Thursday, February 19, 2009

Broad Ripple Gazette, vol. 6 no. 4

first published in the Broad Ripple Gazette


Gary Wasson and Tim Brickley


Sindacato, Tim Brickley and the Bleeding Hearts
Friday, February 6, 2009
Locals Only


The show doubled as a surprise birthday party for Gary Wasson. Great music and cake – that’s my kind of a Friday night!
The out-of-retirement Sindacato had most of the original lineup on stage. Frank Dean, Gary Bole and Carl LaSasso. Gary Wasson and his best-friend-since-he-was-a-kid joined them on harmonica.
Tim Brickley and The Bleeding Hearts kicked off the show and played another full set after Sindacato. Tim Brickley and his band played what they do best: swooningly good power-pop. The set featured original Tim tunes and well-chosen covers. The band -- Larry DeMyer, Scott Sanders and Brian Borders -- sounded great together. DeMyer and Sanders added sweet harmonies to Brickley’s sound.
The night ended with an All Star Jam. Punk rock idol J.J. Pearson jumped behind the drum kit for a bit, vacating the spot when his taxi arrived. Brickley and Wasson traded songs and singing roles. Ironically, it was Brickley’s actual birthday. Double the birthdays, double the fun. And a good reason to have two pieces of cake.

Hello Roger Wilco, Sanuk, Company of Thieves
Friday, February 13, 2008
ES Jungle (6151 Central Ave)


Another great show at the all-ages venue ES Jungle. I missed the opening act – it involved locking myself out of my house while walking Heidi’s dog (Heidi of What’s in Heidi’s Purse). The spare keys stashed a the Hostel came in handy, as did the jacket I nicked off the rack in John’s office – it was a cold three block walk in my Zero Boys tee-shirt, sweatpants and cowboy boots (they were by the door, okay?). Anyway, the second band was playing when I arrived.
Hello Roger Wilco was playing when I walked in. They were playing to a big crowd bunched in front of the stage. Their sound was prog rock (progressive rock) – they reminded me of the band Rush. HRW is working on their first record. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Sanuck had a great crowd for their set also. They played some new songs and tunes from their CD, Honey I Have News… I am always enjoy seeing them and am excited that they continue to write new songs and experiment with their sound. They have a new EP coming out next month.

I am happy to see the shows at the ES Jungle shows so well attended. There is a lack of all-ages venues, which is crazy. Kids appreciate music way before they turn 21. And they are better fans. They actually listen to the music and follow the bands they like. The between bands dynamic in the room is funny. We all segregate ourselves. The kids stay on one side of the room and the adults on the other. I sort of assumed that all of the adults in the room were all parents of band kids or fans. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the older (over 21) folks were there to see the music. One of the guys was there to see Company of Thieves because he saw them on the Web cast, Live From Daryl’s House. As in Daryl Hall, of Hall and Oates fame. On a side note, my college boyfriend looked an awful lot like Daryl Hall. Anyway, check out the Web cast – it’s very cool.

Company of Thieves was amazing. I knew that singer Genevieve Schatz was feeling crummy and had bronchitis. She sounded horrible before the show, but she pulled out all of the stops and put on a great show. The Chicago based band is in the middle of a big tour. They called the ES Jungle their home away from home.

Company of Thieves

The buzz around Company of Thieves is well earned. Genevieve is clearly talented and very charismatic. They’re songs are well written and catchy and they have a loyal following. Their next record, Ordinary Riches will be released on February 24. The band pointed out that February 24 is also free pancake day at IHOP. Sounds like a good day to me.

Previews:
Odyssey Favor, Hitchhike and Friends, Hitchhike and Friends,
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Locals Only
2449 East 56th Street
10:00, 21+

Man, this will be a good show. I’m bummed that I can’t attend. Indie- pop band Phyllis plays gigs randomly, when all of the members are in the same state. Don’t know a thing about Hitchhike except they’re from Kentucky and Kyle Barnett is involved, which is all I need. Indie darlings Odyssey Favor share the bill. I enjoyed the few songs I heard of them recently. Have fun!

Neighborhood news:

I’ve been sitting on this information for a bit, -- I’m happy to be able to talk about it. Indy Jazz Fest is under new management. The 2009 Indy Jazz Fest will be produced by David Allee, owner of The Jazz Kitchen, Al Hall, owner of Owl Studios and musician, producer, and A&R executive Rob Dixon.

The partnership between Indy Jazz Fest and the Indianapolis Jazz Foundation has been formed to expand the festivals commitment to diversity, inclusion, and education. And of course, great jazz performances. They will host year-round events with the Jazz Fest as the crowning event.
Indy Jazz Fest 2009 is tentatively scheduled for late June. It will be a weeklong event that will encompass clubs, concert venues and outdoor performances. The working plan is to have the Saturday and Sunday shows outdoors, Saturday focusing in world-class jazz and Sunday as a family day -- featuring local and regional based entertainment. They have rain contingencies in place.

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