1996-2002 Sexton released Black Sheep, The American, Wonder Bar and Live Wide Open (mixed by Jon Alagia – Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer). The activity and worldwide touring behind these records laid the foundation for the career he enjoys today with an uncommonly loyal fan base, selling out venues from Nokia Theatre (NY) to LA’s House of Blues.

Happily and fiercely independent, Martin Sexton launched his own label KTR (2002). Since then, his continual success through his diversity infiltrates many musical worlds – ranging everywhere from Jam Cruise to Denver’s Mile High Fest to Mayercraft Carrier to Carnegie Hall. His songs are featured in film and television including recent placements on NBC’s Scrubs and Showtime’s hit series Brotherhood.

“Martin Sexton is ripe with raw, expansive talent. His voice comes in a hundred impossible shades. His songs are sweet and spirited and soulful. His repertoire is like a cross-country tour of the American musical vernacular.” —Boston Globe

The New York Times wrote that this artist “jumps beyond standard fare on the strength of his voice, a blue-eyed soul man’s supple instrument,” adding that “his unpretentious heartiness helps him focus on every soul singer’s goal: to amplify the sound of the ordinary heart.”

In 2007/08 Sexton logged his most successful years to date with the release of his latest studio offering, Seeds. The album debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and the Los Angeles Times writes, “Call him a soul shouter, a road poet, a folkie or a rocker and you wouldn’t be wrong.”

On the heels of Seeds, the cd/dvd set Solo released October 08. Documenting a series of recent unaccompanied live appearances, the album captures Martin’s critically acclaimed incendiary live set in theatres coast-to-coast.

“The best live performer I’ve ever seen.” —John Mayer

“In the Studio”

Ryan Montbleau (read more about Ryan here)
“75 & Sunny”

After the success of this summer’s first ever Traverse City Microbrew & Music Festival, we are excited to bring the festival back next month (February 12) for a sister winter version at Grand Traverse Resort & Spa. If you attended the August event, you know what a great time everyone had – especially the volunteers!

Volunteers are a key component of any Porterhouse event, and you’re invited to get in on the action again with us next month at the TC Winter Microbrew & Music Festival. For all the festival details, check out www.tcbeerfest.com. Besides a free ticket to the festival, volunteers get several other great perks, work with an amazing crew and generally have a blast. Here’s the scoop:

Volunteer Requirements

• Volunteers must be 21+
• Volunteers are asked to attend a mandatory volunteer meeting on Tuesday, February 9 from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Kilkenny’s Irish Pub. At this meeting, we will be offering alcohol pouring training, reviewing festival details/shifts, and going over assigned positions. This will be a fun meeting – you’ll have a chance to order a few pints, listen to live music from Levi Britton and hang out with fellow volunteers.
• Volunteers must sign up prior to the festival in order to have a guaranteed shift/position. If there are openings available, we will accept help the day of the event, but only volunteers who sign up in advance will be guaranteed a spot and will be able to choose their position.

Volunteer Perks

• Free entrance to the festival ($25 value)
• “Brew Crew” beanie hat by Chaos Hat Co., embroidered with the TCWMMF logo ($22 value)
• Access to special volunteer-only green room throughout festival with heat, food, beer and comfortable seating
• All volunteers will have guaranteed access to the Aerie Lounge after-party from 10 p.m.-2:00 a.m., which is expected to sell out and which will feature food, music, dancing and social time with brewers and fellow volunteers
• Catch all the behind-the-scenes action at one of TC’s most exciting winter events!

Volunteer Shifts & Positions

• Due to popular request, we will be offering two shifts for the festival this time around. Please know that we count on each of you to show up and be committed to the entirety of your shift. Only volunteers who complete their shifts will receive the perks mentioned above, and we ask that if you can’t make it, to please let us know as far in advance as possible.
  • Festival Volunteer Shift # 1 – 4:00 to 8:30 p.m. February 12
  • Festival Volunteer Shift # 2 – 8:00 to 11:30 p.m. February 12
  • Pre-Festival Volunteers – We need creative folks and hard workers who love snow to help us build a massive snow fort (150′ x 20′) in advance of the festival. The fort has been designed by a local architect, and will host some of the key festival breweries. This will take two days prior to the event to build. We are accepting volunteers for both Wednesday and Thursday, and will have resort tractors and crew assisting in building.

• Day-of-festival volunteer positions are as follows:
  • Pourer - A serious but fun job. Folks with experience or who are TAM/TIPS-certified are preferred.
  • Security/Event Staffing – These people hold down the “fort.”
  • Box Office – Assists in the organization and sale of tickets/tokens.
  • Stage Hand – Assists stage crew with set-up and strike of the stages.
  • Hospitality - Sets up and maintains the artist green room and volunteer area.
  • Fire Tender - Keeps the festival bonfires blazin.’
  • Shuttle Pick-Up/Drop-Off – Helps manage the buses and incoming/outgoing attendees. Great personalities wanted here!
  • Clean Team - Helps keep grounds clean, especially post-festival.
  • Green Team - Assists at Bay Area Recycling stations.
  • After-Party Team – Helps manage doors for access at Aerie Lounge
  • Photographer/Videographer – Experienced photographers/videographers are wanted to help capture all the festival fun and excitement. Contact Beth Milligan at beth@porterhouseproductions.com or 231-342-0611 if you can volunteer in this regard.

Volunteer Sign-Up

• To sign up as a festival volunteer, please email porterhouse.team@gmail.com with the subject line “Volunteer” and include the following:
  • Full name
  • Phone #
  • Email Address
  • Desired Shift Time (#1, #2, or Pre-Festival)
  • Desired Positions – Top 3 (List 1, 2, 3 in order of preference)
  • Any relevant experience or additional skills

The first annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival promises to be a fantastic event. With your help, we can make this an anchor festival for Traverse City for years to come. Thank you for volunteering – and welcome aboard!

To check out more information on the event, visit http://www.porterhouseproductions.com/2009/12/18/tc-winter-microbrew-music-festival/

]]> http://www.porterhouseproductions.com/2010/01/22/tcwmmf-volunteer-info/feed/ 0 http://www.porterhouseproductions.com/2009/12/18/tc-winter-microbrew-music-festival/ http://www.porterhouseproductions.com/2009/12/18/tc-winter-microbrew-music-festival/#comments Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:00:44 +0000 Abby http://www.porterhouseproductions.com/?p=750

Another great event – thanks for coming out and supporting music, brews, and our community!

A great video recap by Weston Film : TC Winter Microbrew & Music Festival

Some kind words:

Just a quick note to let you know that your event was stupendous!  All the staff that had an opportunity to go said what a good time they had (myself included!) The Executive Team and I all thought it was a great event outside and I have to tell you as a Director of Events, we (GTRS) couldn’t have done what you pulled off.  I was in awe… As well, all the staff with whom you worked side by side (golf and grounds, banquets, etc) also mentioned how professional you and your staff were. I’m sure you’re getting rave reviews, but wanted to throw my 2 cents in the hat. Bravo!
Kim Carpenter | Director, Catering/Conference Services | Grand Traverse Resort and Spa

Big topic of discussion here today …the event was FABULOUS! What I heard from folks was that the layout of the area was extremely fun and very impressive…. Big time production values….. Different types of music (and the dj playing outside) added to the spirit of fun…. Incredible event…jammed….fun, fun.fun… Congratulations, Sam…you kicked butt again and again showed TC what a professionally managed event can look like!
Dennis Winslow | Programming Operations Manager | WSRT-”106.7 You FM” | 
WFCX-”94.3 The Fox FM” | Traverse City, MI

I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful event Friday – the TC Winter Microbrew & Music Festival was the best. I am still informing people who missed this party that they missed something to behold. Thanks again, can’t wait for next year!
Ernie Moomaw | Materials Manager | Opti Temp

Comments posted on Facebook:

Anne Cole – It was awesome!!!!

Cammie Buehler – You did an amazing job, Sam. You guys blew me away! So professional. I heard tons of positive feedback as I made my way around the festival grounds. Congratulations, I think you nailed it!

Patrick Dunlop – You were the talk of the town today, glad I could be involved. Congratulations on another spectacular event!!!

Marc Ryan – I had a blast all week. Cheers to Sam, The Porterhouse Crew, and all the wonderful volunteers.

Jennifer Hawley – Thanks Sam, for your vision and fantastic execution of that vision. Great festival.

Greg Lobdell – Thanks for making it happen! We had a great time!

Bill Palladino – Great job. Thank you!

Dennis Bean-Larson – We were all in awe of all the stuff and how many people. What a fine thing Sam!

Jonathan Pool – Too much fun! Thanks Sam

Christo Miner – Incredible! What a great time!

Jack Fellows – Congratulations on another smash success with the winter Microbrew & Music Fest!

Betsy Coffia – We were there last night! What a brilliant idea!!!! Thanks Sam, Abby, and everyone else who made this happen!

Megan Mullaney – What a great time!!!! Can’t wait for the summer fest!

Amalia Celeste Fernand – Thanks guys! Great event!!

Velvet Batteiger – Amazing music lineup! Thanks for another great fest!!!

Kristin Karam – Phenomenal! Had a great time. Thanks Sam and all others involved!

PARTICIPATING BREWERIES IN 2010 TC WINTER MICROBREW & MUSIC FESTIVAL
Abita Brewing Company
Arbor Brewing Company
Arcadia Brewing Company
Atwater Block Brewery
Bell’s Brewery, Inc.
The Boston Beer Company
Breckenridge Brewery
Dark Horse Brewing Company
Detroit Beer Company
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery
Founders Brewing Company
Goose Island Beer Company
Great Lakes Brewing Company
Grizzly Peak Brewing Company
Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales
Keweenaw Brewing Company
Laguintas Brewing Company
Liberty Street Brewing Company
Magic Hat Brewing Company
Michigan Brewing Company
Mt. Pleasant Brewing Company
New Holland Brewing
North Peak Brewing Company
Original Gravity Brewing Company
Redhook Ale Brewery
Saugatuck Brewing Company
Schmohz Brewing Company
Short’s Brewing Company
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Stevens Point Brewery
Stone Brewing Company
Summit Brewing Company
Three Sergeants Brewing Company
Tri-City Brewing Company
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Wolverine State Brewing Company

HARD CIDER/MEAD:
Acoustic Draft Mead
B. Nektar Meadery
Left Foot Charley
Tandem Ciders

In an effort to share great music with fellow music lovers, we’ll be adding new “PHP Picks” on a regular basis. Enjoy!

Michael Franti & Spearhead
“Say Hey (I Love You)”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Heatbox
“I Need A Jack and Coke”

Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar
“These Roads Don’t Move”

The Ditty Bops
“Wishful Thinking”

Erin McKeown
“Santa Cruz”

Alanis Morissette
“My Humps”

That One Guy
“Packs A Wallop!” & “Mustaches”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Heatbox
A Collection of Tunes

Brett Dennen
“Ain’t Gonna Lose You”

Josh Ritter
“Girl In The War”

Brandi Carlile
“Turpentine” & “The Story”

Patty Griffin
“When It Don’t Come Easy”

Tori Amos
“Time”

Inspired Bicycles – Danny MacAskill
Set to “The Funeral” by Band of Horses

Ani DiFranco
From National Geographic’s Geo Sessions

Beck
“Clap Hands”

Cat Power
“Silver Stallion”

The Duhks
“Fast Paced World” on WNRN

The Weepies
“Can’t Go Back Now”
Click here to view the embedded video.

Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps
“Tying My Shoes”

Zee Avi
“Honey Bee”

Jackie Greene
“A Face Among The Crowd” and “Write A Letter Home”

Kate Rusby
“Who Will Sing Me Lullabies”

Swell Season
From NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Bon Iver
“Skinny Love”

Joshua James
“Soul & The Sea”

Just when you think that you have seen the best that Irish music has to offer, a fresh new show from Ireland is taking the art form to an entirely new level. Celtic Crossroads presents Irish music like never before, they are doing to Irish music what Riverdance has done to Irish dance. Last year saw Celtic Crossroads perform it’s first ever season in the USA. Every show was a complete sell-out, and this year the show is looking at it’s biggest season yet. Performing from east coast to west, these  world-class musicians and dancers are taking the performing arts circuit by storm.

The name Celtic Crossroads originates from a time in Ireland when neighboring communities met at the crossroads between towns and villages to socialize – long before the pub tradition began. With a focus on keeping the tradition of Irish music alive, each performer nurtures this bygone concept, but by virtue of their young age and raw talent, they high-kick this tradition into the 21st Century. True high-kicking from some of Irelands best-respected Irish dancers also intensifies the pulsating rhythms of the show.

The live concerts are a spectacle of talent, displaying how Irish music influenced the global birth of a multitude of musical genres. This show is redefining Irish music by going right to the heart of its rhythms. The inventive arrangements and bass-driven grooves are steering Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory.

The show itself, incorporating seven world-class musicians, playing over twenty instruments on stage, is a fantastic spectacle. From start to finish you are captivated by a wonderful fusion of musical genres, such as eastern European Gypsy, north American Bluegrass, world Classical and Jazz, and the various forms of Celtic music from around Europe and the rest of the world.

National and international accolades, awards and championship medals are too numerous too mention for this young cast for whom the extraordinary is everyday and the impossible is always achievable. Magical interludes from the haunting Uilleann pipes, whistles, low whistles and of course the Celtic harp along with some of Irelands finest exponents of traditional song transport the listener to that crossroads in Ireland. Tempestuous fiddle playing competes with explosive banjo, intricate mandolin, accordion, mandola and bouzouki and awe-inspiring guitar riffs, while silky classical flutes remind the audience that these fiercely traditional musicians are also classically trained.

Throw in thunderous drum rhythms, saxophone and cajon and the audience finds themselves recklessly and ecstatically stomping along. As the thunder starts to take hold, rhythms beating, Irish dancers defying laws of speed and gravity, musicians swapping instruments before your eyes, building and rising from a slow groove to a climactic, epic and all encompassing wildness of unadulterated genius, audiences are unable to prevent themselves from jumping to their feet in thunderous ovation.

Celtic Crossroads Long Trailer

PO’ GIRL have distinct voices with incredible harmonies; multiple instrumentalists who bring the perfect sound to each song and songwriters who pen poetic tunes you’ll find yourself humming. Po’Girl showcases a wide array of instruments-from gutbucket bass, accordion, clarinet, banjo, dobro, guitar, to electric bass, glockenspiel, piano, harmonica, bicycle bells, drums. Their fluid and joyous musicality is one of the group’s most endearing and irresistible features.      www.PoGirl.net

Luke Winslow-King plays the Secret Garden, featured on Hooves on the Turf

Luke Winslow-King, “As April is to May”

Po’ Girl at Blue Rock Studio

Porterhouse Statement on Wharton Center/City Opera House Contract

Throughout Porterhouse Productions’ relationship with the City Opera House and Wharton Center, our purpose has been to stay positive and open to the collaborative opportunities presented by an entity like Wharton, while still asking the necessary questions to protect our right and the community’s right to access and enjoy this publicly owned building. As one of the major producers of concerts and events at the Opera House, we felt compelled to lend our voice in shaping the future of the venue to ensure it was the best fit for all. The process wasn’t always comfortable – for anyone involved – but it was both necessary and productive. At the end of the day, because user groups and community members came forward and got involved, the public had the invaluable opportunity to share their input on this operating arrangement. Students and young professionals who might not otherwise ever engage in local politics came to a city commission meeting to speak out. Arts groups had a chance to share their stories of being in the Opera House and what the venue means to them. Opera House staff and board members were able to publicly present their arguments. The community, though coming from different viewpoints, all rallied around a central cause: protecting the future of one of Traverse City’s most treasured landmarks.

While we still believe the ideal operating arrangement for the venue would be one in which the management remained in local control, we appreciate the financial commitment Wharton has made to the venue, and plan to continue producing our events and shows under its umbrella. Because the public and user groups fought strongly for guarantees of rates and access, the contract was refined to the point where we now feel cautiously optimistic about moving ahead if the commission approves the agreement. It is our hope that we will turn over a new leaf through our relationship with Wharton; that our past challenges with the oversight of the facility will be dissipated, and that we can reinstate as many of our shows as possible that were canceled for 2010 under former management. We hope to meet with Wharton as soon as this week to discuss our relationship going forward, and the next steps for bringing Porterhouse events back to the City Opera House.

We look forward to the return of Porterhouse events at the City Opera House in the very near future.

12/8/2009 – BY Sheri McWhirter

smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — The show will go on at the City Opera House and a downstate group will raise the curtain.

On Monday, Traverse City leaders unanimously approved a three-year contract between the opera house and the Wharton Center for Performing Arts to manage the facility on Front Street. It’s a deal pitched as a way to boost performance offerings and reign in deficit spending at the city-owned historic building.

“They are absolute pros and we look forward to working with them,” said Sam Porter, of Porterhouse Productions, a frequent opera house renter who previously voiced concerns about maintaining local access to the facility.

Wharton, an organization based at Michigan State University in East Lansing, will take over operations, finances and bookings for the City Opera House on July 1, but will play an advisory role until then. The opera house will pay Wharton $75,000 a year for three years to manage the downtown Traverse City facility and Wharton will absorb any financial losses during that time, but will not cover the opera house’s $250,000 operational debt.

Any earned profits will be split between the opera house and Wharton, with the latter receiving 25 percent. Additionally, annual financial reports will be filed with the city.

Wharton and opera house officials worked on the deal without public input for months and last month brought it to elected officials’ attention. The secret negotiations angered some city residents, who attended a Nov. 23 city meeting to complain and express concerns about continued local access.

City and Wharton officials agreed to include in the management contract a clause that ensures local access to rent the opera house will be maintained.

Those conversations are encouraging, said both Porter and Ed Downing, executive director for the Traverse Symphony Orchestra.

Downing said he took Wharton’s offer to cover financial losses as a sign of commitment to the opera house.

Commissioner MaryAnn Moore said she’s glad Wharton worked out concerns about local access and she “thinks it’s great for Traverse City.”

Angela Schuler, opera house board co-chairman, said they are pleased to move forward with Wharton, despite recent concerns in the community about how the deal was struck.

“Ultimately, I think the integrity of the proposal spoke for itself,” Schuler said.

The debate about opera house management showed the community’s interest and commitment to the facility, said Commissioner Mike Gillman.

“The community was reminded this is a jewel and should be treated as such,” he said.

————————————

Wharton contract process concerns citizens

Published: November 24, 2009 07:40 am

By Sheri McWhirter
smcwhirter@record-eagle.com
TRAVERSE CITY — A potential operating agreement for the City Opera House in downtown Traverse City brought dozens out to voice support and concerns, including issues with secretive deal-making with a downstate group.

The Traverse City Commission met Monday to discuss a proposed three-year contract between the opera house board and the Wharton Center for Performing Arts at Michigan State University, but did not take any action. Many city residents spoke favorably about the organizational abilities and experiences Wharton could bring to the city-owned opera house, but others voiced worries about how the public was left out on decision-making.

“I think the public will always crash the party when they’re not invited,” said Beth Milligan, a Traverse City resident who also noted there’s a “long history in Traverse City of back-room deals.”

Wharton stands to receive $75,000 annually to manage the opera house and would guarantee any losses be absorbed by the organization, should the facility fail to turn a profit. Wharton would not cover the opera house’s current $250,000 debt.

Residents questioned why Wharton is the sole organization pitched to run the opera house and why a local manager wasn’t pursued.

“It feels like the decision has all but been made,” said Ansel Bowden, of Traverse City. “I think there needs to be more time for discussion and input from residents.”

Mayor Chris Bzdok described the situation as “being painted into a corner” with Wharton as the only option.

“It’s been determined without our input and without our knowledge. I don’t want that to happen again,” Bzdok said.

Michael Moore, founder of the Traverse City Film Festival, said festival officials were never consulted about a deal with Wharton, despite being among the most frequent facility renters.

“You don’t make the best decisions when you make them this way,” Moore said. “The best decisions get made when everyone is involved in the decision.”

It’s not so much a concern about how well Wharton would run the venue, he said, but how contract details for a publicly owned building were negotiated behind closed doors.

Sam Porter, of event presenter Porterhouse Productions, another frequent venue renter, said he opposes exclusive management at the opera house, preferring a partnership among stakeholders.

“I hope that after this talk we have the chance to collaborate,” Porter said.

Bob Spence, co-chairman of the opera house board, said the deal required a confidentiality agreement at the outset, but opera house officials are “not trying to hide anything.” He spoke about local access being maintained for groups like the Traverse Symphony Orchestra, the film festival and Porterhouse, and how the board turned to Wharton because it can protect the opera house’s financial and programming interests.

Wharton Executive Director Mike Brand said there are no pre-conceived ideas about what acts will be booked. He guaranteed local access will continue and agreed to insert language to that effect in the proposed contract.

“I think we’ll try to make a business out of what’s already there and then grow it,” Brand said.

Commissioner Mike Gillman said he’s not sure another offer to manage the facility without a financial risk — beyond the annual fee to Wharton — will surface.

“That’s an offer I don’t think we can turn down,” he said.

The facility on Front Street went through a multimillion-dollar renovation paid for by a long-running community fundraising campaign. The venue is now available for private rentals as a performance house directed by the City Opera House Heritage Association, the nonprofit that raised money for restoration.

The opera house is entirely funded through donations and venue rental rates, paying both taxes and rent to the city. No city tax dollars go to the opera house and Wharton’s fee will be paid from the facility’s operational fund, should the deal be approved by city commissioners.

Wharton will take over operations, bookings and financial responsibility for the opera house on July 1, 2010. Wharton and the opera house will split any earned profits, with the downstate organization taking a 25-percent cut, according to contract details.

City Manager R. Ben Bifoss will work out local access issues in the proposed contract and will bring the matter back before commissioners, perhaps as early as next month.

————————————

Public Expresses Support, Concern Over Opera House Plan

Listen to IPR’s interview here: http://ipr.interlochen.org/episode/5700

Born in San Antonio, Texas, and raised in cities around the globe as an air force brat, CVB leader David Lowery ultimately landed as a teenager in Redlands, California (just outside of L.A.). By 1983 Lowery was studying mathematics at UC Santa Cruz and had begun playing with his first band, Sitting Duck, which experimented with ethnic sounds by way of TV shows and advertisements, and played alongside thrashy punk and psychedelic rock & roll. The earliest version of Camper Van Beethoven grew out of Sitting Duck and included Lowery, Krummenacher, Molla, and guitarist David McDaniel (who actually named the band shortly before leaving). It wasn’t until the next year, however, that the Campers began following their eclectic muse in earnest. Lowery had returned to college in Santa Cruz and was soon followed by Krummenacher and Molla. There they met up with local guitarist Greg Lisher and composition student Jonathan Segal.

The band’s first album, Telephone Free Landslide Victory, on the arty L.A.-based label Independent Projects, produced the humorous “Take the Skinheads Bowling,” which became a cult favorite among college students. The album also featured a slowed-down, violin-drenched version of Black Flag’s first single, “Wasted.” The album was followed by a string of equally offbeat collections of songs – which featured titles like “ZZ Top Goes to Egypt” and “Joe Stalin’s Cadillac” – on which the Campers experimented with everything from Beatlesque tape manipulation and Arabic-like drones to absurdist lyrics and offbeat covers (such as Ringo Starr’s “Photograph” and Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive”). In 1987 the group recorded with the eccentric guitarist Eugene Chadbourne – calling themselves Camper Van Chadbourne – for the tiny indie label Fundamentalist Records. Virgin signed the band in 1988, releasing the more accessible (yet still very offbeat) Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart and Key Lime Pie.

In 1988 Krummenacher, Lisher, and Pedersen took the band’s arty quality to their side project, Monks of Doom, and Segal recorded a solo album. Camper Van Beethoven parted ways in 1989, and Lowery took the hooky pop side of the band into his group Cracker. With guitarist and Redlands friend Johnny Hickman, Lowery relocated to Richmond, Virginia, to make music. Coming immediately after Camper’s far-out Key Lime Pie, the feisty roots-rock sound of Cracker initially earned derision from alternative circles, as it discarded Camper’s violins and strange polyrhythms.

After the first, self-titled album won airplay on college radio with the typically cynical anthem “Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now),” Cracker’s followup, Kerosene Hat (#59, 1993), yielded the modern-rock radio hit “Low.” It helped propel the album to sales above 1 million. After playing to larger audiences, Cracker reconvened for Golden Age (#63, 1996), which failed to repeat the same lasting commercial success of Kerosene Hat. While Gentleman’s Blues (#182, 1998) continued that trend, Lowery became busy as a producer, recording both new pop acts and hardcore bands in his Richmond studio, and coproducing the Counting Crows’ This Desert Life.

In 2000 Lowery released both a Cracker retrospective, Garage D’ Or, and another retrospective called Camper Van Beethoven Are Dead. Long Live Camper Van Beethoven. The members of both bands then toured together in a roadshow that included sets by Cracker and solo artists Krummenacher, Segal, and Lisher. – from The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll

www.campervanbeethoven.com

“The Day Lassie Went To The Moon”

For over twenty years, Doug Martsch has been writing and recording music. Built to Spill members Brett Nelson (bass), Scott Plouf (drums) Jim Roth (guitar), and Brett Netson (guitar) have all been musicians for two decades. That adds up to more than a century. Doug’s strong aesthetic combines with the band members’ mix of approaches to create an aural topography. Doug sets course and navigates. Each member of Built to Spill comes to the music with a different set of expectations and ideals.

With the complexity and variety of music they have created, Built to Spill endeavors to make songs interesting to themselves and their audience. They hope that the band will remain special and that people will discover the music for themselves. Year after year, new fans show up. Just like the band members, listeners come to the music with expectations and ideals. They make up their own ideas about the songs.

I once overheard Doug on the phone being interviewed. He sounded almost stand-offish in not “telling” an interviewer the meaning of a song or describing its origin. Doug and I have speculated about this sometimes: meaning (whether intended or not )is not inherent in lyrics or in any art. Listening, looking closely, and responding with one’s feelings, thoughts, and senses transforms. Doug simply does wish to disrupt any meaning someone else has found.

I can barely repress the urge to tell you what THERE IS NO ENEMY means to me. When making the new record, Doug literally lived in the studio. To be able to work all day and all night. To spend hours and hours laying down guitar tracks he realized he couldn’t use since the first live takes had the best tone and feel. To undigitally remix the record. With so much work behind the band, the record is here. Now comes the album’s journey into the world. This venture Built to Spill does not map out. The record is yours to respond to.

When I listen to songs Doug writes and the whole band plays, I think, “How can people make music this good?” Even though I witness and minorly assist, I still do not understand how theirs or any beloved music comes into the world. To me, the process and result are magic.

www.builttospill.com

“Car”

“LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN” is a major release for Buckwheat, and a remarkably conceived album. The album features five original songs and complete reinventions of songs made famous by Led Zeppelin (When The Levee Breaks), Bruce Springsteen (Back In Your Arms), Gov’t Mule (Lay Your Burden Down), Captain Beefheart (Too Much Time), and JJ Grey & Mofro (The Wrong Side). Guests on the album include Sonny Landreth, Warren Haynes, Steve Berlin, JJ Grey, and Trombone Shorty. With “LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN”, Buckwheat Zydeco’s large and loyal fan base will also welcome a massive influx of new converts.

According to Alligator Records president Bruce Iglauer, Buckwheat Zydeco’s recording for his label is huge. “Buckwheat is the iconic figure of Louisiana zydeco music worldwide. It’s a thrill to bring an artist of this stature to Alligator. More important, he tears it up at every show. His energy level and accordion chops are just amazing, and he’s a terrific, soulful singer. And he’s no slouch on Hammond organ, either. I’m also excited to reunite Buckwheat with Steve Berlin of Los Lobos as producer. Berlin produced Five Card Stud, one of Buckwheat’s finest albums, and we believe Buckwheat’s Alligator debut is even better. Also, Buckwheat has been booked for years by Concerted Efforts, a great agency for American roots music.”

During the 1990s and 2000s Buckwheat recorded for his own Tomorrow Recordings label (which continues to present favorite recordings from Buckwheat Zydeco as well as Sean Ardoin and Lil’ Brian and the Zydeco Travelers) and maintained an extensive touring schedule. With his new relationship with Alligator and “LAY YOUR BURDEN DOWN”, his massive instrumental and vocal talents and boundless energy, Buckwheat remains and will continue to be not only the most popular zydeco artist in the world, but will find the largest and most enthusiastic audience of his long and storied career.

www.buckwheatzydeco.com