A Special thanks to Ty Emrick for the nice pics of Maritime that were posted to the DIT Flickr feed. In our excitement to get them on the site, we forgot to give due credit, so here it is. Thanks Ty!

Now that I am sitting comfortably in my hotel room in San Francisco and planning my day for tomorrow, I am now able to relay to you all what you missed on Friday.

Arriving promptly at 8:30, I was able to hang out with friends I haven’t seen in a while before Ackley Kid kicked off the night with their first set. While, sadly, no Distillers cover was played, the boys still managed a solid set and got the crowd moving on a couple of occasions. After a short wait, The Almanac Shouters began their set soon after. It started off a little shaky with Alex messing up a few chords, but hardly anyone noticed because we were all too excited to hear them play their new songs, and the band soon hit their groove after the second song. Doing a good mix of both old favorites such as “Railroad Bill” and (hopefully soon to be) new favorites off of their new album such as “Allen Blvd”, the band got the crowd slapping their knees and doing a little jig by the end of their set.

I was a little surprised that i didn’t see as many people show up as I had hoped for Flatfoot but I was pleased nonetheless that they still manage to deliver a good show even if there isn’t as high of a turn out as one hopes. They began their set with a rowdy song off of their second album and immediately got the crowd moving. Things got a little shaky when, after a tumble in the circle pit, a guy hit his head against the Strutt’s fireplace and proceeded to bleed everywhere. (An ambulance was called, the show was stopped, etc.) I hope he didn’t receive any serious damage, but it just about gave me a heart attack because I didn’t want Flatfoot’s first show to be marked with someone getting seriously injured. Kudos to the Strutt for taking care of the young man as quickly as they did though. I’ve been to a few venues that prefer not to meddle with injuries at a show, but the Strutt is absolutely not one of these venues, and they have yet again proven to me what a good quality venue they are.

Despite this minor setback, Flatfoot played songs off of 3 of their albums, including “Courage” from Black Thorn, and “Rotten Hand” from Knuckles Up. I ended up crowd surfing during the night (something I hadn’t done in a while) and there were very few times in which the crowd was not moving. They left the crowd chanting for one more song at the end of their set, and in response, the band delivered a cover of “La Bamba” as their encore song. All in all, it was a successful night for all parties involved, and I am super glad I got to experience it.

I am now off to bed so I won’t be overly tired for my big day tomorrow. I hope you all have a safe and fun Spring Break. See you all very soon.

Monday Night, No Fun House was swathed and inundated with punk-rock runnin’ and powerhouse soundscapes thanks to a mixed bag show-bill that was absolutely excellent. Run, Forever, Deadhorse, and Analecta – all returning champions in some fashion – put on one hell of a show, and if you missed it, you missed out. No worries though: They’ll be back, all of ’em.

The 9:15 mark (Ah, Punk Rock Time) saw Run, Forever take the stage. Riding up on tour from Pitsburgh, PA, this punk outfit was an absolute treat. Carrying a great deal of folk influence despite being an electrified group, Run, Forever’s sound is a fine and balanced rockin’-out danceable one, and the amount of energy displayed through the show was hard to top. It’s no wonder that these cats just got picked up by Solidarity Recordings (Bomb the music industry!). If you have some extra scratch, I recommend grabbing their latest album post-haste.

Second in line, one of my favorite bands set up and tore the place down. DEADHORSE out of Erie, PA presented an emotive and dynamic soundscape that fits the term ‘post rock’ oh so well. Godspeed you, Black Emperor and Explosions in the Sky leap to mind as clear parallels to DEADHORSE’s sound, and they pull it off live absolutely. Cool merch too (they’re looking for t-shirt design ideas). They’ll be back, no doubt, so keep your eyes and ears open for that show-bill.

Rounding out the night, Analecta blew it up. Delivering a similar music in a completely different style, and fighting through a few technical difficulties and broken strings, the boys from South Bend were as good as I’ve seen them. Their third show at No Fun House, and a precursor performance to the tour they are, in fact, embarking on with DEADHORSE, Monday’s set was a lot of fun.

If you missed Monday’s show, no fear, because there’s all kinds of killer concerts this weekend. Go forth and be merry. Or Mary, if you can afford the procedure and have the inclination.

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 the 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 Thunderbird, 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.

As of recent, the stage at The Strutt here in Kalamazoo has endured some of the most sonically intense performances this city has hosted in many years, and Friday night was no exception.

Spykes is the one-man project from Michigan’s very own John Olson, best known as a long-time member of Wolf Eyes.  He took to the stage shortly after 9 p.m. with his gear mounted onto a double-decker shopping cart that was decorated (or so it first appeared) with various springs.  He started by creating buzzy drones with his sampler, but shortly into the set, Olson began yanking at the springs, creating a harsh, distorted snap soaked in reverberation from the cart itself.  Yes, he was playing the shopping cart which his electronics were resting in.  A wooden stick was produced to strike and rake at the cart and springs.  At times he was very hands-on and involved with the objects, at other moments he would take a step back, sip a beer, and take in his own sounds, seeming to ascertain where he was at in the set and contemplate where to go next, quite a magical solo performance to witness.

With their gear all ready resting behind Olson, Kalamazoo locals Rotten Wood Moon immediately took to the stage once the shopping cart was set aside.  Returning to the line-up for this performance was Joshua Tabbia (Problems That Fix Themselves!), in from Chicago, and the classic quartet (no guest performers as is common with RWM shows) launched into an epic, nearly-20 minute crawl of bass-driven noise rock comparable to “Jane from Occupied Europe”-era Swell Maps that was shaken and stirred a bit differently in the dynamics department for anyone who has caught previous RWM sets.  But to keep things honest and brief, it fuckin’ rocked!

Next was D. Rider, hailing from Chicago, and boy, were they a strange mix of sound.  I’m not even sure where to begin.  Urban funk post-punk?  Dual organs on either side of the stage supplied much of the instrumental drive, sax and horns occasionally entered the fold and bopped and squawked, the guitars were deconstructed rock riffs, male/female vocals aplenty. Some moments were solid and nearly dancy thanks to a tight percussionist, while at other times the arrangements were caterwauling and removed from a basic rock ‘n’ roll rhythm/structure. I really wouldn’t know where to begin drawing comparisons. Quite the head trip to both watch and listen, but with a band that likely took their name from a song on Hawkwind’s classic space rock masterpiece “Hall of the Mountain Grill,” ya know they’re comin’ from a weird place!

Each act up to this point in the night had been drastically different from one another while still maintaining a common thread, and that was no different with Canadian headliners AIDS Wolf, the most extreme into the boundaries of where instruments can take us to an uncomfortable place found at The Strutt on this particular night.  The drum and guitar rhythm section, supplied by Yannick Desranleau and Alex Moskos respectively, was massive, frantic, spastic, and LOUD!  Vocalist Chloe Lum walked off the stage to the floor amongst the crowd and put on quite a performance; not so much aggressive as the music itself, she seemed in more of a trance, often vocalizing with the mic firmly grasped by only her mouth, sending her vocal shrapnel down the ears of all those in attendance.  She was wearing an Arab On Radar shirt, perhaps the most comparable band to the delicious sonic frenzy created by this trio.  Paranoid, pained and party!  Get your catharsis on!

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.

Saturday night closed out the barking tuna festival with a confusing mess of awesome music.  Like the previous two nights, the Strutt was filled with over 200 in attendance.

The show began with local grunge warriors, Coma Nova, who fought off 7 other bands to get their spot on the show.  The Fight for the Tuna winners defended their victory with a series of duets, blending a mellow female voice with front man Eli Kroes’s sing/shouting.  If you are into heavier rock music, you should track down a copy of their newly released album.

Michigan based Cheap Girls took the stage next. The three piece was solid throughout their set of melodic mid-tempo powerpop.  Though not fitting at all with the chaos that was to come later in the night, they delivered a quality performance.

If you’ve ever heard a mass murder being performed in a subway, then you have an idea of the sound that Wolf Eyes brings to the stage.  The Detroit based trio composed their audio horror movie with an array of electronics, heavily deranged guitar, incomprehensible vocals, and shrieking soprano sax.  Some songs had a beat underneath, others had an semi-rythmic pulse, while others were purely malicious chaos.  It is completely understandable for most listeners to loath this type of performance, but Wolf Eyes is a true gem for noise fans.

Once Wolf Eyes had cleared the stage, 9 or so cabs were set up into a massive wall of speakers.  One would think that there would be 4 or 5 people plugging into all of this amplification, but it all belonged to one man: Lightning Bolt’s bass player Brian Gibson.  He ran his bass through plenty of effects and different amps, so it could cover all of the ground that would normally be filled with a guitar.  In front of the wall, Brian Chippendale sat on his drum set with a new version of his signature microphone-mask.   The Rhode Island duet spent the next hour or so  blasting a completely unique blend of spastic and speedy drumming coupled with noisy and nasty bass and with Chippendale’s bizarre modulated vocals occasionally poking above the sound scape.  With minimal members, Lightning Bolt was free to create song structure that usually goes untouched by more conventional bands.  Even though the band played on stage (usually they play on the floor) the show earned a spot in my top 5 of the year.

With the 2010 Barking Tuna Festival complete, it is safe to say it was a success from the fan’s standpoint.  Lots of great bands.  Lots of people in attendance.  It seems that the new venue worked out great.  Thanks WIDR for doing this and thanks to the Strutt for hosting it.