A3C Independent Hip-Hop Festival
The Loft
Atlanta, GA
April 12-14, 2007

Neither rain nor wind nor broken legs could keep the crowd from the third annual A3C Independent Hip-Hop Festival, held at The Loft in Atlanta. A3C was started to give independent Southern hip-hop artists an outlet to perform before a regional audience. This year, however, the festival was anything but the all-Southern showcase it began as; talented acts from all over the country graced the stage throughout its three-day run.

The festival, founded by Atlanta-based Arc the Finger Records, opened with an exclusive preview of the acclaimed documentary Wu: The Story Of The Wu Tang Clan, which follows the path of the hip-hop giants from their humble beginnings to the present. Other highlights included a panel discussion entitled “Women in Hip-Hop: Back To Basics, Past, Present and Future.” In addition to the movie screening and panel discussions, the ever-present street dancers brought a distinct flair to the conference and set the tone for the musical performances with their in-your-face twisting, twirling antics near the main entrance of The Loft’s performance area.
Of course, the highlight of any music conference is the music, and A3C did not disappoint. Over the course of three nights, the crowd was treated to performances from over 25 acts from all over the country, ranging from New York’s Cool Calm Pete (who was everything that his name suggests) to the high-flying energy of Binkis Recs. Based in Atlanta, Binkis Recs absolutely dominated the stage with their deft combination of energy, clever lyrics, tight beats and on-stage antics. The talented trio practically won over the crowd before spitting a single verse with their unique, marching entrance. Near the end of their performance, the group members were dancing and rapping while wearing animal masks, which sent the crowd into even more of a frenzy. But the highlight of their show may have been their rocking performance of the classic “Born to the Wild.” By contrast, Cool Calm Pete, a Korean-born, Queens-based MC, took a different tactic to win over the crowd with his deliberate, almost goofy, but still-effective style. Both on and off the stage, Cool Calm Pete’s presence is dominated by his laid-back and intentionally unassuming demeanor, right down to his nerd-like, thick black glasses.

Philadelphia’s Hezekiah turned in another notable performance. His brilliant, high-energy style was enhanced by an impromptu stroll through the crowd, which sent the already high energy level through the roof. North Carolina’s Kaze also made a strong impression. His effective use of call-and-response kept the crowd involved throughout his entire performance, especially when he stressed to the fans how they needed to learn “to make the paper work.”

One of the lasting images from the conference was that of a tall male fan on crutches with a bright red cast on his right leg. As he stood near the stage, bouncing up and down and waving his hands back and forth, he seemed oblivious to the fact that he was standing on one leg, all the while holding the cast a few inches off the ground. That single image illustrates how far hip-hop fans will go to enjoy the music they love so much, and further serves to illustrate how far A3C has come in three short years.

-Review by Jonathan Mason; photo by Tim Song

Dang Dang Dang / The Long Shadows / Bad Magic Number
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
April 5, 2007

The night started off with a performance from Dang Dang Dang, the rock group of Rick Dang, who is a resident at The EARL, much like Norm or Cliff on Cheers. His vocals were coarse and gravelly like those of Tom Waits or Rowlf the Dog.
Local trio The Long Shadows haven’t actually been around that long, this night marking just their third show. The group’s lead singer and bassist sounded like he was singing with a sort of British accent, low and drawn-out, possibly a result of their long list of U.K. influences, including Joy Division, The Smiths and David Bowie. But The Long Shadows had a more basic, folky, indie-rock essence than pop.

Bad Magic Number is an Atlanta supergroup named after a computer programming error and is made up of Scott Rowe of Luigi and Magnapop on vocals and guitar, Brandon Arnold of The Preakness on bass, Michael Oakley of The Silent Kids on guitar and Chad Williams of Magnapop on drums. Rowe trades in his usual role of bass player/backing vocalist to highlight his singing and songwriting skills, as well as his rock-guitar prowess. His singing style was a catchy combination of choppy rhythms and scaling choruses, with the notes going up and down the hills of lyrical progression.
Oakley played soaring guitar tangents using his collection of color-coded pedals, making each chord cry and linger. The energetic Arnold bounced about the stage as he provided an equally charged bass line, and Williams kept things speedy with his power-pop/punk drumming. With all the members having other priorities in various Atlanta enterprises, it may be difficult for this group to tour, but those who like any of their counterparts will surely enjoy and appreciate their harmonious pop rock.

-Review & photo by Alex Adan

Johnny Buffalo / Dead Confederate / All the Saints
Lenny’s
Atlanta, GA
April 6, 2007

Johnny Buffalo opened the night with a killer rhythm section and post-punk-inspired non-melodies. The band’s funky, intricate bass lines and heavy drumming provided a unique juxtaposition to the frontman’s disjointed vocals. As the singer haphazardly strummed chords on electric guitar, his delivery ranged from David Byrne-like yelps to deafening, caveman hollers.

The band’s set could have benefited from an extra kick of energy, either in fattening the sound or livening up each member’s stage presence. But those elements will likely develop as experience builds confidence. Even after a rousing medley finale featuring lines from “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” the band shyly announced its departure to allow the “real bands” to take the stage.

Dead Confederate answered the call accordingly. Right from the first luring chord, Dead Confederate demanded attention with a seductive blend of Southern soul and 1970s psychedelia. This band has a way of creating an active experience for listeners, taking them on a ride as songs masterfully rise and fall between tension and beauty. Guitarist Walker Howle’s delicate use of a slide created warm, longing tones that perfectly echoed Hardy Morris’ heartfelt vocals. It’s no wonder this band nabbed the Open Mic Madness title and the onslaught of critical praise that has followed.

Equal in power and presence, kindred souls All the Saints completed the solid line-up. These two bands gel so well together on a bill that it’s hard to imagine one playing without the other. Dead Confederate’s Pink Floyd-inspired melodic nature is matched by All the Saints’ Black Sabbath-like intensity. It is a modern showcase of all the dark, sensual energy that made classic rock so potent.

With just three members, it’s amazing how easily All the Saints filled the room. Even at their most subdued moments, there was a constant, thick blanket of droning bass. Their oversized kick drum reverberated heavily off every window and floorboard in the venue, saturating the air with rhythm and energy. On top of this black-velvet backdrop, frontman Matt Lambert’s explosive guitar riffs and passionate vocals added a fiery, volatile dynamic to the mix.

Either band is remarkable on its own, but the pairing of powerhouses All the Saints with Dead Confederate is a truly divine combination.

-Review & photo by Michelle Gilzenrat

Gringo Star
The EARL
Atlanta, GA
April 11, 2007

It’s been about eight months since the former members of A Fir-Ju Well debuted its new incarnation, Gringo Star. Over that time, they’ve been able to tour the country and England without having to repeat themselves when asked about their name. Thaknkfully, they’ve kept all their old songs, even releasing a self-titled, six-song EP that’s a bit of a greatest hits for people just discovering the group, unaware of their mysterious past.

Gringo Star’s psychedelic, rock ‘n’ roll style sounds like Sgt. Pepper meets Dr. Pepper: classic 1960s bizarro that’s bubbly and invigorated with Southern soul. The entire group takes turns on instruments, so it’s not appropriate to label anyone as “the drummer” or “the bass player.” Nick Furgiuele (pronounced FIR-JU-WELL-A, get it?) mostly sticks to bass and guitar, his brother Peter Furgiuele sings and plays keyboard, drums and guitar. Pete DeLorenzo, who has a solo act under the moniker Jude Stevens, sings and plays keyboard, drums, guitar and bass; and Matt McCalvin plays accordion, drums, bass and guitar. The two Peters are often mistaken as being the brothers of the group since they have similar builds and curly brown hair of the same length.

The addition of keyboards gave a carnival feel to some songs, while McCalvin’s accordion added a solemn and placid air. When they switched vocalists, one got the impression that they still sounded the same, until they sang harmonies together, when each of their vocal styles became distinct. DeLorenzo had a Southern-accented grumble to his mid-pitched voice, and Peter Furgiuele sounded similar, but with more of a hypnotic clarity. Nick had the lower, more mature voice and drew out every last syllable of each word. Each song was like a rollercoaster, starting slow then speeding up. A loop of a moody guitar solo, a curve of clap-along keyboards, the clatter of energetic drums and a sprinkling of appropriate pauses throughout made their song structure reminiscent of Queen, telling a story through various musical stages.
Gringo Star is a resourceful group, using belts and ropes for instrument straps, along with duct tape. Their keyboard was draped with a hand-sewn “Gringo Star” tapestry and McCalvin effectively used an empty beer bottle as a slide. The group is infamous in Atlanta for their unique advertising of upcoming shows. While it’s easy to overlook telephone poles and bulletin boards cluttered with neon colored flyers, it’s hard to ignore a giant piece of painted junk along the side of the road bearing the band’s name and the date of the next show.

It’s this unconventional creativeness that makes Gringo Star’s music so unique and mesmerizing. Their constant rotation on stage keeps the attention of any audience, and the various voices expressed are like reaping the financial benefits of a double feature. Hopefully this time the name will stick and the albums will keep coming.

-Review & photo by Alex Adan

Weszt
Underground Bluz
Orlando, FL
April 14, 2007

Across from the large University of Central Florida campus are many sprawling shopping centers, crammed full of fast-food eateries, and small, specialty clubs that cater to the college crowd. One of these clubs, Underground Bluz, is well-known for its vast selection of micro-brew beers and eclectic mix of music every night of the week. This particular night featured the straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll of Weszt.

Based on the distinctive, opening drumbeats of the first song, “Gala Reef,” as well as the instrumentation on other songs such as “Can’t Erase You” and “I Rely,” it’s obvious that this band builds most of its songs from the drums up. Weszt’s drummer, Michael Pugh, has an elaborate setup that he makes full use of, stretching from one end to the other on song after song.

The four-piece band didn’t have much room to maneuver on the tiny stage, but they managed to uphold their high-energy reputation in spite of it. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Weszt was a blur of movement during every song, while still keeping his feet solidly planted in order to avoid any mishaps. Bassist Bobby Lane looked cramped in his corner but still managed to get quite a workout in his little space.

The band’s namesake, Weszt, is described on their MySpace page as “a difficult, moody, and, perhaps, mentally unstable guitarist/songwriter.” Whether or not that entire description is true is a matter of speculation, but he is certainly talented and entertaining. His powerful, passionate vocals brought every song to life this night. His stories between songs were charming and funny, covering everything from screwing up to pet peeves to women and even to other bands covering his songs; he described the show as being like Storytellers. Lane chimed in, “It’s like a bad Storytellers.”
The band played an extensive list of songs, some from each of their CDs: 2002’s Darkness Shines and the more recent morningafterlife, as well as some not yet recorded. The set also included a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”

The band’s onstage demeanor is carefree — whether it’s playing fast and loose or changing the arrangement of a song as they go along, it’s all part of seeing Weszt live. One gets the impression that it’s never the same show twice, and that alone is worth the price of admission every time.

-Review & photo by Kat Coffin

Alabama Music Festival
Cave 9
Birmingham, AL
April 14-15, 2007

Rapid Randy of Birmingham’s Model Citizen and Backseat Virgins has always had a knack for putting together great local shows. Starting with Anniston’s Room 213 shows and later growing to the 1213 Rock Shows, Randy has created an outlet for a blossoming local music scene starving for ... well, a scene. And it’s all thanks to Randy that Cave 9 was able to host the Alabama Music Festival on April 14 and 15.
Despite an ever-shifting line-up plagued by last-minute cancellations, Cave 9’s Alabama Music Festival managed to conjure up plenty of local artists to pack the bill for two days of non-stop, high-energy performances. The festival kicked off when Henry Dunkle, a seemingly unremarkable young man in a pair of Ray-Bans, set out a cheap music stand, picked up an acoustic guitar and began to sing with a voice that rivaled the finest 1950s rockers. Simultaneously channeling Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash, Dunkle awed the audience with a set of originals and a cover of a 1930s standard or two. But as quickly as he had appeared, Dunkle put away his stand and his guitar and retreated out the door.

Whereas Dunkle’s set was modest in scope, Dai Kaiju‘s act was a perfect counterpoint, with plenty of flash and bang. The band, a strange hybrid of Dick Dale and Kraftwerk, took the stage in their usual Kabuki masks, backed by a full psychedelic light show. Dai Kaiju’s balls-out, techno-drenched surf stylings, coupled with massive stage presence, were almost too much show for a small venue like Cave 9.

A group of very young guys, accompanied by parents and even younger siblings, started setting up after Dai Kaiju’s performance. Their parents helped carry in amps and drums while the band tuned up. The kids, dressed in flannels and jeans, introduced themselves as Dirty Lungs and blazed through a raucous set of frantic and sleazy garage-rock licks that could send the members of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club running to their mommies.

Baak Gwai was next on the bill with some bongo-laden math rock, and was succeeded by a duo of pop-punk bands: Motel Matches and Backseat Virgins. The bands kept the crowd energized with upbeat toe-tappers as the night came to a close with Birmingham’s indie-punk pride, The Nowhere Squares.

The Squares’ ultra-hip, super-nerdy, experimental quirkiness drew the audience, weary after four straight hours of live music, back to the stage. Frontman Paul Wilm bounced around, playing keyboards, singing through a megaphone and awkwardly dancing, concluding the night with the same level of excitement with which it had begun.

The next day started slowly, as the previous night’s audience gradually straggled in, the bulk of them hungover. Thrash-punkers The Unwed Teenage Mothers started the afternoon with a blast of short songs. True to punk form, the act was beset with a lack of organization and communication on stage, but the band was an enjoyable wakeup call.

Filling in for his father’s band, The Shame Idols, Sean Price and his new band, Silent Rebellion, had little stage presence, but made up for it in pure virtuosity. The band of 15-year-olds launched into a series of face-melting metal instrumentals with a cover of Dethklok’s “Thunderhorse” and a few originals thrown in.

Talented rockers The Payoff and a newly reformed Sloprocket headed up the afternoon with short sets, and Henry Dunkle returned with the phenomenal Dan Sartain accompanying on drums.

All That Fuss started the evening shift with a lively disco-punk show that was part Yeah Yeah Yeahs and part Olivia Newton John. Adorned in 1980s work-out spandex, the band had stringers in the audience to inspire crowd participation and constantly jumped offstage themselves, dancing around with cow bells, maracas, tambourines and a melodica.

The Goodnight Nobodies, from Jasper, “where the children never smile and the sun never shines,” followed up with some Southern-styled garage rock.
The final night ended with The Recognition and Model Citizen, both featuring wildman drummer, Matt Gaut.

The festival was successful in the face of its hardships, bringing newly emergent acts to the attention of Birmingham’s music scene veterans and offering more local music than the average concertgoer can handle.

-Review & photo by David Feltman

Ryan McDougall
The Park Tavern
Atlanta, GA
April 15, 2007

April showed its cruel side as the torrential rain and blistering cold disrupted Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival. The crowd that gathered at The Park Tavern for the final festival show tried to brave the weather, but a hole in the tent kept everyone shivering. It was up to singer/songwriter Ryan McDougall to warm everyone’s hearts. Dressed in an old fedora and sporting a full beard, he gave off the feel of a Walt Whitman wooing his audience with his poetic craft. He made a real effort to evoke a yesteryear when folk chroniclers roamed the rails. McDougall wove tales of wandering souls, lovers who couldn’t remain in one place and lonely artists who heard the call of the road.

In truly evocative fashion, he began the show solo as his full band looked on from the stage. There was a vulnerable quality to his performance, as his voice rose up to a falsetto. The gentle tones faltered a little, adding to the feel. He was confident in these moments, as he knew just how far he could push and how willing his listeners were to follow him on his journey. The seductive trails became even more winding as he invited the band to join him. There was a real blues feel in the selection that McDougall offered. He included a Canned Heat song early in the set. He even joked about Dylan. He wanted to go beyond the personal narrative.

McDougall’s band did an excellent job of helping to distinguish the songs. Of particular note was the performance by Second Shift’s Wes Hoffman. Second Shift just cut an album with McDougall in the studio, and Hoffman repaid him with some choice guitar work. His haunting tones were a real departure from the more straight-ahead rock of Second Shift, all of it adding to the intimate quality of the evening. At one point during the show, McDougall obliged one of his female fans with a giant smile. And this said it all. He came to set hearts on fire.

-Kenny Crucial