When writing a show preview it is often difficult to avoid hyperbole—providing the ample amount of excitement and vigor to transfer over to those that brush their eyes across words to energize legs into moving is a unique task. One doesn’t want to appear false in their enthusiasm or else it lends to a discredited event, and possibly a disappointed audience at both the show and on the article.

That’s why it often gives the writer the utmost pleasure and satisfaction when the topic , or rather the person or persons involved already possess a vigor and enthusiasm that allows for proper representation of their event. Ulysses Eatah, WIDR DJ, blogger on ufodictator.com, and owner of the small label that operates out of it, is earnest of his love for music while simultaneously holding a humble position on his role in its production, and the bands he has gathered together for the eighth UFO Dictator show at Louie’s this year. In an interview Ulysses provided a comprehensive run-down of his history of blogging, and with his inspiration for UFO Dictator, check it out. This is more his article than mine:

OK, brief history.

2007 started putting out records.

2005 first annual UFO Dictator show.

2004 I started a website called UFO Dictator to talk some shit about music and things that really mattered like baseball, OCD, and records found at Goodwill.

1997 started DJing on WIDR and playing the kind of music that I still like: loud, fast, rock ‘n’ roll AKA punk rock.

1987 I heard some weird, abrasive shit on WIDR when I was in middle school and that started me on the path to enjoying weird stuff.

The reason why I started my radio show, having an annual show, and putting out records were all for the same reason: the shit that I really dig wasn’t being fairly represented in my hometown. You gotta think that late 90s in Kalamazoo and most of the midwest was 3rd generation emo, 6th generation hardcore, and penultimate edition college rock. I’d go to shows, I’d have an OK time, but nothing got me that excited. So I apply at WIDR do 6 months of rotation and take over the Friday night slot that’s been the time for punk rock and I start playing Rip Off, Crypt and In The Red Records instead of Dischord, Vermiform and Kill Rock Stars. Dig stuff on all of those labels then and now but I was tired of Buddy Holly glasses and dudes wearing sweaters in August.

The radio show is fun, introduce the fine listeners to worldwide punk rock stuff from the late 60’s up to the current crop of stuff and I only play stuff that I personally enjoy.

In 2005 I ask my buddy Matt Dorbin who’s booking shows if he would help me get some of my favorite local bands that play loud, aggressive rock’n’roll a show and we’ll name it after the newly minted UFO Dictator website. He says yeah and we do an annual show every year since.

The label starting was more of the same. Some of my friends are in bands, I like their bands, I want to see them release on vinyl, so we did. All of the bands are based out of SW Michigan so far except for a few of the bands on the I’d Buy That For A Dollar comps where Spain, Milwaukee, Memphis, Chicago and Lafayette are represented. Haven’t put anything out since 2010 and really don’t plan on putting anything else out in the next year or two as it’s hard as hell to release records. I was going to put out a single by my own band on my label but that would mean that we’d break up within a month of the record coming out. Rimshot.

A lot of people think call this UFO Dictator fest but it’s not a festival. There’s no ninjas riding tilt-a-whirls spraying Faygo at people while Andrew WK is trolling the crowd who’re fucked up on Oxys and fried Oreos. That’s a festival. This is just a show with some bands that I wanted to see. Sometimes we have had it 2 nights and that’s fucking awesome but also a nightmare and my 25 friends already complain that I ask them to come out and watch some amazing bands play for 1 night and by the second night they’re back at home watching Soap on Antenna TV.

I’m always thankful that anybody gives a rat’s ass about music. Especially the little sub-genre of rock’n’roll that I’m still a huge fan of. This year’s show is scaled back in the fact that it’s only 1 day, 1 venue, and 5 bands. But it’s pretty huge because we’ve got 2 metal bands to start and end the night in. Beast In The Field is playing for the 2nd time this year at Louies. So crazy, 1 drummer and 1 guitar playing through 4 heads and 8 cabs. I know that you’ve seen them before, fuck. Barring any power failures it should be the loudest thing at Louies ever. The Manatees from Memphis are Abe’s baby and he’s making his 2nd UFO Dictator appearance and I think that he’s played drums in at least 5 different bands here in the past 7 or 8 years. Total fucking punk. Corrosive Kids from GR are total art scum punk Electric Eels nonsense. Kalamazoo upstarts Bat Cave are bringing the WIREy styled drone. And opening up the show with their first public appearance is Bonehawk. I guess that they’re going to play some secret style of metal at fucking 8pm when the show starts. Considering that the core of the band was in stoner jamz Mesa, the whole night should be pretty heavy.

Oh yeah, I really don’t like promoting stuff. Makes me feel like I’m selling life insurance for babies. That said though, the show is going to be awesome. I’d pay $7 to see any of these bands separately and you get them all in 1 night. Fuckit.

-Ulysses Eatah

Check out the show tomorrow night at Louie’s. Bring some seven dollars, and a pair of effective eargplugs, because your  drums (of the ear variety) are going to fly out and pierce the eyes of the person behind you if you don’t.

This weekend, a new house venue sprung from the madcap cultural excavators who brought you such beloved house venues as Village Castle and The Band Cave will be having their inaugural show down where the rivers run deep, the trees grow like weeds, and the coffee and cigarettes flow in prodigious cadence.

The Black Lodge, a place which may or may not exist only in Agent Cooper’s mind (a matter of large and varied debate), will be holding a birthday celebration for one of Kalamazoo’s most eccentric of sonic treasures, Sid Redlin, the musical genius behind such projects as Boron Nuzzle, Sista Mista, Sneak Attack, and innumerable side projects, collaborations, and art installations of varying points of eccentricity.

Starting the night will be R. Mutt and Fitzgig Henson, an experimental three piece assembled by Sid Redlin himself. R. Mutt combines the sonic experimentation of Redlin’s noise music with a bottom-line danceablility (for those comfortable dancing to very peculiar music, that is). They do not form up very often, and their sparse appearances always leave their audiences in a state of bewilderment and profound gratitude to the universe for having witnesses such a unique and awesome performance.

Afterwards Everyone & Their Empty Cups are going to stop by. If you haven’t heard them before, Everyone & Their Empty Cups are the punk rock band that generic punk rock bands in coming-of-age movies about young college students wish they could be. They infect basements with terminal cases of fun that serve as a perfect soundtrack for your own personal life narrative (which, given the flexibility of their particular sound, could very well be anything from a lighthearted tale about finally asking out that girl you like or a dark, Fincheresque descent into your drug and alcohol addiction).

Closing out the festivities are Inflatable Best Friend. The fellows at IBF are well known for their catchy garage punk, and have been quite ubiquitous in the Kalamazoo music scene for the better part of the year. If you haven’t seen them yet, which seems an absurd proposition at this point, this would be a great opportunity to not only see the band play but catch the drummer as he exists in his natural habitat. If you come extra early, you may even catch him doing household chores or playing Ocarina of Time!

The show is Sartreday the Twenty-FiF, starting roundabouts 10 o’ clock in the PM. Contact the host for the address, or one of the admins over at The Black Lodge facebook page.

The owls are not what they seem…

Friday, there will be a fantastic sound echoing through the Vine neighborhood. It will reverberate from hill to dale to street sign to the broken remains of Oak Street Market. It will make doves wonder at their purpose, and grown men weep. Mostly, though, it’s gonna sound great.

What is this great sound? Why, the celebration of Cold Mountain Child’s first trek in to the wild unknown that is the Midwest tour. Some of their friends, of course, are fixin’ to send them off in style.

Helping bring CMC’s fantastic (though sometimes forlorn) tunes out on the road, Peter Damien Juan Diego Cook, formerly of the Philly Crawlers, will be playing an eclectic mix of his personal favorites and his personal compositions, and all with the help of an acoustic guitar!

Alex Quinlan (one of my local favorites) will be bringing his brother Marcus down to play his thoughtful, wandering melodies over excellently understated guitar-work. This is not an act to be missed ever, if one can possibly help it.

Cold Mountain Child’s friends from afar, Lobo Marino, will be coming up off Virginia way to get all the way down. Their sound is a strong, haunting chant on a wind-swept hilltop at sunset. S’wunnerful.

Finally, Rust Whip’s Dylan Lancaster will be bringing his Rock-Americana to the Milhouse once again. His songs are about lost love and hard life and good times and rough times and making it all work out in the end. Another personal favorite.

The music will start PROMPTLY at 8pm at the Milhouse. If you come late, you’ll miss it. Bring a little cash to either donate, or buy Cold Mountain Child and Lobo Marino’s merch to help them down the road. Other than that, bring a good ‘tude, a few friends, and some fine taste, and get ready for some fantastic tunes!