Taking a chance on a band in a slightly unpopular and unusual genre for a mainstream event--albeit an act with quick- rising hipster cred--gives the old festival new credibility and dimension, both of which have been lacking for the past however-many years since most of us last cared. For West Coast stationary festivals and nationally touring ones, more bookers should be looking toward steps like this--and toward Coachella, which works so well because it mixes well-known headliners in a variety of genres in with the up-and-comers. Pulling together disparate acts is important both for increasing the fan base of the bands included and for making these things fun to attend. Otherwise, you're just preaching to one demographic choir, whether what you're hitting is the radio punk-pop of Warped Tour or the indie rock lovefest of Sasquatch, and it's disappointing how little play there is with large arena festivals in breaking new, unproven acts in a variety of genres over going for bands whose sounds pool together nicely into a similar overlapping genre. And that's not to say that Lollapalooza has mastered the formula (simply by pulling in Wolf Eyes), or that the other festivals don't have their share of good acts, but even Bumbershoot has seen the future in cross-pollinating music fans and levels of visibility, and it's a vision I hope continues to take hold.
Then again, you have a choice. Instead of wading through big crowds and suffering exorbitant beer prices, you can also hit the region's baby festivals, where you're not going to see a huge diversity in genres, but you're not going to be paying like you are, either. The W...ntage USA label's Total Fest happens in Missoula July 9 and 10, and the lineup hasn't been confirmed, but tentative performers (whose names I recognize) include the Lights, Big Business, and No-Fi Soul Rebellion; check out W...ntage's website for all the details. A little sooner on the calendar, NW Punk Life will counter less-intriguing Folklife fest over Memorial Day weekend, May 28-31, by hosting a few days of local punk shenanigans at the Fun House. Included in the festivities are BBQs and an appearance from Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling on May 30. I can only hope they'll throw down in a big vat of gooey dog food nestled inside a kiddie pool (a fond amateur wrestling memory from my college party days).
This weekend there are more good shows than I can name here, but some notable under-the-wire ones included Iron Lung, Big Business, and Doomsday 1999 at 2nd Avenue Pizza on Friday, May 14, and Mr. Airplane Man the same night. Mr. Airplane Man are a Boston two-piece who play slinky garage blues, with guitar distortion at times so heavy it nearly blows out your midsection, and at other times keeping the melodies on a leash as delicate as a diamond tennis bracelet. Named after a Howlin' Wolf song, the band blends dreamy '60s girl-group pop with greasy blues, as singer Margaret Garrett's sleepy vocals saunter in like she's been cast in an old Western as a diva quieting a rowdy cowboy bar. The band, touring on the release of their latest disc, C'mon DJ (Sympathy for the Record Industry), will perform at the Switch House, a West Seattle space that's put on a fair amount of house shows. The whole thing starts at 8:00 p.m. and includes locals Hex County and the Invisible Eyes. The address is 4026 22nd Ave. SW, and for directions or any other info, check out hexrecords.com.
Also this weekend, if you haven't checked out music critic/local historian Peter Blecha's exhibit of banned/censored record covers, I suggest you do so before it disappears on Saturday, May 15. I went to the opening night just in time to hear Mark Arm DJ while kids were literally smashing up old vinyl on the floor. The walls of the gallery (Crespinel Studios, at 2312 Second Ave., next to Roq la Rue) were adorned with "scandalous" images from decades of censorship, when AC/DC, Prince, and John Lennon shared notoriety with the Scorpions, Alice Cooper, and Body Count as far as dirtying the minds of the innocent was concerned. It's an especially relevant show for a time when the FCC still attempts to mandate morality in this country, and as humorous as it is to see what was considered shocking in the past, it's pretty damn sad to see how little has changed with the square censors these days.
