post arthop show 7/1/10 review

i was too lazy to actually get out and go art hoppin', but i'm always down for the post arthop show. on last night's bill was badandy, ibid, and rademacher.

badandy, who is the bass player for wheels of fortune, had a full band with him, loosely called the badandy's, but they also joked about looking for a new name during their set. i thought they were pretty good, and the sound reminded me quite a bit of ted leo & the pharmacists, but not in a rip off way. i didn't take any video of badandy.

ibid was second on the bill, and i was excited to see him spit rhymes. i talked to him before the show and he told me that it owuldb e a mix of old and new stuff. ibid hadn't performed in like two years, and he was feeling nervous and rusty. as they sound checked, i was also very happy to see destructo bunny on the turntables. i've always thought they worked well together, and they did last night.

here's some vid from last night from ibid:







and this brings us to rademacher. they continue to be on point, and i hope their month long residency in l.a., along with their other shows, help to push them to the next level.

post art hop show review

so, i tried to write up a review of the post art hop show on friday, but blogger was down and i was unable to get it done. now, as the weekend comes to a close, i've got a chance to reflect and write a little about the show.

i didn't feel like driving, and neither did the other person i was sure that was going to the show, so i pitched the idea of walking. we're two strapping young(ish) men and spend a lot of time walking in our neighborhood. however, tokyo isn't quite in our 'hood, but it's not really that far away. i mean, i've walked it in the daytime, and i've ridden my bicycle down there once at night, but i hadn't walked it. it's funny how your mind tricks you on somethings, i almost completely forgot an entire block in the walk. so, by the time we reached tokyo, we were a little warm despite the chill in the air.

since we walked, we arrived around 9:45 and the first act was already on. it was scheduled to be local punk group it'll grow back, but instead it was just their frontman, josh tehee on an acoustic guitar. i had a bit of a difficult time getting into josh's set because it seemed they were still working out the sound system, and proper micing of the guitar. even though i didn't get into the music, i had a good time chatting with josh after his set. he's a funny dude, and i tweeted, "Josh tehee is the poop. funny, talented and an all around nice guy."

after josh was done, it'll grow back came on stage and started to sound check. the first note was so crazy loud that we decided to step outside for a bit. we actually listened to most of their set out there, and it was still pretty loud. for the last few songs we went back in and i made ear plugs out of paper towel to cut a bit off the top. my ears thanked me the next day. i'll be honest, i'm a bit unsure about trumpet solo. they are obviously talented and enjoy what they're doing. but the metal doesn't quite do it for me, and i have a bit of trouble getting into/deciphering the lyrics.

next on stage was the band spider problem, up from the l.a. area. they had a sort of low fi, garage punk sound. i had asked eli from rademacher about them the night before and he said they were good, and that the lead singer was usually rolling around on stage or half naked. there was no half naked, but definitely a lot of stage antics like climbing on stuff, jumping into things, smacking other members of the band. whatever, i was really into the music. it was loud and fast, but very enjoyable. (and yes, i did fashion another set of earplugs from a paper towel for their set as well.) i tweeted about digging the show, and i saw several others from the show had done similar things. i even plunked down the $5 for a cd.

last on the night was our hometown heroes, rademacher. this was my first chance to see them playing with r.c. of el olio wolof on bass. here's my tweets from the show, "holy isht. #rademacher is super dope with radioactive cauliflower on bass. and I'm going 2b deaf tomorrow from all these bands." "if youve ever seen rademacher you need to see rademacher again." "rc reminds me of shel Silverstein. I think it's the beard." the funny thing about the last tweet is that r.c. is a big silverstein fan, and when i mentioned to him he seemed rather happy, and rattled of some silverstein poetry. it was a great cap to the night. seriously, rademacher is as musically tight as i've seen them in a long time. r.c.'s skill on bass is easily observed, and it was great to have malcolm back playing guitar. the songs popped, although there were a few slip ups along the way. but hey, new line ups take a little time to iron out all the creases.

a cab ride later, i was back in my neighborhood and home.

post art hop at tokyo garden

a few weeks back our beloved rademacher had a line up change. i heard it was happening, but didn't blog about it, although i think i did post about it on facebook.

radioactive cauliflower (of elio wolof fame) has joined the band on bass, and malcolm has switched back to guitar. eli's still on drums, which is a good thing.

anyway, rademacher has played a fresno show on a sunday night and i decided not to go. i wish i had because i heard it was a hella good show. i won't make that mistake this thursday. it's post-art hop at tokyo garden, and rademacher is on the bill featuring rademacher's new line up. also, trumpet solo, spider problem and it'll grow back are on set to play. it should be a rather good show.



i'll be there singing along. join me.

post art hop show at tokyo garden

it feels like it's been quite some time since i've been to a post art hop show. honestly, i probably haven't been since november, or maybe december. so, tonight i'm excited to get out and go. and it'll be a good one.



rademacher
light fm
jonah and the whale
$5

show review: wheels of fortune, rademacher + more

ah, the post art hop show. it's a monthly tradition, and generally it's a good time. i've seen a ton of great bands over the last few years and have graciously dropped tons of cash to tommy and toshi. i've also encountered several bands, both local and out of town, whom i've bought cd's from and started to follow.

last night doesn't really fit in to the above description. maybe that's too harsh.

so, the first act was michael k. he was a solo act with an electric guitar. i've seen ted leo play (on t.v.) all by himself with a guitar and rock the crowd. michael k. was no ted leo. i'm not saying his music was bad, because sonically it was fine. it just lacked energy, or anything to pull me in at all.

the second act was yesterday's chonies. i've seen this band play on the sidewalk outside of tokyo garden before and thought they were sorta quirky and interesting. since that time, they've played around town and even been involved in an internet controversy. i know what i like, and i know what i don't like. i don't like yesterday's chonies. as a strange brass band, their music could be interesting. but, it ends up just being a mess. time isn't kept that well, the singing ranges in and out of tune, and it never seems to come together. i will say that i did enjoy some parts, and the washboard actually created a sound that hooked my ear a bit.

wheels of fortune went on third, and it was their cd release show. i like wheels, and have talked about them here before. right from the start there were sound problems, and they seemed to carry through most of the show. seriously, lots of unintended feedback, and the band seemed a little frustrated and rattled. they pushed through, and i commend them for that. i enjoyed the songs, and after the sound issues were cleared up the show seemed to really come together for wheels. unfortunately, by then they were almost done with their set.

rademacher closed out the show, and i honestly was a bit surprised they were even playing. they literally just returned from a midwest tour, by car, on wednesday. in talking to the guys before their set they all seemed a bit weary and in need of a few more hours of sleep. to their credit, that weariness didn't carry over to their set. it seemed pretty crisp and i enjoyed it.

i will say that my main goals of the night were to see wheels of fortune and pick up their cd, as well as rademacher's new ep, and i accomplished those. the bands i wanted to see were enjoyable and i've got some new cd's to listen to.

post art hop @ tokyo garden

that's right y'all, thursday is the beginning of rademacher's residency @ tokyo garden. this week features wrong way drivers, racelegs, and of course rademacher. rademacher will be playing music from their whole catalog so if you really like some old rademacher hits you should go. they'll also be joined by members of other local bands each week, which should be pretty cool.



rademacher, if you're taking requests, i'm calling for 'arguments.'

march post art hop show

it's arthop! that means you should try and stop by ashtree studios and see my four pieces that are a part of the rogue festival. it's free, and it's me.

afterward, hit up tokyo garden and see rademacher and all their deliciousness. this is the first official fresno show w/their newest drummer, eden davis.

9:30 pm, $5.

post arthop show review

last night i went to the post arthop show @ tokyo garden. this is no surprise, as i pretty much go every month. on the bill were the aircrash, aimless never miss, and rademacher. aimless never miss is from the bay area, and their drummer is also in cilian rail, which is a really good instrumental band. the aircrash and rademacher are both fresno bands, and frankly, they both outshined the bay area band. they were all good, so it's not like i'm trying to insult anyone. the aircrash really stood out to me on the night. i'd never seen them, despite the fact that they've been playing around fresno for over with a year.

here's some videos i shot from the show, they're all a little dark (especially the aimless never miss vids) but i hope you enjoy them anyway:

the aircrash



the aircrash



aimless never miss



aimless never miss



rademacher



rademacher



rademacher was really on top of things last night. their sound was very good, and i enjoyed the overall set and it's feel. this was eli's last fresno show with the band, and it was a good one.

post art hop show

guess who's playing this thursday night: rademacher



they've got three shows in three days. that's quite productive of them. the thursday show is one of the last where you can see eli reyes on the skins. well, you can still see him in the fay wrays, but his time with rademacher is almost up.

come out, have a good time and shake your money maker.

january post art hop show

it's actually the 2nd thursday of january, but the it's the tower/downtown arthop on thursday. and that means...post art hop show @ tokyo!



this month's offering:
circles and circles
the love seats
and rademacher

only 5 buckaroonies.

be there, drink with a square.

post art hop show featuring rademacher, the sleepover disaster and death to anders

i'm going to borrow a friend's words to promote the show right now:
"it's not really a post-art hop show without rademacher now is it? the originators and curators of this first thursday phenomenon are at it again, this time with guests (the sleepover disaster (devil in the woods records) and l.a. band to watch death to anders, who have - since their last visit to fresno - released a new record and become big players in the l.a. indie rock scene. good music and good friends always make the post-arthop show the best thing to happen to thursdays since, um, 'must-see tv.' come be a part of it."

taken from december's indie preview in the undercurrent

post art hop reminder #2- the sleepover disaster, death to anders, rademacher

vince from the sleepover disaster told me the show goes in this order:
the sleepover disaster
death to anders
rademacher

post art hop show dec 4

expect to see a ton of promo by me for this show. it will be freakin amazing.

rademacher rocks
sleepover disaster rocks
and death to anders rocks



if you want to come over and listen to any of their albums, you're welcome to.

post art hop show review

some brief thoughts on last night's post art hop show @ tokyo:
the first band (i forgot their name) sucked. and sucked loudly.

the second band, low red land, was really good, albeit a little loud. i bought their cd and the things i liked about them like both guys singing multiple parts @ the same time, their lyrical content, the slamming guitar parts, and the groovy bass all sound much better when properly balanced @ the right levels. i'm not sure who's fault it was, but their set could have been e.q.'d a little better. but they still were good enough that i plunked down $10 for their newest cd.

the third band, rademacher, well, you've heard how i feel about them. they were good again, although i think they were slightly better on tuesday @ the partisan. i think it was a long week for them all, and so maybe they were a bit weary. but they did play a new song that was pretty cool.

post art hop show - malcom sosa, brian kenney fresno, blake jones & the trike shop

what are you doing after 9:30 this thurday? i think i'll have actually gone to some art hop stops (shocking, i'm lazy) and will be heading to the post art hop show @ tokyo garden. this month's show features malcom sosa of rademacher, brian kenney fresno, and blake jones & the trike shop.

$5, 9:30 - and they're getting better @ starting then.

post art hop show

stoners, smoke weed and stare at this picture



the rest of you, come out to the show. it will be great. if you want, you can even hear a sample of death to anders in the latest episode (episode 5) of the view looks good from here fresno.

rademacher
death to anders
thelittlestillnotbigenough

$5
9:30ish start

post art hop show 5/1 nik frietas, david dondero, rademacher

last night was a really good show. el olio was totally absent (no r.c. even) but that didn't hurt the show at all. heck, it may have helped it because it trimmed the time on the line up. 4 bands can be a bit much when you're starting @ 10. having 3 probably allowed the bands to all play a few more tunes.

both nik frietas and david dondero killed it last night. i arrived during frietas' first song, and was instantly drawn into his sound, talent, and confidence on stage. malcom & greer from rademacher joined him onstage for a few numbers, and that was a nice touch.



david dondero was great. he had a nice little band playing with (bass player, drummer, lap slide guitar) and the alt/country sound was going off. his music had a great energy, and he played through a few minor issues (broken string - swapped for a rademacher guitar, mic stopped working - switched out for a different one). he was really receptive of the crowd, and they showed their love in return. it seemed like a good portion knew his stuff, and he even interupted the start of one song to play a request that was shouted out.


david dondero - rothko chapel

rademacher seemed to really enjoy the show last night as well. during their set, it really seemed that they were having fun, playing, singing, shouting along with each other and the crowd. maybe they realized they had to really step it up because the other bands had done so well. or, maybe rademacher is just that good now. whatever it is, they delivered the goods.


rademacher - careful with that


rademacher - playing for fun

post art hop show update

so, i received an email from malcom sosa of rademacher. it seems that el olio wolof won't be able to play @ the post art hop show. however, their front man, rc will be playing a solo set.

for those of you who've been anticipating your first el olio show, you'll have to wait. but, rc is a great singer and guitar player. and, i think he writes much of el olio's stuff, so i'm sure his solo stuff will be interesting, cool, and worth your time.

may day is on the way

it's sunday night, but i'm already thinking of thursday. which, can sometimes be a bit problematic to be thinking that far ahead. you miss things. but, why am i thinking about thursday? two reasons:

art hop. i'm showing again. and, i'm trying to have mostly different stuff up than i currently have @ cafe corazon (crap, i need to take down my show there!) anyway, you can stop by and see my show @ california arts academy - severance location. 1401 n wishon, 5-8 pm.

reason 2 - post art hop show @ tokyo. of course, rademacher will be there. but you know who else will be there? el olio wolof. i've compared them to a "pentecostal tim burton carnival," and i mean it. and, david dondero. don't know him? check out his music here. and, he's got a song called rothko chapel (i hearts mark rothko).

UPDATE: !!!!!! not really sure how i missed his name on the flyer, but nik frietas is also playing. he's a former visialian who has made it sort of big time in the indie scene. well, not sort of big time, but big time indie, whatever that means. there's a good article from the bee about him here.




also, this week adam and i will be recording episode too of the view looks good from here, fresno so expect a new post up over here on wednesday or thursday.

post art hop show update

so, i checked w/rademacher's myspace, and the scheduled line up for tonight's post art hop show is:

gypsy cab
lite fm
rademacher
el olio wolof

$6 (or maybe $5 - flyer says one, rademacher's myspace says other)
tokyo garden
show starts sometime after 9. i'm guessing w/4 bands, it'll be closer to 9 than 10.

i'd have to be dead to not be at this show. fortunately, i'm alive.