What. You thought that just because it’s Memorial Day, we wouldn’t have things to share? Pshhhhhh. We’ve got tons to post this week and plus, don’t forget: It’s Open Mic Week! That’s right. A few weeks ago, some of us went around to various local mics in the area, and now finally, after what seems like forever, we are ready to roll out the photos, videos and absurdly long story to go with it all. We’ll be posting bits and pieces of the story all week and for those who might be interested in seeing the whole thing in print, you can also find it as the cover story in this week’s 72 Hours. But that’s still four days away. In the meantime (and in between time), check out this photo of the drummer Dave Bernet, who helped host the Cafe Nola open mic the week we visited. And why did we start with a photo of this guy? Because that dude is everywhere. No, like really: Dude. Is. Everywhere. Anyway, settle in, friends. Open Mic Week is in full effect!
May 2015
Well, as far as we know, Alive@5 is all-systems-go as of 3 p.m. this afternoon. Pittsburgh’s Two Tall Twins are scheduled to be there and as long as the rain stays away, it promises to be a fun (if not chilly) Thursday afternoon. Soul music. Nothin’ better. Elsewhere … well, it’s Memorial Day weekend. So … it’s Memorial Day weekend. Grab your grills. Drink your cans of light beer. Enjoy a Sunday night. Maybe watch some baseball. Basketball. Hockey. And, of course, GET OUT AND SEE SOME MUSIC. The all-caps is meant for emphasis. Old Indian, ye of Frederick Music Showcase fame (and, for that matter, all-around rock and roll awesomeness fame) will be melting faces at Cafe Nola on Friday night. And not only does that give us a chance to post our Frederick Playlist Presents … session with them above, but it also ensures you all that great music will indeed be available for a nominal fee tomorrow night. Elsewhere, Guys In Thin Ties are heading to Isabella’s this evening while the Monocacy Jazz Quartet will be jazzin’ it up at Ayse. Cafe 611 has a couple shows through the weekend, which is always nice to see. JoJo’s, who has been toning down their musical nights recently, is finally back in the game with Chris Smaha. There are The Bitter Liberals. There’s something called Impeached. There’s something called Hip Hatchet. Hey Baby! Our good friend Todd C. Walker. There’s a ukulele jam, which sounds wildly fun. And, of course, there is a wide array of open mics. We saved this for last, why? Because next week is open mic week! And oh, boy, do we have tons of neat things to share. Don’t worry. Your excitement is felt through the computer screen. Don’t forget to tune in to the Local Playlist on WSHC 89.7 Friday afternoons from 1 to 3 p.m. to hear some local jams, jamming away. You can listen online here. No excuses. Happy Memorial Day, friends (is that something people really say?). Enjoy the long weekend. We’re about to have TONS (like a literal ton) of things to announce. Stay tuned. Don’t hate us too much. Missyouloveyou.
THURSDAY
Who: Open Mic
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Open Mic
Where: Bushwallers
When: Sign-up begins at 9 p.m.; play begins at 10 p.m.
Who: Alive @ Five Featuring Two Tall Twins
Where: Carroll Creek
When: 5 p.m.
Who: Open Mic hosted by Tomy Wright
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Guys In Thin Ties
Where: Isabella’s Tavern
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Monocacy Jazz Quartet
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 5 p.m.
FRIDAY
Who: Potomac Jazz
Where: Big Cork Vineyards
When: 6 p.m.
Who: Cumberland Valley Duo
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Shane Gamble
Where: Hard Times Cafe
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Girl On Top Band
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Soul Gravity
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Garbage Animals, Bound By Vines
Where: The Blue Moon, Shepherdstown
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Old Indian, Monster Museum
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Strange Hate, Front Royal, Go On Red, The Milestones
Where: Cafe 611
When: 7 p.m.
Who: The Bitter Liberals with John Miller, Kara Hansbarger and friends
Where: The Opera House, Shepherdstown
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Impeached
Where: Champion Billiards
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Dave and Bill Mott
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Joe Murray
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 6 p.m.
Who: Wine Down Friday with Todd C. Walker
Where: Elk Run Vineyards
When: 6 p.m.
SATURDAY
Who: Hey Baby!
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: The Few
Where: Olde Towne Tavern
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Chris Hauska Trio
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Hip Hatchet
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 10 p.m.
Who: The New Reign, Hejira, Sixteen Cylinder, Beheading The Prophets
Where: Cafe 611
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Chris Smaha Trip
Where: JoJo’s Tap House
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Play On Words
Where: Champion Billiards
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Craig Donovan with Josh Gray
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Ukulele Open Jam
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 2 p.m.
Who: Positive Vibration Reggae Band
Where: The Cellar Door
When: 10 p.m.
If you type “hammer dulcimer” into Google, one of the top results you’ll see is something from the Smithsonian. Click on it and at the beginning of the post, you’ll see the following quote, from King Nebuchadnezzar:
“ … everyman that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship … .”
Why print that here? Because who the hell knows anything about the hammer dulcimer? It sounds nice. It looks like it’s a pain to lug from one place to another. You can typically find it in any type of music that has absolutely nothing to do with America (which, of course, isn’t necessarily a bad thing). And if you head to a Wikipedia entry titled “List of Hammered Dulcimer Players,” you’ll find a collection that probably has less names on it than a similar entry on reality show main characters.
Karen Ashbrook, though? She knows a thing or eight about the hammer dulcimer. She built her first one as a high school project and she hasn’t looked back since, traveling the world ‘round, performing, teaching and spreading a gospel she has studied throughout all her adult life. And now, along with her husband, Paul Oorts, they have released a live record called “KA/PO In Concert” that brings those beloved and studied worldly undertones to the forefront.
The result is a fine enough listen, even for the casual fan who might break out a Chieftains record once every few years. Recorded in conjunction with the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, the mostly instrumental 16 tracks that make up the set are perfect for the kind of faded soundtrack you might want for a dinner party with really smart people. Think about 1977’s “The Chieftains Live!” having a baby with a dinner at Medieval Times and you’re halfway there.
“In Concert” begins with a trip through Irish skies, the duo meshing together “Another Jig Will Do” with “Drops Of Brandy,” “Cronin’s Hornpipe” and “The Moving Clouds.” At 5:37, it’s an adequate primer for what lies ahead, the medley bopping along in and out of varying time signatures that add complexity and girth to the performance. For working with minimal tools, these guys are clearly master carpenters.
Things liven up a bit when vocals pop in, however briefly it may be. The combination of “English Branle” and “I Love Too Many Women” has its charms as Oorts proclaims, “I love too many women, my heart is oversized, my heart is super-sized/ I was born with this condition, it will be my demise, it will be my demise.” Sure, he isn’t crooning away like Michael Buble, but considering how the thing dates back centuries, its appeal is its candor, harp guitar and all.
And then there’s the closing set, listed as “Mariton’s Scottish Rabbit Medley,” complete with lyrics in a foreign language and an accordion that bends into step with the dulcimer at about the two-minute mark. The performance’s first half plays like a lullaby, really, Oorts’ voice soft enough and calm enough to put listeners at true ease. By the time it picks up in tempo to close everything out, the finishing accordion runs are solid fun, earning the cheers that ultimately erupt through the crowd.
All told, however, the rest of the night, interesting and complex as it might be, doesn’t come across as much more than background music. There’s an Italian Tarantella. There’s something called “The Greek Song.” There’s “The English Dance Set.” There’s a jigs medley. And then, of course, there’s “Irish Polka Time,” which, with words, could probably be turned into something The Coors would have done for Adult Contemporary radio. It’s a brand of polka not expected because of the way it soars rather than moves. You almost expect it to help you get up and dance, but instead, it washes over you like a good worldly pop song sometimes can.
Yet to be fair, such is what “KA/PO In Concert” does when it’s at its best. It encompasses a worldly approach to music with encyclopedic zest and a clear passion for essence. It might not be something you want to turn to 11 in the car stereo on a hot summer day, yes. And sure, it’s probably nothing that sticks in your rotation for longer than niche moments. But that’s not the point.
Rather, the point is to master a very specific genre of music and present it with an expert level of precision. And with this set, Karen Ashbrook and Paul Oorts do just that.
** 2 STARS OUT OF 4 **
We’re going to have a new review up in a few minutes, but it’s worth noting that in two weeks, we’ll be writing about the Christian Lopez Band’s 2014 EP “Pilot.” The single off that EP? You guessed it: “Will I See You Again.” This thing grows on you, man. This much we know for sure. The band also released a brand new full-length album, “Onward,” earlier this week. It’s all Christian Lopez, all the time. And that, friends, is not a bad thing.
It’s hump day. There’s milk all over I-70. The weather is a little cooler than most would prefer for this time of year. So, why not reflect back on MACRoCK from about six weeks ago with this shot of Wailin Storms … wailin’ away (sorry, we had to). If this doesn’t say, “The Week Is Halfway Done!” then we don’t know what does. Photo courtesy of Cassandra Mullinix. For more of her photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/bucketofrock.
You know who popped into the head this morning? Carousel Rogues. Why? Because if memory serves, we introduced them at least year’s In The Street, which was both rainy and fun. We also were hoping to get our hands on their latest record, “Seize The Day,” for review, but sadly, we never hard from those fine young people again. In any case, we thought we’d reminisce on such times by posting their video for “Better Than I Do,” which was directed by the great Jordan Miller. A Happy Tuesday to all, and to all, a good night.
Oh, we have a very, very special installment of Frederick Playlist Presents … on tap for you fine music fans out there. One of our favorite voices/storytellers around, Karen Jonas, stopped by our super-secret facilities, tucked away in a dark hallway in a big building on the outskirts of town, recently to share some of her tunes. And because we were so excited to get these out to you – yes, you! – we thought we’d post these performances of two brand(ish) new(ish) songs that the singer was kind enough to share.
Up top is “Country Songs,” which may or may not be the lead single off Jonas’ upcoming record (due, hopefully, by the end of the year). She’s been playing this out for a little bit now, so if you stopped to see her at Cafe Nola or Brewer’s Alley a couple weeks ago, chances are you heard it. And hell. Even if you didn’t, at least you can check it out now. Duh. And then below is another new song, “Wasting Time.” Both are amazing. Both deserve 1,000,000,000 clicks.
Dig what you hear? You can find out more about the artist on her website, you could like her on Facebook, or you could follow her on Twitter. She landed four stars from the German Rolling Stone, you know. So, that counts for something, right? As always, a big, giant THANK and YOU goes out to Graham Cullen, who so tirelessly helps out with the camera work. And also, look at Tim The Guitar Player. He’s always so happy. And that’s fun.
It was a long, long weekend (hello, Preakness!). Yet as we were limping our way through the days, we somehow managed to come across the lineup for this year’s Hot August Music Festival. And that reminded us that … well, golly gee, we have photos from last year’s Hot August Music Festival! Thus, we thought we’d look back at this photo of Houndmouth. To learn all you need to know about this year’s slate, click here. Here’s a hint: Counting Crows are headlining. We’ll be back in a little bit with a brand new set of exclusive videos. Are you excited? We are. Photo courtesy of Cassandra Mullinix. For more of her photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/bucketofrock.
And so it begins. Alive @ Five is here and ready to kick off in about two hours. It will be down at the creek. It will feature The Original Booze Brothers. Some of us are thinking about stopping by. Will you be there? Let’s hope so. Elsewhere, we have a hell of a weekend of music coming up in and around Frederick. The Beer Bacon And Music Festival will take over the Fairgrounds throughout pretty much all of Saturday (some of us, meanwhile, will be trekking around the grounds of Pimlico Racetrack for the Preakness, but that’s neither here nor there). That event will feature Ms. Adrienne Smith, who you can check out above these words, among others. Our dear friends in Hard Swimmin’ Fish will be returning to The Main Cup to harmonica-and-roll all over the place. Brulee, ye of one-time Q&A fame, is going to perform for all of the lovely faces at Beans In The Belfry. Beggar’s Ride, who we spoke with earlier this week, is heading to BlackRock Saturday night. The Woo-Yeahs, with whom we spoke last month, will be at the Blue Sky. There’s the Grand National Band. There are the Secondhand Ramblers. There’s some bluegrass. There’s Strung Tight. There’s the Local Yokel Vocal Band. There’s Audio Whiplash. And then, of course, there’s something called Gnarkillian Battlecruiser. And any band name you can’t pronounce, you must respect. With the nice weather comes more and outside shows, so be on the lookout for all the vineyards and winecellars and beer barns and insert-outdoor-event-centric-happenings-here. Happy mid-May, friends. Don’t forget to check out The Local Playlist at 1 p.m. tomorrow. You can listen live here. We’ll be back next week with perhaps some news to share. Maybe so. Maybe no. Either way, go take a walk. You won’t regret it.
THURSDAY
Who: Open Mic
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Open Mic
Where: Bushwallers
When: Sign-up begins at 9 p.m.; play begins at 10 p.m.
Who: Bluegrass With Eric Knowles And Friends
Where: 7 p.m.
When: Beans In The Belfry
Who: The Secondhand Ramblers
Where: Isabella’s Tavern
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Alive @ Five Featuring The Original Booze Brothers
Where: Carroll Creek
When: 5 p.m.
Who: Craig Rosendale
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 5 p.m.
Who: Maggie Sansone
Where: The Hill Chapel
When: 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Who: Mike Gellar
Where: Big Cork Vineyard
When: 6 p.m.
Who: Jimi Cupino Project
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: Strung Tight
Where: The Main Cup
When: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Crackinbush
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Audio Whiplash
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Local Yokel Vocal Band
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Dan Mack and Mike Schirf
Where: Elk Run Vineyards
When: 6 p.m.
Who: Mike Kelly
Where: Linganore Winecellars
When: 6 p.m.
Who: Frank Davis and Bobby Flurie
Where: Ayse Meze Lounge
When: 6 p.m.
Who: City Dwelling Nature Seekers
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Young Artist Series
Where: The Opera House, Shepherdstown
When: 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
Who: Freddie Long Band
Where: The Cellar Door
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Brulee
Where: Beans In The Belfry
When: 7 p.m.
Who: City Slickers With Debbie Williams
Where: Cactus Flats
When: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Hard Swimmin’ Fish
Where: The Main Cup
When: 8:30 p.m.
Who: Grand National Band
Where: Hard Times Cafe
When: 9 p.m.
Who: The Woo-Yeahs
Where: The Blue Sky Bar And Grill
When: 9 p.m.
Who: Nobody’s Parents
Where: Olde Towne Tavern
When: 10 p.m.
Who: 2nd Sole
Where: Bushwallers
When: 10 p.m.
Who: John Durant Sr.
Where: The Frederick Coffee Company
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Jukebox Underdogs
Where: Red Shedman Farm Brewery
When: 4 p.m.
Who: The Voodoo Blues
Where: Cafe Nola
When: 10 p.m.
Who: The Reckoning
Where: The Opera House, Shepherdstown
When: 9 p.m.
Who: The Beer, Bacon, Music Festival Featuring Hucklebuck, Rockaway Beach Boys, Human Country Jukebox, The Knight Brothers, Flanagan Smith, Adrienne Smith and Some Guy Matt, and John Neilson
Where: The Frederick Fairgrounds
When: 11 a.m.
Who: Clover, Rukut, Wizard Eye, Gnarkillian Battlecruiser
Where: Guido’s Speakeasy
When: 10 p.m.
Who: Holy Ghost Tent Revival, CassiRaye
Where: The Folly, Shepherdstown
When: 8 p.m.
Who: Beggar’s Ride, Boxcar Lillies
Where: BlackRock Center For The Arts, Germantown
When: 8 p.m.
It’s Thursday. It’s the second week of May. What does that mean? It means Alive@Five officially kicks off tonight along Carroll Creek. The band to step up first will be The Original Booze Brothers. The festivities begin at – surprisingly enough – 5 p.m. and should run until about eight. There will be booze. Because, of course. Summer is in the air, friends. Smell it. Live it. Love it.