lawrence field day fest

Artist profile: Various Blonde

(Photo by Todd Zimmer)

The version of Various Blonde I saw live at Czar in 2011 is very different from the band playing this Thursday at Lawrence Field Day Fest. The 2011 iteration, led by guitarist/vocalist Joshua Allen, moved through a set that dabbled a little in the psychedelic while adhering to a heavier rock and punk-based sound. It was a solid set, though I remember thinking the vocals needed something and the melodies hinted at something more. What exactly? I didn't know.

The release of Summer High a few years later illustrated the elusive what hinted at back at Czar years before. I caught up to a very different live band back in November at Apocalypse Meow, and again last week at The Riot Room.

The only element that remained from the band was Allen. His guitar and vocals were still there, but now different from what I remember. There was a new bassist, EvanJohn McIntosh, a new drummer, Mark Lomas, and the addition of keyboardist Eddie Moore. The three-piece had grown, shifted, and mutated into a very different band creating a very different sound.

There is a seriousness to watching this four-piece perform. Like any professionals at work, it is obvious they enjoy what they do. But, also evident is that they are on stage to work, put on a great show, and hone their craft. A lot of the songs they perform create a serious reflective mood, but they cut that stoicism nicely with soulful grooves and melodies that manage to conjure a very difficult thing: movement. I tried to fight the urge to move along with the tunes, but, damnit, I happily failed.

Joshua Allen can sing. His voice shifts effortlessly from an easy tenor to a smooth falsetto that avoids piercing metal clichés. That he is a solid guitarist is as advantageous as it is necessary to VB's sound. He could easily get away with just singing, moving to the music and fronting the band, but thankfully he doesn't. Without him, songs like "Savage Children" would fall into the trap of being a "jam" song. Which is fine I guess, but I wouldn't know, I've never made it through an entire "jam" song. Allen's guitar and vocals dice tunes like “Savage Children” into succinct, building well-rounded songs. While the vocals help guide on "Savage Children,” they truly shine on the danceable, rocking tune “Indigo Children.” The first time I heard that song was literally a WTF moment. A perfect illustration of the elusive what:familiar, yet totally different and new.

The consistent blues infused groove created by McIntosh is unstoppable. Good luck not moving some part of your body. McIntosh's bass lines lead without overstepping, cyclical but never simple. I've been a fan since his days in Cherokee Rock Rifle and am selfishly happy he's found another outlet for his formidable skill set.

I don't know how long McIntosh and Lomas have been playing together (I'm just that thorough a correspondent) but the sound they produce belies whatever actual time they've spent working together. Their styles align perfectly. Nicely complementing each other as the foundation of the tone and mood of this band. Lomas' playing seems unflashy, until you take a moment and try to keep up with what he's doing. Seeing and hearing this guy live as he holds down patterns and changes that would make a drum machine pass out is mesmerizing. And again, good luck not dancing.

The addition of keyboardist and local jazz standout Moore adds depth and changes things drastically for this group. From a songwriting perspective alone, Moore's instrument and playing allows for a myriad of new directions, from sonic to classical to his specialty, jazz. As a musician, Moore's jazz sensibility and musical intelligence lend themselves perfectly to McIntosh’s and Lomas’ rhythmic foundation. Moore knows how to create his own distinctive musical plots and subplots within the framework of the sound already set in motion by his bandmates; he does so effortlessly, and without overplaying.

Obligatory comparisons? You should make your own... while dancing.

With the excellent full-length Summer High already out, I can't wait to hear what these guys build next. Until then, they play at Lawrence Field Day Fest this Thursday, June 25, at the Replay Lounge before taking a little Summer Hiatus.

Video and story by Chris Nielsen

Published: June 22, 2015 |

Comments |

Album review: Heidi Lynne Gluck - The Only Girl in the Room

Back in the late sixties and early seventies, when artists like Emitt Rhodes, Todd Rundgren, and that Paul fella from The Beatles made records all by themselves it was a noteworthy thing. It’s been done plenty of times since.

Usually badly.

In her modest home studio, Lawrence’s Heidi Lynne Gluck made such a “solo” recording. On The Only Girl in the Room, Gluck sings and plays every note. And she made a terrific record.

Gluck has an extensive resume as touring and session musician, including a stint in the band Some Girls with Juliana Hatfield and recordings with Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos. A 10-year Lawrencian, Gluck played previously in The Only Children with her ex-husband, Josh Berwanger.

The Only Girl in the Room is a refreshing EP (the first of four slated for release on KC’s Lotuspool Records), a focused gem of songwriting and performance. With these five songs, three co-written with Kenny Childers, Gluck makes a persuasive case for her art.

Gluck’s melodies are both composed and natural. Her poetic but unpretentious lyrics reflect on relationships, and on identity and destiny. Gluck’s voice is not a powerful instrument, but it has character and quiet power. Her sensitive musicianship creates a discreet emotional undertow.

On the title track Gluck’s phrasing is subtly swinging, evoking singers like Rickie Lee Jones and Carol Van Dyk (Bettie Serveert), women who can pull off a smoky ballad better than the run of the mill singer-songwriter. The lyrics convey loneliness and isolation, but a certain pride and resolve at the same time.

Gluck’s chamber-pop production values are likely a product of both design and thrift; their economy gives the songs focus. “Target Practice” is a nuanced look at personal and social weariness and mistrust. Gluck’s admiration for Jon Brion—especially his production work with Aimee Mann—is evident here. “One of Us Should Go,” guitar-based and closer to the folk idiom than much of Only Girl, recalls Paul Simon’s early songs, with a bridge that tilts toward Brian Wilson melodically.

Gluck is a convincing multi-instrumentalist; perhaps most at home as a bass player. Her bass lines, simple and supple, give “Orchids” an affecting throb. She has a fine ear for details, images of “your perfect shoulders” and a timely shift to falsetto highlight the insinuating melody.

Only Girl closes with “Where Will They Bury Me.” Death and the deposit of one’s remains is not typical pop song material, but it’s stock and trade for blues and folk music. Gluck’s Rickie Lee- ilt, and a lyric worthy of Tom Waits, favors a meditation on family and origins–more than death per se. “Where” sucks you in with a chorus melody quietly evocative of the maudlin sixties hit “Last Kiss,” (J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers … or Pearl Jam?) a tragi-comic ditty about a dude losing his gal in a car wreck. It lends a familiarity, leavening the solemnity of the lyric.

The job of an EP is simple—to leave you hungering for an entire album of material from the artist. The Only Girl in the Room is a varied, inviting, and brief recital that introduces Heidi Lynne Gluck, and makes you want more.

--Steve Wilson

Catch Heidi Lynne Gluck with her full band next Saturday, June 27 at Lawrence Field Day Fest; they’ll be playing at Eighth Street Taproom at 10 pm.

Published: June 17, 2015 |

Comments |

Lawrence Field Day Fest bridges KC and Lawrence music communities

(pictured above: Oils / all photos and videos by Michelle Bacon)

Spanning over three evenings with 28 acts, the third annual Lawrence Field Day Fest proved to be a large success. From Thursday through Saturday nights, some of KC and Lawrence’s most notable acts converged upon the town and brought with them a score of talent and style.

For this reviewer, LFDF kicked off on Friday evening at Jackpot Music Hall in the middle of Katy Guillen & the Girls’ explosive set. The KC trio had the full attention of a trickling-in crowd, most of whom had never seen them before and all of whom raved over them after. Once you experience one of Katy Guillen’s searing guitar solos—impelled by her tenacious rhythm section—you’re never really the same again.

Immediately following KG&G was Destroy Nate Allen. As the duo began to do a sound check while walking about the room, I realized that this would probably be nothing like what had preceded it or what would follow at any point during the fest. The husband/wife team of Nate and Tessa Allen has a delightfully unusual punk folk style, characterized and enhanced by an unconventional, interactive live show.

The rest of the weekend was a somewhat similar story, where festivalgoers—myself included—were getting to experience bands for the very first time. The lineup dropped a portion of the KC music scene in a setting they aren’t as saturated in, allowing an initial exposure to many Lawrence music fans. In that same vein, the KC faction was also able to see performers who don’t travel east very often.

“Last year, I was burdening myself with the task of finding national acts because I thought that would help the draw,” says festival organizer Cameron Hawk. “I was worrying about stuff like that, and I think it made me forget that not only do we have a huge crop of amazing bands around here, but they are bands people care about. We are so lucky to have that.” So this year, Hawk took the approach of building a solid lineup from both sides of the state line, and was able to draw in fans from the two music communities and parts in between.

Other highlights included Major Games’ highly anticipated set on Friday at The Bottleneck. Emerging from a nearly two-year live show hiatus, the trio played its upcoming album in its entirety and presented an even bigger, fresher, more passionate sound than before. Following them was Loose Park, a pure rock ‘n roll band who manages to somehow become even more electrifying and fun with each passing performance.

The Sluts closed down The Jackpot on Friday night to an enthused, riotous audience. The duo of Ryan Wise and Kristoffer Dover has a steady following in both KC and Lawrence, and was able to prove exactly why with Friday’s performance. They have a stripped-down, DIY garage rock/punk sensibility, with just enough hooks to grab almost anyone who could possibly be entertained by the thought of live music. Wise’s newly added vocal effects also brought more depth and grunge to their songs.

Saturday night marked Pale Hearts’ final performance, as frontman Rob Gillaspie (also currently doubling as Lux Interior in The Cramps’ tribute band Stay Sick) prepares to move to KC. The always enigmatic performer led his band through its dark, poppy, ‘80s-influenced catalog. We hope to see more music come out of Gillaspie, perhaps in future collaborations with KC artists.

At Jackpot, CS Luxem entertained and captivated a new audience, showcasing Christopher Luxem’s talented songwriting both as a solo act and realized as a full band. Meanwhile—and with the help of Jar Jar Binks—Josh Berwanger and his band got the Bottleneck crowd on its feet.

Like other frontmen I was able to catch on that stage (Gillaspie, Matthew Dunehoo of Loose Park), Berwanger can capture an audience and keep it engaged—a feat many lead vocalists haven’t quite figured out yet. His obvious charm, coupled with the group’s grooving power pop anthems, warmed the audience up for Cowboy Indian Bear.

Cowboy recently announced that it would take a hiatus after LFDF, resulting in a lengthy, heartfelt, double-encore show. The band played several songs off its acclaimed 2013 album Live Old, Die Young, and delivered a touching but fervent performance—one of the most dynamic, gargantuan performances I have personally witnessed from them.

And closing down LFDF was Stiff Middle Fingers, who wins the award for Most Spirited Audience of the fest. In true form, frontman Travis Arey riled up the crowd, inciting friendly mosh pits and audience members storming the stage.

The exuberant crowd chanted and shouted right along with Arey, also showing its gratitude for guitarist/fest curator Hawk. The group’s straight-up don’t-give-a-fuck punk style was the perfect environment to congregate in for LFDF’s swan song. The KC and Lawrence music communities let loose together, shouting “I ain’t no goddamn son of a bitch” as SMF busted out a Misfits cover, and locked in sweaty embraces to celebrate a job well done.

--Michelle Bacon

Michelle is editor of The Deli KC. She is in bands. She is the only person in the world not watching the World Cup right now and is sorry for that.

Published: July 01, 2014 |

Comments |

Lawrence Field Day Fest: An interview with founder Cameron Hawk

Lawrence Field Day Fest was born out of Cameron Hawk’s frustration with the attention that local and regional acts weren’t getting—to highlight their talents, to be different from other festivals that bring in national acts and sprinkle in local acts here and there.

“I honestly didn’t think people in Lawrence would care that much. It’s not like we were doing anything new.” Hawk told me. “I just wanted to show people the great talent we had in Lawrence. Plus, it was a way to fill a couple days in The Bottleneck’s calendar.” It went so well in its inaugural year that July 11, 12, and 13 this year will see the return of the fest. “I guess what people were waiting for was for someone to step up and just do it.”

Kansas City’s recent Middle of the Map Fest was incredible, with bands like Joy Formidable, Grizzly Bear and locals including Soft Reeds, Cowboy Indian Bear, Thee Water Moccasins, Hawk’s own band The Dead Girls, and others, but it just wasn’t the festival he had in mind.

“Middle of the Map, where they matched up local and regional acts was a cool idea, but I wanted to do something for the Lawrence bands and some area acts to make them feel special, to give them something that was just theirs for once,” said Hawk.

Were there ever moments of doubt? When did the calls of people wanting the fest made Hawk nervous? Did he doubt the creature he began constructing? “Oh yeah, man. I had never tried to do something like this so there were a lot of moments when I wondered if I could actually pull it off. It was kind of a Wayne’s World 2 scenario. Let’s do it. Oh shit, now we have to do it.”

Hawk, guitarist for The Dead Girls, Many Moods of Dad, and the punk thunderbolt that is Stiff Middle Fingers, and drummer for Hidden Pictures, says this year LFDF is completely local or regional acts. This is different from last year, where alt-country greats Drag the River and punk rock legend Stephen Egerton—guitarist for The Descendents—took the stage at the Jackpot.

“Having Drag the River and Stephen (Egerton) last year just kind of happened. It was awesome, but this year, I wanted to keep it to just the great bands of the area. People haven’t been going out as much, whether its money, kids, work, or just getting older. I want people to see what’s been going on, what they’re missing.”

This year’s lineup will lean even heavier on the crop of local talent to build a roster that should pack The Bottleneck for three straight days. The ominous quake of Bloodbirds, Many Moods of Dad, Going To Hell in a Leather Jacket, the hardcore-influenced Black on Black, Radkey, Scruffy and the Janitors, sleaze warriors Pale Hearts, JOCKS, BaioWolf, Man Bear, Millions of Boys, and several others, will descend upon The Bottleneck, showing everyone that the Midwest is more than capable of cranking out great rock ‘n roll.

“I hope people see the whole point of this,” Hawk said. “It’s not about bringing in national acts and getting the local acts to support them. This is about the local bands playing and showing support for each other. Let’s quit worrying so much about which bill will draw the best, having the same bands playing together all the time, all the competition. There are people that work really hard and never get thrown a bone for whatever reason; maybe it’s a situation where if more people saw them they’d get a better chance. That’s all I want to do with this. Let’s just play and have some balls.”

Lawrence Field Day Fest runs from Thursday, July 11 to Saturday, July 13 at The Bottleneck. A full lineup and ticket info will be available soon at The Bottleneck’s website. Facebook event page.

--Danny R. Phillips

Danny R. Phillips has been reporting on music of all types and covering the St. Joseph, MO music scene for well over a decade. He is a regular contributor to the national circulated BLURT Magazine and his work has appeared in The Pitch, The Omaha Reader, Missouri Life, The Regular Joe, Skyscraper Magazine, Popshifter, Hybrid Magazine, the websites Vocals on Top and Tuning Fork TV, Perfect Sound Forever, The Fader and many others.

Share this story on Facebook

Published: May 16, 2013 |

Comments |

Lawrence Field Day Fest Announces Lineup

The lineup for the first Lawrence Field Day Fest has been announced! The pre-party starts July 5 at The Jackpot with Stephen Egerton of The Descendents/ALL. See below for the full lineup:

Thursday, July 5: The Jackpot (Pre-Party)

10:00-10:45 Drag The River
11:00-11:45 Stephen Egerton
12:00-12:45 Stiff Middle Fingers

Friday, July 6: The Bottleneck

6:00-6:30 Soma
6:40-7:10 Busted Open
7:20-7:50 Jabberjosh
8:00-8:30 Field Day Jitters
8:40-9:10 Many Moods of Dad
9:20-9:50 Radar Defender
10:00-10:30 The Empty Spaces
10:40-11:25 Panda Circus
11:35-12:20 The ACBs
12:30-1:15 Mouthbreathers

Saturday, July 7: The Bottleneck

4:00-4:30 Sex Tapes
4:40-5:10 Black on Black
5:20-5:50 Awestrich
6:00-6:30 Dismantle The Virus
6:40-7:10 White
7:20-7:50 Melting Point of Bronze
8:00-8:30 Robocopter
8:40-9:10 Deco Auto
9:20-9:50 Dean Monkey
10:00-10:30 Doubleplus
10:40-11:25 Radkey
11:35-12:20 Major Games
12:30-1:00 Approach

Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 8. The festival is sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Co., KJHK 90.7 FM, and Midwest Music Foundation.

Published: June 06, 2012 |

Comments |

	About	Contact Us	Advertise	Enter our charts	Stompbox Exhibit	Synth Expo	MixCon	Gear Giveaway	Delicious Audio
The Deli Magazine was born in NYC's Attorney Street in 2004, in the shape of a print issue with a then unknown band on its cover, called Grizzly Bear. Ths NYC blog came in 2005, then the SF one in 2006, and then 9 more in the following years. The Deli is focused on the coverage of emerging bands and solo artists with a 100% local focus - no exceptions!