Eau Claire, Wis. — Friday’s summer drizzle didn’t dampen the spirits of festival goers during the first day of Eaux Claires.
Instead, indie rockers and musical legends uplifted attendees at Foster Farms with pop-fueled anthems, folk rock tunes, ’80s classic hits and experimental rock.
The festival’s main highlight included the live premiere of Bon Iver’s first new album in five years — 22, A Million.
I can’t imagine a better place for a music festival than the upper Midwest.
Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s wide open spaces and rolling green pastures are a welcome relief from the cramped city parks and perfectly manicured polo fields.
The rural Wisconsin city is also reminiscent of my own hometown, which is actually about 560 miles away near Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Luckily, I have Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon and The National’s Aaron Dessner to thank for my two-day Midwestern musical escape along the Chippewa River to Eaux Claires, an indie music rock festival situated in Eau Claire.
The festival boasts some of the most popular names in indie rock – Bon Iver, Beach House, Jenny Lewis, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, James Blake and Phosphorescent – and many emerging artists ranging from Little Scream to Tuskha to Alpha Consumer.
Continue reading “Eaux Claires Music Festival Brings Emerging Talent, Legends to Upper Midwest”
Scorching July temperatures and high humidity didn’t deter five hot acts at Detroit’s Mo Pop Festival on Sunday.
Mac DeMarco, Father John Misty, Matt and Kim, The Head and the Heart and M83 shined during the closing day of the indie rock festival with memorable summer sets at West Riverfront Park.
The Stratton Setlist captured the artists in action before thousands of sweaty, energetic festivalgoers.
The Stratton Setlist attended the first day of Detroit’s indie rock Mo Pop Festival at West Riverfront Park. Highlights included performances from Alex G, Bishop Briggs, Twin Peaks, Tunde Olaniran and Haim.
When I was a kid, I used to leave my small purple crystal lamp on all night.
The lamp’s bright glow illuminated my small nocturnal world, where I delved into late night reading, TV viewing and music listening. Its 100-watt incandescent bulb also served as the spotlight for my creativity – poetry, short stories and vinyl albums – during carefree weekend and summer nights.
Unfortunately, the lamp dimmed from my memory after I went to college, but its warm sheen cast brief, intermittent flashes of creativity in my subconscious for nearly two decades.
One of those intermittent flashes shined brightly enough to catch my attention in December 2014. At the time, I was driving home from work while listening to Modest Mouse’s “Lampshades on Fire” single on SiriusXMU.
Continue reading “‘Lampshades on Fire’ – Modest Mouse Track Sets Childhood Memories Ablaze”
DETROIT — Brian Fallon & The Crowes sang about red lights, long drives and lost loves during their 19-song set at Saint Andrew’s Hall on June 28.
The Gaslight Anthem frontman and his band played several tracks from his “Painkillers” solo album, including “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Steve McQueen,” “Red Lights,” “Long Drives” and the title track.
Early in the set, Fallon told the crowd about the “nice people” in Detroit and how Bob Seger’s 1978 classic “We’ve Got Tonite” conjures up images of Kevin Arnold and Winnie Cooper from “The Wonder Years.”
While reminiscing in between songs, Fallon also included several Horrible Crowes’ gems — “Sugar,” “Behold the Hurricane,” “Crush” and “I Witnessed a Crime” — from the band’s 2011 release, “Elsie.”
The biggest setlist surprise featured a cover of Katy Perry’s 2010 smash, “Teenage Dream,” which nicely complemented Fallon’s youthful themes about life, love and self-discovery.
Fallon & The Crowes will continue their “Painkillers” tour this summer with several European festival dates and additional U.S. shows through October.
The green, orange and red beaded butterfly curtain is my passageway to another land.
As I hear the beads collide against one another, I feel the energy change around me. The laws of science no longer apply and the power of logic is defeated by magic and art.
I’ve just stepped inside a medieval land dominated by knights, dragons, elves, wolves, wizards and royalty.
Radiant hues of sap green, yellow ochre, phthalo blue and alizarin crimson adorn the mystical landscape. The brilliant scenery is a painting in my mind’s eye that comes to life to right before me.
As I absorb the lush beauty around me, I suddenly hear a voice cry out:
“Can you tell me where my country lies?”
I quickly turn my head and see Peter Gabriel singing a cappella to me dressed in shiny plate mail wearing a galea.
Gabriel’s question is the opening line to Genesis’ 1973 prog classic “Dancing With the Moonlit Knight.”
Sharing this blog post from “Dream Big, Dream Often” about networking with other bloggers.
The door to our hotel room slowly clicked open at 5 a.m.
I grumpily shifted in my sleep on June 14, 2008 as I heard my brother Steve creep into the DoubleTree hotel room. He quietly tried not to wake Brian and me after spending all night at Bonnaroo, but I was already up.
After opening both eyes, I saw his feet and legs were covered in mud, while the smell of sweat, rain and humid Tennessee air filled the room.
“Are you just getting back now?” I asked.
Steve triumphantly looked at me and said, “Yes, My Morning Jacket played for four hours in the rain at Bonnaroo tonight. It was one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen.”
“Was it really worth staying out all night?” I asked.
“It was. You guys should have stayed,” Steve said.
“No artist is worth standing in the rain for four hours in the middle of the night to watch,” I said.
“Your loss,” Steve said with a victorious smile.
“Whatever,” I tiredly muttered and rolled my eyes as I went back to sleep.
Sadly, he was right. It’s not often I admit that, especially since I’m the younger sibling. (Steve will do a victory dance when he reads this part.)
I didn’t reflect back on that memory until two years later when I stood in the rain at My Morning Jacket’s May 2, 2010 show at Lifestyle Communities Pavilion in Columbus, Ohio.
The moment I hear the eerie echoes and whistles I’m instantly transported to another dimension.
The dimension I’m entering is “The X-Files,” which features the iconic TV theme developed by composer Mark Snow in 1993.
“The X-Files Theme” represents the hidden paranormal world I find so fascinating throughout the beloved sci-fi series.
It’s only in the last year “The X-Files Theme” has played loudly in the foreground of my life. The theme was always there. I just had to listen closely enough to hear it.
In the late ‘90s, I heard quiet whispers of the theme, but it wasn’t enough for me to stop and listen.
In June 1998, I heard the TV theme and entire score for “The X-Files: Fight the Future” while watching the movie. My husband Brian and I went to see the movie since a college friend was a diehard fan. I enjoyed the movie, but for some reason my interest in the show didn’t stick.
In May 1999, Brian and I played “The X-Files Theme (DADO Paranormal Activity Mix)” during our wedding dinner from “Pure Moods,” a 1997 new-age music compilation album.
Again, it didn’t stick. Not until June 2015.
Continue reading “‘The X-Files Theme’ – Mark Snow’s Iconic Anthem Reveals Hidden Truths in My Life”
The Stratton Setlist 