city stages music festival

I have lots to say and it's long. Sit back and grab something to drink and let's go!

Well kids, I wrote a recap of my City Stages festival experience for Rebuilt Records and you can find it at the link above, or I'll copy/paste it here!

A little City Stages recap, courtesy of Anna Leary:

I met Jason and Jana at exit 61 on I-85, we handed off their lovely daughter to a waiting Gram and we headed to Birmingham. The drive wasn’t bad and the company was glorious. We hit quite a few sun-still-shining-brightly-yet-it’s-raining-harder-than-thought-possible storms, but Jason weathered them like a champ (pun obviously intended).

We arrived at the wonderful month-old home of our sole Rebuilt Lady (that’s what I’m calling her from now on), Natalie Moon and her goofy-and-loveable husband Seth. I’m still confused on the time zones, so I’m no sure what time we arrived—but Natalie welcomed us with open arms (I’ve only met her once, perhaps twice, yet we hugged like old friends. We’re MySpace friends, so that counts right?) and we all quickly fell into easy conversation. Regardless of us all being hungry, we were strangely entranced with one of the Terminator movies—I don’t know which one because I’ve never seen any of them before Friday night. This one had the morphing clean-cut cop in it, and S. Epatha Merkerson from Law and Order, and it was strangely good. We then went out to eat and saw a man walking down the street with an ice cream cart. But back to what you came here for: City Stages 2008!

We woke up to a storm Saturday morning and that is generally not what you want to hear when you know you’re spending the day at an outdoor music festival. It’s especially not what you want to hear when you have friends playing in said music festival. So we hit the snooze and when we woke up again it was sunny and bright! We got ourselves together and headed to downtown Birmingham.

Now, I’ll be honest, I expected a festival of Music Midtown (the now defunct huge music festival that was held in downtown Atlanta) proportions. I, however, was greeted with the fact that this is City Stages’ 20th year and things were a little less structured and a lot more laid back. We finally got in touch with the rock star that is Jon Black and through his frantic last-minute “I gotta get through this, I gotta get through this” mantra (Jon frequently channels Daniel Bedingfield lyrics when he’s getting ready for shows) we were able to meet his lovely wife Lauren near the artist entrance at the back of the main stage. Jason and Jana got their “Artist” passes and Natalie and I headed to the nearest gate to buy our tickets. This is an aside, but you generally expect the people that have Event Staff on their shirt to know things like: How do we get back to the Main Stage? With this stamp you just put on my hand will I be able to leave and then come back in? Where is the Merch tent? However, City Stages is so laid back, they don’t get worried and mired down in the details—but we were very generously handed a map. So Natalie and I headed in the direction we felt we should, went down a street that had no gate and eventually got into the festival through an open chain-link fence. We paid our admission fee, so we feel no shame for entering through an unauthorized portal. We were left with no choice. Surely you understand.

The afternoon was warming up and we finally found our way back to Jason, Jana, Lauren and Jon’s parents. Two p.m. is pretty early in non-camping music festival environments, but a crowd was steadily growing. The stage directly next to the Main Stage was apparently the “Death Metal And I Want To Kill My Dad” section of the festival and we got treated to some lovely and inspiring screams and sweet electric guitar shreds while Jon and the band set up. And even though there was some confusion on who was supposed to change out the name plate sign at the front of the stage announcing what band was currently playing, Jason took his Artist pass, went back stage and took care of some things, and the show began.

And, my friends, you may know the Jon Black that is a singer/songwriter with his acoustic guitar. I, however, got to witness Jon Black, Rock Star Extraordinaire. He looked the part (his signature hat, his beard, sunglasses, jeans, cowboy boots, and of course a plain gray t-shirt) and he sounded even better than he looked. Brad Lyons played a mean electric, while Jon’s regulars of Chesley Smith on bass and Robert Harris on drums kept the energy high. And this is the part where recap readers generally want a run-down of the set list and that’s where I will fail you. I have a horrible memory and I only took still photos. But Jason has it all captured on video and I’m sure he could help you out. Heck, Jon loves his fans—he could probably help out too. I do know he rocked with some new tunes (from his upcoming album Goodbye Golden Age being released Fall 2008 by Rebuilt Records and will be available on RebuiltStore.com says the shameless plug machine) and some of the shining moments there for me were "Mr. Tornado" and "Run With All You Got" (a true foot-stompin’, turn the volume all the way up, take another shot of whiskey and hoot and holler kind of tune). If you haven’t seen him live lately, you need to. End of story. His album October Sky is still terrific, but I think you’re really going to like the path he’s taken. It’s the kind of Southern rock your soul longs for.

The crowd certainly had grown to several hundred after Jon had been playing for a little while, and they especially got into it once he started playing Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.” I saw dancing, I saw head banging, and I saw people capturing parts of his performance either with their camera or with their cell phones. It was nice to see him being appreciated as the great artist and performer we here at Rebuilt have always known he was destined to be. So, congrats on a great show Jon!

After his set, Jason, Jana, Natalie and myself got some lunch and wandered around until Landon Pigg played on the main stage. I realize I’m the only one of our group that had heard of him, but his sweet falsetto and syrupy sweet love songs won everyone over and we were glad to see that even though Landon had a later set time, the crowd at Jon’s show was bigger and more into it!

We then headed over to a side stage where we set up our picnic blanket and settled in for a night full of amazement. First we saw Griffin House, it started to rain, and we wondered what the rest of the evening held for us. But shortly it stopped raining and the stage was then set up for my friends and yours, The Guys With Guitars: Eliot Morris, Ryan Horne, and Rebuilt’s own Micah Dalton and Jon Black. They played a great set, and they had a really impressive crowd. Eliot had quite the high school girl fan base, there was a lot of dancing and jiggling going on and I think people really enjoyed themselves. I even saw people that I didn’t know singing along and that’s a nice feeling—that there are legions of people out there getting our boys’ music and seeking them out at a music festival.

Again I’m bad with remembering set lists, but the boys all played together a terrific cover of the Jayhawks’ “Save It For A Rainy Day” (which Jon has uploaded to YouTube). Ryan played two of my favorite songs of his, “Favorite Dance” and “War For Me” while Micah really got into his groove with the gritty (and I use that with the highest of praise) “The Autobiography of Milton Burroughs.” Jon brought on another new song, “Broken Places,” and the crowd was in a hushed awe. I know because I turned around to see why no one was talking and they were all just looking at the stage and I could tell they were into it. They complemented each other vocally and acoustic guitar-ally and I really think everyone had a great time. Let’s hope some new people got to experience these guys for the first time and either they headed to the Merch tent (if they could find it) or at least remembered their names and headed to Facebook, Virb, Myspace, Blogger, Rebuilt Records or wherever to hear and learn more.

I learned something this weekend: if I was not totally comfortable with the crowd and heat at City Stages in Birmingham, I certainly wouldn’t do well at Bonnaroo. We all decided that the only reason we’d be found at Bonnaroo is if one of our Rebuilt peeps made it there. So here’s to hoping our boys (and girl!) find their way to Bonnaroo and I’ll shave my head (ok, probably not) and grab my tent and be content to be muddy and hot and crammed for days just to support them! That’s how loyal I am, kids. I will be sweaty, muddy, and crazily crammed just for your art. I should get some kind of medal or something. At least a trophy. Maybe a cookie.

Someone make me some cookies.

And then the stage was set for Ingrid Michaelson. She’s a favorite of the youngest Rebuilt supporter, Molly Harwell, so I thought I’d at least give her a listen. She was good and I was intrigued. But then she played for an entire two hours and I quickly went from “Oh, I like this girl” to “Oh, I can’t really feel my legs,” and “Man, I sure am sweaty,” and “I wonder when she’ll stop playing so I can get up to find something to drink.”

Our group then split and some went to see Ben Harper and the Innocent Crimnals (which I hear was a pretty great set), some went to join the uber-crowd to see Al Green and I stayed put for Andrew Bird. There were some really terrific acts at City Stages this year and these are the people that I wished I could have seen: Blind Melon (I have this fascination on how the band can go on and release another album after Shannon Hoon’s death), Citizen Cope, Old Crow Medicine Show, Marc Broussard, Robert Earl Keen, Jon McLaughlin (whom Micah has some summer tour dates with! Check it out!), and of course: The Flaming Lips. I looked for some Flaming Lips footage on YouTube and since video cameras were outlawed, all I got was some kid telling me how great it was with confetti, light sticks and Wayne Coyne singing from inside a bubble.

But back to what I really did experience: I do love me some Mr. Bird and he was a perfect ending to a terrific day. I’m proud of Jon, Chesley, Bobbo, Brad, Elliot, Ryan, and Micah and what they’re doing musically and what they’re doing for Rebuilt and independent musicians.

Let us all do our part in continuing to tell everyone we know about these musicians we love and let’s be a part of making them known.

Thanks for letting me tag-along to Birmingham my dear Harwell’s and hopefully I’ll see you all around sometime soon.

--Anna, Rebuilt Records’ Team Mom and Obsessive Picture Taker—a Documentarian if you will (thanks goes to Jana for that one)


___________________________________________
I also used Jason's laptop after everyone went to bed when we got home from the concerts on Saturday. I used this time to write an email to Piano Boy. Here is that email (and I was totally exhausted when I wrote this--there are a lot of spelling errors and other typos, but I felt like the experience needed to be recorded right then and there):

So, I'm sitting here in my new friends' house. And it's 12:45 am central time, as we're in birmingham, but it's really 1:45 am in my head, but that's neither here nor there.

I'm at the house of the only girl on the label I work with, Natalie, and her husband Seth. They very lovingly opened their house to Jason (the guy that started the label and my friend from college), his wife, and I. And we just got back from a very full day at City Stages. Both of the sets my friends played in went very well and were very well received. It was certainly a hot and sweltering day out here...and it rained a little and then it was just sticky humid.........but I'm sure you know all about that as at least I was on asphalt and could escape if I needed to. I also had a pass around my neck that said Artist so that was nice (officially I'm listed as one of the guy's "tour manager" so I can get all-access to take photos, etc.


I write all of this not to flood your inbox with inane messages from myself--I mean, inane is my game, but right now this one is serious:

I just experienced a life-altering music sensation. I've been an Andrew Bird fan for years. I once saw him, early in my college years, playing over at The Echo Lounge in East Atlanta. I also saw him once as an opening act somewhere where I can't remember...but tonight I made an effort to make sure I got to see him play live. Our boys played in this in-the-round thing they entitled Guys With Guitars (original, I know) and they toured with it in the SE this spring and were invited to play as such at City Stages. Anyway, on that same stage immediately after them was Ingrid Michaelson. She was pretty good--I'm not the biggest fan of female singers (I don't know why, but it's like I literally hate Sheryl Crow. Vehemently in fact.), and Ingrid really was good...but she played for nearly two hours! What indie act plays for 2 hours? Anyway, after her, Andrew Bird got set up on stage. But bonus, I had already laid out our blanket hours beforehand knowing that he was playing last night. the crowd was split down the middle by baracades--one side was for standing and the other was for lawn chairs and blankets. We set out a blanket right up front. So while everyone was smushed in watching him play, I was gingerly reclining and relaxing watching him with no obstructions and I got some of the best photos I've ever gotten at a show.

I say all of this to say (it's late, bear with me): I had a spiritual experience listening to him tonight. He plays the violin, guitar, whistles, plays the glockenspiel, and loops it all with varying rhythms and it really is mindblowing. He'd be rushing from one side of his space to the other to make sure he got the right loop at the right time at the right tempo and everything. And it was one of those experiences where my mouth was open and I just stared in utter awe. And I distinctly felt God's hand upon me as I was sitting there listening to one of my favorite musicians play an amazing show and He whispered to me, "I do all of this and I do it for you." I got chills and there was a tear in my eye. God plays all of these instruments and creates these amazing orchestrations just to catch our attention and woo us. He does it because He loves us. And we sit there with our mouths agape at His wonder.





I hope your Bonnaroo experience was and is amazing. Have the time of your life, take a few pictures, and I can't wait to hear all about it.



{Insert silly details of my trip back and who all I need to see, etc. I promise, you're not missing anything.}

It's going to be a full weekend, but that's what I love.

Hope I didn't bore you...but I thought that you, being as musically inclined as you are, would certainly appreciate a God moment surrounded by music. It happens to me quite a lot, I must admit.

Have a terrific Sunday, have a terrific Bonnaroo, and I'll talk to you later.

--anna

Also, there are photos!

City Stages 2008

They don't have captions yet--but the first set is Jon Black on the Main Stage. Then Landon Pigg. I love Landon Pigg. Then Griffin House. Then Guys with Guitars. Then Ingrid Michaelson and then my favorite of all (other than my Rebuilt boys and girl, of course) Andrew Bird.

Enjoy!