Pointfest 31 @ Verizon Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO

Word and pictures by Duane Clawson

Ah! It's springtime in America and you know what that means...it's music festival time.  I was pretty bummed when I found out a couple of months ago I would be unable to attend Edgefest 23 in Dallas. And that this year, Scott would get to have all the fun.  But I held out hope I would be able to cover Pointfest 31 in St. Louis.  As the time drew closer, those hopes faded.  And then surprise, on the Friday before the show, MTC was approved for show coverage.  Woohoo!! I quickly sent a text to Scott that simply read, "Can you hear me screaming in Dallas!!!"  On to the show we go. This was the 31st installment of this annual, sometimes bi-annual, festival that traditionally features heavier acts such as previous performances by:  Red Hot Chili Peppers, Wolfmother, 311, and Faith No More, just to name a few.  Pointfest 31 brought 21 bands to three stages in eleven hours; that folks, is a ton of music.

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Shabazz Palaces / THEESatisfaction @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

Good things come to those who wait.  Yeah, yeah, we've all heard that before.  But fortunately for me, great things came to me at Granada Theater when Shabazz Palaces and THEESatisfaction paid a visit to Dallas.  I had been kicking myself for missing Shabazz's last performance nearly two years ago when they played the inaugural Gorilla vs. Bear festival.  So when I saw their comeback date scheduled, I knew I had to go.

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Edgefest 23 @ FC Dallas Stadium, Frisco, TX

Back in 1999, I drove down from Ardmore, OK to Dallas, TX with three girls loaded into my parents' Ford Taurus (yeah, I was that awesome).  Actually, I wasn't that awesome.  I was simply a friend who was old enough to drive and could guarantee the safety of three families daughters (yep, for all they knew, the car was full of girls).  Regardless of my failure to capitalize on the sheer girl to guy odds, we embarked on a rite of passage as we were heading to our first Edgefest.  And with headliners Goo Goo Dolls and Collective Soul, you knew this one was a show for the ages.  I kid.  But 23 years strong, this North Texas institution has brought countless talents to the stage, from the amazing to the downright awful.  This year proved to be in the upper echelon of lineups.

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Anthony Gomes: Hendrix and Clapton Tribute @ Family Arena, St. Charles, MO

Word and pictures by Duane Clawson

“Music is my religion.” - Jimi Hendrix

"Music will always find its way to us, with or without business, politics, religion, or any other bullshit attached. Music survives everything, and like God, it is always present. It needs no help, and suffers no hindrance". - Eric Clapton, from "Clapton: The Autobiography"

With the two above quotes and one picture, I could probably finish this story but suspense novels are not my forte'.

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Record Store Day @ Vintage Vinyl, St. Louis, MO

Word and pictures by Duane Clawson

I'll be the first to admit the fact that I have not bought an album in a long, long time but nonetheless, I still love music in all forms and that is what Record Store Day should be considered:  a celebration of music. I found myself running late but still caught some great music. I made it just in time to catch the last couple of songs from a heavy duty set by St. Louis' own Bruiser Queen.  A crowd began to gather at the corner of Delmar and Leland for the afternoon's next performer, Josh Ritter. Josh along with Zach Hickman, performed a quick 30-minute set on a small stage in front of Vintage Vinyl.  This was a warm up set for Mr. Ritter who was playing later that evening at Plush and promoting his latest effort, The Beast In Its Tracks.  Ritter seemed overwhelmed by the response of the Vintage audience's  knowledge of his musical repertoire.  

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Crystal Castles @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

Every now and then, you come across a show that totally melts your brain.  I know that sounds pretty immature but I really don't have any other way of describing this show.  I mean, the energy was unparalleled, something of which I rarely see in performers in a venue this size.  The set was precise in its production but was so very raw, the emotion of Crystal Castles spilled into the restless crowd.  It was a definite experience, one I could see coming but wasn't prepared for at the same time.

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Slightly Stoopid / Tribal Seeds / Ethan Tucker @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO

Word and pictures by Duane Clawson

First things first.  I LIKE SLIGHTLY STOOPID!  There I said it.  I know there are many peeps that don't exactly care for SKA brand of music but I do.  From the first time I heard The Specials way back in the early 80's, I've been a fan of this brand of music.  So with that out of the way, let's begin our review, shall we?  Olympia Washington native Ethan Tucker set the pace for the evening with a smooth acoustic set.  If comparisons are going to be made, I would put Ethan as part Dave Matthews part Ben Harper.  Members of Tribal Seeds and Slightly Stoopid appeared onstage at various times assisting Tucker with his solo performance. 

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Album Review: What We Could Be by The Amends

Words by Duane Clawson

Dilemma.  How does one promote their band and/or album from the friendly confines of Boulder, Colorado?  The old fashioned way.  Email, of course.  Tyler Taylor (guitars/keys/vocals) of the Amends, was kind enough to find my inbox and drop me a link to his band's latest album, What We Could Be.  As any good album review goes we should start with the particulars on the Amends.  Formed in 2010 in Boulder, Colorado, members include Drew Weikart  (lead guitar/vocals), Chris Childress (bass), Shay Byington (drums), and the aforementioned Tyler Taylor.  The Amends has released two albums, their self-titled debut and What We Could Be in January of 2013.  What's nice about getting a surprise email, such as the one this band sent, is that there are no preconceived notions of what the band should or does sound like.  So I review this album with a cleansed palate.  The initial sample of this album is a good one, so good in fact, that I went back for a second listen.  If you're in the market for a band that covers a vast array of musical genres, The Amends will be soon be one of your new favorites.  Straight up rock and roll, blues, punk, indie are all covered as well as guitar licks that would be at home on any Kinks album and piano pieces that would have Bruce Hornsby salivating.  

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Upcoming: Crystal Castles @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX

Remember that little spat between Crystal Castles and Granada?  Yeah, I knew you totally forgot about that minor blurb in Dallas music history.  Yes, Dallas and CC have had their differences but that doesn't mean we can't all get along next Monday at the House of Blues.  The duo of Alice Glass and Ethan Kath (including live drummer Christopher Chartrand) return to Dallas's House of Blues for the first time since their 2010 show at the same venue.

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Colleen Green @ Good Records, Dallas, TX

In all honesty, it's been quite a while since I made my way over to Good Records.  I already have made plans to stake my claim there for Record Store Day (April 20th, people) but I found myself at the Greenville establishment to catch the up and coming lo-fi darling, Colleen Green.  Her short but upbeat set was pretty straight forward: drum machine, fuzzy guitars, and sweet vocals.  The modest crowd enjoy the 20-minute set, a taste of what her show would be like at Crown & Harp that evening.  Video and pictures of her instore are below:

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