If Not For You - Cat's Cradle Feb 26th, 2011

Peter Holsapple onstage with me; Photo: Stan Lewis

I had the pleasure of participating in a performance of the entire album of "All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison. The evenings proceeds were going to the Caring Community Foundation - an organization that supports chronically ill people in their every day financial needs for rent, food and just living. Having recently performed in a duo with Chris Stamey at the Alex Chilton memorial show at the Cradle it somehow seemed only right that I get to perform at this show with Peter Holsapple. Peter sang while the band and I played "Isn't it a Pity" for a packed house of more than 600. It's not a night I will soon forget. Having recently played to a packed house with my new band Cloudlines I have had two recent music experiences that have been back-to-back two of the best I can remember.



One of the best outcomes of playing the "All Things Must Pass" show is reconnecting with many, many people (there were over 40 people involved in this) I had not seen for years and performing with many of them for the first time ever. Folks like Chris Chamis, Lynn Blakey, Jane Francis, Rebecca Newton, Bryon Settle, Pete Gamble and Greg Bell are all long time participants in the North Carolina music scene and its was really superb to be able to finally share a stage with all of them. I am in debt for the organizer of this show (Jeff Hart) for including me in this unforgettable experience.

Big Star Third - Cat's Cradle Dec 9th, 10th 2010

This is the drummer/singer/songwriter from the seminal rock band Big Star. Big Star is most known now by the song that kicks off a TV show called That 70s Show but back in their day they were one of the most innovative rock bands around. Their sound went on to influence many important bands The Posies, Teenage Fanclub, Gin Blossoms, Wilco, Afghan Whigs, Whiskeytown and others. The 1987 tribute song "Alex Chilton", co-written by three members of The Replacements, was released as a single from the album Pleased to Meet Me and contains the lyric "I never travel far without a little Big Star". Standing behind Jody in this shot is the bassist Mike Mills from the American Band R.E.M.

So they are putting on a live show of the entire 3rd Big Star Record in Chapel Hill with a full string section and a horn section. It was LUSH to say the least. This show includes members of Local Triangle bands Lost in the Trees, Rosebuds, The Old Ceremony, The Love Language, Mayflies USA, The dBs, Let's Active, Tomahawks and more. There are a lot of people on that stage!

We got to setup stages in front of the stage at the Cat's Cradle to shoot this so we were shooting on a higher level than usual from the front. I also got to use a tripod which I never normally can in live music situations. In rehearsal on wednesday at Overdub Lane Studios in Durham there were so many documentary people and photographers that Will Rigby said the band had a String Section and a Camera Section.





Stu McLamb of the Love Language

Mike Mills of R.E.M.


Photo notes: this is T-Max 400 pushed all the way to 3200 as the long lens on the Hasselblad only stops down to f/4. I love how smooth this came out in stand development.

Best Albums of 2010

This is my top ten for the year end of 2010. There was so much good music made and seen this year. Between the amazing Hopscotch festival, a really nice local-centric Troika in Durham and large name band shows at local venues (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes at the Cradle for one). This was a great year for music all around.
My top ten is as follows:

1) Shearwater - The Golden Archipelago
2) Sharon Van Etten - Epic
3) Arcade Fire - the Suburbs
4) The National - High Violet
5) Lost in the Trees - All Alone In An Empty House
5) Megafaun - Heretofore
6) The Love Language - Libraries
7) Bright Young Things - Self Titled EP
8) White Rabbits - It's Frightening
9) Frightened Rabbit - The Winter of Mixed Drinks
10) Spoon - Transference

Hopscotch 09/09/2010-09/11/2010

Taken during Broken Social Scene, Nikon F, Film.


Hopscotch - One-hundred thirty bands in three days, that's the promise of the Hopscotch Music Festival in downtown Raleigh this weekend. It is set to be the biggest music festival in the history of North Carolina. Essentially curated by the Indy's Grayson Currin Hopscotch 2010 was an ecclectic and great bunch of music. From gritty rock to electronica, hip hop and everything inbetween. What was unique about Hopscotch was that the record companies and downtown establishments and businesses in Raleigh sponsored day parties in which many of the highlighted bands played for free to afternoon concert goers. Some of the highlights for me for the entire weekend happend at just such shows. As an example the "Friend Island" day party at the Pour House on Friday the 10th featured Collections of Colonies of Bees, All Tiny Creatures, Pattern is Movement, Family Dynamics and Megafaun and Breathe Owl Breathe. The entire afternoon was well attended by more polite than usual concert goers and the added attentiveness brought out
great performances. The Megafaun performance I saw that day was one of the best I've ever seen. They were beyond inspired and delivered an emotional full-throated punch throughout their set. Friday night brought for me Rosebuds, Broken Social Scene, Panda Bear a quick trip to Slims to see Austin Texas' own Followed by Static (very original music for cello and rock band) and then back to the Pour House for Ryan Gustafeson and Sharon Van Etten. A full day by any stretch and I left early at that.

Saturday started right back at the Pour House where I attended the Trecky Records day party which consisted of; With Butterflies, Embarrassing Fruits, Sharon Van Etten, Midtown Dickens and Lost in the Trees. A super inspired set from Sharon Van Etten who I felt had her Hopscotch sea-legs after playing the night before and put on an even more relaxed and beautiful program that afternoon. This was quickly followed by one of the most manic Midtown Dickens sets I've seen. Inspired and ecclectic it was fun to watch. For me the highlight of the day, maybe the weekend, was seeing Lost in the Trees put on a gripping, tight, extremely musical set of songs where they, like Megafaun the day before, quickly exceeded any previous performance I had seen. (and I have seen some very, very good ones) Then it was off to the main stage to see No Age and Public Enemy (!). The show was easily stolen that night by the Helping Hand Marching Band who marched through the crowd before Public Enemy took the stage with a step crew a flag brigade and a drumline complete with drum major. They were amazing, all the moves and the dancing. Then it was off to Tir Na Nog to see electro-pop from Motor Skills and Tiger City, followed by a walk to the Lincoln Theatre to see NOMO and some of Bear in Heaven before calling it a night.

Easily 18 bands in 2 days is enough for anyone.

The Mountain Goats - 08/27/10

John Darnielle and company took the stage in the central park of their hometown to benefit The Coalition to Unchain Dogs. The Coalition to Unchain Dogs is a non-profit, volunteer effort dedicated to improving the welfare of dogs living outdoors on chains. The roughly hour and fifteen minute set was energetic and frenetic enough to include a subsequent stage dive and body surf by John Darnielle. Delays at the beginning of the show prompted an early performance of The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton getting this show off to a frenzied start. The Mountain Goats mixed it up doing slower thoughtful songs as well. A careful rendering of the slower Love, Love, Love was typical of the nice balance of energy throughout the night. Great stories and between song patter is a given with every TMG show and this night proved no exception. By the time of the set closer (This Year) we were seeing a band that is clearly relaxed, together and musically infalable.




Set List (courtesy TMG website)

The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton
Old College Try
Heretic Pride
Your Belgian Things
Psalms 40:2
Love Love Love
Woke Up New
"same four chords"
The Mess Inside
Jenny
We Have Seen The Enemy
The Alphonse Mambo
Hebrews 11:40
Going to Georgia
Wild Sage
See America Right
Palmcorder Yajna
This Year

Encores
Houseguest
The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton

Photography Featured in Art/See Magazine

My photography was recently shown in the Premier Edition of ArtSee Magazine, a new arts magazine for North Carolina. The feature was in connection with my work being accepted into the "SCOPE: The NC Landscape" show at the Visual Art Exchange in Raleigh. The piece I submitted won a Merit Award for the show. You can read the magazine online at ncartsee.com.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at the Cats Cradle July 16, 2010

Photo © Holden Richards

Sweating before the show, Alex Ebert looks like he just led a youthful tribe of Israel out of the desert. The frontman of Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros wears a shirtless well-worn-out white suit with a long red sash draped around his neck. His hair is tangled mostly on top of his head with a few unruly strands making a rebellious dash for his shoulders. He speaks softly and carries an immensely big stick, his talent. Alex sings from the depths, and with his company of spiritual merry pranksters wants to lift you up.

The Zeros are on their way to greater successes with songs on radios and televisions everywhere but touring the east coast (as they are located in LA) with 10 people plus gear is no small task. The show at the Cat's Cradle was loaded with the Magnetic Zeros trademark energy and soulful sensibilities while giving the sense that if your guru-of-choice had a favourite band it might be these people.

Particularly memorable from this night are the crowd pleasing "40 day dream" and the effusive "Janglin'". But there is a serious and darker side to Alex's song writing that deals with the struggles of childhood, death and finding healing from the jolts and bruises of life. "Up From Below," is a ballad that compares recovery from addiction to reincarnation. "I've already suffered/ I want you to know God/ I'm ridin' on Hell's hot flames comin up from below." On "Om Nashi Me" its just the chanting chorus of the band singing "Om nashi me, I will love you forever" until it diminishes into an incantation of "aummmmmm" alone. Spiritual Energy? Good Vibes? Regardless, its redeemed a hundred times over before the night is ended. Songs like their hit single "Home" had them dancing from the first row to the very back of the club.