Noise Pop (Feb 26th - March 3rd)
I awoke this Monday morning with what felt like sunshine in my veins. The ninth time, this was, that I had started my week in the city of San Francisco. Yet on those eight Mondays prior something just wasn't there. The excitement to get out of bed and explore the oyster they call a city, well that was a spirit left behind in Cape Town and Bethlehem, PA, and one that even jumped ship to Paris, Rio, Vietnam, and all the other roads and rivers I have yet to arrive at. But today, my present location flipped to a sunny side up. A total restructuring of funky dispositions I had undergone. For, a blood transfusion of the most musical plasmas had turned my universe around. Though I'd like to believe I am the maker of my own good vibes, a push I needed off of the diving board into the depths of this magical city. That most needed a shoves came from a week they call the Noise Pop Music Festival. The following is a memoir of my most music-packed of weeks.
Wednesday at Brick & Mortar // Ramona Falls + Social Studies + Harriet + Mahgeetah: To kick off my Noise Pop I had a choice between the 60s-infused rock & roll of the Fresh and Only's and the Portland folk of Ramona Falls. I opted for what I assumed to be the chiller night. So wrong I was about there being any sort of calm at a Ramona Falls show. A jail break of hell it was that I most enjoyed. But before demons ran rampant throughout Brick and Mortar, three of California's finest bands introduced me to diverse sounds of the west. My glassesless eyes were just blind enough for night kicker off Mahgeetah (SF Americana rock) to dupe me into thinking this was Manchester, Tennessee, in the early days of the reign of My Morning Jacket. Having made my way up front for L.A.'s Harriet, my eyes soon wandered to the back where, not one, but two drummers sparked in me ideas on the concept of spirit lengths between music makers. Third up, hometown indie heroes Social Studies made me so totally excited about this city's music scene. This comparison has been made by others before, but it's impossible not to think of Beach House's Victoria Legrand when falling under the spell of Social Studies' most musically enticing of frontladies. A dance-encouraging west coast cousin of Beach House me thinks. My SF to-do-list has a new priority: re-enjoying Social Studies! But now it was time to finally place a finger on the peculiar creepiness I've always felt about Ramona Falls. Creepy I say, though nonetheless they're still the makers of albums I've had on repeat for a few years now. In person the oddity of their tunes becomes blatantly clear. The devil's soundtrack it is that they blast. Difficult it was to pay attention to anyone that wasn't the drummer. Dude could and should have his own solo percussion act. This was a brand of demon-touched folk that I quickly and with the best of feelings acclimated to. (L.A.'s Harriet & the infamously fun to watch duo of drums in the back)
Thursday at the Independent // Paul Basic + SuperVision: From Thursday onwards my traditional show-going course took a turn for the far more awesome behind-the-scenes route. Strolling up to the Independent I assumed the cloak of assistant to someone important. An adventure into the mysteriously musical world of artist production, a term that I knew not even existed until this past week. And thus into the green rooms and box offices and sound stages of these gigs I went. My mentor in music's first lesson for me plunged us shakingly yet simply into the world of DJs. Pretty Lights affiliated cronies Paul Basic and SuperVision attest to the musical diversity that is Noise Pop. Though few in number, the loyal bodies that came out certainly made up for the low density with the utmost of funky devotions to the dancefloor. Lessons I did learn, both with regard to the inner workings of a venue and the art of die hard dancing. These funky souls, and I will admit I was not among them on this particular night, could have easily and eagerly kept rocking bods til worlds ended. Inspiration I gained lots of to BYO Funk no matter the number. A party I did watch get made before my own two program-handing-out eyes.
Friday at the Chapel // Damien Jurado: Friday night my mentor in musical living led me to the Chapel for an evening with Seattle folk. A fitting setting this was, for the followers that flocked here see the man of the night as no mere mortal. Despite my year-long attachment to the "Nothing is the News" song, I truly had no idea of the cult status that is Damien Jurado (and, I soon learned, rightly so). A worker of merch first and a concert-goer second, living in the musical moment was for once not at the forefront of my nightly agenda. My task for the night, aside from checking off a lifelong aspiration of working the merch table, also offered a most awesome of platforms to cross paths and chat with fellow music minds. Besides, live tunes I still managed to check out a bit of. Never have I seen a lone musician on stage garner such respect as Damien Jurado. Not a peep from the crowd was acceptable, not even a shuffling of cups or a movement of foot. Worshipping we all were a most down-to-earth and good-natured of gods. A dad he is that just so happens to play beautiful music you can't help but drift to. A Note on Culture Club: Noise Pop has a fairly recent Saturday tradition of showcasing music-fueled creativity when the sun still shines: an event by the name of Culture Club. Even better, it's the perfect setting to meet followers of the funk in life and get your own creative juices flowing. Panels, artwork, musical innovators, even crochet; musicians doing atypical cool things. Awesome vibes all around. (baskin' in the spirit of creativity with Eilon Paz, founder of the very funky Dust & Grooves project)
(Dust & Grooves: For the Love of Vinyl)
Saturday at Brick & Mortar // DIIV + Wax Idols + SISU + LENZ A book on eastern religious thought I feel I could write after having been forever changed by the boys named DIIV. For, a new way of experiencing live music my body did learn. But before discussing the face melting overdose of epic that is DIIV, I feel it my mission to talk the heck outta SISU (see-soo). Seek out the unfamiliar: a life mantra epitomized by this set from L.A.'s SISU. A name as foreign as calculus to me, by the first tune of their most boot-stirring of sets, one thing was clear: frontwoman Sandra Vu and her musical cohorts should be headlining the whole darn festival. So naturally rock and roll graceful she is up there. Navigation music with an edge, easy to just flow with. This was no Jane Schmo up there. All made sense when I found out the rock goddess on stage, when she's not inducing blown minds, is also the drummer for Dum Dum Girls. Before my jaw could even recover from its dropped spot on the floor, I could have sworn we did a time warp again. All chica Ramones-meets-mod Wax Idols took to the stage. How cool it was to see back-to-back instances of ladies rocking the eff out. It was still only a matter of moments before my life forever changed, my music-seeking body having gone to a very hellish heaven and totally content to stay forever put in a state of DIIV. Looking totally hippy punk on stage and no older than junior high dropouts (though I'm sure they're much older than that), the Brooklyn beach bums on stage immediately unleashed a new form of epic. An album of the chillest nature to nap by the pool with or really for any easy-minded occasion, in person seconds are intense to the point where I thought I'd need to leave. For this was a new heat my body almost couldn't take. Had a new friend not so kindly brought over some water, I have no doubt I would have fainted from overdose of intensity. A musical seizure I may very well have had. Tunes would stop yet my head kept shaking. These moments, I lived so hard in them. (rock & roll goddess Sandra Vu)
(DIIV. Thank you. So so much.)
Sunday Night Closing Party // super secret surprise guests: Like blind music-seeking mice we RSVP'd (for free) to a most secretive of extravaganzas. The motivation we needed was that Noise Pop hinted this night'd be a special one. Inside this mysterious Market Street location surrounded we were by everything I've come to love about this week, and SF in general. Gathered within this rad-looking room were the little niches within the melting pot that is Noise Pop. A crowd of conglomerated awesome. Though perfectly happy basking in good company, my nerves began enduring tolls from the stress of surprise. But finally in the most anti-climactic of ways a big revelation made its way to my ears. So totally stoked I was to find out that Tycho would be bringing their rain-soundtracking live vibes to bid adieu to this most game-changing of weeks. What's more, queen of everything cool, Merrill Garbus would be shelling out good tunes from behind the DJ booth. A sigh of relief and utter stokedness I could breathe, for Noise Pop had followed through on their promise of magic. But first, the night kicked off with a bit of music video making. Go-pro cameras were all around to film the psychadellic tunes and vibes of SF's Maus Haus. In what may be my new claim to fame, we all in the room gathered to sing tUnE-yArDs herself a very happy birthday. The room just totally lit up with the good natured presence of the birthday girl. (sidenote: I look forward to one day being deemed a worthy enough DJ guest.) My mind wandered to waterfalls as Tycho was about to take the stage, for their's is a music I love best in the rain. It mattered not what the visuals displayed on screen actually showed (though they were certainly quite groovy). Tycho takes your mind any magical destination you choose. Up in the clouds, in fact all the way to a cloud numbered nine, that's where they took me. Live in action Tycho can either move your feet or put you to sleep, a best of both worlds scenario if ever there was one. Ready for bed after a full week of tunes, it was time to dream sweetly and wake up to a sunny side of living. How sweet it is, I am finally certain, to be 21 in the city of San Francisco. (tUnE-yArDs, hope you're birthday was a groovy one!)
(Tycho taking us to cloud nine)