Bands Through Town, Issue 9

8

BACK FOR A SECOND YEAR

Kamasi Washington at the Big Top (Photo: Sean Rider)

Front(NikkiLane)andback(Phoenix)coverphotographybyCoryWeaver

Weaver Producer & Editor

Editor & Writer

#09 Issue

STAFF

What a year. We kicked off 2022 featuring one of St. Louis’ coolest, craftiest and longest-tenured musicians, Donald Williams of Superhero Killer and Sinister Dane. We followed that up with our second live showcase, bringing one of Austin’s most creative and best songwriters, Mobley, with support from STL’s Jesus Christ Supercar and KC’s Various Blonde. We packed more than 150 into Alpha Brewing’s canning room, which set the tone for our next showcase.

Our third showcase featured Hembree, Post Sex Nachos and Dante Elephante at Off Broadway, and a week later, we dropped our eighth issue featuring Valerie June and Addie Sartino of The Greeting Committee. Also featured was STL’s Blinded By Stereo and the Bay Area’s Destroy Boys.

In that same issue, we caught up with Chef John Perkins of Juniper, which is known for having “the best fried chicken in America.” We are shocked and saddened to learn of his multiple myeloma diagnosis. He recently entered the hospital for a stem cell transplant and will have a few months’ recovery ahead of him. But, like his fried chicken, he’ll kick ass—and will be back in no time. To the right of this blurb

is John and a QR code to donate to his fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the largest funder of cutting-edge research to advance cures in the fight to defeat and cure cancer. You can also support him by dining at Juniper [4101 Laclede Ave. in St. Louis; junipereats.com].

Our last issue of 2022 featured the always invigorating Seratones and one of STL’s tightest and most terrific bands, Middle Class Fashion. We caught up with the Seratones in KC for their show at the Record Bar. In STL, we crammed in some time in a small green room at Off Broadway with MCF before a gig. An unexpected highlight was featuring L.A.’s L.A. Witch in KC as well. Our second year in a row covering Hinterland in Iowa was another highlight—we hope to recreate that in 2023.

Finally, we have our sights set on putting out four amazing issues this year. We’re going to need help from multiple angles—fans supporting the scene by getting out to shows, and businesses helping to make the local STL music scene thrive. We look forward to an amazing 2023 for local, regional and national indierock scenes. Thanks for reading.

Cory

Jennifer R. Weaver

Madisyn Siebert Asst. Editor

Mark Rolf Writer

Alex Bakken Writer

Sean Rider

Photographer

Melanie Broussalian Writer contributors

instagram.com/bandsthroughtown

facebook.com/bandsthroughtown

www.bandsthroughtown.com

Sharon Stone Writer

Brian Amick Writer

Thomas Crone Writer

Doug Tull Photographer

Scan to support John Perkins’ LLS fundraiser, and you can also dine at Juniper [4101 Laclede Ave. in St. Louis; junipereats.com]

Photo: Sean Rider

Story: Madisyn Siebert and Sharon Stone

it, it’s good enough.

Let’s just go.”

St. Louis is still trying to fill the void that LouFest left many moons ago: indie, rock and other genres filling beautiful Forest Park while festival goers ate and drank at great local vendors in the heart of the city. Music at the Intersection is a different beast, and while the festival had some problems from the get-go, one thing it did not lack was great musical talent.

Set in the midst of the Arts District in Midtown over the weekend of September 10-11, the festival had its inaugural year in 2021, and was stepping up its game to try to compete for more attention, love from locals, and even out of towners. With headliners like Erykah Badu, Gary Clark Jr., Kamasi Washington and more, the festival definitely amped up their artist game compared to the year before. One thing that did not seem to change, though, was some noticeable missteps.

With four stages operating in a tight space, it wasn’t hard to see why problems arose. The biggest issue was with the Washington Avenue Stage—the main stage for the festival. On Saturday, the stage was running hours behind schedule, due to sound equipment issues and workers bursting a gas line a few days earlier while setting up.

At least two bands were canceled. Foxing, a band that in my view should have been close to headlining the event, had to perform over two hours later than planned. You could tell the frustration in vocalist Connor Murphy’s voice as he sound-checked, eventually saying, “Fuck it, it’s good enough. Let’s just go.”

Four stages in the span of four city blocks sounded like fun until we realized that we could hear each band’s set clear as day from another stage. It took away from the ambiance and was very off-putting to the artists, who were no doubt having to focus harder on their own music while hearing what was happening less than a 5-minute walk away at the next stage.

One thing the festival did seem to have plenty of were spots at the DJ tent. The tent was constantly overlooked, maybe due to its location or it being a DJ tent, but we found it an awesome place to relax, grab a drink and enjoy local DJs taking their own spin on classics, literally. MS

“Fuck

(Above, L-R): STL’s Foxing rolled with delay after delay and kicked a hole in the sky; another homegrown talent, Dylan Triplett, brought a feisty soul sensibility to the Big Top; while Kamasi Washington may have had one of the best sets of the festival; A.J. Haynes of the Seratones always has a great time on stage; and Naomi Saalfield of Hiatus Kaiyote does what she wants.

(Photos: Opposite page) Foxing: Cory Weaver; (this page, clockwise) Dylan Triplett: Cory Weaver; Kamasi Washington: Sean Rider; A.J. Haynes: Cory Weaver; Naomi Saalfield: Cory Weaver

Seviin Li followed shortly after Buddy Guy. Her set was a must-see for any Tina Turner fan. She performed “Nutbush City Limits,” “Come Together” and “We Don’t Need Another Hero.” While rolling out the introduction to “Proud Mary,” clouds, lightning and thunderstorms rolled in too, and the festival organizers put the musical performances on pause for everyone’s safety. SS

Photos, this page: Cory Weaver

J.J. Grey & Mofro, the soulful rock blues band from Jacksonville, Florida, arrived on the Field Stage right as sunset descended. The stage glowed, the festival staff powered up the bubble machines and the crowd grew denser from the stage to the street and backed up to the wall of the building framing the stage area.

J.J. Grey lit the stage on fire with a harmonica solo and words of appreciation to KDHX, the first St. Louis area radio station to play his music, and to Vintage Vinyl for being legendary in the St. Louis music scene. The band opened with “99 Shades of Crazy”—Grey said this song was inspired by his time working in a lumber yard with crazy co-workers and basically “wrote itself.” Grey also complimented the mixture of people in the crowd

LIVING LEGEND

and said that he hasn’t seen this much diversity since being in traffic court on a Monday morning. He continued his storytelling through his powerful vocals, harmonica solos, and runs on the keyboard and guitar. He dedicated “Blackwater” to deep journeys into the swamp, “Write a Letter” to his daughter who inspired the song, and “She’s on Fire” to the hypnotic power of females.

He mused a bit on the joys of temptation and offered “Everything Bad is Good” for whatever happens in St. Louis stays in St. Louis. Grey and his band rounded out their (way too short!) set with an electrifying cover of “House of the Rising Sun” and finished with “Lochloosa,” their signature deep-hitting song dedicated to the power of home. SS

Choosing which stage to visit was like choosing which one of my children to spend time with. The festival’s artist line-up was incredible and each of the three stages offered its own tempting musical experience. The legendary Buddy Guy caught my attention first on Saturday at the Washington Stage. He promised to bang out some blues “so funky you can smell it” and delivered with powerful performances of fan favorites such as “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “Rock Me Baby.” He credited hip hop music for opening the door to verbal expression (i.e., cuss words), and he generously verbalized his thoughts. Buddy Guy offered “words of wisdom for living” in “Skin Deep,” which was inspired by his mother. SS

Photo: Doug Tull

Unfortunately, some problems that arose were out of the festival’s control. Lightning delayed some sets, and after hours of waiting for Erykah Badu to take the stage, a strong downpour hit the intersection. The crowd prevailed though, and—man— was it easily worth it just to hear her voice.

My favorite stage of the weekend was the stage set up at the Big Top. There were so many things to enjoy about this stage, from the aesthetics of being in Circus Flora’s tent, to the amount of pure talent that performed there, not to mention they were one of the only places that had chairs and bleachers set up to rest your feet. Some of my favorite performances we were able to catch were Dylan Triplett, a soulful St. Louis-raised vocalist with a powerhouse of a voice; Kamasi Washington—an obvious answer; and Celise, a soul and funk woman who effortlessly demanded everyone’s attention.

Speaking of great music, we also need to highlight numerous other artists, such as Hiatus Kaiyote, who came all the way from Melbourne, Australia to grace us with their music. Their perfect twist of jazz and funk helped us forget about the fact they were behind schedule. Another artist that crafted the weekend’s experience was legendary blues guitarist and singer, Buddy Guy. To say Buddy Guy has still got it would be a gross understatement. Even at the age of 86, he continues to enthrall crowds with his voice, guitar and—most surprisingly to us—his stories. Buddy shared more than a few wise words throughout his set. Many were words of wisdom gathered through the years, and almost all of them had the crowd laughing.

On the Field Stage,the Seratones brought “black girl magic” into the city. Lead vocalist A.J. Haynes’ powerful singing voice contrasted her cheerful and giddy talking voice and left me not only wanting to hear more songs but wanting to just go talk with her in a normal setting about everything from life, fashion and more.

Later that evening at the same stage, St. Louis staple, The Urge, led by Steve Ewing, got the crowd amped and on their feet. It was the most energetic crowd of the weekend, with Ewing and his band getting everyone to jump, sing and yell, just like the band was doing nonstop on stage. At the same stage,

The festival crowd may have been smaller than expected over the weekend, but they were enthusiastic and really showed off the love that St. Louisans carry for music. Plus, with the area of the festival being so small, it was probably a good thing they did not reach close to capacity because there were times when it already felt like there were too many people on the grounds.

The festival tried to highlight St. Louis favorites with food trucks and a marketplace where local St. Louis business owners got to set up tents for the weekends and sell their goods. The most missed opportunity, in our opinion, was the fact that the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, the main sponsor of the festival, flew in a muralist to help paint buildings and honor St. Louis. The murals were gorgeous, but until a member of our team was able to speak with the muralist we had no clue they were painted recently, let alone for the festival itself. MS

(Photos: L-R) Sean Rider; Gary Clark Jr.;, Cory Weaver

To close out the festival, Gary Clark Jr. and his band had the pleasure of returning to St. Louis, the first time since before the pandemic. The crowd showed up in numbers here and left the rest of the grounds empty to watch him bring the mission of Music at the Intersection to life, making music and heritage meet.

The goal was to remind people of the city’s imprint on the American songbook, the relationship St. Louis has with its Mississippi River sister cities, and the musical genres that have been birthed and fostered locally. While Clark may not be local to St. Louis, he is known for bringing blues back to the mainstream media and honoring the traditions of blues musicians with his own twist.

While this is a festival that needs a lot of TLC, it is not sparse in talent. Though I am still looking to fill the LouFest-sized hole in my heart, Music at the Intersection has the potential to do just that, and I hope that 2022 was a year that taught them a lot as they plan to return in 2023. MS

You never know where life is going to lead you or how seemingly inconsequential moments bloom into surprising and unforgettable encounters. As I was meandering around the various stages at the Music at the Intersection Festival, a random woman befriended me and asked if I was interested in following her to listen to one of the mural artists speak about his artwork.

I trustingly trailed her through winding building corridors, unfamiliar crowds and an alley— ultimately arriving at “215 Feet of Love,” one of the Walls Off Washington project’s murals.

We joined a small group of people who gathered to await graffiti artist Remix Uno’s arrival. St. Louis’ Kranzberg Arts Foundation, the powerhouse patron of arts, and its partners fund the Walls Off Washington mural project.

Currently, there are 20 murals radiating off various walls in the Grand Center Arts District. Remix Uno’s “215 Feet of Love” is one of those murals and can be seen on N. Leonard Avenue, between Washington Avenue and Samuel T. Shepard Drive in viewing distance from Urban Chestnut and the High Low café.

Remix Uno is a classically educated artist with a graphic

design degree from Mexico City. He also has earned substantial “street cred” from his roots as a street artist running from cops in the middle of the night. He has painted commissioned murals in Ohio, Pittsburgh, Denver, Washington D.C. and Berlin, among others. He leans toward abstract collage-style designs and feels that the murals create beautiful spaces that are “rays of hope” and encourage people to behave better. Remix insists that “style is everything.”

He explained his process for designing St. Louis’ “215 Feet of Love” mural: first he talked to people on the streets about how they feel about St. Louis, then worked on sketches.

Art is Love: 215 Feet of it

Story: Sharon Stone Photos: Cory Weaver

He incorporated iconic images of St. Louis, such as the red cardinal, which is prominent in his artwork. He also highlighted the “glitches” or imperfections in the artwork that represent the glitches in life, those darks elements that create errors in an otherwise beautiful world. He said this mural took about two weeks to paint.

Interviewing Remix over the weekend was one of the highlights of this festival for me. I asked him what his dream project is. Without hesitation he said he wants to be “the first human being to paint a mural in space.”

This artist is shooting for the stars and radiating positive energy.

STRAIGHT OUT OF TENOCHTITLÁN

You can find the art of Claudio Rico de Alba (Remix Uno’s given name) in Finland, Berlin, Paris, Dûsseldorf, Mexico City, New York, London, San Francisco, Boston, Kansas, Indiana, Austin, and now, St. Louis.

Remix Uno is an artist with aspirations to take his art from the streets to space...literally.

Unforgettable Firsts: A Formidable

Music and art have always been bedmates—either one leaning on the other for inspiration, with many levels of dexterity to amass the severest of attentions. Combining these within a multi-day festival is pedestaling the two to grandeur and in the small Northwest Arkansas town of Bentonville, FORMAT

(FOR M[usic] + A[rt] + T[echnology]) Festival not only brought musical acts from multiple genres and curated art installations—they introduced a technology aspect that no other festival can boast.

Story and Photos: Cory Weaver

Situated on the 250-acre Sugar Creek Airstrip, the inaugural festival was a buffet—an opporunity to make the experience your own with endless waves of musical programming to choose from. Surrounded by hills, trees and a dry creek bed, the vibe was chill and it made you feel like you were miles from civilization—even though you were just a 12-15 minute shuttle bus ride to two reserved parking lots.

Let’s get into it. The Walton-backed FORMAT was organized by the event company Triadic, run by Mafalda Millies, Roya Sachs and Elizabeth Edelman, in partnership with C3 Presents, the producers of Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, Austin Food & Wine Festival, and The Voodoo Music and Arts Festival (we hope for a raucous return of the New Orleans weekend-long party soon). Every aspect of the festival was curated, and that was evident as soon as you walked through the gate—the gate itself was a piece designed by Athen Brandon, the winner of the “Gate Competition.”

Two stages were within view from the entrance to the grounds. The South of Oz and North of Oz main stages were situated in close proximity to each other—so festival goers didn’t have to miss a minute of the headlining acts. Multi-disciplinary artist Marinella Senatore’s piece—which fenced the two stages in a zig-zag pattern and posed as a sort of divider from the stages and the art—became an unofficial motto of the festival: “Dance First Think Later.”

The “hub” of the festival was The Cube. Although it may sound like a Kubrick thriller, it’s ominous in name only. The imposing three-story performance space was unavoidable—you really didn’t need to have an excuse, you just drifted into it when passing by. Highlights in The Cube included Joe Kay, co-founder and host of Soulection Radio on Apple Music; real-life cyborg Neil Harbisson, who has an antenna implanted in his skull that allows him to perceive visible and invisible colors via audible vibrations while he connected to NASA’s International Space Station; or Moses Sumney as he performed “Faux Mo.” The Cube’s exterior, wrapped in transparent artwork by Kenyan-raised artist Uman, allowed lights to pulsate and seep into the festival grounds at night—making it feel like it was a living organism.

Another unique venue within the festival was “Next Door: Nova Heat.” Described as a speakeasy, if you weren’t in need of a restroom, you would’ve passed the place by. Next Door had three entrances—one in front and two to each side. The catch? The entrance doors were halved port-a-potties. Each entrance led into a multifaceted dystopian reality of the creators—New York-based artists Jonah Freeman and Justin Lowe. The center contained the most intimate and uncanny venue onsite; it also played to eclectic tastes by featuring artists like indie-rock singersongwriter Katie Schecter, local punk rockers The Phlegms from Fayetteville, and Brit-Cowboy Alan Power.

Art on the left, art on the right

(Opposite Page): The Graphic Art wall entrance to Maurizio Cattelan’s TOILETPAPER MAGAZINE’s “Drag Me To The Disco.” (Top to Bottom): James Tapscott “Arc Zero” and Doug Aitken’s “New Horizon” hot-air balloon help complete the festival landscape; and Fatboy Slim—nuff said.

Venturing out of “Next Door” and through the festival grounds you hit Maurizio Cattelan’s TOILETPAPER MAGAZINE’s “Drag Me To The Disco,” a custom built-forthe-festival barn that housed everything from Latina Funk ensemble, The Malcriados Band; The Mauskovic Dance Band, which combines elements of cumbia, Afro-Caribbean rhythms, & space disco from Amsterdam; to Friday night’s big hit: Fatboy Slim. Upon entering, you’re immediately in a world of editorial art and a Warhol-esque display of teeth with the word “SHIT” written in what looked like a blue chalk pencil above the stage.

On your way to one of the coolest venues, you can’t help but stare at the 100-foot tall, mirrored balloon—Doug Aitken’s “New Horizon.” Impressive during the daytime, but even more transcendent at night, as the piece illuminates the far end of the festival grounds. A few steps to the left of Aitken’s New Horizon, is the Sugar Creek Forest stage, “Smokey’s.” A forest refuge, Smokey’s was an oasis during the daytime and a laser-lightshow dance party at night. Designed by Brazilian artist duo Assume Vivid Astro Focus—a.k.a. São Paulo-based Eli Sudbrack and Paris-based Christophe Hamaide-Pierson—the two incorporated wooden structures that provided several vantage points. These were incredibly handy at night when viewing headlining acts like English EDM rapper, DJ, singer/songwriter Shygirl.

Now that we’ve set the layout of FORMAT, let’s dive into the music. Friday kicked off with a myriad of genreweaving bands, which quickly became the theme of the festival. As crowds started to gather and make their way into the grounds, hour-long sets by 19-year-old Austin-based singer song writer, Calder Allen; indie rockers, Del Water Gap; and Boulder’s Leftover Salmon tapped the keg to this party.

By the time The Marías were set to take the main stage, a raucous and rather large crowd gathered to celebrate the L.A.-based bilingual indie-pop band. Our second time covering the group, one thing is evident: you can never get enough of a band that combines elements of jazz, funky guitar riffs and bossa nova, lest we forget Maria Zardoya’s flirtatious velvety vocals. A midday highlight, The Marías could have easily held a later slot in the evening.

With the North of Oz stage already fired up and twilight setting in, Nile Rodgers and Chic took it over. There were quite a few attendees that didn’t know Nile Rodgers, but now they won’t be able to listen to Madonna, Pharrell, Daft Punk, David Bowie, Diana Ross or Duran Duran the same way ever again. Bringing a joyful energy to the stage, Rodgers fueled that vibe with a Soul Train-esque presentation that would’ve made Don Cornelius proud.

The War on Drugs took the South of Oz stage and delivered their Grammy Award-winning indie/alternative rock on point. Led by lead vocalist Adam Granduciel’s raspy vocals,

the septet had the crowd amped from songs like “Victim,” “Holding On,” “An Ocean in Between the Waves,” “Pain,” and rarely performed on the I Don’t Live Here Anymore tour: “Slow Ghost.”

Every festival needs a nightly powerhouse headliner, and FORMAT pulled no punches with Phoenix closing out the first night. The hit French rockers gave a memorable “first time to Arkansas” performance, hitting the audience with “Lisztomania.” Lead vocalist Thomas Mars acknowledged Nile Rodgers and said that playing the same stage as him was both humbling and an honor. Phoenix finished their 19song set with songs that spanned their catalogue, including “Alpha Zulu,” “Armistice,” Lasso,” “Rome” and closing the mainstage night out with their biggest hit, “1901.”

Approximately 150 yards away during Phoenix’s set, Fatboy Slim jam-packed the custom “Drag Me to the Disco” barn. The DJ, who hails from Bromley, Kent in the U.K., enjoyed major, worldwide success from the mid-1990s to 2010. The Guinness World Record holder is no stranger to festivals or packing a room, but packing a 250-person capacity barn in the middle of a grass airstrip is a first, I’m sure. He strutted on stage five minutes before his allotted time and immediately teased the crowd with a 10-second snippet of “Praise You” and then, it was 100% house, electronic and trip hop, including “Right Here, Right Now,” “Rockafeller Skank” and “Praise You,” with one exception: a sing-along rendition of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” and that really got the place shaking, literally.

Saturday was another amazing day for the music portion. Brit-indie rockers Palace really impressed, and once again, the talent being so palpable at FORMAT, they played an early 3 p.m. slot on the North of Oz stage rather than a later slot. The trio reminds me of a more rockin’ and melancholier Coldplay—check out their newest release, Shoals and it’ll be an instant add to one of your many streaming apps.

Direct from Clarksdale, Miss., Christone “Kingfish” Ingram melted the late-afternoon crowd, and it wasn’t the 90-degree temps that did it. Kingfish shredded his way through the hour-long nonstop blues set. Paying homage to the newest up-and-coming blues artist was a must. He’s got the blues in his veins—learning from some of the best blues artists in the South, and for that hour, we were all down on Sunflower Ave.

Son of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 navigated the complex fusion of jazz and funk, summing up what is simply definable as danceable infectious grooves. Doubling as vocalist and saxophonist, Seun makes leading the band look effortless—as if he were born to take over the reins of what his father started in the ’60s. His short, 11-stop US portion of the “Love & Revolution” tour also stopped in at the Big Top in St. Louis the night before his appearance at FORMAT (see page 59 for more on Kuti).

Shifting gears to the port-a-potty adorned entrance “Next Door” venue, British Cowboy Alan Power entertained mightily all by himself, a lonesome dove if you will.

His campfire country vibe fit perfectly at this smaller stage, and his banter was well received: “I was going to call my album 11 inches of Alan, but my label wouldn’t let me. Just kidding, I don’t have a label.”

Following Alan Power was Fayetteville’s, The Phlegms. The tiny space went from stand-and-watch to an all-out basement punk rock party, some people even finding the space to form multiple mosh pits. The hard-hitting group have played with recognizable bands such as Protomartyr, Shame, Guerilla Toss and Mannequin Pussy.

Before leaving the “Next Door” stage, it was Nashville-viaNYC indie rock singer/songwriter Katie Schecter’s time to shine, with her husband (Cage the Elephant’s lead guitarist) Nick Bockrath and their four-month-old daughter in tow. Schecter and Bockrath form a dynamic duo, with her vocals and lyrics and his musical ability on guitar, they mesmerized with ballads from her new album, Bad for Business (see page 26 for our interview with Schecter).

At the mainstage, The Flaming Lips brought their truckloads of balloons, inflatables, confetti and feel-good vibes to the North of Oz stage. Opening with “My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion” inside his plastic bubble, Wayne Coyne stepped out of it for “Do You Realize??” under a giant inflatable rainbow, eventually ending in multiple confetti cannon blasts. And in true Flaming Lips style, they went over their allotted hour—but hey, why kill good vibes at a feel-good festival?

Guitars, Guitars, Guitars!

(L-R): Leo Wyndham of Palace; the legendary Nile Rodgers and Chic left festival goers and performers in awe; and The War on Drugs frontman, Adam Granduciel

As confetti at the North of Oz stage was still falling from the sky, Baltimore duo Beach House was waiting on the South of Oz stage. The group’s “Once Twice Melody” tour kicked off in February and has been in full swing with little to no breaks. In true dreamy-pop style, they opened with “Once Twice Melody.” Their shortened seven-song set included “Dark Spring,” “Silver Soul,” Space Song” and “Over and Over.”

Completely opposite from Beach House’s dreamy, somewhat meditative set was Saturday’s headliner, Rüfüs du Sol on the North of Oz stage. The Australian trio is no stranger to 10,000+ crowds or headlining festivals, but it was their first time doing both in Arkansas, solidifying their place as one of the top EDM acts in the world. Their 90-minute set was a dominant performance, and if the crowd was hyped at the beginning, they were even more when they dropped “On My Knees.” The Aussie unit is so much more than just an EDM band, their originality coupled with Tyrone Lindqvist’s vocals set them apart from the likes of formidable genre-mates ODESZA, Louis the Child, REZZ and Skrillex. Their 21-song set was highlighted by “Treat You Better,” “I Don’t Wanna Leave,” “Underwater” and “Innerbloom.”

Sunday was a slow burn. Still feeling the effects from Rüfüs the night before, the D’Addario-brother led Lemon Twigs kicked things off and brought some good ol’ rock n’ roll to perk you up. A brightly lit afternoon on the North of Oz stage greeted the NYC duo, but personally, I would’ve liked to see them at a slightly later slot. Their 1960s power-pop/art rock channels a Lou Reed-meets-ELO vibe and is perfectly suited for a Wes Anderson film.

A literal art meets music collaborative bonus performance occurred between Oz stage sets featuring the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff drumline and Nick Cave’s Soundsuits. Three performances between the stages drew impressive crowds. An interpretive dance in suits of various sizes made from all manner of materials, the elaborate other-worldly costumes were elevated by the drumline.

Kicking off a festival with notable bands is important, but doesn’t it always seem to come down to how you end it? With that in mind, the team at C3 had a no-holds-barred mentality and finished the North and South of Oz stages with the legendary Herbie Hancock, who featured Terrance Blanchard on trumpet; UK funk-electronic-neo soul outfit Jungle played everything but “Lemonade Lake” during their electrifying set; psychedelic crossover R&B virtuoso bassist Thundercat captivated; and closing out the night was Houston trio Khruangbin. The trio’s take on classic soul, funk, dub and rock was a perfect fit with the aforementioned bands that finished off the inaugural FORMAT Festival.

It’s easy to find people to throw money at a festival—and in this case—Walmart money—but, combining the amount of art and music programming that Tradic and C3 did is monumental. FORMAT is here to stay, and the region should be excited for next year’s festival in what can be dubbed a less stressful, smaller and manageable Bonnaroo.

(Opposite Page): Gucci diamond-adorned Thundercat; Cristone “Kingfish” Ingram; Laura Lee of Khruangbin; Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips; British Electronic outfit, Jungle (Above): Marinella Senatore’s art installation, “Dance First, Think Later”

Story: Jennifer R. Weaver Photos: Cory Weaver

One such diamond we found at Bentonville’s FORMAT Festival was Katie Schecter. New Yorkborn and Nashville-based, Schecter is a raven-haired beauty with a penchant for vintage fashion. Joined by her husband, guitarist Nick Bockrath (Cage the Elephant), the pair’s chemistry was as evident on stage as it was off. Schecter’s genre-defying approach to music spans styles and decades, seemingly pulling inspiration from rock, blues, soul, folk and (surely Nashville-influenced) country styles that all come together to form her distinctive indie-rock sound. We caught up with her before and after her show to get to know her a little better.

BTT: What was it like being part of the inaugural Format Festival?

KS: I mean was that not the coolest festival of all time!? The installations, the setting, the lineup, they nailed it!! We decided to bring our 4-month-old, Only, with us and our friend Anna held her up like Simba for our whole entire set, which was inside an insane dome designed by Freeman & Lowe. She had her bedtime bottle post-show in our trailer to the Flaming Lips playing in the distance. It was my first show as a mom, and Only’s first-ever festival, so it will always have a very special place in my heart.

BTT: What has it been like balancing motherhood and a music career?

KS: I’ve really allowed myself to dive into being mama so far, with the exception of a few cool music opportunities. I recorded an album, and played some amazing shows while I was pregnant (I got to open for our dear friend Beck in my third trimester), so I feel fortunate to be able to just enjoy the new experience of being Only’s mom right now.

BTT: You grew up in NYC but are now based in Nashville. What are some of the ways that working on a music career in NYC is different than working on one in Nashville?

KS: The most obvious difference to me is that in NYC you have to rent a space to rehearse as a full band (unless you’ve

got a wildly unique situation that I didn’t have), and in Nashville people have the space to play at home. So there’s great freedom that comes with that. You can jam and lose track of time…anytime, all the time…play drums at night, plug in, do as you like. When the inspiration hits you can run with it. It’s great, and it’s free.

BTT: Has living in Nashville influenced your sound having moved from NYC?

Bad for Business was produced by Ben Baptie who had some studio time with Homer Steinweiss at The Legendary Diamond Mine in New York City, and invited Nick and I to track a song there. We’d met Homer in Nashville when he was on tour with The Arcs years before , but I couldn’t have dreamed that he’d be playing drums on one of my songs . We all had so much fun that one song turned into a full-length album, not that day, but over the course of the year. Nick Movshon ended up playing on a lot of it, which brought it all to another level. I just kept writing, revising and trying to outdo myself in between sessions—crafting songs with their playing in mind. The whole album was tracked live, Nick, Nick & Homer with Ben at the helm. It was a dream situation that I’m still pinching myself over.

Definitely. I actually think it took moving to Nashville to find my sound at all! I’ve been lucky to be surrounded by some really amazing artists here who have inspired me to no end. The change of pace was really good for me as an artist and a human.

BTT: What changed in your overall process from making your self-titled EP to your album Bad for Business?

KS: The self-titled EP was the first body of work I made upon moving to Nashville. My husband Nick Bockrath and I recorded some of it with Adam Landry at his studio, and the rest we did at our friend Billy Swayze’s rubber band factory in Franklin, Kentucky called Thundersound. Other than Nick, I didn’t have a set style or musicians playing on the EP, I just needed to get those songs down. In retrospect it was pretty experimental.

Bonus Question: You’ve been featured a lot about your fashion style—almost as much as your music style (coveteur. com, Madewell.com, papermag. com, etc.). How would you describe your personal style? And followup: You’re a vintage clothing connoisseur. Tell us more about your treasure trove of deep-dive finds (like the Obama purse you had with you at FORMAT!).

KS: I describe my musical and sartorial style the same way: old soul new sound. I just really like getting dressed. I get an idea for how I want to look, and I make it happen, usually by thrifting. Sometimes scissors are involved. I have a deep reverence for classic and timeless statements, but a roundabout way of achieving them, and my style inspiration comes more often from men than women. I like to wear things that invite people into my orbit and break the ice, like The Obama purse. My friend Kelly who works for Thom Browne sent us grey suits to wear for Format, and it all felt super presidential so I brought the Obamas out for the occasion. I always joke that Nick is the Michelle to my Barack.

Music festivals may initially draw in fans based on their headliners, but there are always diamonds in the rough waiting to be discovered.

A C L TWENTY YEARS OF

Story: Madisyn Siebert Photos: Cory Weaver

(Above): Turnstile’s frontman, Brendan Yates.

ACL

rolled into Zilker Park for its 20th consecutive year, connecting artists and fans once again over a two-weekend long experience. Each October, festival goers get to interact with hundreds of artists spanning multiple genres (not to mention some bending genres), local food purveyors, unique vendors and more. This festival is proud to represent Texas, and even prouder to represent its capital city, Austin.

This year, the ACL team pulled together a stellar lineup, and for once I would argue that the Weekend 2 lineup was the stronger option with artists like Phoenix, Death Cab for Cutie, Wet Leg, Vacations and more that were exclusive to the schedule. There were steady musicians who played both weekends though that help make ACL the world-renowned festival that it is, with artists like P!nk, The Chicks, Lil Nas X, Diplo, Marcus Mumford, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. This festival brings together new, old classics and everything in between so that there is something for everybody.

(Below): Lake Street Dive’s enchanting Rachael Price.

Starting the weekend off strong, Day 1’s afternoon rivaled the headliners that evening. Musicians like Noah Cyrus, Wet Leg, Sarah Kinsley, L’Imperatrice, Benee and Vacations took the stage from early afternoon to early evening, making everyone rush from one of the six stages as to not miss the excitement and unique twist each artist brought to the stage. The evening matched the powerful lineup by bringing indie rock faves Phoenix, country icons The Chicks, Bluegrass Grammy-award winner Billy Strings, popstar Conan Gray and St. Louis native SZA. The stages felt fuller, the crowds seemed bigger than

compared to years past, and the energy that was brought by all the crowds was beyond unmatched.

Catching your favorite artists at a music festival differs from a concert in your hometown in many ways, such as more emphasis on the music, and the ability to determine how good your spot is based on how early you get to the stage. One of the bad things about a festival set is that the time is much more limited than at a typical concert. Thomas Mars, lead vocalist of Phoenix, summarized this perfectly on Day 1, “I want to bond with you, but we don’t have time. Let’s communicate with music.” That is exactly what the crowd gave him and what I carried with myself for the whole weekend.

“Are we feeling saucy, ACL?” Spill Tab yelled to kickstart the second day of the festival. Some amazing bands carried us through the blaze of the sun and into evening, some of my favorites being Habibi, The Brummies, Neil Frances, Good Looks and Samia. Each artist’s individuality showing up on stage, especially Habibi who used their time for more than just music to explain the revolution that was happening for women in Iran. This was far from the only political stance that happened this weekend, but that is something we have seen ACL embrace at their festival for years, allowing artists to use their platforms for the greater good.

As the sun set though, we got to hear more of our favorite artists, like The Front Bottoms, Boy George and the Culture Club, The War on Drugs, Wallows, and Death Cab for Cutie. Someone who absolutely slayed his performance

(Above): Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The foursome also celebrated Flea’s 60th Birthday during their set. (Opposite page) Thomas Mars of the band Phoenix surfed his way through the crowd at the end of their set.

was Lil Nas X, from bringing up members of the crowd to twerk on stage, numerous outfit changes, intense choreography and t-shirt cannons, he immersed you in his world effortlessly. Diplo and Flume drew in the EDM crowd for the evening, and P!nk brought her classic hits, jokes and acrobatic skills. No matter how much fun it may be to dance in a crowd watching an artist on stage, it is a new experience getting to see them fly over your head just out of reach, twirling and singing as they do, especially when they can still make it look easy at 43.

Day 3 brought the variety with two of our favorite new artists: Glove and Jake Wesley Rogers. Glove brought back post-punk from the late ‘70s and the outfits that came with it, while Jake Wesley Rogers, a Missouri boy, brought every color of the rainbow, Elton John pop and his platform heels. The hottest day of the weekend did not stop people from showing up and catching the sets of Faye Webster, PinkPantheress, Yungblud and more, everyone wanting to rock out before ACL closed its doors ’til next year.

Oliver Tree went on tangents and tried to trick the crowd multiple times into believing Paramore was canceling their set, while Spoon at the same time brought their classic indie rock to their fans with very little discussion in between. Paramore stole the day, everyone rushing to their set, it being one of the most crowded stages I have ever experienced at ACL since 2018. Paramore riffed off Olivia Rodrigo and even brought up

PinkPantheress to sing with them.

But the day was not complete without the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Kacey Musgraves. Red Hot Chili Peppers brought California to Austin and even celebrated Flea’s 60th birthday. But, at Kacey’s stage, I was left with a beautiful statement, and it wasn’t “which side of the crowd is gayer?” or her asking for a beer and Beto O’Rourke bringing it to her. It was simply, “This present moment can never be replicated again.” This was a great reminder of how not only to live in the moment and stop recording every song on your phone—you know who you are— but it was also a reminder that every year people look forward to this weekend, so take advantage of Austin City Limits and bask in the music, food and the people around you. It was the best way to end ACL, along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ fireworks display.

Throughout all of this craziness and the hectic-ness of trying to catch your favorite bands, we couldn’t pass up ACL Eats, the general food court of the festival. Food offerings included festival staples like pizza, nachos and fries, to only things you could get in Austin, like elote tater tots, tortilla cones with spicy avocado and chicken, and even smoothie bowls to keep cool in the heat. ACL Eats is always an area that is hard to walk by and not treat yourself to at least one bite of something; the willpower you need to not divulge into the local Austin cuisine is unmatched, and ACL continues to bring great

I want to bond with you, but we don’t have time. Let’s communicate with music.

Thomas Mars, Phoenix

food that locals love and out-of-towners drool over.

Plus, good food is always accompanied by good drinks. With the Barton Springs Beer Hall nearby it was easy to try local brews or classic brews you can find across the country.

It also wouldn’t be a festival if there weren’t plenty of sponsorships either. ACL brought in top names like American Express, Titos, Honda, Snapchat and my personal favorite new collaborator, Hulu. Hulu stepped up strong into the sponsorship realm offering not only a Hulu Motel, but also streaming the first weekend of ACL to all of its users. This new strategy is what even helped some people determine which artists they wanted to go see if they could watch both of their sets the previous weekend, just like one fan I spoke to at the P!nk show who explained how they caught Flume’s set and P!nk’s via Hulu’s stream and decided P!nk would be the better option for them. Other sponsors brought in similar tactics the previous year, like American Express creating a VIP experience for Amex holders and allowing them to go cardless at the festival by linking their Amex to their wristband for an easy transaction.

Overall, ACL brought together new and old in every category, from beloved artists to locals on the scene, to classic Austin food and beer to new specialties to try, same old Zilker Park, and a whole new crowd. The ACL team can continue to build

(Opposite Page, L-R): Sophie Hawley-Weld of the electronic pop duo, Sofi Tukker; a sun-soaked Lil Nas X, surprisingly not in a headlining spot. (This page, top-bottom) Birmingham, Ala. via Nashville indie-rockers, The Brummies rocked the BMI Stage; Faye Webster was flawless on the Barton Springs Stage; Marcus Mumford played all the hits and a few new ones; Brit Daniel of Spoon, who were the kings of rock during ACL.

BELOVED IN ANY LANGUAGE

Habibi may not be a band that is on your radar, but they need to be. This all-girl band is not only bringing unique music to the world, but they are also demanding attention to the problem facing women in Iran. Mixing disco, Motown, psych, English and Farsi you are welcomed into the world of Habibi. Learn more about the band and their music below when we got a chance to catch up with them at ACL.

Story: Madisyn Siebert

Photo: Cory Weaver

Meet the band Habibi:

Hi, I’m Rahill Jamalifard. I sing. I’m Lenny Lynch. I play guitar.

I’m Lyla Vander. I play drums and I’m happy to be here.

I’m Yukary. I play bass. Hi, I’m Ana. I play guitar.

Bands Through Town: Awesome. All right. So how does it feel to be down here at Austin City Limits?

Habibi:

Rahill: Really hot, very good.

Lenny: Hot in more ways than one. We’re super honored to be here. This was something I was telling Rahill where so many of my friends have reached out and been like, congratulations, you know, where I was like, oh, this is something special that we’re doing. I remember, even just when we got, we booked the show, I don’t tell my dad everything, but I told my dad about this show and he was like, what? You know, very, very special.

BTT: Are there any bands that you guys are like, oh, I wanna go catch them while I’m here? Anybody that caught your eye?

Habibi:

Rahill: I think we all are really curious to see Lil Nas X’s performance. Yes. I wanna see Princess Nokia, she’s a New Yorker as well, and just wanna see her.

Lenny: We wanna see Boy George. I hope we’re not missing it right now!

BTT: So where did the band name come from? I believe it’s Farsi, correct?

Habibi:

Rahill: It’s Arabic. Yeah, I sing in Farsi. It was Lenny’s idea.

Lenny: So, the meaning of the word is my love, my, you know, my friend, it’s a term of affection. And I think a lot of my friends growing up in Detroit, they used this, a lot of them are Syrian and Lebanese. And when I met Rahill, it was something that was commonly used with her family. It was this term that crossed over boundaries to be just like a really lovely word. And I loved the use of it. So that’s what it became. The band’s name.

Rahill: Yes. It’s just a universal term that is a term of endearment. And so to represent something that we love doing, it just made sense.

BTT: So how would you guys personally describe your sound?

Habibi:

Rahill: Well, it’s been changing. I mean, as a band we keep evolving, thank God,

because we’ve been together for like 10 years, I would say. So, I think we started with roots in Middle Eastern psych, like Turkish and Iranian psych. But, also we’re from Michigan so we have this like great Motown history too, so heavy girl harmonies kind of style. So those are the roots and the foundation. And then, you know, we have songs that are really punk and inspired by Kleenex and Tom Tom Club and then disco, you know, we love disco too.

Lenny: Yeah. I feel like we want to create things a lot of times based off what you’re listening to or what is gonna excite you. And so I think that it’s evolved, there’s always the Habibi bass line coming out, you know, there’s always simplistic melodies and not too many chords that are dangling up the whole song. It’s pretty straightforward, but now it’s going more into the disco and the punk realms, which is really fun for us.

Rahill: And Lenny naturally has this ability to kind of play pentatonic scale, which is more Middle Eastern sounding. So we hit a lot of those notes and, I think that’s like a Habibi sound that’s like consistently been present in the songs too.

BTT: So, how important is it to you to include Farsi lyrics in your music?

Habibi:

Rahill: Yeah, I think that, like for me, anything that I’m putting out creatively, it’s always there. It’s like ever present because it’s very much ever present in myself individually, but I feel like sometimes it’s indirect. So I’m singing about something, I make a reference that nobody might know unless, you know, they are clued into something. But then other times it’s more direct where I sing out in Farsi. But, I think it’s just present and it’s not a choice like, ‘oh, I am trying to do this,’ it’s just what I’m moved to.

BTT: I get that. My roommate in college spoke Farsi because her family was originally from Iran. And, it was so funny to me because she could speak French, Farsi and English fluently, she would talk in her sleep and she would mix all three languages together. Because there are words, she’s like, oh yeah, I can’t really say this in English.

BTT: You guys have quite a bit of narrative storytelling in your songs. Can you elaborate on how you come up with these stories and lyrics?

Habibi:

Rahill: I think from the go, it was always a habibi heroine and it’s about women championing. I referenced ‘she’ a lot, which I think a long time ago, people were always like, oh, it’s weird you sing about a woman or a girl. Like, you know, it has nothing to do with my sexual orientation. It’s just our heroine is a powerful woman and I like storytelling. So, it’s from the perspective of either somebody adoring

this person/admiring this person or being that person.

I guess there’s other themes I sing about like Persepolis is dedicated to my grandfathers again, like the Iranian heritage. I think a lot of times I’m saying ‘she’ and I like that it’s taken on this persona that it’s this woman who is representative of all females basically, but, you know, just somebody we admire, I guess.

BTT: In “Come My Habibi” in the middle of the song you guys have that. I don’t even know how to capture what it is, but was that planned, or was that a moment of just like, this is something we wanna add?

Habibi:

Lenny: Yeah. I feel like that was a song that came together. It was the first song that I ever showed, like just the bassline. It wasn’t a song yet, it was just the bassline of the song, which is the guitar line. But I showed it to Rahill when we first met each other and then everything we were coming up with was like, “Detroit Baby,” you know? It didn’t fit with the first album at all. And we were like, well that’s really heavy. Let’s take a pause on this and then go back to it. And then figured out where it would fit and how it’s gonna fit.

And then, this was a complete coming together in the studio with everybody involved. Our friend Mina did ululation, which I wish you could go on tour with us all the time and do.

Rahill: It’s not something we had today. But it’s a cause for celebration. It’s like we grew to be able to have that psychheavy psych sound, but when we first started, like Lenny said, it was mostly our Motown influence and it felt fitting on the last record that we did include it. But, yeah, it wasn’t something, like the vision was there but it wasn’t fully realized. And then you can feel it in that, especially the ending breakdown part is like we figured out that part of it.

I also think a lot of times with Middle Eastern music too, there’s this kind of Sufi music or something where you go into a trance almost and it’s supposed to build in this hypnotic sound. I think that it’s a nod to that, but it’s also a nod to the psych and heavy, like heavier psych that we also listen to.

BTT: Awesome. And then one last question. New music. What direction are you guys going towards? Anything inspiring?

Habibi:

Lenny: We’re making you dance, we’re making you drive really fast in your car and have your leg on your honey and make out as soon as possible. It’s very, I think sexy, it’s fun and it’s coming out next year on Kill Rock Stars [record label].

Future Wave is Now for Glove

Story: Madisyn Siebert

Photo: Cory Weaver

Glove is the punk rock revival band of your dreams, with their futuristic tones and revamp of the classic late-1970’s punk era that many of us know and have come to love. Jump on this band before they blow up—their second album, Boom Nights, is less than a year old. So, how soon is now? The quartet has opened for Jack White, and most recently, Foals.

We got a chance to talk with the band after their set at Austin City Limits and learn more about what’s in the works and when we can expect another rockin’ album.

Bands Through Town: Thanks for taking some time to chat with me. It’s freaking hot outside. How’d you guys do it up there on stage with the sun beating down on you?

Glove: We were lucky that the sun wasn’t hitting the stage when we were playing.

BTT: Do you guys want to go around and introduce yourselves?

Glove: I’m Rod, I play guitar in Glove.

I’m Bri. I play drums in Glove.

I’m Justin. I play bass in Glove.

I’m Michelle. I play synth in Glove.

BTT: Where does the band name Glove come from? What inspired you to choose that as your band name?

Glove: I looked at the Strokes first album, the US version. The cover was an ass with a hand. It was covered, it was wearing a glove. And we were like, okay. You know, at first there wasn’t a lot of thought behind it. We just went with it. And, we kind of stuck with it. But yeah, that was it pretty much.

BTT: Well, kind of going off that, how would you guys explain your sound?

Glove: I think it’s fair to say, like a modern new wave sort of thing. Very futuristic.

Future wave. I mean, we listened to a lot of different stuff, you know, when the band started it was a lot less electronic elements in the band, but, as we kept progressing, we introduced a lot more synthesizers and stuff.

It’s constantly changing too. So it’s hard to, you know, describe. I hope that the next record sounds different than the first one and so on. But I’d say a modern new wave.

BTT: Going off that, you guys started with new singles in 2019, I believe. And then, it took ’til 2022 when the album debuted. Right? So you guys had a couple of the singles end up on the final album. Was it a long lead-up for a purpose? Was it Covid?

Glove: Yeah, it was Covid. I mean, we started working on the record in 2019. The fall in 2019. And we were hoping to have had the record come out in 2020. As you know, everything happened, and we think it was good because we ended up working more on it and we wrote new tunes. So, I think it worked in our favor, and it was cool that we kind of took our time. I think a lot of bands at the time didn’t know what to do, but I think as soon as it happened, we were actually like, okay, we can take this time to really progress with it, you know? So, it’s definitely a blessing in disguise. I feel like having that time was really nice to complete everything the way we wanted it.

BTT: I feel like you guys are the first band who have been like, yeah, it was a blessing in disguise, ’cause everyone was like, it fucked our plans.

Glove: Well…we have a lot of friends that were. They had records come out. We had this band Districts, they were good friends of ours. They had a record come out I think a couple weeks before the pandemic. Like, a day from going on tour with them. Then it got shut down right before we were about to leave. So, I’m sure if we were in that situation we would’ve been also, you know, like really. But no, it was great. I mean, we finished it. We went up to Nashville and did a record with a friend of ours. Yeah, it worked out perfect.

BTT: Great. And then, correct me if I’m wrong, is it Liza Minnelli on the cover?

Glove: It’s a drag queen dressed as Liza Minnelli.

BTT: Why’d you guys pick that for your cover art?

Glove: We were going through old photos that my mom had that my grandmother had taken in 1976. She used to put on a drag night at this place called the St. Pete Protocol, and it was all photos from that night, and it was a Hollywood theme. So, there were all these Hollywood stars in drag. Then we saw that photo and we were struck. We

were like, this looks like an album cover. And we stuck with it for five years and we’re like, that’s an album cover and never changed our minds and just went with it.

BTT: That’s really cool. I love that. I feel that’s the most in-depth story I’ve heard about album art, holding onto it for five years.

Glove: Yeah, I know. It just felt right.

BTT: What does it mean for you guys to be here at Austin City Limits?

Glove: It’s really good. You know, we haven’t done that many festivals, like big ones like this, so it’s always nice to experience the stage, and I think we’re still learning a lot as a band to deal with the technicality of playing on bigger stages and figuring out the sound and all that kind of stuff. So, it’s a really good experience, I mean, to be along with all these amazing artists and legends that we love. We’re having a great time.

BTT: Anybody you’re looking forward to catching today?

Glove: We wanted to see Japanese Breakfast, The Marías, James Blake. We’re gonna see Paramore I think later as well.

BTT: I know we kind of hinted at it earlier, but, new music? When can we hear? What are you guys going for? When can we expect it?

Glove: Well, soon. I mean, we have some demos and, you know, I hope it feels different but in a good way. Like, it’s still us, but I think we’re just evolving, and I like the direction it’s going. I think it’ll be cool. We’ve been writing stuff; we’ve also been working with some friends, they’ve been doing some remixes of our songs. So I think we’re gonna put out a remix album of it. We’re trying to do that earlier next year. Hopefully we’re trying to stay active every year, release a record so hopefully if everything works out and it goes well, I think by March you would hear more.

BTT: Okay, perfect. And then tour?

Glove: Yes. Tour. Ending the year with Foals and then I think we’re gonna try to focus a little bit on getting some new songs out and figure out what we’re gonna do about a record, you know?

BTT: Anything else you guys wanna add?

Glove: Find us on the road!

Enjoying ‘Delayed Gratification’ with Vacations

Story: Madisyn Siebert Photo: Cory Weaver

Woozy guitar pop, Australian accents and plenty of laughs are all phrases I would use to describe the band Vacations. While at Austin City Limits Music Festival, we got a chance to chat with band members Campbell Burns, Jake Johnson, Nate Delizzotti, and Joseph Van Lier, about upcoming music, their latest album Forever in Bloom, and how the pandemic impacted them.

BTT: How’s it feel to be here at Austin City Limits?

Vacations: Feels incredible, honestly. Austin’s been very kind to us, and it’s awesome to be playing our first festival in America. It’s a huge opportunity.

BTT: So, are there any bands you guys really wanted to catch or anybody who caught your eye on the lineup?

Vacations: Really wanted to catch Arlo Parks. And she is playing right now. And I’m just like, ahhhhh. And then Phoenix would be cool. Benee would be cool. Genesis Owusu would be fun. SZA.

BTT: So, Forever in Bloom dropped in 2020. How is dropping music during Covid compared to releasing music pre-Covid?

Vacations: Strange because we dropped this album, we were so proud of it and we focused on such a live aspect of it like we hadn’t ever before. And then we couldn’t play it live, and that was the only thing we wanted to do. And it was like, we’ve got all this new music and we had to sit with it.

And I feel like in the online sense, there was this big feeling that you were supposed to be squaring away and working on stuff during it. There was Taylor Swift releasing multiple albums during that period, and we’d just done that. We’d just worked so hard to make something. And we even argued about releasing it during the pandemic; I’m glad we did because it went for so much longer than anyone was expecting.

But we of course just didn’t feel like making more music.

So we just had like three years or almost inactivity, we would see one another regularly and just hang out. But we just didn’t feel like working on anything. Yeah. It was weird. It was weird being in that album cycle and it was meant to be a very triumphant moment that didn’t come until now. Delayed. Delayed gratification.

BTT: [On the Forever in Bloom album] “Floraison” transitions to “Seasons.” I love it. I love the transition. It’s one of my favorite things. So, what made you guys want to keep them as two separate songs versus making it just a really long intro?

Vacations: That’s funny, ’cause that kind of circles back to the previous question where it was like that was meant to be the walk-on when we played it live, and then we’re gonna kick into “Seasons.” So really, again,

thinking of that live aspect. So that’s why we kept it two separate, but, I feel like it certainly was, and I feel like it’s still very much a thing, that people love making playlists and sometimes having a song with a minute-long intro is detrimental to your playlist and how smooth it functions. So, if people liked the song, they could add it to something without having to suffer through that long, long intro every time. It’s strategic.

We really did it for the fans.

BTT: It’s like the 1975 where they always have those super-duper, duper long intros.

Vacations: We were just talking about them!

BTT: So, what music/sounds are inspiring your next album? Any new experimentation?

Vacations: Campbell’s been the one that’s been going hard with demos. Where are they coming from?

It’s true, honestly been getting inspired a lot by America from our previous touring. So, been recording a lot of voice memos, like sounds of us at a diner, walking down the street or when it’s us in the van. And using those sort of audio recordings as a track bit that sits underneath the track that’s playing at all times. Just to give all the tracks context and then just sort of writing about our time through the pandemic and sort of coming out of that, and finally getting to meet our fans and finally getting to play in the U.S. and just that, so that whole sort of transition.

BTT: Awesome, thank you so much for chatting with us today!

We dropped this album, we were so proud of it and we focused on such a live aspect of it like we hadn’t ever before. And then we couldn’t play it live. We’ve got all this new music and we had to sit with it.

Campbell Burns on the Miller Lite stage at ACL.

Jake Wesley Rogers

Jake Wesley Rogers, with his funky looks, amazing voice and true sense of emotion in his performances, was born and raised a Midwesterner, but left the Bible Belt to follow his passions. Starting off back on “American Idol” (all the way back to Season 7), Jake has learned a lot and has even gone viral on TikTok. This viralness has led him to be interviewed by numerous people—including Sir Elton John—and we were lucky enough to do just the same after his set at Austin City Limits.

Bands Through Town: First off, how does it feel to be here at Austin City Limits?

Jake Wesley Rogers: Feels amazing. Really. It’s a special festival. I played in Austin a lot lately, and I really like the people here—it’s good. And they’re ready to roll and party, and very beautiful people too.

BTT: They’re great. Are there any bands that you’re eager to catch? I know you were here last weekend as well.

JWR: I hope so, we’ve flown in on red eyes both times because we are on tour right now. So, we’re usually pretty tired. I’m usually pretty tired. I would love to see Paramore though ’cause I didn’t go last week.

BTT: Yeah. They’re on my list too. So, having grown up in Missouri, how does it feel now to be interviewing with people like Elton John? Or, I know your song was just in the “Bros” movie, which is huge, congratulations. How does that feel to come from the Bible Belt, as you say, to where you’re at now?

JWR: It takes me a long time to process things, so sometimes they don’t hit me. It’s surreal but it’s also very real and humbling, and I guess I don’t feel like it makes me, at least I feel like I guess if Elton likes me, I’m not terrible and it’s an affirmation, that this is something I should be doing and something I love doing. I would do it if nobody cared still. So, it’s just kind of the icing on the cake.

BTT: So, you’ve been releasing music since 2017. How would you explain how your sound has changed throughout that time?

JWR: It’s just changed with me. As I change as a human. It’s very autobiographical. So, as I change it changes and it evolves and I’m working on my kind of first full length now and yeah. It’s been so fun. So freeing.

BTT: So that was gonna be my follow-up: when is the full album coming?

JWR: We’re working on it. My favorite emotion is surprise because I feel like when something surprises you, it means the world is different than you thought it was. And I think the best emotion about creating is surprise. I’ve been very surprised by this album, and I love it for that.

BTT: Well, now you’re making me super excited for it. So actually, I saw you on TikTok the first time, like forever ago and I was like, oh, he is really good, this is awesome. So how would you say TikTok in particular has impacted your music? Like, whether that’s how you’re creating it or how it’s being picked up or anything.

JWR: I definitely don’t try to let it influence how I create. For me it kind of feels like the very last step in creation once the song’s written, you know? The videos, everything’s made, and then, it’s time to promote it. But, it’s a huge tool and I view it as a tool because it’s powerful and I love how it takes any hierarchies of power out of the way because you don’t need a label. You don’t need all of these things that you used to have to, to get music to people. I’m at a label and they basically just told me to make TikToks. I’m like, okay, yeah, I will! And I am. And um, last year Brene Brown followed me on TikTok, so I never complained about making TikTok talks anymore.

BTT: So, you are very proud of your sexuality, as you should be, and everyone should be. How do you display that in your music and your everyday life?

JWR: I mean, it’s never a protest, it’s just me being me. Sometimes being me is a protest. But I think that’s the point. When I started writing songs, it was one of the few places I felt very safe to just say it, how I wanna say it. And it’s still the same way. It’s still usually a year before I make a change in my life. I write a song about it. It’s just my truth, and my truth happens to be a truth that hasn’t been told a lot, at least this version of it. So, I’m just gonna keep doing that.

BTT: One last question. So, it comes with the story. I was just at the Harry Styles concert on Thursday in Chicago and I wore some very, very tall heels to that. How do you do it on stage? Because my feet are still hurting after just watching Harry.

JWR: Yeah. You’re jumping around in everything. I usually take them off right after I perform, so I’m usually only wearing them for about 30 minutes. When I did James Corden I wore very tall shit and they were like seven inches and I had never worn them before and they were a little too big and that was a little scary. Yeah. Oh my gosh. But I didn’t die, I didn’t die and it worked. So this confidence is really platforms I think are easier than stilettos.

Story: Madisyn Siebert

Photo: Cory Weaver

PICTURE PERFECT:

Backstage at

(Above) Neil Frances wowed on the Miller Lite stage and the night before Day 2, hosting a soldout DJ set at the Empire Control Room. (Below) We’re pretty sure The Marías spent the majority of 2022 touring. Their sold out KCLC-sponsored concert at STL’s The Old Rock House in March was epic, and their performance at the newly minted FORMAT Festival was inspiring.

Nikki Lane’s

mix tape of E S motion

Story: Melanie Broussalian

Photos: Cory Weaver

From the opening notes of her first album in five years, it’s clear that Nashville songstress Nikki Lane is in her “kick ass and take names” era of her career. Even at her most sincere and saccharine, Lane’s music has always had a tinge of edge, whether coming from the signature rasp in her voice or driving rhythms. Now, the grit, grime and fun— which are always covered in fringe and sparkle—are front and center in Denim & Diamonds, a follow-up to 2017’s Highway Queen.

The resulting work is a celebration of the messes we make when we’re in love, both with ourselves and with someone else. With lyrics like “I can do whatever I wanna,” Lane is a self-assured and confident beacon of femininity, done all on her own terms. Featuring plenty of reverb, sparkly guitar sounds, and not a hint of programmed drums, Denim & Diamonds harkens back to youthful, sticky, humid summers and high-speed freeway driving with the windows down.

We caught up with Nikki Lane between tour stops to talk all things Denim & Diamonds, studio memories, and a shared love for vintage clothing (among other things).

“

We rode around in Josh’s car listening to tracks for the first time—driving a record around is how I test it out.

“

MB: First of all, congratulations—this album is a roaring return. Did you know going into the very start of the writing process that this country-meets-rock sensibility was where you wanted to go?

NL: I knew I was seeking the same feeling of inspiration I had when I made my first album, and for me that first one was stepping outside of my comfort zone. After a while, the Americana genre I’m a part of had started to feel limiting, so pushing the sound into the rock space was an easy shift—“scratching an itch,” if you will.

MB: How did your collaboration with Joshua Homme come about? Was there a deciding factor that made you say, “Okay, let’s try this?”

NL: It was a recommendation from my previous manager, and I originally was curious whether he would even want to do an album with a “country singer.”

By the time we finished our first call, I knew he had to be the producer. His mind fires from all cylinders and he is a great connector. I was so impressed with the roster of players he picked, as well as the way he coaxed us all into our roles in the studio.

MB: Album reviews have likened your collaboration with Homme to Jack White working with Loretta Lynn, or a Tanya Tucker sound. What were your influences for Denim & Diamonds, and did Homme bring any unexpected references to the table that made their way into the record?

NL: If he brought references in, I tuned them out. Undoubtedly, we are all bringing our musical influences and favorite into the room with us. We’ve absorbed so much of those sounds, but I try not to be obviously derivative of things in particular. By working with Homme, the record naturally gleaned his musical touch, as well as all of the other players; but I’m always hoping to find the “Nikki Lane” sound vs. recreate or attempt to recreate anyone else’s.

MB: Can you share with us your favorite memory of being in the studio for Denim & Diamonds?

NL: Likely, it was watching Alain Johannes record the guitar for “Chimayo:” a chilling song with such mastery in the playing. Also, the day we rode around in Josh’s car listening to tracks for the first time—driving a record around is how I test it out.

NL: I wanted to revisit the feelings of youth. For me being feminine is being comfortable with myself—dressed up or down. When we decided to try a skinny dip scene, it was thought to be shot after dark, but the team worked so well together we wrapped before dusk, and my buns were bared. The song itself implied the fun in doing it anyways, and the video ended as fun and wild as it would have when I was 18.

MB: Along that same vein, what’s the vibe audiences can expect when they come to see you on tour?

MB: As a listener, I love listening to a body of work and trying to find a through-line from album to album. What do you think you pulled from your last record into Denim & Diamonds? And looking ahead, what lessons or discoveries will you take with you?

NL: This was my first reflective record. As always, I strove to make a “mix tape of my emotions,” and boy were we able to do that when I was also willing to open up and talk more personally in my lyrics. I think that vulnerability will continue in future recordings, but life dictates what comes next…

MB: Watching the “First High” video in particular, it seems that by rejecting the “societally accepted” norms of what is considered feminine, you actually are able to tap into this divine feminine energy on an even deeper level. Was this something you actively wanted to explore when making the album and the accompanying visuals?

NL: We’ve learned to build a show that lets the listener and myself ride the ebb and flow of country and rock and roll. I love to tell stories, pass around the tequila, and spend time after shows with fans, because that’s the reason we all come out in the road in the first place. MB: We’d be remiss not to mention your awesome Nashville vintage store, High Class Hillbilly. As a fellow collector of pre-loved clothes, what do you think is so appealing about curating looks from bygone eras?

NL: High Class Hillbilly has been a secondary creative outlet for me, and at times early on, my primary source of income. If I’m going to be out on the road, I might as well be pickin’, and if I’m pickin,’ I wanna share it with you all. From vintage tees, to fully stylized costumes, there is history hidden in attics and closets all over the world. I love the fun of unearthing those treasures, and it’s a great way to spend my time between shows.

“ “

at Turn

Story: Thomas Crone Photos: Cory Weaver

Found in what was once a huge, multi-roomed music club called Plush, David Kirkland’s restaurant Turn has received high marks from critics and patrons, alike, for an original approach that, according to the Turn website “represents the convergence of Kirkland’s DJ life and his passion for cooking. He crafts flavor profiles like he mixes beats–layering and blending to create unique experiences.”

the music’s always a part of the overall mix

Kirkland’s resume notes that his career began in earnest “in the early-1990’s, bouncing from the Café at St. Louis Art Museum (Catering St. Louis) to Frazer’s Brown Bag, and then Venice Café. Kirkland learned everything he could from some of the city’s best. In 1996, he moved to San Francisco and began focusing on his music interests, becoming a resident DJ at several clubs throughout the city.” Back at home in St. Louis, he helmed the kitchen at Cafe Osage, beginning a stint there in 2007.

By 2016, he’d open Turn and David Kirkland Catering, where you can often find Kirkland drifting from the kitchen to the expansive, airy dining hall, where he greets guests new and old. An amiable sort, Kirkland’s given over to discussing the guests’ meals, obviously, but there’s also a good chance that you can catch him in conversation about his favorite bands, albums and tracks, one of which might be subtly playing in the background of this acclaimed comfort food restaurant.

At Turn, the music’s always a part of the overall mix. Sometimes, it’s more overtly represented than at other times, such as when deejays are holding down the space. Other times, it’s just the house PA that’s reflecting both Kirkland’s tastes and those of his co-workers, including his son, who increasingly are bringing new sounds to Kirkland’s ears. And you can’t miss the wall of colorful album covers that dominate the space’s southern wall.

We spoke to him recently just a few minutes after a Friday morning opening, watching his room slowly pick up customers in a bright, fun environment, giving it the ideal morning café vibe.

TC: Tell me a little bit about your notions about what you like to hear musically in your front of house.

DK: You know, I kind of let it go for a while. I was kind of playing anything I curated from like a little Pandora list of things that I liked, things that I thought that the customers would like. But now, my son has been creating lists and profile lists and things like that, and it’s been really well-received, with a lot of older stuff and newer stuff like bands I’d never heard of. And now I’m totally into Steve Lacy and things like that. And you know, for the younger crowd that comes in, they really appreciate it and the older people just vibe on it so they don’t really notice a difference.

TC: Do you think restaurants take that part of the experience too lightly or don’t even think about it at all?

DK: I think they don’t think about it at all. Yeah. You know, we really cultivate the idea of this just being my living room and you’re listening to good music.

TC: What are other places that do it well in your mind? Are there places where you know you’ll go in and hear something solid?

DK: So, The Royale, obviously. Takashima does a really, really good job. You know, I was in Yellow Belly the other day and I really enjoyed their music. The crowd’s not there to listen to music, you know, but for music heads it was a really good time.

TC: Wedding the sound with food: is that overstated sometimes? Or can you really kind of make those things work in tandem?

DK: Well, we do. Just because of how we coordinate our monthly Sunday jams. You know, we’ll have a different DJ come in. And as a result, people will make reservations to come in to hear a DJ, whether they know them or not, to be able to enjoy food and listen to good music.

TC: Obviously, this place has great windows, and, yeah, the lighting here can be quite nice. What caught your attention about the space originally?

DK: Having an environment to play with? You know, I didn’t pick this space. I was looking for a space that was on Grand where Miss M’s candy is going and nearer to Big Brothers Big Sisters. And I contacted Ken Kranzberg and said, ‘Hey, is that your spot?’ He goes, ‘No, but I have another space that I’ve been thinking about.’ So he and Chris Hansen (Executive Director, Kranzberg Arts Foundation) met me here and I was like, ‘Oh, this is Plush.’ And I immediately had a little nostalgia because I’d seen some amazing shows here, and I don’t remember it being very bright and…plush. And then I thought about it later. I don’t know why they covered up their windows because the lighting here is so beautiful and so nice. So when we moved into this spot, everything became osmosis, like the design, the idea of the records (on the wall). While we didn’t really have a plan then, it turned out pretty good.

TC: There are places where there is a definite clash between front and back of house on music; I hear that as a customer. Do you ever have that occur?

DK: No, we are a pretty good crew and we all get along really well. We always operate in a team mentality, front and back. So whenever something is a shortcoming, we just back each other up and take care of it. I think it’s a really good fit here.

TC: No metalheads in the kitchen?

DK: Well, it’s in this kitchen, it’s a huge, huge hip-hop world. And sometimes it’ll bleed through and the general manager will come in and tell us to turn the music down. Because when I’m cooking from trying to cook fast you’re turning the heat up and I always like to turn the volume up, too; so they keep me in my place.

TC: A few more things with your schedule. Are you able to see as much live music as you’d like?

DK: Actually, in the last year, my wife took a position at the Sheldon where she’s the program director. And I’ve probably seen in the last year at least a good 20 live shows. Being in the Grand Center Arts District, well…sometimes when you leave work, you just want to go home. But there’s so many good venues down here that I’ve come back down to see shows and deejays at Sophie’s. So it feels like I’m coming back to work. But once I get that idea out of my head, it’s actually really good.

TC: Are there sounds that you picked up on (and this might sound kind of general) but that you maybe wouldn’t have listened to five years ago?

DK: Oh, absolutely. I heard of Rufus Wainwright, you know, but when I saw him live I just went down this rabbit hole, (listened to) everything I could get of him. I never thought I’d get into any kind of bluegrass or anything like that. So yeah, I’ve really changed my ideas on a lot of music.

TC: And just to use that same time frame cooking-wise in the last five years how has your cooking been influenced by new things?

DK: I always follow the trends of herbs. So the opportunity to have something that’s coming out of the ground that’s fresh. There’re a lot of chefs around town and I’ll go and see what they’re doing. Saint Louis is a really good sharing community within the culinary world. People are free to talk about what they’re making and not feel like you’re taking their ideas.

TC: What exactly are you cooking and listening to today on this Friday morning?

DK: Right now I’m making a rustic pear tart with a shortbread crust. And then what I am listening to is new music. It’s ‘new music Friday’ on Spotify. So that’s what we kind of do on Fridays. We listen to all the new tracks that come out and see if we like any of them. It’s a very musical kitchen.

3224 Locust, 63103 www.turnstl.com 314

2022 INDIE ROCK

Highlighting a few of our favorite albums from 2022

SPOON LUCIFER ON THE SOFA HEMBREE IT’S A DREAM!

SHARON VAN ETTEN

Hembree takes you through a fantastic journey of highs and lows throughout the full duration of I t’s a Dream! .

And as if that isn’t enough, this album even has a connecting storyline that focuses on addiction, recovery, and the impact that those can have on your personal relationships. -AB

WE’VE BEEN GOING ABOUT THIS ALL WRONG “Wild” and “My Babe” are easily the stickiest songs on the album, with their infectious songwriting set over strong guitars and piano arrangements that blend with ease. These tracks also recall Daniel’s classic songwriting tropes; nothing new, sure, but hearing him sing about his strong love for ‘his babe’ and the general discomfort of the world harkens a familiarity instead of complacency. -MC

Some of the songs across the album blend together, but in a way that’s palindromic, not repetitive. The effect is almost hypnotic, creating a sonic vortex that mirrors the Groundhog Day-esque state of mind we’ve collectively experienced over the past few years. Sharon Van Etten has the rare ability to continually broaden her sound without reinventing the wheel. She grows and shifts but always stays true to the core of her music and songwriting, creating a safe, comforting space for listeners to let go. -MB

RETROSPECTIVE

DEAP VALLY MARRIAGE MAGGIE ROGERS SURRENDER INTERPOL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF MAKE-BELIEVE

Deap Vally has a hardto-master knack for crafting tight, hookheavy songs in under three minutes that still deliver as much sincerity and punch as longer rock anthems from their contemporaries. “High Horse” with KT Tunstall and Peaches is simple and straightforward; even though the tongue-incheek bridge falls a little flat, you can sense the fun that was had by all in the studio. -MB

It’s no secret that the aughts are back: the teens are reviving lowrise jeans, Crocs are no longer worn ironically, and the nostalgia around an age before the pervasiveness of social media has never been stronger. So how do you make music that encapsulates that feeling without being completely derivative? Enter Maggie Rogers’ newest album, Surrender . -MB

On the heels of Interpol’s Turn on the Bright Lights 20th anniversary comes the band’s seventh studio album, On the Other Side of MakeBelieve.

Ebbing the flow of any fanfare that will arise from celebrating the release of one of the best Indie/Alt Rock albums of the 2000s, Make-Believe has ushered in a new era of Interpol music. -CW

(This page) Gary Clark Jr. closes out Music at the Intersection

(Opposite) BJ the Chicago Kid

Photos: Sean Rider

Photos: Cory Weaver

Above: Backstage with legends John Scofield and Buddy Guy. Below: Another legend, bassist Oteil Burbridge. Photos: Cory Weaver

page)

(This

STL-born Sza electrified both weekend’s of ACL as one of the headliners opening the festival. Culture Club filled the ’80s void and got cut off during “Karma Chameleon” for going over the set time. EDM powerhouse Flume impressed. (Page 58) Back in STL, Foals rocked the Pageant and a few days later, Peach Pit made their first ever STL appearance at the Pageant. Stifel Theatre played host to not one but two greats on the same night, Interpol and Spoon. The hype is real as Wet Leg sold out Delmar Hall.

Seun Kuti: Afrobeat’s Standard-Bearer

Afrobeat and the surname Kuti are practically synonymous. Fela Kuti is largely credited as the trailblazer of the genre, a blend of West African beats mixed with funk, soul and jazz that’s peppered with political consciousness. After Fela’s death in 1997, his sons Femi and Seun, and members of Fela’s band, kept the legacy going. In September, we had the opportunity to see Seun Kuti and his band Egypt 80 perform back to back on two different days in two different cities. First up, a Friday night in St. Louis under the Big Top in Grand Center Arts District. The show is a slow build, as the band begins to warm up the crowd. A few minutes later, Seun and dancers in beautiful African dresses emerge on stage and begin to put on an unforgettable performance—their first in St. Louis. The Nigerian-born Kuti’s showmanship and colorful style were center stage, saxophone often in hand, backed by his horn section, guitars, bass, drums and three dancers. He has a way of captivating the audience with beats, powerful lyrics, and dance, and shares his passion for making a difference in the world through activism while discussing the issues that should matter to us all. Part 2 came the next day in Bentonville, Ark. at Format Festival, where Kuti performed in front of a fantastic crowd (see full FORMAT coverage beginning on page 18). JRW

Photos: Cory Weaver

BANDS THROUGH TOWN