CMJ 2005 wrap up

So fantastic and low key, my CMJ 2005 mostly because I avoided the drama and hype by going to the path of least resistance. Highlights:

Thursday Dandy Warhols: My hype show, of sorts: Keep an eye for Williamette Week coverage. No opener, packed house at CB's (my last time there? I was a little sad but realized I hadn't been there since I last played there, and that, my friends, was a long time ago!). Most of the set was first two albums, just rumbly and gorgeous oblivion. A capella "We Used To Be Friends" with Courtney wearing a towel on his head was one of the more touching moments.

Mixel Pixel at Piano's: My recent Grooves piece on them might give you some idea, but I really love this band. Goofy, a little scrappy but all there musically and lyrically, with a sort of ridiculously charming live show involving homemade videos by the band, Paper Rad and Retard Riot while the three jangle video-game inspired sad tales of love and tornado-induced loss in front. The bass player also is like a sweet terrycloth spitting image of Sasha F-J, no kidding.

Friday: The Providence Noise show at the Hook: ha ha ha, love Whiney and that he got these weirdos together under the banner of CMJ seriousness. Caught R.L Stein and Friends: a nine-piece noise group sounding like AMM if it were fronted by Animal - shirtless dude with a contact mic collar and rope around his foot, dragging cymbals, flip kicking headstands danger danger destroy the set, "hey we're the opening band an no one is here but other noise people." Life lover and friend Lucky Dragons new material involves a carpet made by friend Muffy that the crowd crouches 'round, touching the metal-weaved strips and each other to change the sound. Luke is my hypercolor future hippie genius friend! Nautical Almanac was a three piece tonight with a dude on weird stand-up circuit box thing plus the usual suspects on violin, bass and shouts - organicly weird clean clear sound. Then Kites, my Provi-noise crush - doing a more subdued big amp inferfaced by tiny stand up bent box controller and mic he swung like those things kids at raves swing, broke the thing then used line noise to sculpt stompbox sound - sounds boring, it was fucking awesome. He's a genius. Avoided DFA and talked tinyness with Luke night and next day. Fantastic and needed.

Friday: Mixel Pixel at Standard Tap: Not as good a show and my first time in the venue - which is a cinderbox monolith of bad sound. Video worked better at Piano's bc of clean surfaces. Was dumb to charge admission for a showcase and let in now badges.

5RC/KRS at Knitting Factory: Caught BARR, old drummer of my tenure in Dopo Yume (as per CB's entry) doing his post-spoken word ackwardly clever in your face art politics b-boy thing. I like this for him so much, and the audience was so in to it and Brendan just radiates weirdly positive energy. Will be in my Masters, watch out.

Caught part of Excepter, who I'd never seen, and was so put off by the vox, as were apparently lots of folks, though the synth boogie beats were fabu.

Dissed at S.O.B's where apparently everyone was jamming Coco Rosie (arghgh) so I couldn't see Supersystem demolish !!! at their own game. Sigh. Home again home again.

Saturday: Galapagos Secret Eye Showcase. Let me tell you this showcase made my festival! Friends Black Forest/Black Sea, from Providence, opened and set the tone with earthy-eyed space jams. Love to Miriam, math goddess and part of my cello rocker posse. The Big Huge is a fastidious two-piece from Baltimore that sounds like Tracy Chapman singing Nick Drake songs on the Appalacian dulcimer and accordion. Some newly made friends said "this music is just what people in Manitoba are craving" okay? An untapped market? I have to say, midnight birthday girl Larkin Grimm sort of stole the show tho - that girl can sing scary well, looking like I imagine Billie Holiday did, that three-quarter profile smile, all round cheeks, just howling howling. Saw friends Long Live Death live for the first time - true post-elvin minimal fairie rock with a touch of Lizard King swagger. And Fursaxa who I think I like better recorded - she always seems so unchangably sad there with her air organ loops, I want to give her a hug.

And with that, I wandered off into the full moon after summer perfect Saturday night back to my house to read and get my mind straight for this morning, when I FINISHED A DETAILED OUTLINE OF MY MASTERS!!! yay to me!