Boots Riley is a pretty rad (and radical) musician who will be giving a lecture at the Wesley Foundation tomorrow(Thurs) at 7pm in the Cafe downstairs. He’s best known in his involvement in The Coup.
There has been a rumble of conversation around diverse-line up shows. Why can’t bands of a different genre be on the same bill? Is Kalamazoo falling into the ‘same band’//’different day’ sort of pattern? I don’t know the answer to that question. I do know that going to a show that includes several genres has been refreshing and inclusive for me. So here’s an example of one :
Friday, the Kalamazooligan Concert Posse is hosting on Western Michigan University’s campus at 1003 Trimpe in the Multicultural Center with Rye N Clover, Lion Lore, and Statia.
Rye N Clover hails from Ithaca, New York with banjo in hand. As an avid environmentalist, this musician plays to the tune of the woods and the earth, and speaks of a joy that surfaces with the sunrise.
http://ryenclover.bandcamp.com/
Lion Lore is a new folky//rocky outfit from Grand Rapids. My(Nola’s) twin sister, my brother-in-law, and their two friends Rob and Holly have created quite the little family band. Think of a melodic version of Band of Horses with a bit more of a bite. First show in Kalamazoo!
Here is a link to a cutesy acoustic video of theirs that they made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ez0NhOS4S8
Statia, despite not having played many shows quite yet, have a promising outfit of fine gentlemen (all who of which are already in several different bands). With a member on the keys and Alex Young singing, they can have harder musical tones but strong, controlled vocals that are too on point to miss. Proggy goodness.
Here is Statia’s bandcamp:
http://statia.bandcamp.com/track/intro
The Kalamazooligan Concert Posse is a group on Western’s campus that helps promote shows to the campus and Kalamazoo community, making them accessible to all-ages crowds as well as providing a safe space for show-goers.
The show is free for WMU students and $3 for non-students.
The show is at 7pm – know what that means? You could hang out on campus, support new-show goers and then go to one of the other million shows happening that night afterwards.
Maybe see you there?
The Kalamazoo Peace Center and OUTspoken are bringing Andrea Gibson tomorrow!
Andrea Gibson, an award-winning and world-renowned slam poet and activist, was the first winner of the Women of the World Poetry Slam in 2009. Her poetry focuses on gender norms, politics, social reform and the struggles queer people face in today’s society. She uses poetry to express what she feels and to provide social and political commentary on real issues. She is involved with many activist groups, especially those that focus on examining the wrongs of capitalism, patriarchy and white supremacy. She often performs at Take Back the Night Events, LGBT and Pride events, Anti-war and Peace rallies, and organizations against the occupation of Palestine. The subject matter of Andrea Gibson’s poems are stimulating, tear-jerking and hopeful. Her words speak to those among us who sometimes want to give up because of socially oppressive constructs, shake those who are comfortable out of their complacency, and will leave everyone feeling enlightened…
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HullabaZOO
Kalamazoo and southwest Michigan in general are teeming with talented individuals who are full of knowledge and inspirational hobbies. On April 14th, from 1pm-8pm at the Wesley Foundation on Western Michigan University’s campus, there will be local vendors selling handmade crafts and goods, local community members giving free workshops, and local artists playing music for free.
Folks, this is a large part of what DIT is all about : forming strong communities that connect and sustain a culture of independence. How do we represent those things? By celebrating and demonstrating, of course!
Local vendors will be selling handmade and up-cycled crafts. Supporting these artists will help keep money local and support hard-working micro-businesses these people maintain. Buying locally helps people value their purchase more, allows them to know the maker of the product, and forms a relationship that isn’t based on consumption or profit for either party. Some handmade things that will be for sale include : quality leather-goods, recycled notebooks, zines, scarves, clothes, jewelry, buttons, and magnets. Some vintage clothing will also be for sale and Already Dead Tapes and Records will be selling items from their label.
Local and touring artists are playing music free of charge. As vendors sell their goods, mostly acoustic artists will play music to soothe your ears. Some local favorites include Arms Akimbo, Tim Tapper, and Jarad Selner. A special visit by the Grand Rapids band Patchwork will be sure to delight all. Touring musicians include Kyle Thomas and Brian Franklin. Several all of these artists will have merchandise to purchase in support of their project and out-of-town/touring acts will be taking donations for travel.
Workshops are free. This means that a whole handful of people are passionate enough to share the knowledge they’ve gained in certain areas to those who are interested and willing to learn it. This is a sacrifice of their time and planning beforehand, all to bring you something you can benefit from. This is because communities should provide for one another. Here is the schedule of workshops:
1:30 — 2:30 : Screenprinting with Clem.
2:30 — 3:30 : Tie-Dying with Rory Svekric.
3:30 — 4:30 : Bike Maintenence with T.O.A.D. Bicycle Cooperative.
4:30 — 5:30 : Community Organizing with Marlee Grace of Brave Habits.
5:30 — 6:30 : Zine Making with Karen Heerenga of Mixtapers Do It Better.
6:30 — 7:30 : D.I.Y. ’til We Die: How and Why we Create Alternatives to Mainstream Culture with Lori of Sprout Anarchist Collective.
Food is in the process of being figured out, but it is possible that Food Not Bombs will provide some food, as well as the Campus Beet providing snacks for a small fee. If nothing else, HullabaZOO planners will be sure to give you a list of places nearby that you can easily find delicious grub.
This event is a chance to make new friends, learn new things about this wonderful city, and appreciate those around you. Embrace what you have. HullabaZOO!
Calling all intellectuals, friends, softies, listeners, and thinkers : Milhouse has something for you. Plan-It-X songsmith Eric Ayotte is coming back to town. His previous visit was last minute, and even then a fair amount of people came to show their support for his project. His music provokes re-thinking your cultural standing, remembering family, and embracing the world around you.
http://www.lastfm.com/music/Eric+Ayotte
Singer-songwriters can easily be over-rated and over-abundant, but Kalamazoo continues to produce those who are intelligent and unique. Both Frank Fuzz and Alex Quinlan, Kzoo residents, will be opening for Eric.
Fuzz Quinlan has gathered experience playing music in several different genres, including : noise rock, ska, punk, folk, and folk punk (which OF COURSE is different from just folk or just punk). His ability to express emotion through a grabbing string melody never ceases to silence a crowd. Mature, well-thought lyrical content allows his songs to be personal yet very relatable. Reflective comment : one of the only Kalamazoo musicians who continues to find new ways to make me cry. In a good way.
http://alexquinlan.bandcamp.com
Frank Fuzz remains another Kalamazoo gem. His unique use of audio-visual interaction continues to please crowds. For those who don’t know, Frank’s performance is accompanied by a movie of himself playing key instrumental and vocal parts of the songs he presents. The footage of past Frank with interaction from present Frank is a new and interesting experience compared to most other Kzoo artists. The (possibly un-intended?) comedy of self-interaction through pre-recorded musicality will stimulate your auditory and visual senses.
http://www.last.fm/music/Frank+Fuzz
Eric isn’t in Michigan on a whim – he’s on his way to Canada – so bring a few bucks to get him there so he can fruitfully continue his journey north. Respect the artists, respect Milhouse, and enjoy!
The Fat Guy House has brought us another outta town group of punks to play this lovely city we call home, along with locals Pro Con Pro.
Latin for Truth (AL) – posi punk
So Many Ways(Chicago) – Thrashy Pop punk
Little American Champ (Lansing) Punk/Post-hardcore
facebook.com/littleamericanchamp
You got beer, you got bucks! Toss a few to these dudes to help them make it to the next city on their tour. Come around 8pm to hear all the tunes.
A week from the Dead to Me show, The Strutt held another awesome punk night including Electric Lincoln County War, The Amoebas, and The Intelligence. Not as great of a turn out for this one, but near the end the crowd got thicker. It was a Sunday night, after all. Your loss! It was tons of fun.
When Electric Lincoln County War took the stage, the long time Kalamazoo musician and band-fronter Benji presented some well developed and gripping songs. Starting as an acoustic project with his partner, Sofia Peters, on violin, this project was sure to become a success when it came to full band. Now, in addition, they have Alex Quinlan(Rotten Wood Moon, Almanac Shouters) on bass and Jarad Selner(multiple jazz projects and ridiculous-ness) on drums. They performed with luster and gusto despite a crowd that was still warming up. Fans of Gaslight Anthem and Lucero should definitely pick up recordings of this band when they get around to it. Hint, hint, guys.
Second, in-yer-face punkers The Amoebas conquered the stage. With members that have also been in/are in t
he The Offbeats and Attention Span, these boys have been playing music and supporting the Southwest MI music scene for years. They introduced a new one-“I’m Out of Control” with a Ramonesy-have-fun-go-to-the-beach-on-a-sunny-day kind of vibe. These guys have a solid fluidity with their set structure and shows in general, and it is always a pleasure seeing them play. Come back soon, please!
Performing almost comically still, The Intelligence none the less gave a fun performance with a unique sound and personality. I found myself and some friends dancing to their psychedelic-surf-punk tunes soon into the set and then throughout. Three females and two males combined some musical fusion with synthy keyboards, tambourines, guitars and drums. They were thankful for the warm welcome they got from the crowd, and got coerced into playing one last song including a theremin(pitch and distance “static” instrument). Their set was definitely memorable, as well as entertaining.
Here are some pictures from the show by Stephanie Kiewiet:
Sunday night at the Strutt was a fairly new stream of music for it to handle. The venue has not had very many straight up punk shows, and quite surprisingly, this one was a great success. Local and loved Ackley Kid started the night of mayhem. This thrash punk quad got the crowd warmed up for four more bands following. Ackley Kid has been playing music in Kalamazoo for about a year now, and have been interactive and crowd pleasing since their first performance in a crammed basement. These boys were fun to watch and humble as ever as they introduced a new song and played some crowd favorites, like “I Don’t Know” and “I’ve Seen it all Before.”
Fisherking from Lansing conquered the stage afterward. You can tell these dudes know what they’re doing, and had a good chunk of the crowd moving around. Fisherking has played in Kalamazoo several times before, and this time was just as good as others I’ve encountered. 
This three piece has old school hardcore influence infused with new school punk riffs and breaks. Sounds like Gallows, Minor Threat, and something awesome had a kid together. Anyway, they played great, including crowd requests for more after their set list was over.
Natural Disasters, local new school hardcore and progressive punkers, also seemed right at home on stage. (For Kalamazoo punks, stages aren’t something we’re used to. Most of the shows of the genre happen in basements, not venues. ) Shafto, 
lead singer, that’s always animated and interactive, had a constant smile on his face. With people from out of town and Kalamazoo regulars in the crowd, I’m glad Natural Disasters could expose themselves to some people other than Kzoo natives. Natural Disasters has always been an extremely inclusive group of guys, and I’m sure will continue to enhance the city’s punk scene. Superb.
Randy Thund
erbird, another Kalamazoo local, had everyone singing along. With fast riffs and heartfelt words, they always seem to give off good vibes at a show. They had to battle through some technical difficulties, but made it through with some awkward one-liners and swigs of beer. Randy Thunderbird has been playing music since 2006, and are long time running favorites of many.
Then, headlining the night, Dead to Me from San Fran gave us a fun performance. Unfortunately, because all of the locals were done playing, some people skipped out on this band. Their loss. Dead to Me has a powerful almost surfy thrash sound, with awesome harmonies and meaningful song matter. Yes, they got a little bit preachy, but come on people, punk is about opinion. Give em’ a sec to say their piece, they drove across the whole country for Pete’s sake. Anyway, they had all the moves down: the squat and solo, the raising the fists, the freeze and play, and the aggressive eye contact. They knew how to perform, and I’m glad I got to see it.
One thing that made this show totally rad was that there were so many friends in one place. Not necessarily just mine, but everyone around was lingering and talking and having a good time between bands. People could be energetic and move around, as well as chill in the back. People in the pit were picking others up as they fell, and trying to make sure everyone was safe. It reminded me of Skelletones, quite honestly. So, I vote more punk shows to the Strutt!
P.S. This show was overwhelmed with testosterone- why more women don’t go to punk shows to see skinny men in ridiculously tight pants play rock music I will never know.
It’s October in Kalamazoo. It’s starting to get colder now, but it was pretty warm out a week ago. Good time for a show when it’s the same temperature inside and out. On one of those lovely nights, I attended a show at the Strutt.
I walked in when That’s Blood was playing, and was kind of bummed that I only caught a couple of their songs. After they were done, I asked a friend how the beginning of the set was. He informed me that they had only played a few before I had arrived. Meaning I didn‘t miss much, but their set was strangely short. Although, they were grabbing with what I heard: a thrashy new school hardcore vibe going on. The vocalist was fairly animated and the lead guitarist involved people in the performance. I had never seen them before, but hopefully they will become another one of Kalamazoo’s lovely regulars. Plus they get mad points for staying and hanging out for the rest of the show when they played first (and probably had school the next day).
Radiator Hospital from Grand Rapids set up afterward on the floor in front of the stage. No Masters, No Stages, apparently. Nothing wrong with that. Anyway, I love Radiator Hospital, with their surfy punky low-fi love songs, but it was just not their night. They kept having countless technical difficulties with awkward silences, guitar tuning issues, and the drums shifting. But when they finally got around to playing a song, I forgot about the awkward-ness and had an awesome time.
Summer Pledge played 3rd. Hailing from D-town, this quintet of 3 guitars, a bass, and drums played a miraculous mess of instrumental complexities including melodic vocals. They played, acted, and looked professional-good lighting and a nice performance. They played their whole first album.
Then, Daniel Frances Doyle. AKA one talented human being. With his guitar loops (most songs several loops) and then drums on top of that, and then vocals on top of that, SOMEHOW he plays a complete musical number with no help at all. His songs are technical and well organized, with build up and breaks in just the right places. I don’t even understand how he controls the loops with one foot and the bass drum with the other. It was all very magical. A great way to end the night.
DITKalamazoo 