Category Archives: Other People's Shows

A Brief Interview with Daniel Higgs

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(a picture of Daniel Higgs performing at Bard College in May, 2007 by the author.)

The music of Daniel Higgs — who is playing in Louisville tonight at Lisa’s Oak Street Lounge (10 PM, $5) — is sometimes difficult to understand in its simplicity, but very rewarding given the effort. I sent him a few questions (for an aborted feature in LEO Weekly), and Swingset Magazine published the results here:

Daniel Higgs does not have a publicist. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have a manager or a booking agent, either. He occasionally obscures his identity by adding extra middles names, such as “Belteshazzar” or “Arcus Incus Ululat.” In the liner notes to some of Lungfish recordings on which he’s sung, he’s not credited with his proper name. There’s no official Daniel Higgs web site, no MySpace page, no Facebook profile. And certainly no digital press kit, or any high-resolution jpegs.

What Higgs does have is a crucially singular approach to the song, an approach that is so unique and intensely beautiful that few musicians alive in the world today can match its power. That is no mere exaggeration. And he achieves his sound with only his voice, a long-necked banjo and, occasionally, a jaw harp.

The Baltimore-based Higgs has been performing in public since his band Reptile House formed in the 1980s, and for the past two decades has been the front man for Dischord recording artists Lungfish (currently on an unofficial hiatus from recording and touring). His solo material – which has been released by labels such as Holy Mountain and Thrill Jockey – is substantially different from his previous bands. Generally he’s alone and unaccompanied. Yet there’s a power to this solo music that is similar to the locomotive strength of Lungfish’s proto-punk propulsion.

In anticipation of his upcoming performance in Louisville on April 26th with Massachusetts improviser Bill Nace and Louisville duo Shakey, consisting of George Wethington (of Speed to Roam) and Peter Townsend (of King Kong), I sent Higgs a few questions in an attempt to unravel the mysteries involving his music. What I got in reply were concise, one-sentence responses – but not to every question.

Over the years, you’ve either listed pseudonyms on Lungfish releases, and now you add great middle names such as Belteshazzar. Is there a reason for the name changes? Do you find a certain comfort in relative anonymity, or is it just a sort of puzzle for your listeners to decode?

The changing extranyms reflect a desire, at times, for a more precise identification of oneself, in relation to certain tasks-at-hand.

In an age when so much music is mediated by marketing and commercial concerns — even with declining record sales — is there also a certain comfort in doing things “the old-fashioned way,” ie. releasing physical records/cassettes and touring? To what degree should music be allowed to speak for itself?

To sing with the body in-and-through space-time (unto Godhead) is sufficient.

What preparations and adjustments do you need to make in order to sing? That is, how does singing affect you emotionally, spiritually and physically? What do you need to do to let your voice sing?

Preparation: awareness of immediate degree of ignorance, and a mindful, heartful offering of songs as-they-occur.

Do songs exist beyond time? Can they?

I can not here and now explain to you the way in which songs exist.

Do your songs have a point when they feel “finished” to you? That is, can a song continue even after the musician finishes playing it? Do you see recording a song as just one version of an eternal song?

You spend a considerable amount of time on the road — what aspect of live performance do you find essential? In the moments on tour when you’re not playing, what experiences strike you as most like your songs?

The rest of the questions will have to remain unanswered at this time.
Thank You, Daniel.

UPDATE, 4/27: LEO Weekly actually ran a condensed version of my introduction as a staff pick. Unfortunately it was kinda buried on their web site, so if you missed it (as I did) it’s here: http://events.leoweekly.com/?p=1567 (scroll all the way to the bottom).

Some Old Fliers from Old Times

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Crown Hate Ruin Flier

Nick Hennies, one of my oldest Louisville friends and a member of the Weird Weeds (and former member of Telephone Man and Nero), recently unearthed some old fliers, some of which I “designed,” so I thought I’d share them with you, all two of my readers. The one above was, as you can see, for a show at the long-gone Ground Zero Records (when Ed had a basement for impromptu shows) by Washington, D.C.’s excellent the Crownhate Ruin and Nero. Unfortunately, Crownhate (which featured Fred Erskine from Hoover and June of 44) had to cancel as they got a flat or something on the way there, so the False Start played instead. Who were the False Start? Well they were a fucking awesome band consisting of Jesse Lebus (my best friend from high school and also the man behind the Rattlesnake Kit and Imagineagents, two fantastic but basically unheard Louisville bands), his brother Morgan (now works at Domino Records here in NYC), their half-brother Jeffrey Treitz and Sebadoh member and man-about-town Jason Lowenstein. Somehow as audacious teenagers Jesse and I got to be friends with Jake because we’d give him tapes of our intentionally-horrible cover band Leafpile (our m.o. was to “cover” songs by playing along with them, taped to air using two boomboxes in my mom’s basement), and he’d give us his Sparkalepsy tapes (get in touch, Jason! I still have that one tape you wanted).

Sevens/Sorts

This next flier I made for a show that Nick put on, but I wasn’t able to go to as I was back at Bard, beginning the second semester of my junior year. The Sevens and The Sorts were both from D.C., again. I guess it wasn’t that far for bands to get to Louisville, though some of it is some rough driving through stretches of West Virginia. Anyway the D.C.-Louisville connection probably goes back to Minor Threat playing there, so I guess it makes sense. Anyway, too bad I couldn’t make this one.

Storm and Stress (and storm!)

This last flier is from a mega-show I booked during the fall semester of my senior year, with five bands. Of course, one of the bands was Julia Schagene, which consisted of Nick, Drew Wilson and Andrew Drummond who was visiting the US from Sheffield, UK. They drove all the way from Chicago through an ice storm (taking about 20 hours for what would otherwise be a 13-hour drive) to play, and I paid them $150 (loved that college money!). The other bands were fantastic, but hampered a bit by the early snowstorm that kept attendance pretty weak. Anyway, all those names you should know. I’d be worried if you didn’t. And it was a fun time.

Update 8/16/07: Here’s the first of a few related albums for you to check out – more on the way:

Nero, s/t (1997) – anybody who calls it “the Dune Concept album” gets a slap in the face.
The Crownhate Ruin, Until the Eagle Grins (1996)
Brother JT and Vibrolux, Music for the Other Head (1995)

Dinosaur Jr.’s Equipment Stolen

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In the more-shitty-news department, this just came in via teh internets:

Listed below is a list of gear that was stolen out of the Dinosaur Jr trailer last night (Tuesday 8.29.06) outside of their hotel in Long Island City, NY. We would appreciate spreading the word and passing this list around in hopes of recovering their gear. Feel free to send this list to any and all band, tour and production managers, guitar freaks, touring personnel, venues, musicians and or thieves that you think could help us.

If anyone has any information about this gear, please call Brian Schwartz at 303.998.0001 or Bart Dahl at 212.777.0922. Thanks

Guitars:

1959 Fender Jazzmaster SN.. 38927.
-decal coming off. cracked headstock at top near low E peg. color black with purple/bluish sparkle coming through. adonized pick guard gold metal. tuneomatic bridge gold, tuning pegs gold.

1961-3 Fender Jazzmaster SN.. 62012.
-purple sparkle, black pickup covers. headstock repaired, a whole new piece of wood was glued on for the top part of the headstock under the tuners and up a 1/2 , along the whole top of the headstock. gold tuneomatic bridge, gold tuners

1964-5 Fender Jazzmaster SN.. L21581.
-orange, white pearl pickguard, stickers we’re all over it, original tuners.

Fender Purple Jazzmaster new SN.. R074329.
-purple sparkle with matching headstock gold adonized guard tuneomatic bridge.

Rory Gallagher Stratocaster new SN.. R25507.
-has a big gold grover tuning peg on low E

Rickenbacker 197? Fireglo Bass SN.. 4001.
-checker-board binding.

B.C. Rich Warlock Bass SN.. 4242413

Custom pedal board with custom audio electronics RS-10 foot controller, Teese RNC2 wah pedal, boss stage tuner, mute box, and cables.

Cymbals:
[1] Paiste 20″ 2002 medium
[1] Paiste 20″ giant beat
[1] Paiste 20″ 2002 crash
[2] Paiste 19″ 2002 crash
[2] Paiste 15″ 2002 sound edge top hi-hats
[1] 15″ 2002 sound edge bottom hi-hats

One Black backpack with Sony headphones, tools, etc.

I was all set to write a review of their awesome show last night at Warsaw with Mouthus and Blood on the Wall (I may still), but this definitely puts a damper on the proceedings.

MAGIK MARKERS/MONOTRACT/MOUTHUS/PANOPTICON EYELIDS at the Hook, 8/5/2006

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My ridiculously over-booked social schedule (no, really!) has me running all over town, and at no time was that more evident than last weekend, when I managed to make it from the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center (to see “Not a Photograph: The Mission of Burma Story”) at 6, up to Harlem to walk my friends’ dog by 8, and then out to Red Hook to catch this show. Thankfully, a car was involved, otherwise that’d be way too long on the subway.

Montreal noise-rock quartet Panopticon Eyelids kicked off the show, and unfortunately I don’t have any crappy cellphone camera shots of them. But they were quite the debonair Quebec’ers, singing such things as “AARON’S BALLS!” really really loudly. Really good in a AmRep-meets-now style. Mouthus followed, and in their inimitable way, they smoked. I have to admit, despite loving them a ton (and thinking they’re swell guys to boot), they can sometimes not deliver live. This was not an issue Saturday, and might’ve been one of the better Mouthus shows I’ve seen – though not as good as the show I did with them at the Palace that like nobody came to.

I first saw Monotract way back when in Chicago when they were on tour with Russ Waterhouse and a very young Joel St. Germain, and they’ve definitely changed a bit since then, adding more electronics to their sound. Honestly, I wasn’t too into them before, but Saturday’s show really brought out the best, even though they had some technical equipment issues. Their new album, XPRMNTL LVRS (I’ll be reviewing this soon for City Paper), has some strangely weird pop moments on it, and I think I like that side of the ‘Tract more and more.

Magik Markers are, in a word, unfuckwithable (if that’s a word).

Seriously I cannot think of another group of people who manage to walk into any live situation and just completely own it in the way they do. Not in the “fantastic performer” sense, because yeah I guess “anyone” can do this (which is the complaint of the common dumbass – no your five year-old can’t paint better than Picasso, either), but there’s something about their mind-melding musical ways that just transcends the “noise” thing. Pete and Elisa are just amazing, no matter who they play with (this time it was with Greg Weeks Steve Gunn, I think – I’m not up on my noisicians much any more), and this show was no exception.

And on one last note: props to Tony Rettman for playin’ fruity tunes!

Awesome Color, Awesome Color CD (Ecstatic Peace!)

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Today’s City Paper contains my review of the Awesome Color CD, out now on Ecstatic Peace!. Check it out:

Rocking a serious Stooges-esque-or is that Stoogian?-vibe comes rather easily to Brooklyn-via-Michigan’s Awesome Color. The band’s self-titled debut is one of the finest examples of today’s version of yesterday’s heavy guitar rock action. Far be it for us to start declaring that an actual movement is afoot or anything, but the past few years have definitely seen a resurgence in a hairy, expressive, hard-rockin’ guitar thing that–despite some of our younger, lamer tendencies to suppress childhood memories of ZZ Top–we can’t get enough of. And thankfully, despite residing in New York, Awesome Color thoroughly rejects any lame “rock is back,” wannabe new wave crapola.

From the first chords of opener “Grown,” you know the louder-than-three-people-should-be (think Blue Cheer) AC is gonna bring it. Indeed, the opening two-thirds of Awesome Color is just about as sweaty as rock gets, even after being laid down in a sterile studio environment and pressed to little plastic discs (and even when Thurston Moore’s behind the console). And while the vocals aren’t as wild with abandon as Iggy’s, Awesome Color’s endlessly repeated holy mantras like “it’s your time” set a pattern for ultramelodic guitar leads to follow along in a gospel-esque-there’s that suffix again-call and response. Clearly the path to heaven, or at least Ann Arbor, runs through Awesome Color.

In other news, The Red Krayola was totally amazing at Northsix last night. 2-hour set, new stuff followed by all the hits. Great action and vibe. UPDATE: you can watch some great videos of the Red Krayola live in Chicago last year at their band page at Drag City.

One last: is anybody reading this damn thing? Drop a comment if y’are.

SLEATER-KINNEY/THE ROGERS SISTERS at Webster Hall, 8/2/06

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Not a review as such, as of course I am biased (how many times will I write that over the next few years?), but last Tuesday’s final-ever Sleater-Kinney show in New York City was pretty hot. I mean that literally, as it was one of the hottest days the summer had seen, and didn’t really abate much once the sun went down. After experiencing pretty terrible service at Republic (to be fair, the food when it finally arrived was tasty), my good friend Lisa and I high-tailed it over to Webster Hall, much to the chagrin of those who couldn’t partake in the sold-out action.

As I am the product manager for The Rogers Sisters, I exploited what priveledge I could (ha!) to get tickets and passes, which was nearly impossible since it was announced that they were opening well after tickets had sold out (that’s right, so don’t get all jealous – nobody else from the office got to go). It’s not just “the job,” though: I’ve been friends with Jen and Laura for nigh on a billion years (ok, not that long), and passing up the chance to see them in such a great venue where the audience was totally jazzed would’ve been criminal. And you know what? The Rogers delivered, like all git-out. I ain’t just saying that. After years of seeing them play (and that includes the very excellent, very under-rated Ruby Falls), this might’ve been the absolute best time I’ve seen them, and that includes lots of shows going back over ten years. Salud, Sisters!

I’m sure I’ll draw even more ire when I say that I have never been a S-K fan, but it’s the truth, I haven’t. The only other time I’ve seen them was when they opened for Guided By Voices (another non-fave I have respect for, but ain’t really into) at Central Park Summerstage back in ’97 (in the Matador internship days), and at the time I thought the vocals were too shrill (a la Belinda Carslile), and the music not “interesting” enough. Well, despite not knowing their songs at all (and only really having listened to The Woods twice, which is twice more than the rest of all their records), I have to say they also totally killed it that night. The crowd enthusiasm alone was enough for any decent band to feed on, but these girls shore did get stronger with every crazed round of claps, yells and hollers. It’s hard not to enjoy yourself when a band holds the audience in its pocket in such a way. So to the gals of S-K, I say, congratulations on a career well-rocked.

OAKLEY HALL, MIKE WEXLER, BLACK TAJ and ENDLESS BOOGIE at Mercury Lounge, 7/21/06

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Fuck yeah! What this blog needs is more crappy, blurry pictures! In fact, that’s what all blogs need, amirite? Er, yeah, I guess not. Anyway, Friday night, after an incredible catfish dinner (complemented by potato salad, mac n’ cheese, cole slaw and beer) with my friends in Titan at Pies and Thighs under the Williamsburg Bridge, I raced back across to catch this show – sort of an Amish Records showcase with guests – at the Mercury Lounge. Endless Boogie had the rare first-opener slot, and I was worried with all that great Southern-style cookin’, I might have to be late. But I got there right on time, and proceeded to rip into some more beers while the Boogie ripped into their set. And what a set it was: new stuff, front-loaded at the beginning, that sounded fresh, while the last song (always forgetting or making up the titles) was an oldie but goodie. Mike “Miighty Flashlight” Fellows was behind the soundboard, and that led to one of the better vocal performances by wildman Paul Major. Score.

Second up was Polvo/Idyll Swords/many-other-NC-bands-I’ve-never-heard-of veterans Black Taj, whose self-titled album on Amish contains many sublime moments. Maybe it was just the grease congealing, but live they carried much more of a Southern swagger than the record. Then again, maybe it was just the volume, too. Dave Brylawski, one of Black Taj’s guitarists and its only NYC resident, has been one of my favorite guitar players since seeing Polvo way back when (memorable show: when they played at Bard, it was under two gigantic papier mache’d joints – gotta love those college kids!) (also at the same show Stephen Malkmus was attending in disguise, so as not to be recognized by same college kids). Black Taj, while definitely being more prog than Polvo with changes and instrumental sections galore, still have some rockin’ numbers filled with that special sort of twisted melodicism that made the latter band so great. Except the curried lamb and tabouli has been replaced with fried catfish and slaw.

By the point Mike Wexler hit the stage, I was getting a bit lit. Which didn’t detract from the music at all, but I did find it a bit hard to concentrate on Wexler’s reedy vocal tones. Don’t get me wrong, I like that particular style, but I have to be in the right mood. Wexler’s band is whip-sharp, though, and the songs are pretty damn good. I had a better time watching him play in Austin last March, drinking nearly-free Pabsts under a tent with my buddy Cliff, but that doesn’t mean I don’t recommend his tunes.

Headliners Oakley Hall, back in town on a rest between tours with Calexico, M. Ward and the Constantines, are every bit of deserving of the great press and turnouts they’ve been getting. Consistently one of the best and most-hard working bands in New York, Friday night’s set was a psychedelic barn burner, complete with almost incomprehensible (to my drunken eyes, anyway) projections. Totally rad, almost makes me wish I’d been a bit more sober for it. Next time, then.

PRETTY GIRLS MAKE GRAVES this Sunday, and it’s FREE

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Check it out. Pretty Girls Make Graves are playing at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York for FREE this Sunday. Free ICE CREAM is also provided, and Brooklyn Brewery beers are on tap. Should be a good time!

Friday Night Jams

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be there or be… somewhere else.