Children of the Revolution Festival
Remember that children's movie released semi-recently about eating worms? Well, if those worms were in fact Portland's noise-y, metal-ly, drone-y, punk-y band Worms, I would totally sign up for the task as they are entirely too awesome! They started out with lead singer on the ground curled in a ball without a mic. Actually, even before that he was stood in front of the drum kit wadding up balls of paper. Shortly into their set - after he'd stood up and all - he began launching those paper balls at the audience. I got one and after uncrumpling it, the message revealed was that of political propaganda. I'm down with that. When writing my review for Willamette Week I couldn't find the singer's name and had to call their label Marriage Records who seemed amused by my skyping them to find out :) Anyway - lead singer man, from now on to known as Davis Lee Hooker, kept throwing himself into the audience. I was a bit scared for my camera, not to mention my feet as I always ALWAYS seemed to the bulls-eye of his assault.
They mixed so many dark genre's and even had a throbbing beat going that was near perfect for a disco at one point.
God - they were so awesome. The drummer left his kit to tie his shoe during their set. He chose to tie it in front of crowd and then dance - it was a surreal-ish sight - the way he was dancing - some humor and irony fit to be seen in the last scene of Beetlejuice.
Bird Costumes (in a bear costume or at least hat) took me to another place entirely. There was guitar drone and then melodic and intricate plucking of the chords. I wanted it to go on forever.
I've never checked out Dragging an Ox Through Water before and oh my god - I want to collaborate with him so bad - hillbilly folk with gritty electronics. It was FANTASTIC! I'd say that set received the best
reaction from everyone assembled over the course of both days.
Baby, it's cold outside - and it was cold inside. My teeth chattered a bit even with my puffy jacket on. Still that didn't prevent me from taking a hop, skip and beat during Atole's set to grab some grub at both Burgerville and Burger King. Funny that I frequented both those places and did not pick up a burger. At the latter I indulged in a strawberry milkshake which I brought back to the venue which then resulted in me being asked to leave hahahahaha. It didn't compete with their menu, but whatevs
Anyway - Atole's set was only like 17 minutes - boo! I was expecting a half hour to forty minutes so I ended up missing them entirely - like literally as i walked in they were closing up shop in terms of their set. There will be a next time I'm sure...
Anyway - Ms. Tara Jane O'Neil once again had her backup dancer who once again (as he was and did at Night of 1,000 Madonna's) was accessorized with items more often associated with women and then proceeded to strip down to his skivvies. Some felt his appearance was distracting.
I thought it was quite the opposite - an enhancement. He also shaved his beard on stage. No one can deny he was entertaining.
They passed out tambourines to a lot of the audience and it reminded me of say any TV on the Radio show you could name. Her book was also present and my my my is it a fantastic work of art. She also had her visual art displayed on a wall for the weekend.
Panther and Charlie's fabulous hair was the last thing I saw on Saturday. My FIRST time seeing Panther as a duo. But first, I must go back to the fabulous hair. Did you know the the casio-pop trio of unicorns, beauty-queens, I mean other-worldly ladies Au Revoir Simone are sponsored by Bumble and Bumble because their hair is so lovely? Well if Panther's show was a testament to anything - it's that some hair care company needs to sign him.
Seriously.
Okay, moving on...
I listened to his forth-coming album 14 kt. God in full earlier in the day so I instantly recognized when he started his set with track one "Puerto Rican Jukebox." (MP3) I am LOVING his new-ish direction. It's so world-music and still not in keeping with what else in coming out of Portland or anywhere else for that matter. Panther is just so progressive.
Charlie said the event reminded him of "Woodstock in '76." Bless his heart. Well, I guess that is the year
the movie came out. He also proclaimed that he'd gotten stoned before their set.
Oh - and he asked what would happen with 2008. I thought he was gonna use the opportunity to big-up his album. He did not.
Charlie's dancing is a bit different and he doesn't perform from inside the audience - he was on the stage the whole time. To my left a voice excitedly said to a friend "See - I told you he's so much better with Joe!"
And I would have to agree, which is a feat within itself because I thought he was the pinnacle of greatness when alone. It's kind of a compare and contrast thing going on with him and the former incarnation of Panther and each has their merits. I especially enjoy that Charlie's drumsticks have string attached.
The only band I had on my radar for Sunday was Fist Fite, of course. It was bassist Justin's 29th B-day. They rocked as expected and everyone was pretty much at Fist Fite's feet when it came to applause. There was no singing with a telephone however, only a regular mic.
Afterwards I briefly hung out with Jason Simms who was selling some merch after his band Dagger of the Mind's set. He is so fun. The last time I saw him before that was at MFNW I think. Then this past Friday we did some hustling for Harp Magazine together - he interviewed Janet Weiss and Stephen Malkmus and I shot the photos. Out on newsstands sometime very soon.
Anyway - I also ran into Jennifer who is Josh from Starfucker's girlfriend and who is downright so arty and awesome. We had a long fun chat and are so on the same wavelength about the abolishment of full-time day jobs :). She actually started the print-making collective Flight 64 - a group that I LOVE, but can't afford to join even though they are cheap-ish. I encourage all local print-makers to seek them out.
Of the art hanging on the walls, I spied the majority of it including a collage by E*Rock:
and two different installations of polaroids. I most hearted Yoni Kifle's which was the scene of a landscape at night. He shot it so that only a portion of it was captured with each polaroid and then when clustered together - you could see the whole scene - from a building to powerlines, etc.
Does he have a flickr stream?
Two other notable visuals:
Here's the article I ended up writing for WWeek which includes a couple more bands. Read it over on LocalCut for a fun comment by a reader at the end of the post. I get nothing but love over there hahahahaha. Yeah right. I seriously am looking at all possible avenues to not have to write a single word over there again. I'll be rolling out new post themes very soon over there that do not include words.
My COTR flickr photoset (I'm far from finished in terms of uploading)
The Best Bands You Didn't See at COTR according to Crappy Indie Music and they're right - I didn't see either of the bands they linked -- Chrome Wings or my beloved Starfucker. I missed Starfucker's set because I was still making the WAW concert
poster for the show at Holocene on January 31st (the gig on your calendar yet?)
nor Death Songs who CIM make mention of, a band which includes a member of the Shaky Hands.
Oh - and I caught Mattress who rocked a lightbulb as part of his kit ala Dan Deacon and a strobe light a little later on ala Crystal Castles. There's no business like show business and there's no performer like Mattress. He reminded me just the slightest bit of a solo-Panther, but with dress sense, mannerisms and ticks all his own, not to mention his hits delivered via cassette tape floss:
And I couldn't stay for Yellow Swans on Sunday because the duo's set conflicted with the last bus home.
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