Tag Archives: wexner center

Saturday in Columbus: On Fillmore and Rachel Grimes

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The Wexner Center has had an interesting Spring and Summer series, boasting current indie giants Mumford and Sons, The xx and Midlake. While any show there is usually well visited, some seem to fall under the radar more than others. I hope this will not be the case on Saturday night as the performance space will host a double bill with On Fillmore and Rachel Grimes.

On Fillmore is the project of Glenn Kotche (Wilco’s drummer) and Darin Gray (experimental bassist from St. Louis). The two have finished three records now, the most recent being Extended Vacation (released on Dead Oceans). Their musical flexibility is best illustrated in the juxtaposition between their primitive, star-gazing last release and the perfectly creepy soundtrack they composed for J.T. Petty’s 2006 documentary, S&Man.

Rachel Grimes (of instrumental Louisville band Rachel’s) will be gracing the Wex the other half of the night. Grimes, an unbelievably talented pianist, has recently released a solo record entitled Book of Leaves and will be touring on it in both in the US and Europe through the fall. She has also found success as a film composer by recording work for Gregory King’s film Rotating Mirror. Her ability to intertwine the sounds of nature and her piano is breathtakingly alluring. Whether you’re a fan of classical music, serious musicianship or both, this show is not to be missed. Visit Grimes’ site for more film footage.

Stream: Parking Lot Blowout, Eric Davidson’s Wex conversation

For folks not in Columbus or just not able to attend the Parking Lot Blowout (Gibson Bros, Scrawl, Turks) on Saturday, the tech-savvy people at the Columbus Music Co-Op will have a live stream going from 3-10pm here.

And as we mentioned previously, Eric Davidson of the New Bomb Turks will be reading from his new book, We Never Learn: The Gunk Punk Undergut, on Friday night at the Wexner Center (deets). At noon on Friday, the Wex is also going to stream a conversation with Davidson and fellow Turk Matt Reber here. (“The two musicians will discuss the Columbus scene, past and present,” says the Wex.)

In stores today: We Never Learn -The Gunk Punk Undergut, 1988-2001

Handsome gentleman, frenetic front man and now, published author, Eric Davidson of the New Bomb Turks has put together a bunch of cool ass shit about a bunch of cool ass bands.

A description of the book in his words via an interview he did with Chunklet

It’s a bunch of pages bound by glue and shit. But seriously folks, it’s basically a rundown of that strata of trash punk bands and their indie labels from the 1990s (mostly, with some late-80s antecedents) who were neither swept up by the “alternative rock boom” or the Green Day/Offspring neo-punk trend; nor were all-out noise fringe-sters. Just hard-working rock’n’roll bands that basically took their re-lit on fire sounds from 50s/60s raw roots, 70s punk, and kind of eye-rolled the leftover macho hardcore dogmatics. Ended up getting sideways validation when that “neo-garage” trend of the early 2000s finally hit (White Stripes, Hives, Strokes, Jet, Donnas, etc.). And loads of my pals and I in said strata noticed that the major mag press for that trend was either only mentioning the old blues and classic rock these new bands liked, or treated it like a fad — when bands like Dwarves, Supersuckers, Mummies, Devil Dogs, Oblivians, NBT, Bassholes, Jon Spencer, Gories, Cynics, Didjits, Billy Childish and many many others were doing the updated raw roots garage thing for about a decade; many still doing it. And with bands in this tome — like the Mummies, NBT, Oblivians, Gories, Rip Offs and others — reuniting of late, it’s become apparent that these bands have had a slow-boiling influence for newer bands like Black Lips, King Khan & BBQ Show, Jay Reatard, Vivian Girls, Human Eye, Times New Viking, and many more…

Yes, there’s basically a Death of a Salesman “Attention must be paid” vibe; and my band, New Bomb Turks, is in it a bunch. But it’s not a memoir or whatever. In the end, it’s mostly just loads of wild stories and insider low-rung music biz myth-busting (and around 100 rare fliers/pix/ephemera) that I think would make a great read for any music fan, even if you don’t think the Sons of Hercules are underrated.

Eric will be doing a reading/q&a session on July 9th at the Wexner Center and on the following day he will be rocking faces and shakin booties with The New Bomb Turks at the fifth annual Parking Lot Blowout with the likes of Scrawl and Gibson Bros.

Buy it here or wherever better books are sold and get a twenty song MP3 download, free with every copy.

Win tickets to Saturday’s Mumford & Sons, The Middle East sold-out Black Box show

The hottest show in town this weekend is at the Black Box performance space at the Wexner Center and features English quartet Mumford & Sons and Australian music collective The Middle East. Like most other dates on the tour, this one has been sold out for weeks but we’ve got a pair of tickets to give away to one lucky winner thanks to Sneak Attack Media.

To enter the ticket giveaway, send an e-mail to contestdonewaiting@gmail.com with the subject line I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT TICKETS BEFORE THEY SOLD OUT. A random winner will be chosen at 5pm on Friday.

Wednesday at the Wex: Laura Marling

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MP3: My Manic and I

I don’t know that I can actually pinpoint the moment I first heard of Laura Marling, but I can say that she has had a strong presence on my favorites playlist for a good two years now. She may be perceived in the States as being a new face on the scene because she is just now out on a solo headlining tour, but just two years ago Mumford & Sons were her tour support on a co-headlined tour with Johnny Flynn.

At just 20 years of age, Marling has been charming both American and UK audiences since 2007. Aside from being a notable member of the London folk scene, she has also been a component in acts such as The Rakes, Noah and the Whale and Mystery Jets. (Yes, SHE’S that sweet voice in “Five Years Time” and “Young Love.”)

Marling’s new record I Speak Because I Can was released on April 6th via Virgin Records. She hits the stage on Wednesday at the Wexner Center’s Black Box with friends Smoke Fairies and Pete Roe. Tickets here.

Photos: GenWex Presents Off the Grid

The Hood Internet, Nick Tolford & Co., Anna and the Annadroids, DJ Detox
The Wexner Center I Columbus, OH
April 10, 2010

The Hood Internet

Nick Tolford & Co.

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Weakened Wrap-up #21: Bloggers gonna Blog


Pictured: Nick Tolford and Company@GenWex presents: Off the Grid

Perhaps I’ve said it before (no way I’m trudging through those old posts) and If I haven’t, I’m saying it now. I’m a bringer togetherer, make it happennerer and a motherfucking idea factory. Basically what I’m saying is let’s all be cool, hang out and high five-you know? Life’s too short to not be a cool motherfucker!

In this blogisode, I pretty much ran myself ragged but I had a fuuuucking blast. Mouth of the Architect slayed, I somehow found time to check out a couple CD101 day Big Room performances, GenWex presents put on a killer benefit called Off the Grid with a bunch of awesome food and good looking people, Nick Tolford and Company made the crowd wet (myself included), The Hood Internet rocked the joint hard, I managed to catch a couple Brainbow songs at Carabar, did shots with Ron and jammed to some Team Tim Trivia (y’all gotta get on this).

YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT Continue reading

Wednesday at the Wex: Matthew Specktor reads from That Summertime Sound

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If you haven’t heard, Matthew Specktor wrote a semi-autobiographical novel called That Summertime Sound about a nameless Los Angeles protagonist who spends a between-college summer in Columbus in the mid ’80s. The book is chock-full of thinly veiled references to Columbus locales and figures past and present (e.g. Mick Divvens/Boys from Nowhere become Nic Devine/Lords of Oblivion, Ron House becomes Gary Hauser, Used Kids Records becomes School Daze Records, and on and on).

The book is getting mixed reviews on the message board, but I imagine there will be a pretty good turnout for the free reading at the Wexner Center Wednesday night at 7pm. (I guess this is Wexner Center Week on Donewaiting.) I’m mostly hoping Ron House and others mentioned in the book will show up to say their piece.

Also, if you wanna hear people like James Franco, J. Mascis, Gwyneth Paltrow and Morgan Freeman read excerpts from the book, check out the TSS website.

Video of a book release party, containing a performance by J. Mascis, after the jump. Continue reading

Overlooked in Ohio

Editor’s note: “Overlooked in Ohio” is a new feature in which we ask an Ohio-based artist, music enthusiast, etc. to tell us about a few bands (past or present) from the state of Ohio that deserve some love. Our first installment comes courtesy of Jerry Dannemiller, guitarist/singer in Moviola and director of marketing and communications at the Wexner Center in Columbus. (Not to mention a past contributor to NPR, Magnet and a host of other publications.)

blank_schatzBlank Schatz; photo by Jay Brown

Blank Schatz (Findlay, Ohio, early 1980s): When punk rock was still something weird and foreign and only happened in big cities, the brothers Butler were kicking out the jams in my hometown of Findlay like it was the Lower East Side. I saw them only a couple times in high school and then in Columbus opening for the likes of Live Skull and (a very early) Flaming Lips. Musically, they fell somewhere in the neighborhood of Die Kruezen or a more earnest Black Flag. It hasn’t aged all that incredibly well, but back then, in the desolate environs of northwest Ohio, it was music to my green ears.

wolverton_brothersWolverton Brothers

Wolverton Brothers (Cincinnati, late 80s, still active): My admiration for the Wolvertons—as people and as artists—knows no bounds, if you haven’t heard them, you would do yourself well to scrounge up any of their six records. Part Anglo-80s skronk-surf, Beefheart-ish mushmouth, and high-speed boom-chicka-boom, Tim, Billy, Todd, and Jay are the rarest of entities: raw, unaffected by trend, and original to a fault.

Keep reading for more. Continue reading

Sunday, 10/25: Atlas Sound w/ Broadcast, the Selmanaires at the Wex

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mp3: Atlas Sound – Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)

This will be my first time seeing Atlas Sound‘s Bradford Cox live, and I’m really looking forward to it, especially after giving Logos a few listens. I’d always paid more attention to Cox’s “main” band, Deerhunter, but this new one is a terrific headphone album of underwater bedroom pop, and so far “Walkabout” is my favorite track. …Nice to have Broadcast on the bill, too.

9 pm Sunday, Black Box on the Mershon Stage. $14.