Author Archives: rraarrss

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About rraarrss

I am all the coffee. Music maker, flyer doodler, show booker, anxiety haver.

New Year – Big Plans – DITKalamazoo

Being that DIT is a loose collective, a malleable concept, and a bare-bones website, the way in which it functions frequently goes through changes. Depending on what people need or are interested in, the usefulness of the site changes, waxes and wains. This year we saw the site not only promoting house shows, but also workshops, poetry readings, and a few local venues became notable players in booking DIY bands. Where Kalamazoo steps up and does things with a bend on self-sufficiency, hopefully DIT is helping you hear about it. In spite of a drop in write-ups, the traffic on the DIT site is higher than any previous years!

One notable change that happens with each passing lease period, houses disband and new folks pick up the slack. We saw several major players in the house show scene close their doors. Fat Guy House, Victory House, The Black Lodge, and Touchdown City ceased activity, with folks moving onward and outward. Several other houses have dropped their booking significantly. We look forward to the new houses (and new venues, rumor has it!) springing up, as they are already beginning to, and what new they bring to the creative output here.

For the new year we look forward to some other small, positive changes for DIT. A revamped website is in the work, that will make community involvement easier to achieve. By making the site more user-friendly, and user-submitted content, we hope to get the word out on the great events our small city has to an even greater degree.

If you’re looking to get involved, the meetings will be occuring Sundays at 6:00PM at 611 w Cedar. You can also email ditsidebar@gmail.com if you have events you would like to be included on the site, but cannot make it to a meeting.

Speedy Ortiz / Cobalt Mexican Wolves / The Uncanny – Milhouse – 12.10.13

Speedy Ortiz are a band out of Northampton, MA who have been fortunate enough to have received a lot of positive attention from larger publications. Their hard work and talent has been noticed, and through that they’re getting opportunities to play with bigger indie bands in big venues.

But the thing about Speedy Ortiz is that the four weirdo rockers have an affinity for Kalamazoo, ever since playing here on their first major tour in the summer of 2012. On their way out from the east coast to play several shows with The Breeders, they’re making a quick last minute stop to a dingy basement in our small, snowy college town.

If you’ve seen them, chances are you’re already planning on going to this show. If you’re unfamiliar, Speedy Ortiz are a hard-hitting rock group, packed to the gills with hooks without the cheesy aspect. They bring just the right balance of noise and melody to keep it interesting. You walk away from the show wanting to listen to the recordings, and you walk away from the record wanting to start it over again.

If my words fail you, maybe this will help:

Local support for this rad show will be Cobalt Mexican Wolves – the enigmatic dance machine from the Double Phelix group, fronted by Fiona Dickinson

As well as New(er) to the scene The Uncanny, a retro oldschool vintage throwback surfy instrumental project, comprised of folks from many other local bands, and inspired by the haunted or cursed guitar of another local musician.

http://theuncanny.bandcamp.com/

This show will start at 8:00 on the dot! Please bring a buck or two as per usual. Please be excellent to everyone around you, and everyone around you will act in kind. Respect the everything and remember how much you like Kalamazoo.

Thursday Night Dance Party ~*Louie’s Style*~ 11/14

Louie’s has been making a solid effort to put on an array of sounds, creating a venue where if you just wait, there’s bound to be something that grabs your attention and gets your toes a-tapping, your heart thumping, your mind wheeling, or your lungs singing.

This Thursday, one can enjoy a packed evening of danceable oddities, a fun treat that’ll appeal to Kalamazoo’s sense of the experimental, coupled with Kalamazoo’s need to groove.

SILENT LIONS, traveling from Toledo, OH, are a heavy fuzzed out dance rock onslaught. Their pairing of heavy distorted bass with echoed,  distant vocal stylings creates a compelling, cool sound for all two of your ears.

PINK LIGHTING made their first Kalamazoo appearance back in April at Milhouse’s drag party, and if you weren’t there, now is your chance to catch one hell of a live performance. Disco beats meet warped garage punk – all surrounding everyone’s favorite oddball instrument, the accordion.

Finally, Grand Rapids group FILMLOOM will be there with lush, percussion filled tunes to titillate the senses.

This show stats at 9 and has a 5 dollar suggested donation. All artists are from out of town so I double that suggestion.

If none of these things are up your alley, and you prefer the more rough, tough, gruff, gritty, yelly, riotious types, local basement acoustic duo Lincoln County War will be making an appearance this same night at Bell’s with Grand Rapids irish rock band The Waxies. This show is also 5 dollars.

GOAT HOUSE LIVING ROOM SHOW: Arms Akimbo, Jaime Pennelly, Jake Nivala 10.24

Come on out for the Goat House’s first-ever show! Enjoy sweet acoustic goodness in our living room! We have three local singer-songwriters who will delight your ears, PLUS all the way from Scotland, folk-punker Billy Liar! Due to some last-minute Facebook wizardry, we will be joined by BILLY LIAR, “the romantic punk singer, travelling the world with a battered acoustic guitar and writing about everything he observes. He is a whirlwind of acoustic strings, folk poetry and trusty chords.”

Our lineup Thursday will include:

Kalamazoo favorite ARMS AKIMBO, whose songs always get stuck in my head at the most inconvenient times.

Up-and-coming JAIME PENNELLY, who sez: “music, performing, singing, and songwriting makes me come to life.” That’s funny, hearing her music makes me feel the same way.

JAKE NIVALA, whose gorgeous guitar playing and pensive lyrics are perfect for these autumn days.

Show starts at 8pm. Email ditkalamazoo@gmail.com for the address. See you there!

Listen here:

Arms Akimbo http://armsakimbokalamazoo.bandcamp.com/

Jake Nivala https://myspace.com/lunalouiloveyou/music/songs

Jaime Pennelly https://www.musicpage.com/jamiepennelly

Rock and Derivatives – Mathy Experimental Madness at MILHOUSE 10.23

Make your bummer-time middle-of-the-week Wednesday something more memorable by checking out the dense, heavy, massive, gigantic jams at Milhouse.

Touring in for the evening, LES RHINOCEROS are a band with releases on John Zorn’s label Tzadik (and if that means absolutely anything to you, I’ve probably already sold you on checking out this show) from Washington DC.  They are a technical math-rock band, incorporating rhythmic patterns from the middle east, coupled with hard-hitting fuzzed out rock riffs. If you happened to have been at the Joint Chiefs of Math / Reptilian Shape Shifter show at Milhouse earlier this year, you will also enjoy this band almost assuredly.

Backing up this Les Rhinoceros will be local hard-hitters BROWN COMPANY – a band comprised of many veterans in the weird / rock / punk of Kalamazoo. This group creates a hell of a wall of sound, and are a highly compelling live show. This will also be their first house show, so lets give them a warm welcome.

Also on the bill, a combined effort from two experimental groups – PROGNOSIS NEGATIVE and FUZZ TOWN – will be making an appearance. They have never played together, chances are they never will again. Fuzz Town is an experimental guitar / pedal / loops/ beats duo comprised of the birthday boy of the day Poncho, and Josh Miller of many local bands. Prognosis Negative is a saxophone improv duo comprised of local notorious figures Saxquatch and Sean Hartman. Together these groups have something special in mind for the evening.

Show begins at 9:00 on the dot with BROWN COMPANY. Please bring money for the touring group. Strive to be the best person you can be. Tell your friends.

If this doesn’t sound like your sort of deal, not to worry! Fireplace Club and Courthouse will also be having shows this day. Fireplace Club will be starting earlier in the evening (with pumpkin carving!) and Courthouse later, so feasibly you could check out all performances!

FIREPLACE CLUB: Glowfriends (tour kickoff), Deep Waters, Erich Kuperschmidt

COURTHOUSE: Anwar Sadat, White Reaper, SAPPHIC

 

For any of these addresses, email ditkalamazoo@gmail.com

Beautiful Voices, Wonderful People: Fiona Dickinson, Told Slant, Deep Waters, Florist @ ithinkyercute House 10.14

This Monday, two New York artists, TOLD SLANT and FLORIST will be touring into Kalamazoo to perform in the new(er) house venue, the ithinkyercute house.

This show will incorporate elements of folk, coupled with spacious and intense ambient influence. All the artists are guaranteed to make you feel some feel.

TOLD SLANT is a three piece indie folk outfit headed by distinct-sounding singer Felix Walworth. Though the songs our simple, they have a compelling strong honest feel that is hard to ignore. Plus, their live presentation is unconventional, as can be seen here:

Told Slant is on tour with FLORIST who play spacey, off-kilter folk music. The sort of music that is perfect for fall, and for sitting in a home self-reflecting with all your friends.

Supporting these traveling folks will be FIONA DICKINSON,  a local favorite as far as intense folk songwriting, and a true powerhouse when it comes to an honestly compelling live presence. DEEP WATERS will also be performing richly complex and thoughtful compositions. Sometimes performed with guitars, sometimes keyboards – just going to have to show up to find out!

This show is starting at 8:00, Please bring money for the traveling acts. Respect the house, the bands, yourself.

ithinkyercute is a fairly new location in town, so if you need the address email ditkalamazoo@gmail.com.

Across the Northern Americas and Unto Kalamazoo Basements – 9.23 – MILHOUSE

To me, it’s sometimes baffling the distance many musicians travel just to end up in a basement in the midwest. Not that I’m complaining, really, I’m celebrating! Reveling in the fact that a small college town can functionally and consistently bring in artists from far, to enjoy their works.

This show happening at Milhouse on Monday, September 23rd is a prime example of this sort of trek. Two different tours, two different ends of the Northern American continent coming together. SCREAMING QUEENS are traveling all the way from Vancouver, BC, and KRILL are by contract coming all the way from Boston, MA.

SCREAMING QUEENS a noisy, heavy queer punk outfit. Their sound is driving and mean, but not cliche, and throws back to some old-school experimenters, but with a new flare.

KRILL by contrast are a catchy experimental fuzzed out pop concoction. They’ve got all the hooks but I would not call them predictable. These folks are friends of Speedy Ortiz, veteran performers of the Milhouse basement, and certainly if you enjoy Speedy, you’re guaranteed to dig Krill.

PLUS LOCAL SUPPORT BY

ANYBODY BUT THE COPS – spazzy jazzy angular change-up punks with a new deom

FORMER TENANTS – punk, post hardcore, and everything else the kids are into these days

Show starts and 9:00.

BRING DONATION FOR THE TOURIN’, BRING A POSITIVE ATTITUDE FOR YERSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE,  BE STRANGE/GET RAD.

If you need the address, email ditkalamazoo@gmail.com

Wayne Manor Sunday night show! 9.8.13

Great start of a new week, lots of great bands coming over to Kalamazoo!

Man Mountain (Detroit): Beautfiul and gorgeous post rock. Huge arrangements, and lovely sounds, coming from Detroit. Not to be missed! http://manmountain.bandcamp.com/album/to-call-each-thing-by-its-right-name

Sunlight Ascending (Clawson, MI): An ambient and atmospheric post rock band hailing from Clawson, MI. Bringing lots of cool elements to the post rock genre. Highly recommended. http://sunlight-ascending.bandcamp.com/

Wayne Szalinski (East Lansing): Bring tissues. An emotional, dreamy, and downright heartwrenching band, with grogeous music to boot. This is their second time coming through Kalamazoo this summer/fall, so be sure to show them some love. http://wayneszalinski.bandcamp.com/album/fondly-truly

Brown Cow(Kalamazoo):Kalamazoo female-fronted indie-rock

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brown-Cow/158575024166181

Doors at 8, show at 9. Y’all know the drill. Bring donations for the touring bands, there are 3 on this bill and gas ain’t cheap. Respect the music, respect each other, respect the house.

50th show at Milhouse! – Get Heavy/Get Weird 8.5

The folks at Milhouse have just passed their two year mark in the house! Also, this show will represent the 50th in a two year span. Come celebrate and help encourage 50 more!

This show is a sort of mixed bag of sounds, so likely there’s something for everyone, or at least for everyone who can dig on strange sounds.

THE JOINT CHIEFS OF MATH hail from Philadelphia, organized as a guitar/drum duo unlike any other. The guitarist’s pedal board set up is out of this world, making the live performance hard to believe, and the sound intense and full. If you’re into heavy math rock sorts of bands, this will be your bag. If you’re in to electronics, this band will probably also be something you want to see.

REPTILIAN SHAPE SHIFTERS are not local band The Reptilian. They are however a conspiracy theory math rock band from Oakland California. Incorporating technical prowess with the heaviness we’ve all grown to know and love from many shows in the Milhouse basement, this is a band that you will not want to miss.

VVRVVLF (Formerly WearWolf) is an enigmatic one man dancy noise onslaught, fully prepared to bring the party as well as a tad bit of alienation. VVRVVLF played the second show at Milhouse, and the man behind the mask has played several times in other projects there too.

THE UNCANNY are a newer local band with a vintage vibe. Sounding like a spooky interpretation of The Ventures, The Uncanny are four dudes that may have killed local musician Matt Maier and stolen unfinished demos from his ghost.

As always bring donations for the touring bands, be excellent to every single last being and entity, and enjoy the noise.

TAKE A BREAK FROM MOVING – Wayne Manor / Louie’s 8.1

It’s the end of July, and chances are you’re moving, your friends are moving, and you are exhausted – ready to not look at the furniture you swore was lighter last year. Here’s some suggestions for how to unwind!

WAYNE MANOR

CAUST (Virginia)

LVL UP (New York)

VASUVEDA (New Jersey)

GULFER (Montreal)

FORMER TENANTS (local!)

LOUIE’S

CRASH CITY SAINTS (local! Playing as 2 piece)

WAYNE SZALINSKI (Lansing)

THE CARDBOARD SWORDS (Grand Rapids)

BROWN COW (local!)

Shows start at 9:00. Bring money for the outta towners (there’s a lot of ’em). Be excellent.