GRIFF PRESENTS VOL: 5 FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

GRIFF PRESENTS VOL:5 FROM THE

CITY TO THE

COUNTRYSIDE

NYC TO SXSW: A run with Monk Tamony through the Divided States of America

GRIFF PRESENTS VOL 5 This past March, I went on the road to catch up with one of my favorite bands, Monk Tamony. Taking off from Colorado one week after they packed their van up back in Brooklyn to meet in Austin for SXSW. The festival was non stop energy. Streets were packed as invited acts played all day long. Monk Tamony played great during their showcases.

This was during Trump’s first one hundred days. An incredibly interesting time to be moving around the map via highways across state lines. There were clues all around us, as to how different the red and blue states live. Those messages rang as loud as the music.

This piece is a collection of thoughts and visuals from our collective travels. You can check songs off of Monk Tamony’s debut EP and more by clicking the link.

Check out the piece while you listen. just click the link below: https://soundcloud.com/monktamony/sets/

Joshua Griffler Piece Narrated by TJ Rosenthal Special Thanks to Tim Palin Creative

In March we loaded our gear into the van out in Bushwick. Then hit the road. For a tour through the rust belt states and parts of the southeast. Culminating with SXSW showcases in Austin.

The band is called Monk Tamony. We York City two piece two years back. has since relocated to Venice Beach. now. Finalizing song demos by using in studios on both coasts. Utilizing office work. Welcome to the future.

started out as a New My bandmate Joe Z We are bi coastal Dropbox. Recording FaceTime audio for

Kicking things off this time around, Joe flew in from the left coast for some New York City Shows.

We then headed west to Cincinnati for our first date out of town.

Wow, we certainly weren’t in Brooklyn anymore. Fight for Coal Miners rights. Gun Store, next exit. Jesus knows. Hell is Real. “Trump Pence” scrawled on some barn rooftop.

From the drivers seat, I wondered why Hillary overlooked the importance of the Rust Belts’ narrative last summer.

Or didn’t communicate her understanding of it well enough.

These days, upon reflection, I’d love to know how those voters perceive the endless POTUS tweets and 24/7 turmoil taking place in year one.

After Cincinnati, we hit Louisville, Nashville, and Little Rock. Did a little of everything. Gigs in cities. DJ’d a set at a rock bar. Ironically, we caught the Clinton library in Arkansas too.

Mitt Romney’s “binders full of women” buried his 2012 White House hopes. Imagine that. An outdated tempo and culture of norms and manners. Unrecognizable to where are now. In a world playing at twitter mach speed. Resulting in non stop political gut punching madness.

Spotify playlists and political podcasts accompanied our ten hour drives across state lines. BRMC. Temples. Kasabian. The Kinks.

On Infowars, Alex Jones was calling Austin the new Hollywood.

A big liberal anti right gathering. A Muslim guest on Jeremy Scahill’s The Intercept described what it’s been like living for years on the U.S “no fly” list. Luckily for us, Austin was just about the music, shooting the shit with other musicians, new friends, food trucks and parties.

The Austin gigs kicked ass. Whisler’s, BD Riley’s, Recording a live version of ‘ Leaders’ for a vinyl 45 through Pabst Wax at Hotel Vegas.

We chose Leaders, the second single off our debut EP (one that received a Q Magazine “track of the day” mention last summer) to give that treatment to. ” We were given just two takes due to time constraints in order to accomplish the feat. The way early rock and roll bands once had to do it. Pressure!

Early morning sun is everywhere. Leaders gonna lead to nowhere.

Monk Tamony, Leaders

On downtime, we often hung out at Willie Nelson’s ranch style Arlyn Studio. A music haven. Freehold from Brooklyn teamed up with Wreckroom (Adrian Grenier’s label) there to host live shows, dj’s and run parties. We spun a set there one day. What a great gathering spot.

By Sunday 10am we were on the road, headed back to Gotham.

Twenty seven hours of highway jostling with big rigs on all sides of us. 5am Monday, after a straight eighteen hour sprint, we pulled into Louisville for a brief sleep at a Super 8.

Pulling out to head back to NYC by noon, we noticed a “Welcome President Trump” sign across from the motel parking lot. POTUS was to give an in state speech to supporters who voted for him last November.

Too bad he didn’t think to lay the Mar a Lago golf clubs down a day prior though. To join the college basketball crazed region in bars around Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati. For March Madness. They ALL had second round games that day. To really bond with the locals.

It’s not just the Donald though. It’s all of us. Lifestyles and priorities vary so much across red and blue state lines.

Politicians know this, and utilize any cracks in the union they can find to conquer and divide us. We all still take the bait too. Sad. Rolling out from Bushwick to Austin was rock and roll, and great for the soul. As was experiencing so many states throughout the country.

The nation’s disconnect with itself didn’t start from the moment the President first came down the Trump Tower escalator to announce his candidacy. Since he took office however, the polarization has been steadily growing.

So how can anyone find comfort and refuge? One way is through music. We need more unifying remedies like it now.

In the Divided States of America.

Far and wide from the city to the countryside. Can’t get along, just get it wrong.

Every time we try.

Monk Tamony, City to the Countryside