MoogFest: A Look Back

 

 

 

This coming Thursday sees the arrival of the annual Thanksgiving holiday here in America. Like everyone else, I'll be eating turkey among family. I'll also be thinking about what I was thankful for this year, and perhaps the thing that pops up the most is live music. I've seen plenty of it this year, mostly great, and one of the highlights was the second annual MoogFest in Asheville, North Carolina.

Friday, October 28



Atlas Sound

My first stop at this year's MoogFest was at The Orange Peel to catch Atlas Sound. With Deerhunter, Bradford Cox tends to mix sprawling psych-rock landscapes with gorgeous melodies. His solo project, Atlas Sound, follows a similar sound, but whereas Deerhunter can get very loud and very rocking, Atlas Sound songs tend to be quieter, more fragile affairs, usually absent of electric guitars. Sitting on a stool in the middle of the stage, Cox played and sang delicate melodies that he would then loop over one another. Songs would build from vocals and guitar to a great wall of sound. This was the third time I had seen Atlas Sound, and while I enjoy Cox's solo performances, I've seen what he's capable of with a band backing him (Atlanta band The Selmanaires backed him at one of those prior shows). While he certainly does a fine job on his own, the songs just sound better when he brings a band along. After catching a few songs, I decided to move along and head over to the Asheville Civic Center.



Tangerine Dream

I must make a confession: prior to MoogFest, I had not listened to one second of Tangerine Dream's music. So when I first walked into the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium half-way through the band's set, I was pleased to hear psychedelic, ambient soundscapes coming from the speakers. This went on for a couple songs. Then things just got..... weird. The music quickly devolved into cheesy, Mannheim-Steamroller-like synth-schlock. Guitarist Bernhard Beibl and saxophonist would play solos that sounded straight out of a 1970's porn flick. While it was interesting to watch leader Edgar Froese experiment with all manner of Moog synthesizers, plus the fact that he looked like some sort of urban witchdoctor with his hat, scarf, glasses, and long white hair, I ultimately walked away disappointed, knowing what the band was capable of.



Moby

 



TV On The Radio

 



Brian Eno's Illustrated Talk



Crystal Castles



Amon Tobin



77 Million Paintings



Active Child



M83



Neon Indian



Passion Pit



Ghostland Observatory



Gold Panda

 

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MoogFest 2012 Announces Dates, Justice Pre-show

MoogFest, the Asheville music festival that celebrates the life and legacy of Bob Moog, has announced the dates for this year's festivities. The third iteration of the festival will be slimmed down to two days, Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27. The full lineup is set to be released mid-July. According to a statement on the fest's website, "the festival will be a little different this year." It is yet to be announced when tickets will go on sale.

A pre-festival show featuring Justice will take place on Thursday, October 25 at the U.S. Cellular Center (formerly the Asheville Civic Center Arena). The show will require a separate ticket. More info can be found here.

EOT94 Hillsborough Street 6/19/12

Eye on the Triangle takes a look at N.C. State's Hillsborough Street this week.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT94_061912.mp3

Lower Dens Mesmerize at Kings

Lower Dens have had a good year. With the release of "Nootropics" in early May and overwhelmingly positive reviews afterwards, they have had one of the greatest stretches in their still young career. On top of this recent success recording, I took the trip to see how it would translate live at Kings during their show on Thursday June 21.

The evening kicked off with a non-musical act, something not expected and pretty entertaining. Alan Resnick took the stage as a man who has created the perfect digital copy of himself. His set continued as the comfortably awkward, passive-aggressive comedian interacted with his computer generated likeness albeit somewhat unsuccessfully, all as a part of the joke. It was a new and pleasing experience, as his set was fast enough to keep things moving and different and entertaining enough to keep the experience fresh.

Next it was time for No Joy to shine, a band I had only the minimal amount of experience with before. Their mid-tempo rock could range everywhere from slower hazy surfer rock to faster paced, mid-tempo Yuck-esque drone. If anything, their show demonstrated the growing sense of potential that the band has moving forward, something altogether exciting to look forward to.

However, the highlight of the night was clearly to be expected in Lower Dens' performance. It was a fairly even mixture of tracks from their new album "Nootropics" and "Twin-Hand Movements." The sound, which was once again excellent in Kings, proved to be one of the key factors in the success of the show. Their tracks came across as clearly as the record would have intended, and their precision was so spot on that you could tell there was a real sense of chemistry between each of the members. There was a consistently dreamy atmosphere surrounding Kings, as constantly changing patterns reflected on the band and the back of the stage complimented the beautiful shoe-gaze tracks that Lower Dens played. For a show that was not particularly long, it felt as if the show had been going on for days. However, this was the kind of show where you would not mind. One beautiful track after another accumulated for a hypnotizing performance and an amazing night for music in downtown Raleigh.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GafB7NQvQWg&feature=player_embedded

Insect Minute – The Wonderful World of Bees!

Furry, colorful and industrious bees radiate a charisma that people are naturally drawn to. After all, they produce the celebrated product, honey, and pollinate crops and gardens. Like most people, I knew there were three kinds of bees: the honey bee, the bumblebee and the carpenter bee. What I did not realize until I started studying bees, is that there are over 20,000 species of bees world wide and that these represent only a small portion of the bee diversity out there. There are over 3,500 species in the United States!

Bees are in the order Hymenoptera which also includes wasps, ants and sawflies. Bees and wasps are commonly confused with one another or perceived as names that are interchangeable. Bees and wasps share some attributes; like a similar body plan and they are both holometabolous insects. (A much cuter explanation of metamorphosis) There is one very big thing that sets them apart, their diets! Bees are strictly vegan, preferring to forage on pollen and nectar, whereas most wasps mix other arthropods into their diets.

Common Misconceptions:

1. Bees bite: Well, not usually. Bees have mandibles but they do not typically use them in defense. The main mode of defense is the stinger, a modified egg-laying structure, found only in females. Males are largely defenseless.


2. Bees and Wasps are the same thing: It’s true that they are related and very similar anatomically, but there are some major differences. As mentioned above, their diet. Most bees are much fuzzier than wasps, having branched hairs that help them collect pollen.


3. All bees live in hives: Honey bees do, but most bees are solitary which means they live on their own provisioning their brood cells with pollen and nectar. They typically rest on the backs of leaves, in crevices, or in their unfinished brood cell.


4. Bees attack people: When a honey bee hive is disturbed the bees may give chase, but most bees will not. In this instance the bees are defending their hive and are attempting to scare off a perceived danger to the colony. Typically bees, including foraging honey bees, are quite docile and are unlikely to react to your presence. In my studies working with bees, I have petted a bee on it abdomen while it foraged and it responded by simply flying away.


5. Bees are only black and yellow: So not true!! Many are black with some hue of yellow, but they come in a rainbow of colors. Check out this beautiful metallic green sweat bee. Gorgeous!

photo by bob in swamp

Transcript of Insect Minute 1 – Bees:
Hi this is Heather with your Insect Minute brought to you by WKNC and the NC State Insect Museum.
When you think of bees you may immediately think honey bee or perhaps the fuzzy bumble bee or a wood loving carpenter bee that is boring holes into your back porch as I speak.
BUT BEES ARE SO MUCH MORE DIVERSE!
You may be surprised to find out that there are over 20,000 different species of bees in the world! and that there are over 3500 here in the United States. Most bees are not social like honey bees. They may live as solitary insects or in small groups with a queen and a handful of female offspring to assist in collecting pollen and nectar for the next generation.
Bees also come in a myriad of colors…
We are all familiar with yellow and black bees, but they also come in green, blue, purple, and even rainbow! It is their diversity that makes them able to occupy many different habitats and act as effective pollinators!
If you’d like to learn more about the diverse world of bees visit the museum’s website at insectmuseum.org where you find out about our museum and read our blog where we talk about interesting stuff going on in the world of entomology.

http://interviews.wknc.org/InsectMin01_Bees.mp3

Eye on the Triangle tonight!

Hey Everyone,

We've got another show today! There are a lot of changes happening in the NC State University area, so in today's show we've got two stories on that topic. One is about the Hillsboro roundabout changes and the other about some stores on Hillsboro that are scheduled to be torn down shortly. Then, we give a bit of insight into the Wolfline Driver that passed away in December. Lastly, Deondre' brings us his restaurant highlight of the week. It's shaping up to be a great show.

Easy Listening,

Public Affairs

EOT93 Amendment One Special 6/5/12

Economic: There's an old saying about politics; "It's the economy, stupid." What kind of economic impact would Amendment One have on North Carolina? Jake went to find out more.

Legal: By it's very nature, a constitutional amendment carries enormous legal implications for citizens all around hte state. Deondre' went in search of just how it is this amendment will change the legal face of our state.

Sociological: Everyone can talk about the legal and economic effects of an amendment like this. But at the end of the day, it affects real people.

Restaurant of the week: Centro, a mexican restaurant in downtown Raleigh.

http://interviews.wknc.org/eot/EOT93_060512.mp3

Bonnaroo in Review

Last year was my first Bonnaroo, and I knew as I left the arch still dazed by Explosions in the Sky's performance that I would return for the 2012 installment. And it didn't disappoint.

Being a little more well-versed this year in what to bring (water water water water water..and glowsticks) we packed up the car and headed on the 9-hour drive to Tennessee.

DJ Kligz made some killer flower crowns for everyone:

Thursday, Centeroo opened before any bands started, so we explored the not-as-music-related activities:

Once the music got going, we checked out Rubblebucket at the Solar Stage. If you're a triangle native, you may be familiar with them from Shakori Hills or when they opened for Tin Can Sailor at The Pour House. Funky and dancey, they put on one of the most fun shows all weekend. Word around the farm was Feist went to oneof their performances during the weekend too.

Next, I pretty much stayed at The Other Tent: The Cave Singers, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., White Denim and Phantogram. The crowd was absolutely massive for all of these -- we luckily had a spot on the right side up against the fence for most of this though. Sing-a-longs and long jam sessions kept the crowd happy.

Friday was packed with some of my favorite performances of the weekend.

At the Kooks, we ran into DJ Bex in front of Which Stage. They were as fun as you'd expect them to be and covered old songs as well as tunes from their most recent album, "Junk of the Heart (2011)."

I hopped over to That Tent to see Ben Howard -- easily one of the best feeling concerts of the weekend. I realize I put Tune-yards on the back burner for this (still caught the last 30 minutes of their set, which included "Gangsta," "Bizness," and "My Country"), and I don't regret it one bit. If you haven't listened to Ben Howard, you should. The crowd was mesmerized and the band's instrumentation was beautiful. Ben, I love you.

Two Door Cinema Club, who played at This Tent (these names aren't confusing at all, right?), had a crowd so large that is was backed up to the Mushroom fountain -- where paint-covered patrons cool off and attempt to get faux-showers. We went to see Laura Marling instead, who is as beautiful as you'd expect with effortless and smooth playing. After our ice-filled bandanas melted, we claimed some space at What Stage for The Avett Brothers. Their opening song was "Will You Return" which I couldn't have been happier about. They play both slow and fast hits throughout their performance, as well as covered two Doc Watson songs. As NC natives, there's no doubt he was a big influence on them.

As with any music festival, you should always check out the bands a little off the beaten path -- hit the smaller stages and tents. Jukebox the Ghost followed The Avett's performance at the Destination Escape Tent. The band's energy was contagious. They not only played songs off their June release "Safe Travels," but also did a super fun cover of "I Will Love You Forever."

And there was no way I couldn't reminisce about middle school and stop to dance when Ludacris played classics like "Roll Out," "Move B*tch," and "Stand Up." Apparently there was also a life-size Justin Beiber cardboard cutout floating around the crowd, too. Foster the People had an equally large crowd, backed up to the point you could hardly see, despite the single big screen on the side of the stage. They had a cool set up though, with lights, neat backdrops -- oh, and at least a two-story inflatable ghost monster thing that came out during "Pumped Up Kicks." There was a mad rush to What Stage in preparation for Radiohead's 10PM performance. They had puppet lights set up, which were moveable LED panels that changed position with each song. This was an iconic performance, and after Thom Yorke dedicated "Supercollider" to Jack White with a cryptic message, we can only wonder what's next for them.

Saturday Agenda: Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, The Temper Trap, Punch Brothers, SBTRKT, Mogwai, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice Cooper, Superjam (?estlove with D'Angelo), Skrillex

We waited in line for the pit for The Temper Trap, giving us a front and center view of the show. Not to mention watching Charles Bradley was a great start to the day with his feel-good soulful tunes. Seeing The Temper Trap without colorful lights was a little odd to me,  but they still did the water-filled drum solos they're known for. Drawing a lot of the songs from their self-titled June release, they still hit on most of the favorites from their previous album "Conditions (2009)" ("Drum Song," "Science of Fear," "Down River," "Sweet Disposition").

Punch Brothers were somehow dressed in suits. While they looked classy, I can't fathom how they weren't dying. The heat was as bad as last year by any means and I believe stayed under 90 the whole weekend, but I still think anyone wearing long sleeves was a little insane. Seeing them perform, regardless, made me respect them a lot more. I'm fairly sure Chris Tile (mandolin, vocals) can rock harder and play faster than most speed-metal guitarists.

Switching from bluegrass to electronic, we moved over to SBTRKT, the London-based DJ.  Usually I'm not a fan of seeing electronic music live for the musicianship -- I expect them to press a few buttons and dance around with a hint of emceeing. This was different. Moving all around the stage with his collaborator Sampha, they really made it something to watch to. There was even a drum set for a song or two.

Their final song came and Kligz and I pushed our way to the front as fast as we could. If you know me, you know I love post rock, and if you love post rock, you love Mogwai. Around since 1997 ("Mogwai Young Team"), they've made their heavy mark on the genre. And being from Scotland, they don't frequent the US very much. Needless to say, I was ecstatic. The only thing that broke my hypnotic trance during their stellar performance was a band of Teletubbies that danced to the front of the crowd, hugged everyone, and left. Hashtag Bonnaroo.

Just when I thought my mind had recovered from their show, Red Hot Chili Peppers started. As a side note, I should say RHCP were one of the bands that my parents and I all enjoyed, so it was one of the go-to's growing up. I've probably listened to "Californication (1999)" more than any other rock album and Flea has been my favorite bassist since I knew what one was.  This show is partially why I'm just now regaining my voice.

I promised my mom I'd see Alice Cooper. It was cool, and everything you'd expect at an Alice Cooper show -- eyeliner, studded jackets, raised drumset, cocky pacing around stage. He's still got it.

I don't have pictures of either of these, but the Superjam and Skrillex finished the night. The Superjam was killer, Roots drummer ?uestlove led the jam, with originals and covers ranging to Zeppelin. This was prematurely interrupted as soon as Skrillex turned on his computer, radiating bass from the What Stage to the Mushroom Fountain in front of This Tent. It was a weird place to be, the intersection of two polar opposite types of music. We gave in and went over. In a raised platform, Skrillex was illuminated by a huge LED screen behind him and it rained glowsticks everytime the beat dropped.

As soon as we got back to our camp, it started raining -- very atypical for Bonnaroo. The rain continued until the next day, misting on and off for Sunday.

I found a band I hadn't heard of on Sunday - Sister Sparrow and The Dirty Birds. Brooklyn-based with nine members, their sound is a blend of rock, ska, blues and soul. We saw Fruit Bats (lovely, as always) and Grouplove (it was too crowded to see them, which took away a lot of the splendor of their performace), and I wish I would have seen The Black Lips. While en route to other concerts, they sounded like a lot of fun. We endured what we could of Mac Miller (sorry if you like him -- not my cup of tea at all.. but he had a big backwards neon hat-wearing crowd that was really into it) to get a good spot for Ben Fold Five. This was their second show after reuniting as a whole band. They were all smiling from ear to ear, and Ben snapped some pictures of the crowd. Between songs were some silly stories and comments about their weekend. They played so hard Ben broke a string -- on a piano. When does that happen?

The last show I saw of the weekend was The Shins, who followed BFF. Besides being surrounded by hardcore fans, we also spotted some celebs, like McLovin' and other artists from the weekend. Beach balls flew around, everyone danced, and somehow the webstream made it look like it was sunny outside. Maybe that's just another effect The Shins have.

All in all, amazing weekend.

See you next time, roo.