Nov/Dec/12
Table of Contents Walker’s Bluff Review | 2 - 3 Caravan of Thieves Feature | 4 - 6 Lotus Review/ The Werks Interview | 8 - 16 Yonder Mountain String Band NYE | 18 - 24
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Carterville, Ill — In November we set out to cover Thanksgiving brunch at Walker’s Bluff to build a variety of content to publish in our monthly articles. Andy Mayberry is one of the chefs that helps create delish plates of superb ingredients for the company. We had both worked together at another restaurant, and Andy continues to excite me in the culinary world. On Thanksgiving I traveled to Leg-
ends Restaurant inside the Walker’s Bluff estate. It was late Fall and temperatures had started to drop outside, but the piping hot food kept the mood warm inside. The foliage turned the leaves a dark beautiful brown color across the landscape. Walker’s Bluff hosted a buffet setup and had individual dishes available during their brunch to kick off the holiday season. The land is kept up
very well, and the area around the restaurant has a winery, entertainment center, wine cave, children area and a small store to pick up everyday items. The estate it located northeast of Carbondale off of Reed Station Rd. The staff at the restaurant was accommodating, introspective and attentive. After I sat at the bar, I picked up a plate of turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes and side small side salad. There
was a chef setup specifically for omelets during brunch. It added a live feel to the buffet room. Chefs also cut and prepared the turkey fresh out of the oven. After I finished eating, I went to pay, and the bartender insisted that the meal be on the house. I informed the staff that I would be doing a review of the meal, but it was also my first food review, so I did not expect them to pick up the bill. It was a kind gesture on their part. The turkey was one of my main reasons to attending this special Thanksgiving Day brunch. It was seasoned well, cooked to a succulent perfection, and served promptly. Overall the service and the food production was done on a professional level. For more information stop by their main website at: http://walkersbluff.com
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Caravan of Thieves Live at WIUM Studios
kind of digital application he was using to tune his bass guitar. Brian let me know he was using the Peterson Strobe Application. After some research I would a link and some information on it online. For more check out the web link at: Fuzz F. is married to Carrie Sangiovanni and they reside in Bridgeport, Connecticut when the band is not on the road. The band invited us to share their room for an interview before their set. The concert was streamed live that evening, and you can watch clips from it on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/user/CrescentVale. Carrie and Fuzz spoke with us right before the band performed live on air. http://www.petersontuners.com/index.cfm?category=150.
Macomb, Ill — One of the editors of our company brought up that Caravan of Thieves scheduled a radio event with WIUM/ WIUW at Western Illinois University. They performed three breakthrough sets at the past Summer Camp Music Festival, as well as several other shows across the country. We connected with the management team and setup an interview and to film their radio performance on 12/1/12.
We arrived to the station to meet up with the band before the performance. The radio station is located off campus, but was easy to find with the friendly staff at WIUM/WIUW. After we got setup at the station; the band continued to complete their sound check. Caravan of Thieves cracked jokes and tuned their instruments as we hung out in the performance area. One of the sound engineers at the station asked Brian what
Q. Macomb is located in the western portion of Illinois that is
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surrounded by farming communities. Do you have a personal garden at home? A. (Carrie Sangiovanni - Vocals/Guitar/Percussion) We would love to have a garden, but we are away most of the year. We wouldn’t have a lot of chance to tend it. We also don’t have any land. We are up on a 12th floor. That is in the future though. (Ben Dean - Violin) I have a 35-year-old ficus that is doing quite well.
ruckus. (Fuzz Fuzzman - Vocals/Guitar/Percussion) We thought going into this that the last set of the weekend was going to be the kicker, but by that point in the night it is kind of hard to get people to focus. So, it was cool, but it was the first set that ended up being the really good one. The entire interview is available via the Crescent Vale YouTube channel. Caravan of Thieves were kind enough to speak with us on film, so fans Q. This past Spring the can watch the content band performed three down the road. After we times at the Summer Camp wrapped the interview Music Festival. Which the band got ready for the performance did you feel show. The performance had the biggest impact on area was sold out and the the crowd? energy in the radio station right before the perforA. (Carrie Sangiovanni mance was electric. Vocals/Guitar/Percussion) It didn’t take the The first set of the weekband long to find a comend because everyone was fortable level with the austill fresh. The other ones dience. Fuzz cracked jokes were great too. The Sunabout candy, large crowds day late night was a real and a variety of witty
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talking points. Carrie added to the comical banter in between their songs. After the set we thanked the band and the station for the memorable experience. Watch and experience the set via the web link at: http://www.youtube.com/user/CrescentVale.
Brian & Carrie in WIUW/WIUM Studios
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Lotus Setlist - 12/27/12 Riviera Chicago, IL Set 1: Suitcases, Break Build Burn, Nematode, Monks*, Lead Pipe -> Shimmer and Out, Ashcon Set 2: We Are Now Connected -> Golden Ghost, Blue Giant, Disappear in a Blood-Red Sky, Its All Clear To Me Now -> Bubonic Tonic -> Tip of the Tongue E: Marisol, Grayrigg *debut
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Lotus Setlist - 12/28/12 Riviera Chicago, IL Set 1: Harps, Middle Road, In An Outline, Deep Inside The Mothership*, Livingston Storm, Uffi, Bush Pilot, Age Of Inexperience Set 2: Hammerstrike, Neon Tubes, The Surf, Mikesnack, Bellwether, Arupa > Jump Off E: Cain & Abel, Intro To A Cell *debut p. 10
Chicago — New Year’s Eve 2012 kicked off early this year with two rugged shows at the Riviera Theater featuring Louts as the headliner both nights. The opening acts for these shows included: Archnemesis, Zoomga, and The Werks. These shows were on 12/27-12/28, and kicked off a huge run for Lotus during the end of 2012. Thursday night the music and energy was explosive inside and out-
side the Riviera Theater. It was a kick off concert to a massive NYE run that covered the northeast section of the country for Lotus. The band is working on a new album that will be out soon. Archnemesis music and stage presence carries an intriguing enigmatic mix of electronic samples with hip-hop beats layered with early jazz and soul music. The band is on 1320 records and started things off right on Thursday eve-
ning. Zoomga continued the analog/digital mix of raw electronic rock. Once they wrapped their crossover set of dynamic music; Lotus started to setup for their set. The crowd buzzed and discussed over the upcoming performance from the Philadelphia rockers on Chicagoland turf. Chicagoans have built a tight bond with Lotus, and see to love moments at the
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beginning of sets, just as much as encores. The two nights in Chicago started a 5 night run all the way to New Year’s Eve in Baltimore. The band did one night in Pittsburgh at Mr. Small’s on 12/29 and two night at the Ram’s Head Live venue. Overall Lotus treated fans in three different states during this holiday run. It was quite impressive.
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Their Thursday night show in Chicago kicked off with heavy version of ‘Suitcases’ for the Riviera crowd. The bass and drum seemed to be on high levels during the evening. The sound system shook and rattled my body as I recorded images from the pit area. After grabbing the photos from the pit, I retired to the upper balcony area where the sound was
more spaced out. The Riviera Theater is a beautiful venue that holds up to 2,500 guests. Friday’s night show sold out, but there was a little room in the upper balcony on Thursday night. Both shows packed the house and filled it with a raw energy that is hard to beat. Lotus debuted ‘Monks’ during the first set on night one at the Riviera. There was a little more digitally craft sound to the new tracks that I noticed. In retrospect I noticed new sections in older songs, and they balance the use of digital elements with pure analog moments on stage. During the end of set two they concluded with ‘Tip of the Tongue’ that pushed the crowd over the edge, and left the wanting more at the same time. After the music ended on the first night, I retired to my room to get some rest for the second night of music. The Werks opened the show on night two. Their drummer Rob Chafin talked with me about the band, and their upcoming plans for 2013.
Interview with The Werks Rob C. - The Werks Interview (Taken on 01/04/13) Q. How did the energy feel at the Riviera Theater when the group opened for Lotus on Friday, December 28? A. Obviously playing a sold out crowd at the Riviera Theater is something else. It is hard not to get excited when there
is a big ball of energy in the crowd. From the moment we walked on stage until the end of the show, it makes us want to play harder and do our best. Q. Do you have any personal new years resolution stories? A. Writing more songs, and taking time to do that would be one of mine.
Q. How often do you use samples and mixes when you are performing live on drums? A. I’m looking to expand the samples I use in the future. I started on the keys first. It’s nice to add that melodically feel to some of our songs by having a prerecorded loop of me playing the keys with of live drumming on stage.
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Q. Where is your favorite place to eat/drink in Chicago? A. There is so many good spots. Giordanos has to be one of them. Q. The band’s name is The Werks. Does it have any relation to when someone orders “The Works?” (Which sometimes will mean at restaurants to put everything on a sandwich.) A. You said with a sandwich, you call it the works. That’s funny because we were trying to think of a name that all-encompassing because we do a lot of different styles. When we first started, Chris Houser the guitarist in the group, and I were at a Stake n’ Shake. I ordered a sandwich with the works. We both looked at each other, and thought, that’s it. We switched it to an E to make it more original. The whole point is to have an eclectic mix, so you get a little bit of everything. Q. Have you had the
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chance to invite up any other percussionists on stage with the group during a performance?
Q. Is there any big announcements that you would like to share at this time?
Q. Jason Hann from the String Cheese Incident was one of my favorite percussionists to jam with. We played an original called ‘Rollin!’ and in the middle of it there was a big drum solo.
A. We are about to release a majority of Spring tour dates including Friday, April 19 at Bottom Lounge in Chicago. We are looking forward to 2013 being a big year.
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Friday, December 28 2012 was a good day for live music across the country. Pre-parties for NYE kicked off, and The Werks were opening for Lotus at the Riviera Theater. It was my first time seeing the opening band, so I got there with plenty of time to let their music sink in. The staff at the Riviera Theater is quick, friendly and knows how to handle a party. The Werks traveled from Dayton, OH to one of the largest stages in the Midwest to showcase why they are serious game changers in music for 2013. The band holds their own event known as the The Werkout Festival that takes place in September at Legend Valley. Their set of Friday night was nothing short of impressive. After grabbing some shots up close I sat in the first level balcony area with a steady flow of Fat Tires going around the table. The band pulled out a stacked version of ‘Galactic Passport’ with a cover of ‘Psycho Killer’
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mixed in to get the crowd amped up. They ended with ‘Hard To Find’ and ‘Onslaught’ to finish their rowdy set. Lotus and the crowd both geared up for a second night of “groundbreaking” music. The energy levels at most Lotus shows get people a little more crazy then normal, but when it is near the end of the year, and it is a holiday. All bets are off for
normal behavior in the pit. On night two Lotus debuted ‘Deep Inside The Mothership’ during their first set. During the second set they performed ‘Hammerstrike’ and ‘Bellwether’ off their “Hammerstrike” album. They encored with ‘Cain & Abel’ and ‘Intro To A Cell.’ Overall both nights hosted some really hot shows by artists from around the country. It was a high moment of 2012.
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Yonder Mountain String Band Boulder, CO — Yonder Mountain String Band threw a four day New Year’s Eve bash at the Boulder Theater from 12/28-12/31 to mark the end of 2012 in style. The band performed extensive sets on each night. YMSB invited a group of guests to help support the shows. Jason Carter from the Del McCoury Band helped out on fiddle for the music on Friday night.
Nick Foster and Christian Teele added percussion and vocals on December 30th, and Darol Anger brought in his classic fiddle style to ring in the new year with style at the Boulder Theater. I was able to make it to the 30 & 31 shows, and each set of music was original, creative and memorable. The crowd and music scene in Colorado appeared to
be vibrant with activity. Locals and good people from around the country celebrated together a long, hard year. It had occurred to me during my trip to Colorado that this was the first NYE that I had celebrated since 2004 with the North Mississippi All-Stars at Mississippi Nights. It felt that the recession had taken away my ability to want
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available online at:
http://www.yondermountainlive.com/.
to celebrate the end of the year, and now that I was starting to control my own destiny, I found myself being able to take a vacation for New Years Eve. The music on the
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30th was more on the edgy, rock side of the Yonder Mountain music palate. They brought in percussion and guitar to the stage on Sunday night. All of the sets of music are
A highlight of the second set during the 12/30 featured a cover by The Beatles and the track ‘Hey Bulldog’ for the enthusiastic crowd. The balcony bounced and the crowd roared for more as YMSB encored with ‘Dreams’, ‘Southbound’ and a special version of ‘Shakedown Street.’ New Year’s Eve 2012 hosted events all over the globe with people celebrating the new year and good times. The Boulder Theater and the Yonder Mountain String Band setup a four night run with a concluding performance on 12/31. Darold Anger supported the show, and provided his patient fiddle to each song during both sets. The band dropped balloons on the festive crowd and the mountain time zone rung in 2013 with one of the biggest bands in bluegrass history. Both shows held a festive mood that was historic, fun and riveting.
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