It’s no surprise that when the Mission Creek Festival rolls around, some great artists come through as well. Tonight I got to see the all-girl band Younger at Gabe’s, and it was a hell of a time.

The Iowa City-based trio opened up with their new single, “Trash,” which is forthcoming on their sophomore album set to release soon.

According to their Facebook page, their set tonight included all of the songs on their new album. I really enjoyed the instrumentals to their songs, which I really found myself vibing out to.

Also, it’s nice to see some more girl bands on the scene, since it feels like we seriously lack them in the mainstream.

I asked my friend Melinda what she thought of them, and her response was spot on: “Imagine Barbie meeting 90’s grunge and hanging out with Kurt Cobain.”

Tbh, I can see it. They weren’t super grungy, but like, still kinda grungy. Ya know?

Their set was definitely a lot more lowkey, which is something I like after a day of dealing with classes and homework.

While I liked the performance, I usually enjoy performances with a little bit more stage presence from the band — they really vibed out and just kind of swayed around, which after a while gets old (if you’re not in the right mood). Nonetheless, you could tell there was a lot of heart and soul poured into their music.

I think this was a perfect set to be played at Gabe’s — as I’ve said before, and will a million times more, I love the vibe that Gabe’s gives. With the twinkly lights, dark setting, and good drinks, it’s hard to be unhappy there.

What I also enjoyed about this show was that it wasn’t overly packed — I’ve been to some bigger pop punk concerts at Gabe’s where my knees were smashed against the wall up at the front of the stage from people crowding themselves around you.

At this show, I was able to peacefully sip on my Angry Orchard without fearing that some hipster 16 year old would bump into me and cause me to spill all over myself.

The rest of the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves too, with a select few at the front absolutely jamming out without a care in the world. I would say that they drew in a decent sized crowd, as it wasn’t too packed but not too empty either.

Not convinced yet that you need to see them? Check out some of their promo pictures for some previous shows they’ve done. I mean, c’mon. You had me at hot Cheetos.

While I can’t find a for sure date on the release of this new album of theirs, I did find a video of fans talking about what the group sounds like and I think it’s pretty spectacular. Check it out here!

The post Mission Creek Festival: Younger @ Gabe’s 4/4/2018 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The audience awaiting the band’s arrival was very eclectic. Most of the people that were there for Karen Meat had stayed for the whole evening with the intention of seeing Beach Fossils as well, even if their sounds are very different.

There were also a lot of people showing up that were older than the audience for the previous two bands but not by too much. They could have been in their late 20’s or early 30’s.

As soon as the band begins playing, I can see why. This is the kind of music I love, that provides a special kind of comfort, kind of like a nostalgia but for a time you can’t pinpoint. The echoey, drawn out notes on an electric guitar that seem like they might fly.

The vocals slick over the subtle beat of a drum. The sound is timeless, something lasting. I could see anybody listening to Beach Fossils, since their music is clearly about the feeling a person gets while listening to it.

I wish that the band had interacted with each other more or had been less formal, for lack of a better term. Their music was amazing, and it’s important to focus on making music sound great in live performances.

It still would have been nice to create a dialogue with the audience or with each other to make the experience a little bit more accessible.

They did say that they were inspired by a trip to Jimmy John’s to write a song about their trip to Iowa.

As a born and raised Midwesterner, this was a much appreciated sentiment. He also told us a little story about a guy outside the restaurant eating shrooms. As a born and raised Midwesterner and University of Iowa student, this sounds about right.

I don’t know what it was, but something about the experience was off.

Of course, it could have been the table of 15 loud, drunk people sitting behind me, or it could have been the wrong venue for the band, but something didn’t click right for me.

I loved the music, I loved the band, but something kept me disconnected from the amazing feeling of being at a concert and seeing the music you love laid out in front of you.

I did, however and thankfully, find a new band I would love to listen to constantly. I’m glad to hear that on their recorded albums there are string influences! You can hear cellos in there!

A band that can appreciate classical music even in it’s tiniest forms automatically owns my heart. They create ideal road trip music, or at least music that makes you feel like you’re going somewhere.

Listen to Beach Fossils’ latest album, “Somersault”, below!

The post Witching Hour: Beach Fossils @ Gabe’s 10/20/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Preceding the show, however, was also handful of student talent, brought to the stage by UI’s Black Student Association and SCOPE. Starting with Dallas Clark’s “Someone Like You” cover, followed by a set from DJ Mariah Dawson and violin-vocals by Mickayla and Antonio, UI students warmly embraced their culture and diversity surrounding their individual roots.

Anthony Perla’s showed off speed painting to J. Cole’s “Dreams“; CDC’s dance group threw it back to Jason Derulo. Poet Marquise Jackson boasted his literary talent with poetry on the hood mentality. ‘Vegas’ rapped amid a dramatic entrance of strobe-lit darkness and intense, heavy bass: “Don’t nobody got me like I got me“. Hopping off the stage, Vegas dropped the mic.

To end the show, Simone Banks—last year’s BSU talent winner—reappeared with poetry that was emotional and lonely as it was calm and spiritual. She smiled as she spoke, showing thoughtfulness and wisdom towards her journey of maturity, growing up, and self-acceptance. It was all about spreading love, and spreading love did it encourage.

No time was wasted in jumping into the night’s musical acts. Having never been personally exposed to “soul-hop” that wasn’t Corinne Bailey Rae, Ravyn Lenae was a breath of fresh air. Sporting dangly, cross earrings and block heels, Lenae bounded to and fro on the stage. She seemed particularly interested in her presence and her audience’ interpretation, saying in between a set: “I don’t just like to sing about nothing.”

Making her mark in Chicago since 2015, 18-year-old Lenae still made for a Willow Smith-SZA-blend of soul and funk, with delicate, easing vocals straight out the original Snow White. Standing starkly against the groove of bass thumps, her delivery was strong and dynamic throughout a dizzying “Venezuela Trains” and shimmery “Blossom Dearie.” Not one of her tracks sounded too similar. Lenae’s clean and ambient nature was catchy, good-natured, and ultimately captivating.

So when Noname’s acapella-driven backup introduced her set, the crowd took on a boundless energy. Noname’s forte wasn’t only in her stage power, but her reserved use of it. Her 90’s style was peaceful, and matter-of-fact in paving themes of themes of adulthood, relationships, and a marginalized society: “The last time Ali marched Chicago / Twenty four and a late mojo teaching me how to drive / Whole world inside my rear view / This feel in me so alive”, she says in “Reality Check“. Optimistic but honest, and her performance followed suit.

“Casket Pretty”, a two-minute beat addressing violence and tragedies in the heart of Chicago, felt liberating and conversational as any exchange. Noname retained her boisterous nature, once singing into the ears of the ever-stoic stage security staff. Her hand gestures, steady stance, and matter-of-fact plaid maxi dress grounded her with her audience. As if the city life was there with her, Noname’s societal awareness was inspiring. Through all her comfortable empowerment, she still stressed the little things: the everyday freedom of simply reflecting on herself and her place in society.

Interludes of “we good” and weaving background vocals even made for a spunky, balanced play that was so in-the-moment it was impossible not to move with it—Especially throughout “Freedom (Interlude)” and “Diddy Bop“.

“Yesterday” was a sentimental track, melodic with keyboards and cheeky with a feeling that everything is going to be okay. The chorus echoed throughout the crowd during the last bits of the set: “When the sun is going down / When the dark is out to stay / I picture your smile / like it was yesterday.” Poignant and warm, with high and pretty vocals, Noname’s performance was charming and artistic as her loyal audience.

The post Noname @ IMU Ballroom, 2/24/17 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Accompanied by Kill OG and Ricky Remedy, the trio put on an electrifying, bass-filled performance.

As this was my first time seeing a dubstep show in Iowa City, I was not sure what to expect. I arrived to the show at around 10 o’clock and was instantly greeted with bass heavy enough to shake the building. Kill OG, an Iowa native, had just taken the stage and was doing an excellent job of amping up the crowd with a dubstep driven set.  As I took in my surroundings, I was immediately surprised by the large turnout. Secondly, I was ecstatic to see people wearing merch from many of my favorite artists from GRiZ to Excision. The Iowa City EDM scene appeared to be thriving more than I thought it would be.

Following Kill OG with no intermission, was Rick Remedy, an up and coming artist in the electronic trap genre who has collaborated with many big name artists including Diplo and LOUDPVCK. For someone like me, who admittedly isn’t always into trap, it was not my ideal set but he didn’t disappoint. He was able to use a combination of trap and remixes to multiple popular songs to keep the crowd intrigued and dancing throughout his set. My favorite part of his performance was when he dropped “Supernova”, a song he made with Big Makk, who recently passed. It gave me chills as he shouted “Let’s do it for my brother” and the whole place raged in his honor.

Bear Grillz was set to start at 11:45 and the crowd seemed to be getting more excited with every minute that passed.

Finally, it was 11:45. As Bear Grillz came out on stage in the dimly lit venue, the illuminated eyes and mouth on his newly redesigned bear head shone brightly throughout the room. Wasting no time at all in getting to the heavy songs, Bear Grillz opened his set with a remix of Phiso’s “Jotaro” There was a surprising lack of ‘wow, another “Jotaro” remix, who would’ve guessed?’ type of fans like I’m use to seeing at shows. “Jotaro” got the majority of the crowd head banging and warmed up for the rest of the set.

Next up was a new song by Funtcase, this seemed to be a crowd pleaser and set the bar high for the rest of his set. Throughout the night he continued dropping new songs from many notable artists including Jauz, Bro Safari and Kayzo. Not to mention, a heavy rendition of “Don’t Let Me Down”, because what set would be complete without a Chainsmokers remix? 

He played all of his classics as well, such as; “EDM” and “F*ck Off”, which were both greeted with lots of enthusiasm from the audience. Bear Grillz did an excellent job of choosing the right songs that kept the audience interested and excited. Through the combination of his classic songs, plenty of heavy drops and music from many different popular artists in the scene, he was able to create a memorable mix of music from start to finish.

Bear Grillz spent much of summer 2016 making stops at music festivals all over the country, from Dancefestopia in Kansas City, MO to Moonrise in Baltimore, MD. This was very apparent as he was able to easily bring the hype and atmosphere of a large festival, and project those vibes all throughout the Blue Moose making for one incredible performance and night.

For music from these artists, click here: Bear Grillz, Kill OG and Ricky Remedy.
To keep up to date with where I’ll be next follow me on Twitter.

The post Concert Review: Bear Grillz @ The Blue Moose Tap House 10/13/16 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Take a Breath was one of the bands that played; they are an alternative rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They played songs off their album ‘The Anatomy of a Rose’ . For the most part the crowd consisted of about twelve fan girls that were front and center for almost all the acts that night. They had a good stage presence, but the sound was up way too high and they sang to close to the microphone, so it caused a lot of distortion and was not pleasing to the ears. Besides that, after listening to their tracks online, they’re very good and if it were under different circumstances, I’m sure they sound better live.

Time Atlas was the main act of the night and definitely were the most talented ones that played. They are a pop/alternative rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota that formed in 2015. They sound scarily similar to the previous group, and were not very different in that aspect. They do have promise and are relatively popular but there was nothing about them that really stood out to me. They just released their debut EP “Clarity” and you can check that out here.

Kickbox is a pop punk group from Chicago, Illinois. They reminded me a lot of Real Friends as far as their sound goes, it was almost like they were trying to mimic them. They really got all the fan girls going with their teenage angst lyrics, and when they would accentuate

the f-word anytime they sang it in one of their songs. Overall they were good enough to keep my attention which is a pretty big accomplishment. You can check them out here.

The rest of the acts that played that night were singer/songwriters that all pretty much sounded exactly the same. I know that may seem a little harsh but if you want to make it as a singer/song writer you have to find a way to differentiate yourself from all the other ones that are out there or else you are pretty much just background music for the audience.

One of the singer/songwriters was Brian Moroney. He is from Chicago, and also plays in Airways an indie rock band from Peterborough, England. Brian had a really nice voice and played an all acoustic, but like I

said, he wasn’t very unique in that aspect. He did draw in a lot of attention from the ladies though and had a pretty good presence on stage.

Next is Clay Borrell, a 19-year old singer/songwriter and entertainer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was very good at getting the crowd going; well, the crowd that was there

with his young Justin Bieber type of sound. The fan girls went crazy over him which made him even more energetic on stage. If you’re interested here is the link to his to YouTube account.

Lastly, there was Cup Check: a female-fronted pop punk band from Chicago, Illinois. Their female lead singer has a great voice but not a very attention-capturing presence. It may have that way just because it was an all acoustic set rather

than their usual rowdy pop punk sound. The lyrics were very well-written and they had an overall good sound but sounded very similar to the other bands that were there. The only thing that made them different was their female lead singer.

Overall it was a good show; it wasn’t the greatest one I’ve ever been to, but it was still entertaining. None of the bands sucked so I would say it was worth the trip back to Iowa City for the night.

The post Iowa Music Review appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first opener was Cane Hill, a metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana. I do not have anything positive to say about this band other than the fact that the lead vocalist was pretty attractive. The band did not seem comfortable on stage at all, and had a horrible presence. Wooly’s was almost full at the point and only about 1/8 of the crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves.

After that was Oceans Ate Alaska, a progressive metal core band from Birmingham, UK. They were definitely an upgrade from the first opener, and could at least get the crowd a little more enthused. They had a great stage presence, and you could tell there were a lot of fans there to see them. Besides the pretty lame push pits they had going on during their set, they did sing happy birthday to their guitar player, Jibs, at the end which was pretty sweet. Overall they weren’t my cup of tea but they had a good sound so you should give them a listen.

Up next was my favorite band, Stick to Your Guns, a hardcore band from Orange County, California. After asking many people I knew there, most of the crowd was there to see Stick to Your Guns. I made sure to get a front row spot with my one of my friends from home, but there was one chick with her boy toy standing next to us that decided she didn’t like how close every one was to her, so she proceeded to bump everyone with her hips to get them away from her. Which if any of you have been to a show like this, knows that didn’t work very well. Everyone just kept pressing back and once Stick to Your Guns started actually playing the crowd went crazy. There were people crowd surfing, pitting and rushing the stage, so it was inevitable that she was going to be crowded. Nearing the end of the set, I was getting pretty fed up with her prissy shit. You don’t stand in the front row with the die hard fans and not expect to get crushed, especially when you aren’t even singing along like everyone else. The second to last song they played was, “Diamond” one of my favorite songs of their album Diamond, so obviously I am going to get rowdy. I decided I was done putting up with her and when it came time to yell “This is my life and this life is my diamond” I shoved her back to get to the front and didn’t let her back in.

Anyways back to the important stuff, Stick to Your Guns had an amazing set, playing tracks from their new album and older stuff as well. They even took the time to talk about the ISIS attacks in Paris, and to spread awareness. That is one thing I love about this band. They advocate for so many causes and are just genuinely awesome people. If you ever get the chance to see them live, do it, I promise you will not regret it.

Last up was the headlining band, Blessthefall, a metalcore band from Phoenix, Arizona. The majority of the crowd was also there to see them. Even though I am not a fan, they were able to keep the energy up after

Stick to Your Gun‘s set and keep the crowd pleased. They have a great stage presence, and you can tell they really care about the music. There was lots of crowd surfing and an abundance of fan girls freaking out.

Overall it was a decent show, I only really went to see Stick to Your Gun but it is always cool to be exposed to new genres of music and different bands.

The post Iowa Music Review: To Those Left Behind Tour appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Somehow I found myself invited into a scene of artists and musicians largely because of this role, allowing for basic relationships with regular customers. After working at John’s, I would run into acquaintances from the store in public and at houses, bringing these relationships outside of the store.

The regulars that I see nearly everyday are purchasing groceries: inherently a domestic act. When I see them outside of the store, they’re in their or others’ houses, at house shows usually. I see everyone’s purchases, which divulges intimate details about their lives. I can comment on the purchase or choose to stay silent. However, either way, there is an intimacy already created between myself and the customers prior to interactions outside of John’s. While there is an intimate acquaintanceship, the domesticity of grocery shopping is destabilized by the fact that they’re usually buying beer. Their purchases of alcohol detract from the domestic space of their homes and supports the entertainment aspect of house shows.

Once I went to my first house show, which was also a reading, I realized how unnerving it was to walk into a home in which there was no one that I knew. Sometimes even a home full of acquaintances can be the most awkward and terrifying part of the evening. Somehow the uneasiness is worse than meeting strangers in other settings, like a bar or a concert.

The first house show on the agenda for this semester was at Governor’s Mansion and I was nervous. The line up for the night included: Maiden Mars, an all-girl band from Iowa City; Teddy Bomber, from Champaign, Illinois; and Rational Anthem, an Iowa City pop punk band that I have had the pleasure of seeing prior to this show.

Let me preface this article by clarifying that I am not analyzing bands’ sets in a traditional concert review. I will not be analyzing the music. I may include anecdotes about the bands’ performances for purely informative reasons and to supplement the portrayal of mine and other’s experiences.

As is true with Governor’s Mansion and other houses, each will have a different musical genre in attendance. However, respectively, they are all inclusive in Iowa City’s house show society.

This specific night, at Governor’s Mansion, began at 9:00 pm. The floor of the first level began vibrating, signaling that Maiden Mars’ set was starting. The unfinished basement had not yet started smelling of sweat, as it would later in the night. Proclaiming themselves as a Riot Grrl-esque band on their bandcamp is fitting. One of the girls said something along the lines of, “This guitar’s really out of tune and I don’t give a fuck,” which showcases a refreshing bad-ass attitude paired with their heavier pop-punk sound. Overall, their set was extremely well-received within the basement space.

Between sets, the majority of the audience needed relief from the humid heat of the basement. I followed the crowd to the back porch and sat observing. Casually, I began talking with Rica, a John’s regular, who offered me a healing rock to hold while I introduced myself to another regular, Jessica.

To informally interview them, I asked, “What do these shows do for you? What do they provide in your life?”

Rica, like others, attends these events to support local and travelling musicians. However, this is not the only reason for her regular attendance. Jessica and Rica both agreed that house shows provide a familial vibe due to the close-knit group of people. However, unless close friends are in attendance, a sea of strangers in this setting can feel isolating. In similar spaces, Rica feels a different vibe. There will probably be a fair number of strangers in a bar. However, there is no necessity to talk to someone because of a bar is a public space. More than likely, no one will bat an eyelash at your solitude. We arrived at the idea of inclusion, but the rest of the attendees made a dash for the basement door, signaling the end of the interview.

Teddy Bomber began their set. The basement had started to fill with lovers of punk and their friends. In this moment, the humidity and smell of physical exertion had started to accumulate, reminding everyone of the level of attendance in the close space. Not many in attendance at this show had heard of the band before. Unknown and away from home, Teddy Bomber was possibly the least acquainted with the Iowa City punk scene, but the audience welcomed them. This band is perfect for a basement show, as Sam Meyer, the host of this show at Governor’s Mansion told me. Teddy Bomber fit the pop punk and garage band genres with a hint of grunge. There were several heads bobbing and others banging as the band played a song about “not being like a bro but still really liking to get drunk.” No one had known this band well before the show but I desperately wanted to after.

I hung around in the basement while Rational Anthem set up instead of heading upstairs. I talked and joked around with friends and acquaintances

To end the evening, Rational Anthem played one of their best sets that I’ve seen. Their pop-punk sound filled the room with energy, making it incredibly easy to dance or bang your head. They also just recently left for tour, including The Fest. After that tour, they’re traveling to Europe!

Sam stood in front of me, looking back every now and then to bang his head and scream the lyrics in my face. There was a couple next to me head banging so heavily that I knew their necks would be sore in the morning. A majority of the people next to me, in front, were physically participating in the camaraderie. I understood that, as is true for other spaces, having these connections made this experience enjoyable. It filled that familial space, which sometimes empties after leaving what was home, that creates the feeling of being essential: the sentiment that if you left, your absence would be noticed.

Generally, myself and others seemed among friends. At least this was true of the front of the crowd. The number of people nearly expanded to the back of the room. After observation of both spaces, the front is usually more invested in the show and the back group of people mingle and stay stagnant. The sense of inter-connectivity in the front seems intimate and the back seems less so, but still inviting.

Those more invested in the show have a shared interest. Those further back conversed in pockets of friends or acquaintances, more excluded from others around them. The level of interest in the band, and prior experiences, shapes the experience of the house show.

Connectivity to the band and other attendees is dependent on prior inclusion and level of participation in the scene.

Without prior inclusion through past coworkers and acquaintances, I might have stood by the merchandise table while holding my flannel and occasionally writing in my blue notebook. The domestic environment of a house show makes the environment different from a bar or a music festival. The venue begs for an intimate connection to others; otherwise, it feels like encroaching on someone’s personal space and as if belonging relies on intimacy before passing through the front door.

“Home is Where the Art is: Iowa City’s House Show Scene” is a recurring column, published bimonthly, that shares the author’s and attendees’ experiences, discusses the bands’ shows, and analyzes the intimate space. 

The post Home is Where the Art is: Iowa City’s House Show Scene appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The night kicked off with Idpyramid, whose set relied on synthesizers to create an other worldly atmosphere. Their first song wasn’t an easy listen. Four notes were held out for measure after measure before they returned to the first note again to repeat the sequence. All the while, the drums kept time unenthusiastically. However, each of Idpyramid’s songs got progressively better. By the end of their set, the audience was nodding along to danceable, albeit thin, electronic music.

Koen Holtkamp took the audience on a journey through the elements. He played one continuous epic song with video accompaniment. The video started out with a flickering fire, as Holtkamp played one reverberated note. After a few minutes, the fire faded into a video of tree branches and ended with a video of rippling water. The music developed with the video, slowly becoming more complex, and finally reflected the frenetic energy of the water through song.

Next, Jenny Hval, a Norwegian musician, sang and played the synth, while a bandmate strummed (and sometimes bowed) along on his electric guitar. Hval’s voice shrieked and flitted from note to note, sounding almost ghostly at times. Her singing style is certainly unusual, calling to mind both yodeling and Régine Chassagne of Arcade Fire. Hval utilized the reverberation of her mike very well. During one song in particular, she stood a few feet back, moved her head back and forth, and sang, creating an eerie yet beautiful effect. While Hval’s songs weren’t extremely easy to digest (she herself said, “We’re not exactly Top 40—even in Norway”), they eventually built, with the help of percussion, to a satisfying ending.

Mark McGuire took the stage alone with a synthesizer, guitar, and accompanying video.

McGuire told KRUI that he put together a video that fits with his set. Rightly so. McGuire’s first song of the night was light and iridescent. The screen depicted comforting scenes of nature. It was exactly the type of song that made a listener appreciate life—something McGuire encouraged the audience to take a moment to do before he began playing.

As McGuire sang about finding truth, quotes about truth flitted across the screen. Finding truth might just be the main goal of McGuire’s music.

As he told KRUI, “I think that any artist that is creating anything that is really coming from within them and reflections of their voice, finding their way out in different ways is very inspiring… I study a lot of spirituality and philosophy and occult sciences. I draw a lot of inspiration from that. I do a lot of independent research on alternative history and looking beyond the CNN versions of what we’re given, even going back to ancient times.”

McGuire explored other concerns throughout his set. In his second song, as he sang, “Where do we go?”, pictures on the screen morphed between chilling headlines and pop culture icons, Barack Obama turned into Jay-Z, Sandy Hook turned into Beyoncé. His video gave the audience direction in interpreting his music.

While the songs he performed were all from his newest album, Along the Way, the arrangements from the show, however, can’t be found elsewhere. Upon preparing for his tour, he rearranged his songs by making them less dense and more appropriate for a stage.

“After I made the album, because most of the songs were multi-track layering with thirty, forty tracks deep and there’d be no way that I could do that live or even want to do that I live, I had to recompose the songs and rearrange them so they can be played live. That in itself is kind of reinventing the album,” he explains.

Whether intentionally or not, McGuire seemed to often take us through that process of layering the music. The synthesizer would usually lay down a background melody, to which McGuire would then layer over with other synthesized countermelodies, beats, and his guitar. The layers would build on top of each other, intertwining with the next and the last, until reaching positively explosive levels.

It became apparent early on in his set that what McGuire does best is play the guitar. He looked most comfortable plucking along and easily strummed out quick, complicated melodies and fierce, energetic chords. The moments where McGuire and his music really shone were when his guitar got to take center stage.

McGuire continues on his tour tomorrow, but you can look forward to more music from him. He’s currently working on a project where he draws inspiration from lectures and then creates music that goes along with them.

He described this process by saying, “Sometimes I’ll listen to a lecture about something and be playing along to it based and starting shift chords between what I’m naturally hearing. And then I’ll take harmonic ideas from that and go from there.” The project was inspired by his desire for truth and information. And hey, if the search for truth is what makes him play, then keep looking.

To see what other Mission Creek shows are happening this week check out the website.

The post Mission Creek: Mark McGuire @ The Mill, 4/1/14 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

As Austin and I received our cheese fries (which were really more like clods of warm, solid cheese adhered to the top layer of fries) the first band stormed the stage: Ramona Falls. In a not-so-wacky turn of events, the Art Garfunkel looking dude revealed himself to be the band’s pneumatic drummer and the auspicious leader of the four-piece ensemble.

Booming drums, rhythmic guitar, steady deep bass, thoughtful use of both the piano and synth, and a vivacious violin were signatures of the band’s 45 minute set.  They weaved together some of the most cohesive live music I have ever heard. Each musician’s playing complimented the others’ in a perfect way, both actively and subtly at times, enhancing the performance. Honestly, for most of the show I could have imagined Ramona Falls being some indie-rock band from Westeros (the land in Game of Thrones). The music was rich and epic in scale, a fusion between acoustic and electric that culminated in a remarkably interlaced and beautifully harmonized tale. One could easily imagine their set played to dramatic events unfolding at the edge of a sword. I was pleasantly surprised by the magnetic performance this band achieved, and I strongly suggest those of you reading this to check them out.

After a brief intermission, the second band and headliner of the show, took front and center. Two very unsuspecting looking guys stood before us; if I had seen the duo drinking coffee at Starbucks I really wouldn’t have guessed that they comprised a two-piece dream-pop band. As they started playing their glimmering, reverb-laden set, the awkward show dancing began in front of the stage. (You know what I mean).

Stoking the harmonized fire that Ramona Falls had set ablaze, Helio Sequence astounded me with their lush, poppy lyrics played in tune with snappy cymbal, heavy percussion, poppy synth, and plucky strings. You could almost feel an immediate shift in atmosphere as their music overwhelmed the venue. The lights seemingly became softer and yet richer with their yellow and blue hues illuminating the stage. What resulted was a dream-like show, the likes of which I’d never experienced. Each song melted into the next, the reverb parsing through dimensions, echoing through our minds.

This continued throughout the show, except for when the artists broke for small conversations with the gathering crowd.

One song, aptly named “The Harmonica Song,” stuck out in the best possible way. In the midst of their floating, mesmerizing set, the blasting juxtaposition of harmonica threw me into a shock. I was subsequently soothed by familiar (yet distinct and crooning) vocals, only to be set back on edge by ever louder and faster harmonic shredding.

Helio Sequence is one of the rare bands which, instead of using reverb to mask an inability to vocalize, use it instead as an atmospheric-enhancement to their stunning live vocals. This was definitely a show I won’t forget. I would also suggest that anyone who enjoys the poppy dreaminess of The Shins (a la Wincing the Night Away) should check out Helio Sequence’s latest album, Negotiations.

The post Show Review: The Helio Sequence, Ramona Falls @ The Mill — 11/7/12 appeared first on KRUI Radio.