Category: Festival Coverage

Previews, reviews and coverage from music festivals like Hopscotch and Moogfest

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Festival Coverage

Shakori Hills Approaching

There’s only 6 days to go before the Spring Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival kicks off and using excited to describe how I feel wouldn’t do my feelings justice.  If you’ve never take the trip to Silk Hope for Shakori Hills, it’s hard to describe the atmosphere as it’s truly one of a kind.  It’s a family festival yet the community of returning festival-goers that’s developed has grown deep roots, making it a tight knit festival that’s always welcoming new members in.  The lineups the folks at Shakori book (in both spring and fall) bring together an eclectic mix of music from North Carolina and the world that fit together like a seamless coat of many colors.  Many of the bands return festival after festival, such as Donna the Buffalo and Driftwood, while others are performing for the first time at Shakori like Rising Appalachia and Ben Sollee.  Some of the other major acts of this spring’s festival include the Indigo Girls, the Del McCoury Band, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Baloji & L’Orchestra de la Katuba. 

You’ll be sure to find a number of WKNC DJs out at Shakori Hills next weekend.  We’ll have a table with the other non-profit booths; stop by to say hey and to check out the other non-profit tables!  Along with plenty of music, Shakori Hills showcases a plethora of crafts, food, kids’ activities, and workshops in sustainability and music.  More information is available at http://shakorihillsgrassroots.org/.

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Festival Coverage

Reanimator Looks to Expand

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Tucked away in a little strip behind Krankie’s Coffee lies Reanimator, a self-proclaimed record, beer, book and game shop. But Reanimator is more than it claims to be. Founded in the fall of 2012, the small shop has quickly become one of the main hubs of the music scene in Winston-Salem.

Most days at Reanimator, you can find people out drinking on the front porch in folding chairs, playing the arcade machine, and perusing the various items that found a home in the store. The best comparison that comes to mind is the Island of Misfit Toys with their random collections of old and new records, books, nostalgia-inducing video games, t-shirts, custom skate decks, and many other odds and ends. While everything in the store may seem odd and disconnected, there is no doubt that all of these things belong at Reanimator.

Reanimator has served as the “Wristband City” of Phuzz Phest the past couple years, welcoming both bands and participants of the festival to Winston-Salem. Within the past year, it has also started developing a name as an art gallery and intimate show space. This past weekend alone, the shop hosted 10 different day shows for Phuzz Phest. During this time, owner Shawn and Anthony could be seen running around helping bands set up and making sure everyone was happy. They brought out a keg and Anthony even wheeled out the grill and started cooking hot dogs for everyone as the bands played. In no time at all, people fell in love with Reanimator as it quickly became the official hangout of Phuzz Phest.

Now it seems that Reanimator has expanded past where they had ever dreamed it would be. With a simple message shown below, Reanimator asks for your help to be able to better support the thriving music scene in Winston-Salem and help foster a budding art community. Not even two years old yet, Reanimator has some big dreams of making the events of this past weekend at Phuzz Phest a reality all the time. If you are interested in contributing or learning more, you can check out their crowdfunding campaign here.

“We’ve come a long way with no bank loans or investors but now we need your help to equip Reanimator to become the community space for live music, art and of course vinyl records that we know it can be. And after all, there’s nothing more punk than asking people for money. Thanks for your support!”

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Festival Coverage

Post-Phuzz Phest 2014

I didn’t know what to expect coming into this year’s Phuzz Phest. I had never spent much time in Winston-Salem and I had little to no idea of what the local music scene was like, but I was excited for the opportunity to explore it over the course of a music festival. Overall, I would say the festival was fairly successful, but I had my gripes.

Phuzz Phest utilized three venues for the festival: Krankie’s Coffee, The Garage, and Ziggy’s. Krankie’s and The Garage each appeared to have capacities hovering around 200-300, while Ziggy’s was at an astounding 1,000-person capacity, an incredible difference. This could have been really useful for the festival to put their larger names at but, instead, the decision making in that area seemed flimsy. Putting a band as large as Mount Moriah at The Garage irked many people because they weren’t able to get inside the over-packed venue. This was occurring on the same night that I saw Woodsman perform at Ziggy’s to a total crowd of around 25 people. Headliners White Fence, No Age, and The Love Language, all played at Krankie’s Coffee. I was simply left questioning these decisions. It also did not help that Krankie’s Coffee is a solid 15-minute walk from both The Garage and Ziggy’s, making it very difficult to transfer from show to show without missing anything. It was also difficult, as an out-of-towner, to stay all the way through Sunday night in Winston-Salem when Diarrhea Planet, the final band, didn’t start playing until 11:40 PM.

 Despite my gripes, Phuzz Phest was a really fun time! The Tills, Body Games, T0W3RS, Mount Moriah, and Loamlands all put on amazing sets and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to see them in addition to some great Winston-Salem acts. The day parties at Reanimator were a blast. Krankie’s: thank you for the delicious coffee that kept me alive throughout it all.

Final thought: Winston-Salem, you’re pretty cool. Just don’t try so hard to be Portland.

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Festival Coverage

Phuzz Phest 2014 had really Good Vibes

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend Phuzz Phest. It was incredible! I got to see a lot of my favorite acts, and there was not a set I didn’t enjoy. Here are a few standouts:

Loamlands played a bunch of material I hadn’t heard since the last time I saw them (February 14th for DBB11 Night 2). This new material has Will Hackney playing the most technically complicated parts I’ve seen from the band. There’s more grit everywhere, including on his acoustic guitar. Each note (both vocally and guitar-wise) from Kym Register feels more confident and deliberate. And of course, the four rotating members of the rhythm section are all some of the triangle’s best (Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and Nicolas Sanborn (Sylvan Esso, Megafaun) were in tonight, Terry Lonegan (Hiss Golden Messenger, Mount Moriah) and Brad Cook (Megafaun) have killed it on others). It has been amazing seeing their material grow from the first show they played together 363 days ago, and I see the band continually reaching into territory that no other local band, or any band for that matter, can claim.

Whatever Brains is another band I keep seeing, and after their performance on Sunday, that won’t change. It was very odd to see them in the context of Ziggy’s, which has the most massive stage of any rock club I’ve seen. Rich’s and Will’s vocals felt extremely high in the mix, which gave a very different quality compared to my usual experience of getting soaked up in droning noise. I’m really digging the two bass set up backed by Matt Northrup and Anthony of Winston Facials, Primovanhalen, and local “space” Reanimator. Check out their set on April 17th at Slim’s with the equally amazing Protomartyr.

Richmond’s Nervous Ticks was an extremely interesting find. Singer, percussionist, and noise wizard Liza Jane is spastic and loud, yet with a very amazing flow to her on-stage persona. Killa K beats a Floor Tom and Metal pale with an urgency that matches. And finally, Guitarist and frontman Chaz Tick plays with a harmoniously disorienting energy and speed that you have to check out.

I wrote about The Tills in anticipation of Phuzz Phest here, and their two sets met my expectations 100%.

Favorite set of the fest goes to Greensboro’s Drag Sounds. Drag Sounds have the perfect combination of all of my favorite things going on. The guitar parts are weavy, the bass lines fun, and the drums hit HARD. By the second song I was completely spaced out. Drag Sounds have an excess of good vibes. I can’t remember if this was taken during their set or the proceeding (and also great) band R. Father, but it pretty much sums it up. After that set, I think I mentioned to my friends that “Drag Sounds are great” something like 20 times. Note: their bandcamp releases do not represent what they sound like (yet). See this band live.

As absolutely incredible as my time at the festival was, I think it’s appropriate to mention my own personal feelings of what I’ve been seeing go on in the triangle these past few days. Without getting into details that have been arising through various social media outlets, I just want to say that I live for local music. Ever since I was a senior in high school in Durham, I’ve been going to as many shows as I can. I’ve made some of my best friends, had my best experiences, and met some of the best mentors I’ve had through the shows that many of you reading this have also attended. But all of these things should come second to our responsibility to make sure that the kind of content and events we all attend, promote, support and play so readily are safe for everyone. Do not be afraid to ask people for their support in this goal, do not be afraid to speak out if you feel uncomfortable, and do not be afraid to take a stance against things that might hurt others. It’s one thing to support only those musicians that don’t fall below your own personal threshold or intuition regarding the safety of people, but it’s much more important to actively assist in improving the quality of experiences through your own actions. What this means for me is that I will try to make sure that I am more diligent in making sure that the types of events I attend, talk about, play and get my friends to come to do not have the possibility of being hurtful to others. I’ll try to ask questions and seek responses when situations that feel uncomfortable to me do arise. And most importantly, I will try to make sure that you, whoever you are, know that I’m a person who has made the safety of people within our local music community a core value through my actions and words. We’ll all fuck up and make mistakes, but growing from those mistakes is how we will all actually keep this amazing community amazing for everyone. I also want to sincerely thank those that have come forward and shared their own views and actions including Aimée Argote, Ryan Martin, Philip Pledger, Kym Register, and many more.

Good vibes always,
John Mitchell

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Festival Coverage

Post- Phuzz Phest Reflection

My final thoughts on Phuzz Phest 2014 is a quality tip of the hat. Growing up from around the area, I never considered Winston-Salem to be the most hopping place in the triad. However, after experiencing Phuzz for the first time, I can rightfully say that I am impressed with the music scene and efforts that everyone is working towards in this old tobacco town. While there, it was not hard to believe that I was partaking in what could be the beginning stages of something similar to a SXSW. With places like Krankies Coffee, The Garage, Ziggy’s, Reanimator, and top quality restaurants, Winston-Salem is a hot spot that is full of potential.

Not only are wonderful things happening in Winston, but there is so much room for expansion. Be it abandoned warehouses, or the large piece of land that separates Krankies from the highway, I am eager to see the growth of Winston-Salem as a city and music scene over the next few years.

I should not dare forget to mention though that this year’s festival included top performers and was very well organized. One aspect that impressed me was how on schedule most of the acts seemed to be and how professional all the venues were run and organized. Additionally, Phuzz Phest provided a lot more events that were separate from just the lineup. With a coffee conference, brunch, and multiple day parties, Phuzz Phest was an unrelenting outlet of entertainment. Although I enjoyed all of the music acts that I came into contact with; I would say that at the end of the week it is the quality, growth, and potential of Phuzz Phest that ultimately puts the biggest smile on my face.

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Festival Coverage

Phuzz Records Dissolves Relationship with Twelve Thousand Armies

From Phuzz Records:

It is with much deliberation that myself and my partner in Phuzz Records have made the decision to sever ties with Twelve Thousand Armies, whose new album was released on our label two weeks ago.

Two months after signing a contract with Justin Williams, the songwriter performing under the name Twelve Thousand Armies, and days before the album’s release date, a red flag was raised against Justin by a local record store owner suggesting a history of violence against women. As we were unsure of how to proceed with the information at our disposal, the record was released as scheduled, however our recent discussion with primary sources new to us has led us to see no alternative to ending our professional relationship with Twelve Thousand Armies and Justin Williams.

As a new, small and self-funded record label, canceling a record into which we’ve invested significant money and energy translates to a complete and total loss. While we agreed to put the album out because of our love for music, we feel that new information has made this decision the only one we can make in good conscience.

Because of past interactions with Justin, we were aware that he struggled with alcohol abuse, however, we were completely shocked by the depth of allegations against him by numerous individuals. Regardless of any legal documents available or unavailable to us regarding Justin’s history, we do not condone any sort of violent behavior, and cannot in good faith continue promoting the album.

This is not a condemnation of Justin as a human being. We wish no ill will toward him, believing that hate can only breed more hate. We also believe in the power of redemption for people willing to take steps in that direction. We hope Justin and his family can have a peaceful future, but are unable to continue being involved with Justin in a professional capacity.

Additionally, we have decided to make a donation in the amount of $500 to Family Services, our local domestic violence women’s shelter. This equals the amount of money we have recouped from our investment in the record thus far. We realize this does little to ease the pain of the millions of women who are physically abused each year, but we hope to raise awareness about this serious and pervasive issue. We also hope to take steps towards making amends with anyone who may have been offended by our original decision to release this album.

Philip Pledger / Phuzz Records

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Festival Coverage

PHUZZ PHEST NIGHT 1 HIGHLIGHTS

Mount Moriah, Ex-Cult, The Tills, Skullcollector, and Dark Prophet Tongueless Monk.

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Festival Coverage

Pre-Phuzz: Non-Music Coolness

This year’s Phuzz Phest in Winston-Salem is obviously exploding at the seams with high tier artists of all kind, but they didn’t stop there.

 Phuzz has decided to follow suit after some other festivals from North Carolina and elsewhere by including some great programming during the daytime that runs a cool-weird gamut. 

Similar to Hopscotch in years past, this year’s Phest will include an alley cat style bike race.

For those unfamiliar with this kind of bike race here’s what wikipedia has to say. 

From personal experience at the Hepcat and others around Raleigh I can say it is of the utmost of all fun. Little to no experience is necessary to participate and even succeed in these camaraderie building events. This race in particular looks cheap and inviting. Plus– there’s prizes, what else matters? The race will begin at Krankies Coffee on Saturday at noon.

Speaking of coffee, also in conjunction with the musical festivities this coming weekend is a “Coffee Conference” on Sunday also held at Krankie’s beginning at noon and all I have to say is– 

free espresso shots until four! If you’re trying to get hyped for the evens later in the night, that’s what you’ll need. There will also be tables from coffee roasters and brewers from Carrborro, Raleigh, and Athens, GA as well as a keynote speaker and a live broadcast from KNC! Come stop by! We’ll be jittery.

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Festival Coverage

Playlist: A Guide to Phuzz Phest 2014

Phuzz Phest is quickly approaching!  There are over 50 incredible national and local acts performing at this year’s festival in downtown Winston-Salem April 4th-6th.  If you haven’t had time to check out all of the artists yet, here’s a Spotify playlist to help get you started.  Be sure to check out the festival schedule here to help you plan out your weekend and be sure to leave room for the coffee conference, Alleycat Bike Race, and some great afterparties.  It’s sure to be an incredible weekend!

Check out the playlist here and be sure to check out the full line-up here for some of the artists who aren’t on Spotify!

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Festival Coverage

Spring Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance: April 17-20, 2014

 The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance will hold its 12th annual spring festival from Thursday, April 17 to Sunday, April 20, 2014. The festival will feature more than 50 bands and performers on two big outdoor stages, a large Dance Tent, and an intimate Cabaret Tent. Located on 72 beautiful farmland acres at 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road in Silk Hope, North Carolina, just down the road from Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Durham, Burlington, and Greensboro. The festival also features local crafts, delicious food, various children’s activities, healing arts practitioners, dancing and music workshops, environmental sustainability forums, and much more in a family-friendly setting.

Featured acts include: Indigo Girls,The Del McCoury Band, Donna the Buffalo, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Baloji & L’Orchestra de la Katuba, MC Yogi, Elizabeth Cook, Spam Allstars, Preston Frank, Ben Sollee, Driftwood, Cortadito, The Last Bison, Rising Appalachia, Jim Lauderdale, J.P. Harris & The Tough Choices, Leyla McCalla, Barefoot Movement, The Brothers Comatose

Local favorites include: Phil Cook & The Guitarheels, Diali Cissokho & Kaira Ba, Morning Brigade,Deep Chatham, Greg Humphreys Trio, Liquid Sound, BIG Something, Mint Julep Jazz Band, John Shain Trio,  Shamu Garcon, Tonk, Des Ark, Kamara Thomas, Big Fat Gap, Lacquered for Shine, Bulltown Strutters, Apple Chill Cloggers, Toon & The Real Laww, DJ Gonzo, Chocolate Suede Waltz Dance, Five Points Rounders Rowdy Square Dance, Napoleon Wright II, Roseland, Chit Nasty, Clockwork Kids, Ranford Almond, Dr. Bacon, Iron Mountain Messengers, and the Music Maker Revue featuring: Captain Luke, Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen, Big Ron Hunter, Bubba Norwood, & Harvey Arnold

Other great acts on the bill: Richie Stearns & Rosie Newton, Afrobeta,DJ Bill Kelly, Freewheelin’ Mamas, Home Remedy, DJ Richard McVay, Luv2Act, Rooster Logic, The Healing Force, Elkland Arts Center Puppets, Shakori Hills Vinyl Lounge & more…