Whither Festivus: All Tomorrow's Parties 2009

This past weekend, a select group of awesome bands and lucky patrons gathered in the Catskills for a weekend of music, drinking, music, and quite possibly slightly more drinking. You may recall, I was fortunate enough to attend the festivities last September, and my heavens was it sensational. I swore to myself I would attend in 2009, and sure enough the good folks of ATP put together one hell of a lineup. But sadly, this is not a review. The times, they are just too tight to find the cash needed to cough up for ATP09. O, how I wish I could have gone. If you didn't go either, you'll probably wish you had been up there in New York State, too.

Did you see the lineup???

To begin with, the Flaming Lips were curators. Imagine it. The Flaming Lips, in a small, wacky concert hall (with super fabulous shiny houndstooth wallpaper), probably one of the most appropriate locations to ever see them in live. For some, the Lips would have been enough. But wait, there was more. Animal Collective. Iron and Wine. Panda Bear. Crystal Castles. Suicide. Black Dice. Deerhunter. Sufjan Stevens. Dead Meadow. And many more. Two of the bands present are definitely LET favorites: Hopewell and the one and only Super Furry Animals. Having seen both bands several times, I can safely say they both fit the ATP aesthetic to a tee, lovably oddball and endearingly madcap. Hopewell takes more of the dreamy, thoughtfully out-there route, while the Furries constantly go where no man has gone before, pushing sonic limits and having a damn good time doing it. And who doesn't love it when they sing in Welsh?

I'm going to go back to moping about not having gone and working out a budget for next year's festival. I recommend you do the same. But in the meantime, here's some tunage. For those of us who didn't get to partake in the awesome...

mp3: Hopewell - Stranger

mp3: Super Furry Animals - Frisbee

Whither Festivus: All Tomorrow’s Parties 2008 Review

Somewhere, deep within New York’s Catskill Mountains, time has stopped. There, as the sun beats down golden and tranquil, among the idyll of leafy trees and quiet, clear air, it is not 2008, but more akin to 1975. The glory of nature is matched only by the sheer surreality of the once-yearly spectacle known as All Tomorrow’s Parties, a Rock’n’Roll summer camp unlike anything I’ve ever encountered, or are likely to encounter again (until next year, that is!). I’m here to tell you that ATP08 was by far the best show of 2008, and might just be the best show I’ve ever been to.

All Tomorrow’s Parties is not a new concert concept. While most of us probably first think of the Velvet Underground song, ATP has been putting on festivals for years and years now. ATP08 was the initial foray into New York, and what a first time it was. Between the lineup, the setting, and the time warp of venue/hotel, it was as close to perfect as a festival could ever hope to be.

We started the day (night, more accurately, as it was pretty late by the time we got to the site at Kutsher’s) in a giant ballroom with spectacular houndstooth wallpaper, celestial themed walls, and oh yes, Thurston Moore. The most incredible thing (if I had to choose one) about the festival is that in such a small space, such great acts were gathered, and you could wander to and fro and see amazing act after amazing act. So after a few Thurston numbers, we ventured to the smaller Stage Two and took in some of Patton Oswalt’s hilarity. After some drinking and some strolling around the site, we hopped on our chariot (the big yellow bus, oh yes) and went back to the Raleigh, our home sweet home for the weekend. Several hours of drinking followed.

Days Two and Three were equally as ridiculous. I’m still, a couple weeks out, rendered into stunned speechlessness about the quality of the bands, so instead, here’s who I saw…Day Two: Growing, Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra, Wooden Shjips, Harmonia, Alexander Tucker, Les Savy Fav; Day Three: My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Lilys, Mercury Rev, Mogwai, Spectrum, The Wounded Knees. All were beyond fantastic. I’d say that the two winners of the weekend, for me, were My Bloody Valentine (as if there was any doubt), and Mercury Rev. It had been about ten years since I had seen the Rev, and they rocked my world something fierce. And what can you say about MBV? I lost count of how many times my jaw dropped, and despite wearing earplugs, my hearing was off for days after returning to Richmond.

It was a mad, mad, mad, mad weekend. The music was non-stop and top-notch. The festival-goers were the cream of the crop, the best patrons I’ve ever seen at a rock show. Hell, we even ran into some fellow Richmonders. The site defies explanation, the madcap wallpaper and the Deep End bar and the playground…it was the most fun you will possibly have at a festival. No rushing to stages seemingly on opposite ends of the Earth, instead you need merely glide from one end of the hotel to another. No excessive heat causing copious amounts of sweat as you sunburn the day away outdoors, instead the fresh mountain air is there when you choose to venture outside. And the bands, o, the bands. It would take a miracle to come up with a more impressive roster of bands, especially given the size of the festival.

In short, my hat is off the to wonderful people who put together such a killer festival. I can’t wait to see what ATPNY09 will bring. If you're interested, and you really ought to be, tickets are already on sale for next year. Sure, there's been no bands announced yet, but trust me, it'll be the best concert of next year no matter who's on the bill.

[photos of Kutsher's, Wooden Shjips, and Mercury Rev. All by Megan Petty]

The Untitled Interview #10: Starring Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips)

I love Wooden Shjips for a multitude of reasons, not least of which because listening to them evokes a certain reaction unreachable by most bands. That unholy mess of tangled fuzz, dizzying drone, and intensity will most likely cause all sorts of confusion, disorientation, and loss of motor skills. The first time I heard the Shjips, I didn't know which way was up, my right from my left, or where I was. But hot damn, I don't know about you but I loved, and love, every second of it.

In mere hours I'll be seeing the Shjips at All Tomorrow's Parties here in the lovely Catskills, where the man, the myth, the legend Ripley Johnson will be kicking some sonic ass. Johnson was kind enough to answer my invasive questions, see below. And another reason I love the Shjips? Finally, someone answered the Beatles or Stones question correctly. If you're at ATP, make sure to see Wooden Shjips. If not, pretend you are by purchasing their music and turning it up nice and loud.

Les Enfants Terribles: How the hell are you?
Ripley Johnson: I'm great. Thanks.

LET: What was the last song you listened to?
RJ: "In the Kingdom #19", Sonic Youth. I'm listening to EVOL right now.

LET: Playing music is _
RJ: sweaty fun_.

LET: What album most made you realize that you wanted to make music?
RJ: Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones. I wanted to live in a chateau in the south of France and party and make records in the basement.

LET: Beatles or Stones?
RJ: Stones, natch. I really don't care for the Beatles. Believe it, haters.

LET: What're your top 5 albums (of this minute, this year, or ever)?
RJ: I'll give you the 5 top records of this morning:
Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Strictly Personal
Vermonster - Holy Sound of American Pipe
Sic Alps - U.S. EZ
Suicide - Ghost Riders
Les Rallizes Denudes - some 80's boot with no name

LET: Favorite music-related movie?
RJ: "Psych Out" with Jack Nicholson as the leader of a band called Mumblin' Jim and the world's most ridiculous fake ponytail. It also has a cameo by the Seeds in a cemetary. Plus it has my second favorite actor, Bruce Dern.

LET: What city or venue would you like to play, but haven't yet been to?
RJ: Tokyo or somewhere on Ibiza.

LET: What's your favorite song to perform in concert?
RJ: We've been doing a cover of Neil Young's "Vampire Blues". That's my new favorite.

LET: Half-full or half-empty?
RJ: Half-full. Always.

LET: At how many festivals have you performed? And which festival has been your favorite, either in terms of performing or spectating?
RJ: We've done 6 or so I think. They've all been fun, but the first time we went to SXSW was probably my favorite just because it was so overwhelming and overwhelmingly fun.

LET: What are your initial impressions of the lineup for All Tomorrow's Parties?
RJ: Yes! That was my first impression. A lot of the bands I've never heard before. That's what I like about festivals, hearing bands for the first time. Though I've heard of them. I've never heard Shellac, Mogwai, Mercury Rev, Built To Spill, Tortoise, or about 80% of the other bands. It will be fun.

LET: Apart from your band, of course, who among your peers do you think is making the best music these days?
RJ: Los Llamarada, Sic Alps, Earthless, the Bad Trips, Expo 70, XYX, Fabulous Diamonds, Times New Viking, Der TPK, etc...

LET: What's the first thing you think when you wake up in the morning?
RJ: Cup o' joe, morning paper, cat get off me.

LET: The greatest record store in the world is:
RJ: Amoeba.

LET: What's the longest flight you've ever been on, and where were you going?
RJ: SF to Casablanca. I have a thing for Morocco.

LET: If you could share the stage with any musician, living or dead, who would it be, and how come?
RJ: Neil Young, because I respect him and he lives just down the peninsula. Maybe we could be friends and he would invite me over for BBQs.

LET: Shaken or stirred?
RJ: Whatever's quickest.

LET: If you were a wooden ship, you would be: a) a dinghy, b) a canoe, or c) a galleon.
RJ: Canoe.

LET: Best song ever written?
RJ: Really? "Song To Abe Lincoln" - Roky Erickson

What Costume Shall a Poor Girl Wear...

Ah, September. Beloved by those who enjoy slightly cooler temperatures than the previous few months, not to mention all those lovely turning leaves. But now there's another reason to consider September your favorite month, at least as far as I'm concerned, because as of today I shall be one of only 3000 or so revelers at All Tomorrow's Parties, NY edition. The festival will be going on from Friday, September 19 through Sunday September 21, in lovely (well, I can't really say it's lovely, as I haven't yet been there, but I'm sure it's peachy) Monticello, New York. You can join me, because tickets in the final block appear to still be available. If you've got a spare $500-ish lying around, and hey, who doesn't these days, you too can attend what promises to be a phenomenal weekend. After all, who doesn't love the idea of a weekend full of music, music, potential debauchery, and perhaps even more music? Not to mention the likely lack of heat and humidity, which always tends to put a damper on even the bestest of the warm weather festivals. I like to think of it as a rock'n'roll resort, because after all, the festival is being held at some sort of country club. And anyone who was anyone used to go get their resort on in New York State in the early part of the last century.

Not yet convinced? One look at the lineup ought to have you headed straight for the old credit card, eagerly parting with some financial solvency. Those darling organizers have unleashed a fierce mix of legends, bona fide established bands, and up-and-comers, and it's looking pretty flawless from top to bottom. Here's what's going on:

Day 1

Thurston Moore
Tortoise
Meat Puppets
Built to Spill
Bardo Pond

Day 2

Fuck Buttons
Low
Growing
Edan
Shellac
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra
The Drones
Polvo
Wooden Shjips
Harmonia
Om
Autolux
Apse
Alexander Tucker
Les Savy Fav

Day 3

My Bloody Valentine
Dinosaur Jr.
Lilys
Yo La Tengo
Mercury Rev
Mogwai
Le Volume Courbe
Bob Mould
Spectrum
Gemma Hayes
The Wounded Knees

And there are still, evidently, lineup announcements to be made. But do you really need to see anything else? I mean, there are two themes to this lineup, as far as I can see. 1) Noise. 2) Awesomeness. And that's pretty much it. I was hooked by My Bloody Valentine, but looking at the rest of the bands scheduled to perform it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that this will, in fact, be amazing. So stay tuned for some special ATP treats, my friends, in the weeks leading up to the festival.