lieske (Garbage Island)
- Winston Parker (Down with the Woo) & Nick Canada
- Walker (Dead Confederate) & Will Donaldson
- Mike Albanese (Cinemechanica) & Helen Rhinehart (Chrissakes)
- Chris Holcombe (Subrig Destroyer) & Melissa Colbert (Creepy)
- Kelsey Brooks (Divided Like a Saint's) & Christopher Ingham (Christopher's Liver)
- Frank MacDonell (Producto) & Josh McKay (Macha)
- Ian Mittler (Titans of Filth) & Carter Ross (Holy Liars)
- Mikey Dwyer (Starter Kits) & Joel Martin (Subrig Destroyer)
- Che-Na Stephens (Folklore) & Mat Lewis (The Buddy System)
- Mary Joyce (Maximum Busy Muscle) & Trey Fowke (The Flowers of Evil)
- Jim Hicks (Casper & the Cookies) & Theo Hilton (Nana Grizol)
- Eric Buzzard (Especially the Children) & Eric Harris (Elf Power)
- Jordan Noel (Iron Hero) & Matt Nelson (A. Armada)
- Brantley Senn (Dead Confederate) & Max Talkovich (Daffodil)
- Jesse Thompson (Lil' Francis) & Alex McCaffrey (Especially the Children)
- Talia O'Brien (Especially the Children) & Dawson Morris
Tea Leaf Green
w/ Moonalice
Saturday, September 6 @ 40 Watt Club
originally published September 3, 2008
It’s difficult to resist the temptation to spend each of the following paragraphs preaching from a pulpit, convincing the congregated that David Lowery’s prolific career as the driving force behind sardonic psych-folk outfit Camper Van Beethoven and the roots-rocking band Cracker is deserving of consideration for Cleveland. Yes, as in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland. He could fail to mention the producer credit he earned for Raise up the Tent, the recent release from San Francisco-based jam scene mainstays Tea Leaf Green, and his résumé would still impress.
“It was great. Definitely the most fun and fulfilling recording project I’ve been a part of,” says Tea Leaf Green guitarist/vocalist Josh Clark on working with Lowery. Clark chatted with Flagpole from a Sirius studio as he prepared to guest-host a three-hour Phish program for the "Jam On" station. "Having someone there to kinda intervene and give direction to four guys with four different opinions was great. It’s nice to have a coach,” confesses Clark.
Lowery left evidence of his involvement in seemingly subtle and small doses. Did he influence the waltz cadence and dark, breathy vocals of “Not Fit” or suggest that violins augment the dreamy and Taoist piano-driven poem “Innocence”? We’ll leave the secrets of the January 2008 studio sessions at the Sound of Music in Richmond, VA.
As for the album's collection of concise, structured songs being a departure from what folks expect from a band that isn’t afraid to improvise extensively in the live environment, Clark offers an explanation: “We’ve made the jam record. We’ve explored soundscapes. [On Tent], we’ve focused on the song experience... While the record may not be for a dancing crowd, our live shows are definitely not big shoe-gazing events.” So, consider your footwear carefully before making your way to the 40 Watt for this one.
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