Shazam, Shazam….why must you fail to tell me who is responsible for the catchy tune on the radio?! Lucky for me, it’s because the band is a new, up and coming Louisville band – Beady.
Summer Brothers was the song that first caught my attention when I heard it on WFPK. You physically must turn this song up when you hear it…and by the second time you hear it, I bet you’ll be singing along, too! Take a listen here:
I decided I must find out more about the elusive local band. Why hadn’t I heard more about them?? Turns out playing local venues is somewhat of a challenge since half the band is under 18! They even had trouble finding a venue to host their CD release show. Lucky for them, Heine Brothers Coffee is a big supporter of local music and they are able to have their release show at the Loop location on Saturday at 3pm. Also, good for Beady is that WFPK is having them play Live Lunch on Friday at noon. But, you can get your sneak peek here!
Some siblings would tell you that they couldn’t wait to grow up and put some separation between themselves and their family. Not true for Beady. The band consists of two sets of siblings….Jordan Trabue, 21, and his sister, Sarah Trabue, 16 along with Dylan Weber-Owens, 21 and his brother, Jesse Weber-Owens, 17.
Although, the set of friends have known each other “forever”, they have officially been together for about three years. This weekend, they are releasing their second album, Youngest Days. However, their first, self-titled album was recorded in a friend’s attic, where as Youngest Days was more professionally recorded (released by sonaBLAST! Records). They have also produced two impressive videos for songs on Youngest Days. It was a refreshing take on making an entrance into the music scene, because so many bands forgo the creative process that is required make videos until they have hit it big.
The video for When I’m Twenty is just cool to watch. It is simple, yet intriguing and fun. Take a look (and listen) for yourself:
Beady definitely takes its cues from the folk/alt-country scene and you can hear it in all of their songs. Shindig bears a resemblance to an Avett Brothers song and it is more than just the “pretty girls” reference! It’s the vocal harmonizing, story-telling lyrics and the engaging, foot-tapping tempo.
I love the chorus in Summer Brothers…“would you please not talk so loud, I’ve been sleepin, I’ve been dreamin of things to come”. It is fitting because I think this young band has some legs to stand on and they should be dreaming of the good things to come! I mean, who can root against them when Jordan endearingly calls his younger sister, Sarah, by her nickname of “Small Chucks” during our interview?!
Today was one of those days that your WFPK membership could have really paid off. A lucky few (25 members, each with a guest), got the opportunity to listen to Mumford & Sons play a 4 song set on the historic Belle of Louisville. Marcus Mumford and the other band members were relaxed and entertaining. At one point, they cracked themselves up on stage, trying to think of boat-related puns. They started the set with the always moving, Awake My Soul, before playing 3 new songs: Ghosts That We Knew, Where Are You Know, and I Will Wait.
Marcus commented at one point: “Americans are afraid of rain. They think the show will be cancelled. It won’t. We think of rain as nurturing. Like a mother’s warmth. We’ll be there.” I hope Louisville proves him wrong and 16,000 of us show up to this sold out show, ready to move our (muddy) feet while the energy just pours off the stage! And I hope everyone gets there early, because the openers, The Apache Relay and Dawes, are both bands worthy of equal attention! It is going to be an incredible night of ear candy!!
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Note on the ‘paperless ticket’ entry: you MUST have your credit card used to by the tickets along with your ID. For more details go to Production Simple.
A big thanks to WFPK and Production Simple for making this show happen!!
Wow. I feel like I am still in Forecastle recovery…it’s hard to think of other musical happenings in Louisville this week. But, the world goes on and there are acts coming to town this week. I am actually embarrassed that I didn’t realize Ingrid Michaelson was coming to town tomorrow night and playing at Headliners. I was even listening to WFPK this morning when Be OK came on and as I turned it up to sing along. D’oh! Oh well….it’s last minute, at least it’s before the show.
Ingrid is a indie-pop singer-songwriter from New York. Her music has been featured in episodes of several popular television shows, including Scrubs, Bones, Grey’s Anatomy, The Big C, In Plain Sight, and One Tree Hill. Be OK is one of those ear worms that is just so fun to listen to and sing along with!
And if you want to hear Ingrid in person, you can win tickets here! There are two ways you can win. You can go to the Last Bit Of Sanity facebook page, like it and post that you want to win a pair of tickets to the show. OR you can retweet the @lastbitofsanity tweet about the show. OR you can do both and double your chances! Winners will be announced tomorrow by 4pm.
Ingrid just released a new album, Human Again, and here is Ghosts from that release:
That’s right, Mumford fans in Louisville who have had to travel to Nashville to see them (including yours truely!), they are coming to us this time! Mark your calendars, get your sitters and get your dancin’ boots on! On Monday Aug 13, Mumford and Sons with Dawes will be playing at Louisville Waterfront Park – Great Lawn! Tickets go on sale Friday at noon (even though their site says 1pm, I have good info that it is actually noon!!). Tickets will be general admission and $40. If you are a WFPK member, then you will be getting your presale password today! Also, WFPK is running some ‘beat the box office’ contests, so tune in! Don’t wait to get your tickets, because if past history is any indication, then this show will sell out fast.
If you saw them this winter at the Ryman, then you might recognize this song. It is a new one called Where Are You Now. It’s a slower one, but just as good!!
And I am totally excited to see Dawes! I missed their last show at Iroquois Amphitheater, but I did catch their set at ear X-tacy and was amazed. Can’t wait to hear a full set from them. I love, love, love this song!! A Little Bit Of Everything….
For the past few months, I have felt this blog staring me down and questioning my loyalty! I can’t believe I haven’t posted in so long…but it isn’t for a lack of trying or desire. I started many, many posts, but they just never felt right. So many rockin’ things have happened and if I told you about all of them right now, you would either call my bluff or roll your eyes in disgust. Seriously. I will eventually get them all out, but in little doses.
Recently, a friend forwarded me a link to a ‘music writers wanted ad’ from louisville.com (props to that amazing Bellarmine alumni network!!). My thoughts of ‘sure, why not’ quickly turned into thoughts of ‘oh shit…what have I done?’! I pushed my fears and insecurities aside, hyped myself up on some good coffee and got to work. Below is my first (of many, hopefully) articles on louisville.com.
Upon hearing of my new endeavor, a friend questioned me about how many hats I wear. It made me laugh. If you know me, you know I am always doing something. I get it naturally…my Dad is the same way. He is due to retire this year and I have had so many people say to me, ‘how is that going to work?!’. haha Don’t get me wrong, I love downtime. I don’t particularly like running the kids from practice to practice. But, I use my time wisely. Last night, as #2 was practicing baseball, I sat at the ballpark and wrote the louisville.com article. If I sit down to watch a movie at home, more often than not, I am also folding laundry. It just me…it is what I do.
Everyone functions differently and I have many people look at me like I am crazy when they hear about all the things I am involved in. And, as I was pondering that ‘how many hats’ question, a realization hit me. I LOVE live music. There is just nothing better, in my opinion, than a good, high energy, live show. I am always speechless when people tell me that they love music, but can’t stand live shows. How is that really even possible? A live show caters to all of your senses and puts them into overload. I get there, let my mind go, and soak in all that there is to see and hear. It is like a whole body experience and it is heaven! After a show, I feel like I am flying high sans the drugs. It.is.the.best. And my realization was that: that is how I do things…in overload so of course live shows call my name!
I hope you take a minute to read the article I wrote because it is closely tied to live music in Louisville. And I NEED live music to continue to function!
We are just rolling with the ticket giveaways!!! And we are not stopping yet! I cannot tell you how excited I am about this next giveaway! We are so lucky to have Ha Ha Tonka joining us in Louisville again!! They were here over the summer for one of WFPK’s Waterfront Wednesdays and that is where I really became a fan. My fan-dom only grew when they graciously let me interview them (you remember…the interview where I had to hide in the garage so the foursome wouldn’t bother me?!) And it keeps on growing, because not only do I have (2) tickets to giveaway to their show on Feb 3, 2012 at Uncle Slayton’s, but I also have 3 Ha Ha Tonka cds to giveaway!!
Now, here is the deal! Uncle Slayton’s is an intimate setting and can hold a little less than 150. Ha Ha Tonka has developed quite the following in Louisville and this show is only one of a few that they are headlining this winter. So, if you MUST go to this show, you might want to go ahead and get tickets just to make sure you do get them! And if you win the contest, then you will still get the CDs! If you are risk taker, then you can wait…but just so you know, I already have my tickets in hand!
You know the drill….go to the Last Bit Of Sanity facebook page, like it and tell me that you want to win the Ha Ha Tonka tickets and CDs! The contest ends on January 26th at 5pm and a winner will be announced shortly after that. Good luck! Here they are rockin in a van…you can just imagine how they will rock Uncle Slayton’s!! This song contains some of my favorite lyrics, “if you don’t change where you’re going, you’re gonna end up right where you’re headed”.
It’s gone. And I am totally devastated. Is it weird to have that kind of reaction to a store closing? Maybe. But, ear X-tacy was so much more than a store in Louisville for the past 26 years. It was a community of music loving people and now I feel like our home has vanished without warning. No time to prepare our hearts or say one last goodbye. My head understand that it is a reflection on the changing times in the music industry, but my heart is aching.
I could go on for days about what ear X-tacy meant in my life. But what hurts now more than anything is that my kids won’t get to grow up with the embracing, supportive, local music store. Our family has experienced some amazing moments there. One that stands out strongly in my mind was when Josh Ritter played an in-store on May 17, 2010. I had to sign my eldest, who was in 1st grade at the time, out of school early to make it to the show on-time. It was one of those ‘good Mom vs. music Mom’ moments and I am so glad to say that music Mom won out! My youngest and strongest rocker was just over 2 years old at the time and strapped in the front pack, so that he wouldn’t rush the stage and take Josh down with hugs! We played Josh Ritter’s music on a regular basis at the house (still do!), so the kids all knew it and my little guy just kept saying, “lala”. He was a very late talker and when he said “lala”, it meant he wanted to listen to Josh. So, to see him perform in the intimate setting of ear X-tacy was mind-blowing for my little 2 year old! But, there is more. We stayed after and got to meet Josh. He was gracious, patient and unbelievable. He got down on his knees to meet each of the kiddos and talked directly to them. He gave them guitar pics. And high fives. My little rocker still talks about the high five! He signed our CD: “to a rock n roll family”. It was an experience my family will never forget.
When you walked into ear X-tacy, there was always such a welcoming feel. I am sure I often looked like a spectacle bring my foursome in, but some days I just needed some music to make it through and ear X-tacy was the answer. I was always greeted with a friendly smile and hello. In fact, if I miraculously entered by myself, I was usually asked where my crew was. They provided such a special place that never made me second guess bringing my kids to in-stores. It is because of them that my kids have been exposed to so many very talented bands in a live setting. Usually, kids aren’t welcome in the concert setting, but ear X-tacy opened a whole new world. And I will never be able to repay my gratitude. It was at the Abigail Washburn in-store that my little guy became enthralled with her super-sized banjo! He had never seen anything like it before! Another one of our favorite in-stores was when Daniel Martin Moore and Dan Dorff performed at the Loop and we got a very up-close view of some outstanding music when the Dans stepped off stage and right in front of where we were sitting…kids were hooked!! (the redheads briefly shown are mine!)
ear X-tacy was so supportive to the local music scene. Sure, they got some great national artists in. I loved seeing Matisyahu and Dawes perform there earlier this year! But ear X-tacy was always there to help the local artists. It was a great family event when we got to see our cousins’ band, Adventure, play there. And even more fun when we walked into the Loop store shortly after it opened and found our cousin, Alex Clark‘s CD on display, with Adventure in the background.
I had recently asked Ben Sollee what ear X-tacy meant to him…this was before the closing, but his elegant words sum up how many people thought of ear X-tacy and are too good not to share:
“As an independent musician I spend a tremendous amount of time working with social media, blogs, online magazines, and every other kind of virtual community you can imagine. But there’s a lonely quality to those adventures. There’s still nothing like walking in to my favorite record store and seeing what’s on the shelves… seeing handmade displays constructed lovingly for an employee’s favorite artist, getting advise on new music, finding old recordings that no one else cared to listen to… it’s all tangible. It’s personal. It’s a place we’re a physical community gathers to share ideas and passions. It may not always be profitable to sell recorded music, but there will always be a place for a record store that can curate and share essential art in the communtiy.” – Ben Sollee
It is a little hard to watch this movie trailer for Brick and Mortar and Love, knowing that ear X-tacy is no longer…it is exactly what they were trying to prevent.
I, too, wish it weren’t time for ear X-tacy to die. RIP. You will be missed more than anyone realizes. You have been an influential factor in the lives of so many and I wish Louisville didn’t have to let go. I am sure I will get to the point where I can look back and be happy about my time and experiences at ear X-tacy, but right now, I am just too sad to think of anything other than the hole ear X-tacy’s departure is leaving in the community and future. I was counting on my little rocker growing up with ear X-tacy and fulfilling his often talked about dream of performing on their stage. It was one of the first things he asked about when I told him it was closed…”what about the stage? I want to play there. Will bands still play?” No, my sweet boy, they will not. I hope somehow that the Louisville music scene can come together and move that stage so that it doesn’t get lost forever.
I’ll let Jim James, of My Morning Jacket, have the last word since I agree with it all. Jim and the other members of MMJ have always been very vocal with their love and support of ear X-tacy and he says it so well. This was posted on MMJ’s website earlier today:
“there is a tear in my eye right now as i hear about the closing of one of my favorite places on earth- ear-xtacy. i send thanks and healing vibes to john and everyone who has worked so hard at the store over the years…the presence of that sacred place will be sorely missed. people-let this be a big wake up call to us…we need these place to gather as a community and share ideas about music and art and love and life and…for the love of god…it cant all take place online…or i fear that one day we will all wake up bleary-eyed and hung over from our technology binge and find the real world long gone…let us be inspired by places like “please and thank you,” “carmichaels,” “pops retails and consignment,” “heine brothers” and all the great independent ma and pa stores around the globe- leading us into a new era of what a creative business can be…we need to support these places and help create more…the mp3 has killed the idea of what a traditional record store used to be, but that should only be cause for us to re-invent and support things the computer can never kill…we need these real place…where you can still buy a record from a local band or a hard to find label or root thru stacks of used vinyl…or get a cup of coffee…or buy an old stereo system or synthesizer or a pair of jeans…or learn a new skill…or teach a new skill…and love your fellow human in person and face to face to face and all in the same place. lets brainstorm. lets build more of these places. lets stick together. lets support each other. lets figure it out.” -jim james
Ah sweet concert remorse, you have shown yourself again! The first time on May 19, 2007 when Ryan Adams headlined a special WFPK show at The Brown Theatre. I was pumped…his Gold album was on heavy (and loud) rotation at my house (well, okay…car). The theatre went dark – seriously, lights turned way down – and someone, who we all assumed was Ryan Adams, came out with a skull cap pulled down so low, it could have been your brother and you wouldn’t have known it. He played a few songs and vanished. Gone. Lights on, game over. I’ve heard a few explanations from a skateboarding induced injury to a later- diagnosed (serious) illness. Whatever. Still love him and looking forward to his new release (due out in October). But, I could do without that empty feeling of performance disappointment. You walk in, excited and filled with anticipation for a great night ahead. And it is just a cruel reality when your expectations weren’t met – not even close.
Well, last night at Waterfront Wednesday, I should have done myself a favor and left at 8:30pm, just as Ha Ha Tonka was ending their AMAZING set (more to come on them!!). When Sarah Jaffe walked onto the stage at 9pm the mood suddenly and drastically changed. The exact same thing happened in April at Headliners. I had pushed her last performance in Louisville out of my head, because how could someone who has such an amazing voice, strong lyrics and a group of talented musicians backing her fail so miserably at live music?
Note-as a Mom, I have a hard time tearing someone apart unless they do something inexcusable – like take the last donut at the bakery when my kiddos were already salivating over their treat 😉 – and then watch out because Mama bear will come out! These days, there are so many musician who don’t succeed at live music because their voices have to be re-re-mastered on the cd. This was absolutely NOT the issue with Sarah. It seems as though she just needs a little help with the show. The two times I have seen her live, she has slowed her songs down so much that it was hard to recognize when they started. I am all for the nature of the live show and how songs can develop from that. However, usually it goes the other way–artist add energy and enthusiasm to a set and songs start to take on a personality of their own. There was little personality last night. The audience quickly picked up on the collective energy suck during Sarah’s set and just as quickly started peeling out.
Will I continue to have Sarah’s Suburban Nature on heavy rotation?! No doubt! It is incredible and one of my favorite finds from the past year. Do I encourage you to find a copy? Of course!! You will love her voice and songs. Will I see her live again? Umm….maybe if it is another free show, but then again maybe not. All was not lost last night with my new infatuation with Ha Ha Tonka after they killed it! Over all, it was a great Waterfront Wednesday and we are so lucky to have these concerts in our community! And who knows, maybe Sarah’s performance will grow and I will be happily surprised the next time I see her!
Don’t you just love it when you are doing something and something happens to make it extraordinarily better? Like the time we were having a family dinner on vacation in Charleston, SC and as we were leaving the restaurant I nearly bumped into my friend from when we lived in Cleveland, OH (a mere 7 years ago and 722 miles from Charleston)! Talk about random! Or the time we were living out of town and I had to take our newborn to the eye doctor because he had some infection…talk about worried and stressed…and I walked into the waiting room to see a Julius Friedman poster hanging up. You see, growing up Julius lived at the end of our street and he was just a friendly neighbor and it wasn’t until we were older that we realized how accomplished he is. But, that moment of seeing his poster brought me so much happiness and comfort.
Recently, I was watching a favorite show of ours, No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain, and a song came on that I immediately recognized. He was in the Ozarks in MO and he was sharing a meal and some good tunes with the band Ha Ha Tonka. You may know their song “Usual Suspects” as it has been getting some decent air time on WFPK for good reason…it just gets in your head and they just happen to be playing Waterfront Wednesday with Sarah Jaffe tonight. Funny how all that works out! 😉 I am also kinda of digging that the lead singer, Brian Roberts, has curly, reddish hair. Reminds me of my little rocker, L. Plus, Brian is a cancer survivor…what’s not to like?! I bet you will find yourself stomping your foot…its hard to hold back with this song!
Now when I am listening to music, I prefer to ‘get away’ and not be reminded of the daily humdrum of being a stay at home mom. Clearly, the band didn’t get that memo nor consult me on their choice of name. How can I think of anything else besides those little yellow trucks that have invaded my house over the past 9 years and 3 boys when I hear their name. I will work on getting past that issue, because I think they are worth it. Side note…their name came from Ha Ha Tonka State Park in MO (that state park name is almost as good as Big Bone Lick State Park in KY!).
So, just another great reason to get out of the house and head to the river tonight!! See ya there!!
Sarah Jaffe (rhymes with taffy) came into my world in December 2010, like an early Christmas gift from 91.9 WFPK. Oh, WFPK, how could I ever repay you? What’s that? You say a yearly membership would be more than enough repayment? Done!! (Suppot your local station–contribute here.) 😉
Back to that wintery day when I was introduced to Sarah Jaffe as WFPK played “Clementine” from her newest release, SuburbanNature. I was hooked immediately-her smooth, strong voice with striking lyrics and the right mix of instruments to back her up–it was too much to resist!
“Clementine”, official video
Sarah was slotted to play the first Waterfront Wednesday of the year on April 27, 2011, but foul weather and flooding moved the event to Headliners. (Walk The Moon also played that show.) Headliners was packed and I think Sarah was overwhelmed at the response of the crowd. She even gushed about her love for Louisville on her facebook page that night after the show!
Sarah has been named as an up and coming artist by numerous music reviewers and she is on many lists as one not to miss at the infamous SXSW 2011 fest. She was also featured on the NPR Daytrotter Session. She is getting recognized for a good reason! “Clementine” isn’t the only good song on the CD-it’s all good, baby!!
“Vulnerable”, aka Sleeping Beauty, is a favorite at our house. If you have a daughter or have spent any time around young girls, then you understand this. Usually, I just grin and bear it whenever princesses are involved. Seriously–why can’t my daughter be enthralled with a character that can stand on her own and doesn’t need to be rescued?! This infatuation shall pass…right?!?!
Anyway, I can’t complain about A loving “Vulnerable”…I love it, too!
Since this Denton, TX singer/songwriter doesn’t make it to Louisville often (although we have gotten her twice in 4 months!), make plans to attend Waterfront Wednesday tomorrow (Aug 31, 2011). NOW!! And if you can’t make it, look for her new release on Sept.27th.
last bit of sanity 
