They gave up their day jobs and found a nice career
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 23, 2006
An urban legend surrounds veteran English reggae group UB40 regarding its name. The story goes that the band's members met in the unemployment line, in British parlance the “dole queue.” Thus, they named the band after the requisite form one fills out to apply for unemployment in the United Kingdom: the UB40 form.
While the paperwork is indeed called the UB40 form, the true story of the band's name provides insight into the reason behind the band's longevity.
“Obviously I've known (lead singer) Ali (Campbell) all his life. He's my kid brother,” explained Robin Campbell, who has been the band's guitarist since its inception in 1978. “Starting with when he was 12 years old, the kids he brought home after school are the same kids in the band. So it was kind of a social circle that became a band.”
But a true expression of the band's devotion to the art of reggae came in the form of giving up everything for the music. Said the elder Campbell: “I think a couple of us had jobs when we formed the band. Those people gave up their jobs and went on the dole to be in the band. We did it five days a week just like a job, we had to learn. We decided that if we were going to be in the band, we were going to have to give up our day jobs.”
And there you have the reason for the name.
The Campbell brothers – along with drummer James Brown, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, sax player Brian Travers, keyboardist Michael Virtue and toastmaster-trumpeter Astro – used this devotion to reggae and dub music to earn fame and fortune.
The world first heard UB40 through its dub reggae remake of Neil Diamond's song “Red, Red Wine” on its classic collection of cover tunes on 1983's “Labour of Love.” Driven by the soulful vocals of Ali Campbell, hits followed on 1997's “Rat in the Kitchen” and subsequent cover albums (“Labour of Love II” in 1992 and “Labour of Love III” in 1999). But success draws detractors. Said Campbell, venting his frustration: “We're always battling idiots who call us a middle-of-the-road band and white reggae, which the black guys in the band find infuriating.”
The same devotion to reggae that catapulted the band into stardom would eventually wear UB40 down.
“We tour after we make an album,” clarified Campbell. “After we're finished and the interest has waned, we go back in and make another one. And then go back out on the road. That's how it's gone for the last 25 years really.”
To put it succinctly, UB40 burned out. When they rejoined after a break, the process of creating albums changed. The band owned its own studio, allowing members to come and go during the recording of records. Subsequently, the last two or three UB40 albums suffered, according to Campbell.
“We were making records by numbers really,” admitted Campbell. “We were doing it in shifts because we could go in when we felt like it. We were kind of composing without each other. We'd still end up with stuff we liked, but it was never quite a UB40 record.”
So the brothers Campbell and company went back to its roots to record 2006's “Who You Fighting For?” The record represents the much-bandied-about term “return to form,” as UB40 regrouped and started writing songs the same way it did back in 1978.
“Basically, we decided to get back into a room and play together as a band,” said Campbell, who takes the stage at downtown club 4th & B Tuesday. “It transformed us really. It reinvigorated us. When we started jamming again, everything changed and everyone had smiles on their faces. And we've got an album we're proud of again. I think it's the best thing we've done in donkey's years, I really do.”
The same devotion to reggae that catapulted the band into stardom would eventually wear UB40 down.
“We tour after we make an album,” clarified Campbell. “After we're finished and the interest has waned, we go back in and make another one. And then go back out on the road. That's how it's gone for the last 25 years really.”
To put it succinctly, UB40 burned out. When they rejoined after a break, the process of creating albums changed. The band owned its own studio, allowing members to come and go during the recording of records. Subsequently, the last two or three UB40 albums suffered, according to Campbell.
“We were making records by numbers really,” admitted Campbell. “We were doing it in shifts because we could go in when we felt like it. We were kind of composing without each other. We'd still end up with stuff we liked, but it was never quite a UB40 record.”
So the brothers Campbell and company went back to its roots to record 2006's “Who You Fighting For?” The record represents the much-bandied-about term “return to form,” as UB40 regrouped and started writing songs the same way it did back in 1978.
“Basically, we decided to get back into a room and play together as a band,” said Campbell, who takes the stage at downtown club 4th & B Tuesday. “It transformed us really. It reinvigorated us. When we started jamming again, everything changed and everyone had smiles on their faces. And we've got an album we're proud of again. I think it's the best thing we've done in donkey's years, I really do.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Friday, March 17, 2006
Night&Day cover: Mi casa es su casa
House-concert hosts open their doors for concerts that are literally in your face –'The interaction between audience and artist is really personal'By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
Back before the House of Blues and Ticketmaster were even twinkles in a corporate executive's eye, home entertainment consisted of friends and family sitting around playing music together. The household was the home of music. From families gathering around the piano to sing hymns to scraggly hippies hosting impromptu jam sessions, live music has always thrived in the homes of music fans. Since the advent of the modern music venue, live music moved from homes to clubs. But despite the obvious bonuses of large sound systems and big-name acts, the concert-going club experience does have its downsides.
Performers have to split proceeds with clubs. Bands often run off the stage and jump into tour vans, leaving only a cloud of dust in their wake without any personal interaction with the audience.
Noisy crowds, impersonal settings and high ticket prices are driving audiences out of traditional music spaces and back into homes. In San Diego County, a handful of homeowners host concerts, harking back to a less-corporate music world.
“House concerts used to happen back in the days of the Kingston Trio; even Bob Dylan played a lot of house concerts,” said Jeff Berkley, a local musician who has helped start more than 25 house-concert venues in California. “A lot of that '60s folk music was spawned by these events. 'Come on over and pick a spell.' You know what I mean? That's where house concerts' roots are.”
After touring the country, San Diego folk duo Berkley Hart noticed the nationwide trend of people hosting concerts in their homes. The duo played a few house concerts and the experience stuck with them. After realizing the potential in terms of gaining new fans, the duo started organizing house concerts in San Diego and the rest of California.
“The interaction between audience and artist is really personal,” said Berkley. “The people that experience us at house concerts are always returning fans, and they're fans for life. They never stop coming to your shows after that because they've been turned on in such a personal way.”
Not only do artists gain devout fans, they also make more money with less stress than regular music venues.
“From the artist's perspective, there is no soundcheck or sound system at most of them,” said Berkley. “So, we just walk into the room with our instruments and everything is all set up for us. Then, at the end of the night – and this is not meant in a selfish way – they hand us all the cash that (the homeowner host) collected at the door.”
Lizzie Wann, a local live music promoter and poet, helps Berkley Hart set up new house-concert venues. If someone expresses an interest in hosting a show, Wann can assist in the process. Said Berkley: “Lizzie Wann – the house-concerts guru – trains our house-concert hosts on ways to make it really inexpensive for them.”
“We've developed a guideline sheet – six or seven pages of what our expectations are of the show and giving the potential host an idea of what they need to do to prepare,” said Wann about the learning curve of hosting shows.
Jimmy Duke has been hosting shows at his home in El Cajon since 1998. His Dark Thirty Productions – named for the starting time of all shows, a half an hour after dark – has brought traditional string music and folk artists like Hot Club of Cowtown, Chris Smither and Louise Taylor into his home. But his musical tastes are not limited to folk music.
“Our performances also include jazz, country, classical, opera, pop, bluegrass, Western and world music. Each style of music and its performers bring different groups of supporters to my house. But the mainstay is the large number who have become friends through this project and the local musicians who believe in what we are trying to do.”
For Duke and the other house-concert hosts, this is a labor of love.
“Hosting house concerts is a lot of work and expense,” said Duke, who has built a stage in his living room complete with light and a sound system. “It entails more than setting up a few chairs and making a pot of coffee. Of course, not all house-concert hosts get as carried away as I have been. But the enjoyment of making contact with old friends and meeting new people who love music is spiritually rewarding enough to make the effort worthwhile.”
Chris Clarke – a musician who hosts shows at his home in San Diego's Kensington neighborhood – understands the trials and tribulations of the modern musician trying to make a living.
“I'm also a musician,” said Clarke, who plays guitar, mandolin and upright bass with his old-time string band trio, Monroe Avenue String Band. “I understand very well the financial aspect of the profession and how difficult it is to get audiences engaged, especially out at bars.
“House concerts provide musicians a decent paying night as well as an audience that's engaged. An added bonus is every now and then I get to sit in with musicians in my living room. It's certainly not why I (host concerts), but it is a lot of fun.”
When you boil it down to its essence, the key ingredient to house concerts' success is developing the emotional interaction between musician and audience.
“People come to the shows and they feel like they know the artists, and in some ways they do,” said Wann, who also hosts shows at her own home. “They end up chatting afterward or during the break. So, it's just a much more real connection to the music and the artists.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego writer.
FIND AN ACT AND PLUNK YOUR MONEY DOWN
There are basically two kinds of house concerts: the private parties hosted just for friends and the house concerts open to the public. Here are some of the house-concert venues in San Diego County:
Dark Thirty Productions; run by Jimmy Duke; ww.darkthirty.com; (619) 443-9622; e-mail, jimmyduke@cox.net:
The Buccaneers – 7:30 tonight; $15
Venice (the Lennon Boys) – March 25; $20
Whit Smith's Hot Jazz Caravan – May 7, $20
Chris Calloway – May 21; $20
Jeff Berkley: “Jimmy does a great job. Jimmy's is very intimate, very professional. He's got a stage and lights.”
Chris Clarke: “Within a few months of moving to San Diego, I went out to Jimmy Duke's house. My tendency is to immediately try and figure out how things are run, how it's done and it works. It seemed like Jimmy put a lot into making it a performance as opposed to a party at someone's house. It was very much all about listening, the music, the performance, the artistry and the songwriting. That was the focus.”
Canyonfolk House Concerts; run by Bill and Shirlee McAndrews; www.canyonfolkhouseconcerts.com; (619) 659-5753; e-mail, canyonfolk@cox.net:
Berkley Hart – May 13; $15
Peggy Watson – July 29; $15
Steve Poltz – Sept. 30; $15
Tim Flannery – Nov. 11; $15
Joel Rafael – January, 2007; $15
Berkley: “We were their first act. Their house burned down in the Harbison Canyon fires. They just rebuilt it, and they actually put in the plans a design to set it up for house concerts. It's a blast. It's always our core group of fans. Those people love music, with all of their heart and soul.”
Clarke House Concerts; run by Chris Clarke; clarkehouseconcerts.com; (619) 291-4954; e-mail, stringmusic@gmail.com:
Chris Clarke doesn't have concerts booked for the next few months, but has plans to add more shows to this year's schedule. Check his Web site for updates.
Berkley: “That's also a Berkley Hart House Concert Revolution (venue). The Clarkes, they are lovers of music. Chris has gotten a lot more involved in bluegrass since starting it, because that's their real love. They like folk music, but their love and passion is all about bluegrass. He's brought in some pretty heavy bluegrass cats. But he also has Gregory Page and us at it too. They've got a really cool old house. They're a young couple, so the audience is very young.”
Meeting Grace; run by Lizzie Wann; meetinggrace.com; (619) 787-8242;e-mail, lizzie@meetinggrace.com:
The Dreamsicles – 8 tonight; $15
Dana Cooper – April 20; $15
Berkley Hart – May 14; $15
Calman Hart: “Lizzie's a poet, so she tends to draw a lot of people who are very artsy. So they're way into the words. It's interesting. You get a different crowd depending on what part of the town or what part of the county you're in. The crowd you're going to get out at Canyonfolk is different from the crowd that shows up at Meeting Grace (urban).”
Berkley: “It's urban. There's a bar across the street. And you can really hear the sounds of the city outside as the show is happening. It's an old San Diego Craftsman home, so it's all hardwood floors. The thing was built in 1918.”
– CHRIS NIXON
HOW THE INTERNET MAKES IT ALL POSSIBLE
Over the 12 years since the Internet has been changing the way we communicate, the information superhighway has played a key role in bringing the hootenanny into the 21st century.
Online booking and ticket sales through e-mail allow house-concert hosts to reach out to new artists and audiences. Hosts also can post schedules and other information on homemade Web sites, spreading the word through technology.
“I would say this would be impossible to do without the Internet,” said local musician Jeff Berkley. “When Berkley Hart started, we had a snail-mail mailing list, and it was so expensive. When (technology) turned the corner and everyone got e-mail, it leveled the playing field.
“And it's the same thing with house concerts. People can literally buy tickets and make reservations online. The address can be sent out only to people who have tickets.”
The Internet has made keeping music fans informed and booking artists easier than ever, according to local house-concert host Chris Clarke.
“As far as interacting with the audience, it's all via the Web and e-mail,” said Clarke, who hosts shows at his Kensington home. “That's how the majority of the people who attend are informed. I do have a phone list for folks who do not have Internet access, and I will give them courtesy calls from time to time. For booking artists, it's really essential.”
– CHRIS NIXON
The greening o' the street: ShamRock 2006
The Gaslamp Quarter lays down a carpet of AstroTurf for ShamRock bash
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
The saying goes: “Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.” Maybe, but not everybody's St. Patrick, a man credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. March 17 marks the day of St. Patrick's death in 462. It's also the day Americans figured it would be a good day to drink lots of green beer. Go figure.
San Diego took it one step further, covering the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter with AstroTurf and throwing a party downtown and it's been going that way for the past decade.
This year ShamRock rolls out the green carpet for an expected 10,000 to 15,000 party-goers, with DJs and live music to help celebrate Irish heritage (even if you're not Irish) for just one day.
“From the start I actually came to the (Gaslamp Quarter Historical) Foundation with the idea of the block party, the AstroTurf on the street, the name, concept,” said Laurel McFarlane, president of McFarlane Promotions.
ShamRock has booked groups like Flogging Molly and the Young Dubliners to headline the event in years past. The creative booking and top-notch bands give the festival substance.
“We try and keep it Irish-based, but more on the rock side then the traditional side,” said McFarlane. “However, we know people do like the dancing so we always start the block party off with the traditional Irish dancing and then build momentum from that point on.”
McFarlane's one hope, of course, is that people have a good time.
“We just want (people) to be happy and have a great time running around on all that AstroTurf,” she said. “People seem to always just have a great time at this block party more then any other event and leave feeling as if they really had a great St. Patrick's Day.”
The Fenians (Irish rock), the Downs Family (punk) and Skelpin (Irish fiddle music) will head the cast of characters holding down the main stage this year.
Headed by fiddler Patric Petri, the quintet Skelpin combines traditional Irish tunes with Spanish flamenco overtones.
“I've been playing fiddle since I was roughly 4,” said Petrie, who comes by her musical tendencies honestly. “You know, my family has been part of traditional Irish music for at least the last 150 years.”
Petrie – along with Tim Foley (Uilleann pipes, whistle, bodhran, guitar, saxophone, vocals), David Maldonado (flamenco guitar, mandolin), Hector Maldonado (guitar, bass, vocals) and Rowshan Dowlatabadi (button accordion, darbuka, bodhran) – recently returned from a tour of Japan in support of the 2005 release “Rua/Roja.”
St. Patrick's Day has a deeper meaning for the fiddler with Irish roots.
“For some people, it's just an excuse for partying until you puke,” said Petrie. “For my family, it's a day of celebration. Slightly more than one hundred years ago, there were signs everywhere saying, 'No Irish Need Apply.' Through famine and persecution, we've persevered.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
The saying goes: “Everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.” Maybe, but not everybody's St. Patrick, a man credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century. March 17 marks the day of St. Patrick's death in 462. It's also the day Americans figured it would be a good day to drink lots of green beer. Go figure.
San Diego took it one step further, covering the streets of the Gaslamp Quarter with AstroTurf and throwing a party downtown and it's been going that way for the past decade.
This year ShamRock rolls out the green carpet for an expected 10,000 to 15,000 party-goers, with DJs and live music to help celebrate Irish heritage (even if you're not Irish) for just one day.
“From the start I actually came to the (Gaslamp Quarter Historical) Foundation with the idea of the block party, the AstroTurf on the street, the name, concept,” said Laurel McFarlane, president of McFarlane Promotions.
ShamRock has booked groups like Flogging Molly and the Young Dubliners to headline the event in years past. The creative booking and top-notch bands give the festival substance.
“We try and keep it Irish-based, but more on the rock side then the traditional side,” said McFarlane. “However, we know people do like the dancing so we always start the block party off with the traditional Irish dancing and then build momentum from that point on.”
McFarlane's one hope, of course, is that people have a good time.
“We just want (people) to be happy and have a great time running around on all that AstroTurf,” she said. “People seem to always just have a great time at this block party more then any other event and leave feeling as if they really had a great St. Patrick's Day.”
The Fenians (Irish rock), the Downs Family (punk) and Skelpin (Irish fiddle music) will head the cast of characters holding down the main stage this year.
Headed by fiddler Patric Petri, the quintet Skelpin combines traditional Irish tunes with Spanish flamenco overtones.
“I've been playing fiddle since I was roughly 4,” said Petrie, who comes by her musical tendencies honestly. “You know, my family has been part of traditional Irish music for at least the last 150 years.”
Petrie – along with Tim Foley (Uilleann pipes, whistle, bodhran, guitar, saxophone, vocals), David Maldonado (flamenco guitar, mandolin), Hector Maldonado (guitar, bass, vocals) and Rowshan Dowlatabadi (button accordion, darbuka, bodhran) – recently returned from a tour of Japan in support of the 2005 release “Rua/Roja.”
St. Patrick's Day has a deeper meaning for the fiddler with Irish roots.
“For some people, it's just an excuse for partying until you puke,” said Petrie. “For my family, it's a day of celebration. Slightly more than one hundred years ago, there were signs everywhere saying, 'No Irish Need Apply.' Through famine and persecution, we've persevered.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Tina Dico expands beyond world of Denmark, Zero 7
Singer Tina Dico, straight outta Denmark
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
Since growing up in Denmark, vocalist Tina Dico's world keeps expanding as more music fans worldwide gain exposure to her simple, sultry vocals.
The daughter of a nurse and carpenter raised in her country's second largest city Arhus, the 27-year-old soulful singer found an American and European audience over the past few years working with producers Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns in Zero 7.
But her track record reaches beyond the high-profile collaborations. Dico started her own record label (Finest Gramophone) in 2000, recording a couple of critically acclaimed discs in her homeland.
“Zero 7 was always a side project for me,” said Dico, currently on tour supporting her latest release “In the Red.” “I had already released two albums in my home country when I started working with them.”
While singing on Zero 7's 2003 disc “When It Falls,” and hitting the road on the subsequent tour, Dico learned some serious lessons hanging with the British downtempo group.
“Most important to me, it was amazing to get insight on the lives of artists signed to major labels,” recalled Dico. “How does it all work? What kinds of problems do they face and how much do they have to compromise? It was very inspiring for me, because they were really adamant about what they wanted to do. It was good for me to see that it is possible to not get lost in the big system and just be yourself.”
Despite a long list of influences and influential musical experiences, Dico has focused on remaining true to her roots in the singer-songwriter tradition: “I suppose my guitar is my natural element at the end of the day. That is the tradition I grew up with as well, listening to Dylan and (Leonard) Cohen.”
After signing to a major label in Denmark, Dico attended the Royal Danish Academy of Music but wasn't a good student. Instead of conforming to the school's idea of singing (“jazzy vibrato” as she describes it), the young musician instead moved to London with her guitar and a guitar case full of songs.
After recording and touring with Hardaker and Binns, Dico set off to record her first post-Zero 7 album. Along with Zero 7 collaborators Mozez, Sophie Barker and Sia Furler (coming to the Casbah April 1), the partnership of Binns and Hardaker provided a springboard to bring her own music to new and larger crowds. The resulting album, “In the Red,” showcases Dico's sweet and pure vocals, surrounded by subtle and bittersweet pop accented by electronic touches and lush production.
In contrast, Dico is traveling with just her guitar on this tour, which stops at the Casbah Sunday. Unlike her last stop in San Diego (at 4th & B with Zero 7), Dico will be center-stage.
“I suppose the nerve-racking part of being on your own is you have to hold everything together,” said Dico. “When there are 10 people onstage you can just drift away.”
While she's only 27, Dico's success hasn't come suddenly, so she's been able to stay focused and centered on the most important aspects of her career: singing, songwriting and performing.
“Fortunately, it has been a very healthy slow buildup in a way,” said Dico. “It's not something that's come out of the blue. It's slowly been getting busier and busier over the past three years, so it feels kind of natural now. Having said that, it is something that's really hard and you have to give yourself to it 100 percent.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 16, 2006
Since growing up in Denmark, vocalist Tina Dico's world keeps expanding as more music fans worldwide gain exposure to her simple, sultry vocals.
The daughter of a nurse and carpenter raised in her country's second largest city Arhus, the 27-year-old soulful singer found an American and European audience over the past few years working with producers Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns in Zero 7.
But her track record reaches beyond the high-profile collaborations. Dico started her own record label (Finest Gramophone) in 2000, recording a couple of critically acclaimed discs in her homeland.
“Zero 7 was always a side project for me,” said Dico, currently on tour supporting her latest release “In the Red.” “I had already released two albums in my home country when I started working with them.”
While singing on Zero 7's 2003 disc “When It Falls,” and hitting the road on the subsequent tour, Dico learned some serious lessons hanging with the British downtempo group.
“Most important to me, it was amazing to get insight on the lives of artists signed to major labels,” recalled Dico. “How does it all work? What kinds of problems do they face and how much do they have to compromise? It was very inspiring for me, because they were really adamant about what they wanted to do. It was good for me to see that it is possible to not get lost in the big system and just be yourself.”
Despite a long list of influences and influential musical experiences, Dico has focused on remaining true to her roots in the singer-songwriter tradition: “I suppose my guitar is my natural element at the end of the day. That is the tradition I grew up with as well, listening to Dylan and (Leonard) Cohen.”
After signing to a major label in Denmark, Dico attended the Royal Danish Academy of Music but wasn't a good student. Instead of conforming to the school's idea of singing (“jazzy vibrato” as she describes it), the young musician instead moved to London with her guitar and a guitar case full of songs.
After recording and touring with Hardaker and Binns, Dico set off to record her first post-Zero 7 album. Along with Zero 7 collaborators Mozez, Sophie Barker and Sia Furler (coming to the Casbah April 1), the partnership of Binns and Hardaker provided a springboard to bring her own music to new and larger crowds. The resulting album, “In the Red,” showcases Dico's sweet and pure vocals, surrounded by subtle and bittersweet pop accented by electronic touches and lush production.
In contrast, Dico is traveling with just her guitar on this tour, which stops at the Casbah Sunday. Unlike her last stop in San Diego (at 4th & B with Zero 7), Dico will be center-stage.
“I suppose the nerve-racking part of being on your own is you have to hold everything together,” said Dico. “When there are 10 people onstage you can just drift away.”
While she's only 27, Dico's success hasn't come suddenly, so she's been able to stay focused and centered on the most important aspects of her career: singing, songwriting and performing.
“Fortunately, it has been a very healthy slow buildup in a way,” said Dico. “It's not something that's come out of the blue. It's slowly been getting busier and busier over the past three years, so it feels kind of natural now. Having said that, it is something that's really hard and you have to give yourself to it 100 percent.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Add it up: Minus the Bear
Plus signs
'Minus the Bear' shows its prowess – on record, and on stage
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 9, 2006
Erin Tate – drummer for the Seattle band Minus the Bear – sounds like a man trying to deal with a surreal scene unfolding around him. His band is in the middle of a video shoot for “Pachuca Sunrise,” the second single from the band's second full-length album “Menos El Oso.” And the experience is getting a little bizarre.
“All of our dads are here to be a part of the video,” said Tate. “They're all shooting marbles right now like a bunch of kids. It's pretty hilarious. I'm not a huge fan of seeing myself on camera, so it's a little awkward and weird (shooting a video). There are 15 people running around to make sure you look good in your video, and they don't even know your name.”
A lot more people are starting to recognize Tate's name, or at least his band's. On the heels of the beautifully crafted “Menos El Oso,” there's a buzz around Minus the Bear. And rightly so.
By recording most of the album at lead singer Jake Snider's home, Minus the Bear freed itself to experiment with sound and get just the record it was looking for: “We'd spend seven hours on a guitar tone to make sure it was the exact tone that we wanted.”
Tate and bandmates Cory Murchy (bass), Dave Knudson (guitar) and Snider (vocals, guitar) create layers of textured sounds without losing their rock punch. Balancing deft musicianship and sweet pop hooks, “Menos El Oso” ranks among last year's best rock albums. The band's Web site describes Minus the Bear's music as “poppy, driving, techy, indie rock,” summing it up nicely.
“El Torrente” – one of the standout tracks on the new album – stands as a moment of calm in the middle of a stormy record. Over a placid downtempo background, Snider tells the story of a seasoned detective troubled by a homicide crime scene. He's upset because the girl involved is the same age as his own daughter. The detective hopes he can shield his daughter from the evil things he's seen: Please let my girl go without knowing what I know / Don't let her read this day on my face when I come home.
“Jake has a way of telling a story with his lyrics,” said Tate. “He's an English major, so he tends to write lyrics with stories about fictional characters. 'El Torrente' is definitely a fictional story.”
“That song is obviously very different from a lot of the other songs on the record,” said Tate. “It's one of my favorites. It's funny: When the record came out, all we heard from everyone as far as fans was how they hated that song. They really ragged on it. We were just trying to do something different. It's a story about a detective, so people were like: 'What is this, CSI Seattle or something?' A lot of our friends think it's the best song on the record.”
Minus the Bear sold out its last show at the Casbah a few months back. As most local music fans know, sell out the Casbah and you're on your way to more listeners and bigger paydays. Despite the groundswell of interest in the band, Tate doesn't expect a rock star lifestyle.
“We don't even think about reaching a bigger audience: We just play,” he said. “Bigger audiences generate more revenue, which leads to an easier quality of life. So it's the kind of thing you want – in theory. But we're not dying to achieve stardom.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
'Minus the Bear' shows its prowess – on record, and on stage
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 9, 2006
Erin Tate – drummer for the Seattle band Minus the Bear – sounds like a man trying to deal with a surreal scene unfolding around him. His band is in the middle of a video shoot for “Pachuca Sunrise,” the second single from the band's second full-length album “Menos El Oso.” And the experience is getting a little bizarre.
“All of our dads are here to be a part of the video,” said Tate. “They're all shooting marbles right now like a bunch of kids. It's pretty hilarious. I'm not a huge fan of seeing myself on camera, so it's a little awkward and weird (shooting a video). There are 15 people running around to make sure you look good in your video, and they don't even know your name.”
A lot more people are starting to recognize Tate's name, or at least his band's. On the heels of the beautifully crafted “Menos El Oso,” there's a buzz around Minus the Bear. And rightly so.
By recording most of the album at lead singer Jake Snider's home, Minus the Bear freed itself to experiment with sound and get just the record it was looking for: “We'd spend seven hours on a guitar tone to make sure it was the exact tone that we wanted.”
Tate and bandmates Cory Murchy (bass), Dave Knudson (guitar) and Snider (vocals, guitar) create layers of textured sounds without losing their rock punch. Balancing deft musicianship and sweet pop hooks, “Menos El Oso” ranks among last year's best rock albums. The band's Web site describes Minus the Bear's music as “poppy, driving, techy, indie rock,” summing it up nicely.
“El Torrente” – one of the standout tracks on the new album – stands as a moment of calm in the middle of a stormy record. Over a placid downtempo background, Snider tells the story of a seasoned detective troubled by a homicide crime scene. He's upset because the girl involved is the same age as his own daughter. The detective hopes he can shield his daughter from the evil things he's seen: Please let my girl go without knowing what I know / Don't let her read this day on my face when I come home.
“Jake has a way of telling a story with his lyrics,” said Tate. “He's an English major, so he tends to write lyrics with stories about fictional characters. 'El Torrente' is definitely a fictional story.”
“That song is obviously very different from a lot of the other songs on the record,” said Tate. “It's one of my favorites. It's funny: When the record came out, all we heard from everyone as far as fans was how they hated that song. They really ragged on it. We were just trying to do something different. It's a story about a detective, so people were like: 'What is this, CSI Seattle or something?' A lot of our friends think it's the best song on the record.”
Minus the Bear sold out its last show at the Casbah a few months back. As most local music fans know, sell out the Casbah and you're on your way to more listeners and bigger paydays. Despite the groundswell of interest in the band, Tate doesn't expect a rock star lifestyle.
“We don't even think about reaching a bigger audience: We just play,” he said. “Bigger audiences generate more revenue, which leads to an easier quality of life. So it's the kind of thing you want – in theory. But we're not dying to achieve stardom.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Low emerges from northern Minnesota with sharp new album
Road trips a high point in the Low life
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
After a few weeks on the road, indie rock trio Low is heading home to the frosty confines of Duluth, Minn. Guitarist Alan Sparhawk – along with his wife, Mimi Parker (drums), and Zak Sally (bass) – talk about the family road trip that is a Low tour.
“Our eldest is almost 6, and she's been coming with us since she was 6 or 8 months old,” said Sparhawk, who brings his two children on the road with him everywhere the band travels. “We have a nanny. We're real lucky that we can get out and do this without losing our shirts. We're a family and we just try and do everything we can together.”
Despite the hardships, Sparhawk feels touring as a family is important to his band's existence.
“We generally enjoy being on tour,” said the singer-guitarist. “We feel like it's important for us and integral to who we are. We toured a lot when we started out, and it was the best way for us to progress and reach bigger audiences.”
The band is currently touring behind “The Great Destroyer,” one of the better releases to emerge from 2005. On the group's first album for SubPop records (its eighth overall), the threesome paired with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. The result finds Low exploring a more aggressive sound compared with the hushed mesmerizing music that gained the band notoriety.
Much like Low's touring mentality, “The Great Destroyer” emerged from Sparhawk and Parker's family first mentality.
“We actually tracked a lot of the album at home,” said Sparhawk. “We have a reel-to-reel eight-track machine we use. From early on, we've always had some form of recording device at home. At the same time, I really like working with people who really know how to use that stuff. It makes a big difference.”
Part of Low's charm comes from the vocal pairing of Parker and Saparhawk, whose harmonies add emotional depth to the band's stripped-down rock sound. The pair's seeds were sown in a small community outside the northern Minnesota outpost of Fargo.
“I've actually known Mim since we were in fourth grade,” said Sparhawk. “We grew up in a smaller community. It was just a small class, so basically you're with the same kids through grade school, junior high and high school. We started dating when we were 16.”
Like any spouse, Sparhawk can't help but spill a story about Mimi's singing resumé before Low.
“Mimi had been singing a lot,” said Sparhawk with a chuckle. “She and her sisters used to sing a lot. Her mother would take out the accordion, dress them in matching outfits and make them entertain friends.”
After high school, the duo moved to Duluth to attend college. Parker stayed in school while Sparhawk began to tour with bands and cut his teeth in the music business: “We'd sit around and sing songs, but we didn't really go for it as far as working together until after we were married.”
Low made noise on the indie circuit with its combination of angelic vocals intertwining with low-fi song structures. Despite the comparably supercharged intensity of “The Great Destroyer,” the band still finds its artistic ground zero in its vocal harmonies.
“I wasn't even singing or writing songs until we started Low, so Mim was always the harmony,” said Sparhawk, who like a good spouse knows when to give credit to his wife. “I would say Mim is really the key when it comes to the vocals. I've always struggled with singing. Over the years, I've learned a little bit more and gotten a little bit better. She's a big factor in how our vocals work together.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
After a few weeks on the road, indie rock trio Low is heading home to the frosty confines of Duluth, Minn. Guitarist Alan Sparhawk – along with his wife, Mimi Parker (drums), and Zak Sally (bass) – talk about the family road trip that is a Low tour.
“Our eldest is almost 6, and she's been coming with us since she was 6 or 8 months old,” said Sparhawk, who brings his two children on the road with him everywhere the band travels. “We have a nanny. We're real lucky that we can get out and do this without losing our shirts. We're a family and we just try and do everything we can together.”
Despite the hardships, Sparhawk feels touring as a family is important to his band's existence.
“We generally enjoy being on tour,” said the singer-guitarist. “We feel like it's important for us and integral to who we are. We toured a lot when we started out, and it was the best way for us to progress and reach bigger audiences.”
The band is currently touring behind “The Great Destroyer,” one of the better releases to emerge from 2005. On the group's first album for SubPop records (its eighth overall), the threesome paired with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann. The result finds Low exploring a more aggressive sound compared with the hushed mesmerizing music that gained the band notoriety.
Much like Low's touring mentality, “The Great Destroyer” emerged from Sparhawk and Parker's family first mentality.
“We actually tracked a lot of the album at home,” said Sparhawk. “We have a reel-to-reel eight-track machine we use. From early on, we've always had some form of recording device at home. At the same time, I really like working with people who really know how to use that stuff. It makes a big difference.”
Part of Low's charm comes from the vocal pairing of Parker and Saparhawk, whose harmonies add emotional depth to the band's stripped-down rock sound. The pair's seeds were sown in a small community outside the northern Minnesota outpost of Fargo.
“I've actually known Mim since we were in fourth grade,” said Sparhawk. “We grew up in a smaller community. It was just a small class, so basically you're with the same kids through grade school, junior high and high school. We started dating when we were 16.”
Like any spouse, Sparhawk can't help but spill a story about Mimi's singing resumé before Low.
“Mimi had been singing a lot,” said Sparhawk with a chuckle. “She and her sisters used to sing a lot. Her mother would take out the accordion, dress them in matching outfits and make them entertain friends.”
After high school, the duo moved to Duluth to attend college. Parker stayed in school while Sparhawk began to tour with bands and cut his teeth in the music business: “We'd sit around and sing songs, but we didn't really go for it as far as working together until after we were married.”
Low made noise on the indie circuit with its combination of angelic vocals intertwining with low-fi song structures. Despite the comparably supercharged intensity of “The Great Destroyer,” the band still finds its artistic ground zero in its vocal harmonies.
“I wasn't even singing or writing songs until we started Low, so Mim was always the harmony,” said Sparhawk, who like a good spouse knows when to give credit to his wife. “I would say Mim is really the key when it comes to the vocals. I've always struggled with singing. Over the years, I've learned a little bit more and gotten a little bit better. She's a big factor in how our vocals work together.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Big fish in his own pond
Matt Pond et al. are gaining fans from media play as well as a new, joyful sound
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
'Is there a reason we're swerving so much?” barks Matt Pond at the undisclosed band member driving his van. “It's windy? Well, when it's windy we slow down.” Pond – along with Brian Pearl (guitar, piano), Dan Crowell (drums), Daniel Mitha (bass), Dana Feder (cello) and Steve Jewett (guitar) – are traveling from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati as the band Matt Pond PA.
“It was never my intention to be here in a van telling people to slow down on the way to a show,” jokes Pond, the hum of the van – probably moving slower at this point – in the background. “My intention was probably to be a history professor or something much quieter and calmer. I think I just wanted the brown tweed jacket and the pipe. I could have it, but it wouldn't work in the van. I think everyone would object to the pipe smoking.”
To give Pond credit, he'd just woken up from a midday nap to find a journalist from San Diego on his cell phone and his tour van skittering along a Midwestern back road.
As Pond and his band's music filters into the public consciousness, American audiences are starting to get a far more pleasant wake-up call. The group's 2005 album, “Several Arrows Later,” finds it stepping away from its uptight intellectual indie rock background, putting forth a more joyful set of tunes. Everything sounds more relaxed, resulting on a truly beautiful and accessible record.
As a testament to Matt Pond PA's ability to reach a mainstream audience, the quintet can add its name to the ever-expanding roster of excellent bands gracing the soundtrack of TV's “The O.C.”
Matt Pond the man hails from New Hampshire. Matt Pond PA the band started in Philadelphia in 1998. After numerous lineup changes, the group calls Brooklyn home after moving to New York in 2003. Asked about his band's name, Pond takes a second to reflect on his changing perspective on his music and his career.
“We have a strong Pennsylvanian following,” noted Pond, after playing Pittsburgh the night before. “I think they're just as confused as everybody else by our name. I used to like the name of our band because I think I enjoyed the confusion and the alienation it caused. But now, I think we're just going to stay with this name. So we're not going to be Matt Pond NY anytime soon.”
In Matt Pond PA's previous eight albums, the string arrangement stood front and center alongside Pond's clever songwriting. On “Several Arrows Later,” the work of cellist Eve Miller (Rachel's) and violinist Margaret White (Sparklehorse, Comas) integrates seamlessly with catchy pop hooks and sharp interplay between all five band members. Cellist Feder now tours with the band.
“We've always had cellists in the band so it sounds like we really concentrated on strings,” said Pond. “It's a really cool instrument to work with, it blends well. In a larger sense, we try to incorporate orchestration, not just strings but all kinds of instruments, especially on the last record.”
Matt Pond PA's ninth album displays a pleasing balance between Pond's sweet vocals, subtle strings, wistful pedal steel, upbeat drumming and delicate guitar lines. The balancing act found other band members stepping up to take charge: “For the last record, Brian and Dan put a lot into it in terms of arranging and putting their energy into it. They really treated it as their own, which it is.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
March 2, 2006
'Is there a reason we're swerving so much?” barks Matt Pond at the undisclosed band member driving his van. “It's windy? Well, when it's windy we slow down.” Pond – along with Brian Pearl (guitar, piano), Dan Crowell (drums), Daniel Mitha (bass), Dana Feder (cello) and Steve Jewett (guitar) – are traveling from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati as the band Matt Pond PA.
“It was never my intention to be here in a van telling people to slow down on the way to a show,” jokes Pond, the hum of the van – probably moving slower at this point – in the background. “My intention was probably to be a history professor or something much quieter and calmer. I think I just wanted the brown tweed jacket and the pipe. I could have it, but it wouldn't work in the van. I think everyone would object to the pipe smoking.”
To give Pond credit, he'd just woken up from a midday nap to find a journalist from San Diego on his cell phone and his tour van skittering along a Midwestern back road.
As Pond and his band's music filters into the public consciousness, American audiences are starting to get a far more pleasant wake-up call. The group's 2005 album, “Several Arrows Later,” finds it stepping away from its uptight intellectual indie rock background, putting forth a more joyful set of tunes. Everything sounds more relaxed, resulting on a truly beautiful and accessible record.
As a testament to Matt Pond PA's ability to reach a mainstream audience, the quintet can add its name to the ever-expanding roster of excellent bands gracing the soundtrack of TV's “The O.C.”
Matt Pond the man hails from New Hampshire. Matt Pond PA the band started in Philadelphia in 1998. After numerous lineup changes, the group calls Brooklyn home after moving to New York in 2003. Asked about his band's name, Pond takes a second to reflect on his changing perspective on his music and his career.
“We have a strong Pennsylvanian following,” noted Pond, after playing Pittsburgh the night before. “I think they're just as confused as everybody else by our name. I used to like the name of our band because I think I enjoyed the confusion and the alienation it caused. But now, I think we're just going to stay with this name. So we're not going to be Matt Pond NY anytime soon.”
In Matt Pond PA's previous eight albums, the string arrangement stood front and center alongside Pond's clever songwriting. On “Several Arrows Later,” the work of cellist Eve Miller (Rachel's) and violinist Margaret White (Sparklehorse, Comas) integrates seamlessly with catchy pop hooks and sharp interplay between all five band members. Cellist Feder now tours with the band.
“We've always had cellists in the band so it sounds like we really concentrated on strings,” said Pond. “It's a really cool instrument to work with, it blends well. In a larger sense, we try to incorporate orchestration, not just strings but all kinds of instruments, especially on the last record.”
Matt Pond PA's ninth album displays a pleasing balance between Pond's sweet vocals, subtle strings, wistful pedal steel, upbeat drumming and delicate guitar lines. The balancing act found other band members stepping up to take charge: “For the last record, Brian and Dan put a lot into it in terms of arranging and putting their energy into it. They really treated it as their own, which it is.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
In the wake of Katrina, Mardi Gras gets serious
Laissez le bon . . .. . . oh, you know the rest of it – Mardi Gras bash adds heft, and a helping hand
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
San Diego's Mardi Gras festival had its humble roots in the old Gaslamp, a tough downtown neighborhood that rarely drew out-of-town visitors.
Today, the Gaslamp Quarter draws tourists shopping at Horton Plaza and hipsters headed for velvet-rope clubs. Case in point: The Gaslamp Quarter-based music festival Street Scene grew so huge the confines of a burgeoning downtown could not house the sprawling event, forcing a move to Qualcomm Stadium last year.
Now, the Gaslamp Quarter Association's Mardi Gras celebration – traditionally a beer-and-beads affair trying to draw a young demographic downtown – is getting serious about booking high-quality bands and widening the audience attending the event.
Jimmy Parker, the Gaslamp Quarter Association's executive director, spent many years on the road as stage manager for bands as varied as Stone Temple Pilots and the Temptations. One of his primary goals today is fashioning the Mardi Gras celebration after the smaller, more diverse Street Scene of a decade ago.
“I had long conversations with (Street Scene promoter) Rob Hagey talking about talent and the old Street Scene,” said Parker, who continues to work on Street Scene periodically. “That's where we both came from. It's about getting bands like the Truckee Brothers. Who knows? They may sign with Capitol tomorrow and be the biggest thing we've ever seen. That's the idea behind creating this local stage.”
The San Diego-based Truckee Brothers are among the bands playing the K Street Gaslamp Stage for Tuesday's Mardi Gras, a stage dedicated to local acts featuring Reeve Oliver, Dirty Sweet and Lady Dottie and the Diamonds. Gone are the cheesy cover bands.
“In the past it was more out-of-town bands, and the focus really wasn't on the bands (at all),” said Cady Truckee. “I think they're trying to give Mardi Gras more of a Street Scene flavor, especially because Street Scene isn't downtown anymore.”
Along with a shift in focus toward more substantial music acts, this year's Mardi Gras also serves as a reminder of last year's tragic events surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
Mardi Gras (French for “Fat Tuesday”) marks the last day before the period of atonement called Lent in the Catholic Church. It's a time to let loose and have a good time. Given this year's events, Mardi Gras has a more serious undertone. It's still time to let the good times roll, but also to help people in need.
So as the country turns its eyes back to New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season, the Gaslamp Quarter Association realized it was time to import a little New Orleans culture.
The 2006 version of Mardi Gras will include a partnership with the world-famous New Orleans music venue Tipitina's. In wake of Katrina, the Tipitina's Foundation works as a nonprofit organization providing displaced musicians with replacement instruments.
Four New Orleans bands – the Frappe Brass Band, the Wild Apache Mardi Gras Indians, the 504 Brass Band and (former Dirty Dozen Brass Band sousaphonist) Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove – will perform at the Fourth Avenue Tipitina Stage, with all proceeds from that stage going to the foundation.
“I think the right word for us is 'responsibility,'” said Parker. The Gaslamp Quarter's “Mardi Gras celebration has been going for 14 years. So even without Katrina, there's a responsibility if you're throwing a Mardi Gras to throw it in the right spirit. It is Fat Tuesday. It is the beginning of Lent. It's a party to laugh at your sins and your foibles, because the next day is very serious based on the Christian calendar.
“It's stepped up a little bit when you have a Katrina and people dying and ways of life being completely changed. We looked at just having buckets at the door. We looked at partnering with business owners in the French Quarter. And then we found Tipitina's, and it really appealed to everyone involved and spoke to a long-term relationship. We wanted to bring the culture of New Orleans, and especially help out the displaced musicians who lost their livelihoods.
“Musicians are like anyone else: You have to support your family, you have bills. A lot of the people in the music business, they've never been ones to say 'give me a hand.' They want to do their art. They want to work. From the roadie all the way to the promoter, those are hardworking people. When it's taken away, that hurts them more than the money.”
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
2006 MARDI GRAS AND CARNAVAL SCHEDULE
Brazil Carnaval 2006 (Saturday 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.): Bands include SambaDá featuring vocalist Dahndá da Hora, the Super Sonic Samba School, Mindinho and Capoeira Brasil plus special guest Marcos Santos. Best costume and door prize winners receive roundtrip airfare to Brazil. At 4th & B, 345 B St., downtown; $25 advance / $30 door; (619) 231-4343.
Gaslamp Quarter Mardi Gras 2006 (Tuesday 7 p.m. to midnight): Five stages of Mardi Gras entertainment headlined by KC and the Sunshine Band, Reeve Oliver, Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove and DJ Miss Lisa. Strolling musicians, dancers and the Ladies of Lips will perform. Masquerade Parade with floats begins at 8:30 p.m.
In the Gaslamp Quarter downtown; $15 advance / $20 door; (619) 233-5227.
STAGES AT MARDI GRAS 2006:
G Street Party Stage (DJ Marc Thrasher between sets):
7:30 p.m. – N.R.G.
9 p.m. – Polyester and the Platforms
10:30 p.m. – KC and the Sunshine Band
K Street Gaslamp Stage (DJ Scott Martin between sets):
7 p.m. – Dirty Sweet
8:20 p.m. – Lady Dottie and the Diamonds
9:40 p.m. – The Truckee Brothers
11 p.m. – Reeve Oliver
Fourth Avenue Tipitina's Stage (DJ Mac between sets):
7 p.m. – Frappe Brass Band
8:15 p.m. – Wild Apache Mardi Gras Indians
9:30 p.m. – The 504 Brass Band
11 p.m. – Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove
E Street Club Stage:
7 p.m. – DJs Erick Diaz and Adam Salter
9 p.m. – Scooter & Lavelle
10:30 p.m. – Miss Lisa
The Ladies of Lips will have their own stage at Fourth and G streets.
MORE MARDI GRAS
Hillcrest Mardi Gras (Tuesday 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.): Candye Kane, Cash'd Out and the Lips girls will perform, sponsored by the GSDBA Charitable Foundation and the Hillcrest Business Association.
On University Avenue between Third and Fourth avenues; $15-$75; (619) 491-0400; 21 and up.
Mardi Gras Sidebar: Q&A with Christine Portella
Celebrating a 'passion for life'
February 23, 2006
A native of Brazil's party central, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Promotions' Christine Portella grew up reveling in the Carnaval spirit.
For the past 14 years, she and her business partner, Steve Spencer, have produced San Diego's Brazil Carnaval. This year's Carnaval is set for 4th & B Saturday night.
Portella took a few minutes to share her views on Carnaval, Mardi Gras and our ability to celebrate life after misfortune.
Question: Do you remember what it was like growing up in Rio and experiencing Carnaval every year?
Answer: I was born in Rio. I was raised in both countries (the United States and Brazil). My first eight years were here in the U.S. When I was 8, I moved back to Brazil. So my first language is English and I had never even heard Portuguese prior to moving back to Brazil.
It was a drastic change for an 8-year-old. When we moved, it was February during Carnaval. I remember walking in the streets and holding my little sister's hand. All the people in the streets – dancing and singing all day long – I thought my mom had gone crazy bringing us back there.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory from your Carnavals in Rio?
A: A passion for life is such a fundamental (part) of the culture, that I could never pinpoint one favorite. Every single Carnaval that I have been to down there has been an amazing event.
Q: A big theme this year in Fat Tuesday parties is celebrating life after tragedy, specifically the ordeal New Orleans had to endure with Hurricane Katrina. People in Rio probably have to deal with poverty and tragedy on a daily basis. Can you talk about the idea of letting loose for a day in regards to living in Rio and how that applies to this year's celebrations?
A: Again, there is such a passion for life in Brazil. There is a lot of poverty. I'm not proud of this, but it's shocking how much of the country can't read, much less write. We can go on and on about the political, economic and social issues that Brazil is going through. But, regardless, the spirit of Carnaval is celebrated throughout the year.
– CHRIS NIXON
February 23, 2006
A native of Brazil's party central, Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian Promotions' Christine Portella grew up reveling in the Carnaval spirit.
For the past 14 years, she and her business partner, Steve Spencer, have produced San Diego's Brazil Carnaval. This year's Carnaval is set for 4th & B Saturday night.
Portella took a few minutes to share her views on Carnaval, Mardi Gras and our ability to celebrate life after misfortune.
Question: Do you remember what it was like growing up in Rio and experiencing Carnaval every year?
Answer: I was born in Rio. I was raised in both countries (the United States and Brazil). My first eight years were here in the U.S. When I was 8, I moved back to Brazil. So my first language is English and I had never even heard Portuguese prior to moving back to Brazil.
It was a drastic change for an 8-year-old. When we moved, it was February during Carnaval. I remember walking in the streets and holding my little sister's hand. All the people in the streets – dancing and singing all day long – I thought my mom had gone crazy bringing us back there.
Q: Do you have a favorite memory from your Carnavals in Rio?
A: A passion for life is such a fundamental (part) of the culture, that I could never pinpoint one favorite. Every single Carnaval that I have been to down there has been an amazing event.
Q: A big theme this year in Fat Tuesday parties is celebrating life after tragedy, specifically the ordeal New Orleans had to endure with Hurricane Katrina. People in Rio probably have to deal with poverty and tragedy on a daily basis. Can you talk about the idea of letting loose for a day in regards to living in Rio and how that applies to this year's celebrations?
A: Again, there is such a passion for life in Brazil. There is a lot of poverty. I'm not proud of this, but it's shocking how much of the country can't read, much less write. We can go on and on about the political, economic and social issues that Brazil is going through. But, regardless, the spirit of Carnaval is celebrated throughout the year.
– CHRIS NIXON
Minus 5: McCaughey shoots off about Gun Album
His aim is true
Scott McCaughey is an indie renaissance man, playing in multiple bands
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
Talking with Scott McCaughey on the phone is a lot like listening to his albums: friendly and pleasant, yet muddled with circuitous logic and odd imagery.
Take, for example, the new album with one of his many projects, the Minus 5. The band nicknamed its eponymous 2006 release “The Gun Album,” and for good reason. The cover features a 9mm handgun, the CD depicts a diagram of a disassembled gun, and three of the 13 tracks mention guns in the lyrics and title.
The quartermaster bakes a radio / The traitor's a ragdoll in the tornado / The funnel fades to gray / With hand upon the bible who's to say? sings McCaughey on “This Rifle Called Goodbye,” the first track greeting listeners on the album. Rife with surreal absurdity, the strangely dark lyrics play a nice counterpoint to the band's sugary pop hooks.
Here's what McCaughey said from his home in Portland, Ore., about the gun theme: “I hate guns. I absolutely hate them. So it's a weird thing for me to have a gun on the cover. But it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time.”
“I use the gun thing as an image that goes through the record,” continued McCaughey, laughing at himself a little as he tries to explain the gun theme. “It's very antithetical to what I stand for and what I am into, but it kept turning up. It seemed representative of all the (stuff) in my life.”
His response is odd and charming, like the collection of jangly pop tunes contained on the album. The strumming retro sound comes honestly. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) again uses his friend and longtime collaborator Peter Buck on the new Minus 5 disc. Buck is famous for creating his own retro pop sound. He returns the favor by using McCaughey as a sideman when recording with his band, R.E.M.
“I've learned so much about ideas for arranging and production (from R.E.M.),” said McCaughey about his time with R.E.M. “Working with those guys, I've picked up so much from all of them. Watching how Michael (Stipe) constructs melodies and works on lyrics is inspiring, watching Mike (Mills) go in at 2 in the morning. I've learned a lot about how he plays keyboards and organ especially. Peter (Buck) – just watching the consistency of how he goes out there. He's so precise on every take.”
McCaughey reached notoriety in indie circles with his band the Young Fresh Fellows, but has gone on to join or create Tuatara (with Buck), the Squirrels, the Lowebeats, the New Strychinies and also serve as “the fifth member” of R.E.M. since 1994.
With a substantial amount of indie cred built up, the new disc features two tracks recorded in Chicago with Wilco, along with guest appearances by John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger/Long Winters), and Colin Meloy and John Moen (the Decemberists).
The Minus 5 will perform in support of “The Gun Album” at the Belly Up Tavern with Robyn Hitchcock, where the band will backup Hitchcock and he'll join them onstage for a few tunes.
"It will be a workout, said McCaughey. "I'm guessing we'll be onstage 2 1/2 hours or close to it. Peter and I have done that quite a few times: Tuatara/Mark Eitzel/Minus 5/Tuatara/Minus 5/Cedell Davis. We've done some long ones when we're playing with all the bands. And the R.E.M. shows are always two-plus hours too, so it's cool. I don't mind. I enjoy it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
Scott McCaughey is an indie renaissance man, playing in multiple bands
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
Talking with Scott McCaughey on the phone is a lot like listening to his albums: friendly and pleasant, yet muddled with circuitous logic and odd imagery.
Take, for example, the new album with one of his many projects, the Minus 5. The band nicknamed its eponymous 2006 release “The Gun Album,” and for good reason. The cover features a 9mm handgun, the CD depicts a diagram of a disassembled gun, and three of the 13 tracks mention guns in the lyrics and title.
The quartermaster bakes a radio / The traitor's a ragdoll in the tornado / The funnel fades to gray / With hand upon the bible who's to say? sings McCaughey on “This Rifle Called Goodbye,” the first track greeting listeners on the album. Rife with surreal absurdity, the strangely dark lyrics play a nice counterpoint to the band's sugary pop hooks.
Here's what McCaughey said from his home in Portland, Ore., about the gun theme: “I hate guns. I absolutely hate them. So it's a weird thing for me to have a gun on the cover. But it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time.”
“I use the gun thing as an image that goes through the record,” continued McCaughey, laughing at himself a little as he tries to explain the gun theme. “It's very antithetical to what I stand for and what I am into, but it kept turning up. It seemed representative of all the (stuff) in my life.”
His response is odd and charming, like the collection of jangly pop tunes contained on the album. The strumming retro sound comes honestly. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) again uses his friend and longtime collaborator Peter Buck on the new Minus 5 disc. Buck is famous for creating his own retro pop sound. He returns the favor by using McCaughey as a sideman when recording with his band, R.E.M.
“I've learned so much about ideas for arranging and production (from R.E.M.),” said McCaughey about his time with R.E.M. “Working with those guys, I've picked up so much from all of them. Watching how Michael (Stipe) constructs melodies and works on lyrics is inspiring, watching Mike (Mills) go in at 2 in the morning. I've learned a lot about how he plays keyboards and organ especially. Peter (Buck) – just watching the consistency of how he goes out there. He's so precise on every take.”
McCaughey reached notoriety in indie circles with his band the Young Fresh Fellows, but has gone on to join or create Tuatara (with Buck), the Squirrels, the Lowebeats, the New Strychinies and also serve as “the fifth member” of R.E.M. since 1994.
With a substantial amount of indie cred built up, the new disc features two tracks recorded in Chicago with Wilco, along with guest appearances by John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger/Long Winters), and Colin Meloy and John Moen (the Decemberists).
The Minus 5 will perform in support of “The Gun Album” at the Belly Up Tavern with Robyn Hitchcock, where the band will backup Hitchcock and he'll join them onstage for a few tunes.
"It will be a workout, said McCaughey. "I'm guessing we'll be onstage 2 1/2 hours or close to it. Peter and I have done that quite a few times: Tuatara/Mark Eitzel/Minus 5/Tuatara/Minus 5/Cedell Davis. We've done some long ones when we're playing with all the bands. And the R.E.M. shows are always two-plus hours too, so it's cool. I don't mind. I enjoy it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
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