Last week, I skipped my first blog since starting Bunker Fuzz. I should have told you all to stay independent and keep all your digits, but I wasn’t near a computer and I was hoping you weren’t around to read it anyway. Happy Belated 4th!
Sometimes it’s important to step away from whatever it is you’re doing and give it a rest.
It’s also really exciting when a band like Scubadiver from Houston, Texas dig your tunes, reach out to you and want to play a show with you at the Pourhouse when they come into town in September. So we’ve got that coming up.
But First,
Want to party on a farm? Want an outdoor musical experience? Want to hang out with the bands? Go for a hike? Paddle board? Yeah? Well, get yourself out to Wild Springs Festival July 29-30 for a magical weekend on Lily Springs Farm. This is going to be the bash of the summer for King Fish Crow. Join us with Wailing Loons, Flatwater Mississippi, Chill Witch, Good Morning Bedlam, Ben Weaver, Brady Pearl, Red Daughters and Eli Utne. Campfires, starlight and music into the night. Follow the link to reserve your spot now. We’re getting amped up. We’ll see you on the farm.
“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people…They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” – Thomas Jefferson
This past week, we released a video for Train Song. It’s our second video from our album Hotdish Army. Making this video was quite a process and we are thrilled with the result.
Last Summer, a high school friend of mine posted an approximately twenty-eight second stop motion video that his son Josh had put together. I was amazed with the video. It was a short clip of Lego’s moving around, as if of their own accord. Josh worked on every step of the process and the attention to detail was apparent. I’ve always been drawn to stop motion videos. The affinity for this type of animation goes back to my formative years watching Gumby. In the back of my mind, I always thought one day it would be great to make one.
Most of last summer we spent driving back and forth from 27 Years Studio in New Ulm recording Hotdish Army. We dedicated the album to Dave and Drew Brown’s nephew, Austin, who passed away from cancer at the age of six. As the album progressed, I began to see a connection between dedicating the album to Austin and the possibility to continue to honor him with a video made by Chris’ son, Josh, who is only twelve. In that way, the youthful energy and creativity of the video could be as much of a gift as we have tried to make the album.
And yes. The Train Song Video was made by a twelve-year old.
I took a chance, out of the blue, and talked to Chris to see if Josh would be interested in tackling such an enormous project. Chris said he would talk to Josh and get back to me. When Chris got back to me, I was thrilled. Josh was into the idea and Chris was behind it. I couldn’t have been happier. Now, Chris works for a pretty neat company called Fusion North. He is a phenomenal artist in his own right and is definitely a creative role model for his son. And because of Chris’ job, the editing software used in the process was a step above what I have on my personal computer.
Josh was in charge of the project and on December 12, 2016 I drove out to the Fusion Media North building and met with Josh and Chris. Upon arrival, I got the full tour of the place and then was brought into the conference room where Josh produced his story boards. I was impressed. He told me he had left the good ones at home and had scribbled down new ones before I had arrived. I knew right then that the project was in capable hands. I gave them both some swag, cds, a handful of pink army men and a couple other possible props to use that were left over from the album art photo shoot. We then shook hands and I walked out of the building into the cold and snow. I left the rest in Josh’s hands.
I contacted Chris in March to check on progress and then again in late April. He told me to hang tight, that they had it under control and I would be very pleased with the outcome. So we waited.
On Tuesday June 19th, Chris contacted me and told me that Josh had a video ready for us. It stopped me in my tracks. I was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to see it. The whole process took a little over six months to complete. That’s half a year! The process is so detailed. You get the theme and the lighting, take thousands of pictures and then you edit them all together. It’s a serious undertaking. We left it in the hands of a supremely capable young man and he delivered beyond our expectations.
Please take a moment to watch the Train Song video Josh worked so hard to put together. Share it on your social media. Show your friends. We cannot thank Josh enough for his hard work. Thanks for listening and watching and reading. This video is for you. Your support means the world to us.
“People who get into animation tend to be kids. We don’t have to grow up. But also, animators are great observers and there’s this childlike wonder and interest in the world, the observation of little things that happen in life.” – John Lasseter
On Friday night, we played Reverie Café on the NE corner of Franklin and Nicollet for the last time. We’ve always had a great experience there and Friday was no different.
We showed up at the Venue around 8:30 and loaded in our gear. It was a unique experience because Flowerstalks, who we were sharing the bill with, were back lining for a quicker set change time. And that means they were bringing all the amps and even drums. It worked out that Dave and Shane and I didn’t have to lug our amps around per usual. Beau needed only to bring his cymbals. So we loaded in and it didn’t seem like we did much of anything at all. We set up our merch table and waited for the Flowerstalks to arrive with the heavy gear.
The Flowerstalks started arriving shortly after us and so did the sound guy. They started setting up their amps on the back of the stage and assembling their kit and Corey started setting up his keyboard rig. There was a bunch of commotion on stage. Amps getting plugged into power sources, chords into instruments, Dave and I set up our pedal boards and moved them to the side and we were ready to roll. We were just waiting for Beau to get off work and set up his cymbals.
The first act, which was a comedian, started closer to 10 pm. He had about a twenty minute set and he had the crowd right there in the room with him. We were on stage and set up and ready to go as soon as he wrapped up. It was a lively, sweaty affair. The room was full of people coming out to a sticky bar to support the bands and they hung around for most of the night. We fed off the energy from the crowd and the sweat pouring down our faces in the dead heat of the night. Reverie doesn’t have AC, just a few industrial fans trying to stir up the damp of the place. It was hot in every corner of the bar, not just under the red stage lights. There was no way around it. Still, the crowd was there and into it and we were grateful.
We left the stage after playing ten songs. The Flowerstalks followed shortly after with hardly any tear down time for us. They brought an energetic and eclectic mix of tunes to the stage. If you haven’t heard the Caterpillar song, you’re missing out. Chris Vogel is a solid songsmith and I look forward to hearing more of his stuff. Kansas City Keith is so good. I love watching him perform. The Neighbors family, brother on bass and the singing sisters was a fine compliment to the sound. They also had a drummer, Luke, who was performing his first show with them. Their set was spirited and sincere. They share a certain esthetic with us and we’re glad to have been asked to join the bill. We’d do it again.
The closer was an intricate acoustic guitar player named Mark. He didn’t get to experience the same crowd as we and the Flowerstalks did. He put on a great display for those who stuck around. It was definitely hot in there, but the free water was flowing and sours and wines were on full display all night long.
I have to give a shout out to everyone who came out to the show. I was pleasantly surprised. So, thank you so much! It was great to see you all and chat a bit. It means the world to us.
Looking ahead we’ll be working on arranging a few older tunes and a couple newer ones. We’ve changed our rehearsal structure around a bit and it seems to be working well for us. So we’ll just keep trucking away.
“I wear black because I’m comfortable in it. But then in the summertime when it’s hot, I’m comfortable in light blue.” – Johnny Cash
Here we are at the end of another school year. A little Alice Cooper seems appropriate. Watch out for all those kids on bikes and I hope your air conditioner works well.
There are grad parties galore, echoes of the glory days or some such. So many mistakes still yet to be made. I remember stashing beer in the neighbor’s bushes during my grad party, then driving up to someone’s cabin the next day to drink it lukewarm. All with a certain ignorant panache. I mean, some things never change, but I’ll have a cold beer, thank you.
Liz is working on a design for a T-Shirt. It is not the picture at the bottom of this post. That is just another cool thing that she drew. When she completes the art for the shirt, we might just leak the image right here in the blog. We’ve decided to make them ourselves, so we need to get screens made and squeegees and paint. Then we will put them all together for you. Handmade, originals.
Remember: This Friday, June 16th. Music starts at 9 with Mark Verdin. We’ll be on at 10, followed by the Flowerstalks and Karl Kooiker will close out the night. $5.
As a side note, I told some folks that this past weekend was the 6th year anniversary of King Fish Crow’s first show. That is not true. The seven year anniversary will be on September 15th. I apologize for any confusion.
Watch out for the kids in the streets.
Go Twins and Go Saints!
“In the split second from the time the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand until it reaches the plate you have to think about your stride, your hip action, your wrist action, determine how much, if any, the ball is going to break and then decide whether to swing at it.” -Duke Snider
Here in the Bunker we’re prepping for a few really cool shows. We’ll be playing Reverie next Friday and in Osceola, WI in July.
Next Friday, June 16th, we’re playing Reverie Café one more time before it moves. It’s a great room and we fit the stage comfortably. Seriously, it’s almost laughable to mention, but we have six people in the band. Have you seen us perform at Palmer’s? Anyway, we’ll be sharing the stage with the Flowerstalks, a super talented local Alternative/Americana band. We’re thrilled to be on the bill with them. Their tunes are top notch and Kansas City Keith has always been one of my favorite local guitar players. There will be an acoustic opener and a comedian closing out the night. It will be our grand farewell to Reverie on the corner of Franklin and Nicollet. So come out and join us if you can. Next Friday.
In July, we will be going back to the Wild Springs Festival in Osceola, Wisconsin. Save the weekend of July 29th and 30th and get your tickets now! This event is held on a beautiful little farm next to a quiet lake. Hosted by our friends Dan and Emily of Wailing Loons, we are thrilled to be a part of it again. Last year was beautiful and sunny and a complete blast. Come out and camp with us. It’s destined to be the highlight of our summer. There will be tons of great music, fantastic food and flowing beer (if you like that sort of thing) and, of course, fine folks. There are trails to hike, water activities and that doesn’t include the crew that bikes in from the cities. If you’re looking for something to do in late July, throw your tent and sleeping bag in your car, grab a friend and we’ll meet you at the farm.
We’re working on some new tunes as well. We have a few we’ve been performing at recent shows and a few we have yet to unveil. We aren’t trying to get too far ahead of ourselves, but we are looking at going back into the studio in 2018. That’s a big ballpark, but we’ll take out time and craft what looks like will be our first full length album. So stay tuned. Download your copy of Hotdish Army and tell everyone you know.
In September, we have been invited to curate the music and perform for the first annual benefit concert for the Austin Strong Foundation. Austin Smith was Dave and Drew’s nephew. Dave is King Fish Crow’s electric guitar player and Drew, his brother, has been our saxophone player even after moving to Madison. Austin was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer when he was five years old. He died a year later, the day we began recording Hotdish Army. As a tight knit band, we were deeply affected by the struggle of someone so young and so close to our hearts. At the same time, we were greatly impacted by Austin’s courage as he bravely battled what would eventually take his life. We have nothing but love and support to show to the whole family. If you would like to stand up and fight against childhood cancer, support the Austin Strong Foundation and stay tuned for a date and location for the upcoming benefit concert.
Thank you so much. Keep reaching.
“Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.” – Warren Buffet
On Friday evening I kicked off the Memorial Day weekend with an acoustic set at the Driftwood. I was joined by, the one and only, Dave Brown.
It’s always a time at the Driftwood. Driftwood is something of a cross between playing a dive bar and playing your friend’s living room. Dave and I caught the tail end of an early birthday show crowd which worked out great for us. We jumped on the bill last second. I should say, on Wednesday I confirmed to play a solo show at the Driftwood. I had asked Liz and she was going out of town. I knew Corey was in Nashville and Beau had to work and Shane was on the fence, but had a friend from Alaska coming into town. By the end of the evening on Thursday, Dave said he’d be available to perform. And I’d say that’s pretty good for a last second Memorial Day weekend show.
We showed up on Friday evening with two days to promote and heard the displeasure of the owner as soon as we walked in. To say the least, we were grateful for the birthday party crowd that stuck around.
We stomped our feet and howled ten songs into the night. It was a great way to start off the long weekend.
For me, the rest of the weekend was filled with bike rides and grilling between sprinkles. All time well spent with family.
Hope your weekend was relaxing! Happy Memorial Day!
Our next full band show is Friday, June 16th at Reverie Café. We’d love to see you there!
“Just living is not enough…one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.” -Hans Christian Anderson
I’m going to show my vintage here, but I remember running to cut weight for wrestling in high school and listening to Superunknown on my Walkman. The thumping distorted intensity pushed my strides, but the melodies and his voice kept me pushing the cassette into the tape player. Limo Wreck was my favorite song. Chris Cornell’s vocal range was unbelievable. He could swing from a smooth soulful vocal line to a gritty scream with ease.
The first CD I ever bought was the Counting Crows August and Everything After. My favorite bands in high school were Weezer, the Cranberries and U2. But I can’t leave out Soul Coughing, Beck and Sponge. Looking back, one of my favorite bands of the time was Toad the Wet Sprocket. I started playing guitar because of Bob Dylan.
The hardest music I listened to was influenced by Soundgarden and the grunge guys, throw in a touch of Deftones and a dash of Metallica. I wasn’t really into the screaming noise of even some of Nirvana’s tunes. I was always looking for melodies and always punk over metal. Superunknown was full of melodies and fantastic guitars and drive. That album will always hold a special place in my listening catalogue. But I hadn’t listened to it in years until this past week and actually preferred a lot of Chris Cornell’s solo stuff. When his Euphoria Morning came out in 1999, I ate it up. It was still dark and from the belly of grunge, but it wasn’t nearly as heavy as Soundgarden.
I must admit. I got into Nirvana after Kurt’s death. I can now say I know who Pat Smear is and I know about the Germs and lead singer Darby Crash’s suicide on December 7, 1980. On December 8, 1980 John Lennon was shot. It hasn’t stopped. There is a tug of war between the public and the private, between fame and obscurity. Or is it that beautiful art has a cost or at least, it seems that those I respect are telling me the price is too high.
Death and Rock & Roll. Like a good kiss.
From Jim Morrison to John Denver, Chantilly Lace and La Bamba. Elliot Smith stabbed himself twice. Prince had pain killers. There are plane crashes and car crashes, but it’s tough when an artist/human being takes their own life. It’s particularly tough to swallow when it’s someone you have admired. There’s a feeling of hopelessness that saturates the details surrounding their death. I am devastated. And I’m still coming to terms with the permeating sadness.
I think about running in high school. Superunknown playing in my Walkman. My whole life stretched out unseen ahead of me with Chris Cornell on top of the world and I can’t help but feel a pull on the thread. Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.
“Musicians are often asked to answer for an entire culture, or for an entire movement. It’s a process of commodification. It becomes packaged and summarized in a word like ‘emo’ or ‘grunge’… or ‘folk music.’ I think that’s just language itself, trying to understand the mysteries of the world.” – Sufjan Stevens
This past Saturday evening I played a solo set at the Auk’s Roost.
The Auk’s Roost is my friend Jake’s house/art gallery/music venue. On a corner lot in South Minneapolis, it stands three floors tall and the music happens in the attic. Lit by the soft glow of LED strip lights with a working fireplace behind the musicians, the attic is one of the most intimate venues to play in the Twin Cities. The audience sits in the small room on the bearskin rug or on the padded seats that line the walls. There are no microphones and there is a general no amplifier policy, though the final flight of stairs up into the attic is discouraging enough to anyone thinking of lugging an amp all the way up to the top.
Live music is about a shared moment. In the attic of the Auk’s Roost, there is an energy to the space and it’s organic and raw and genuine. Everyone who plays embraces the space and makes it their own. Jake curates the events himself and has even booked touring acts to play.
We started the night on punk rock time and I kicked things off with about an hour and a half set. I didn’t have a solid set list, but had the idea that I wanted to play songs that fit the attic and my acoustic guitar on that particular beautiful evening in May. So I played some newer originals and sprinkled in a few covers. The evening, as always, was full of merriment, laughter and great music. It’s always a great time meeting new folks at the Roost.
If you are so inclined, check out these bands: Sawed Off String Band, The Salt Vine and Jezebel Jones. And maybe we’ll discuss songwriting or the appropriation of symbols next time Jake has an event at his house.
Happy Mother’s Day! I would especially like to honor my Mom and Tami. I love you. And to my sisters, Jess and Kris, and sister in law, Lisa, keep raising those beautiful human beings. And finally, I would like to give a shout out to all the mothers out there. You are appreciated more than you know.
“A house is no home unless it contain food and fire for the mind as well as for the body.” – Margaret Fuller
At the end of Liz’ birthday week, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to talk about her a little bit.
Liz and I go way back. Dinkytown, Brooklyn Center. All the family vacations. Holidays, Birthdays and everything in between while growing up.
We started making music together in 2006. Galaxy Drive, my band at the time, recorded a record called A Remnant Remains and Liz sang on two tracks. A couple years later, we recorded another album and Liz sang on two more tracks. She has a great voice and I was impressed and looking forward to the future. However, the future is not always what you think or how you think. Shortly after the release of album, that band broke up. I asked Liz to sing full time in my new project, she said o.k. and we’ve been at it ever since.
We started singing two and three song sets at open mics. Thomas, a friend of ours, opened up the Highland Park Music-Go-Round to performers on Friday nights. We would pretty regularly go down there and play a little bit longer set than your usual open mic. These are the first stages Liz and I shared and we met some pretty great people while doing it.
The band, King Fish Crow, has been all over the map. We’ve had an open musician policy since the creation of the project. The consistency through all of it has been Liz putting up with my shenanigans. There is a certain excitement that we both have right now in this project. It’s a full band for the first time and with these additional talents and personalities we’re exploring a whole new canvas for the music. It feels right. And we’re doing the work.
Now Liz is pretty extraordinary. Not only can she sing and does she have style, she has degrees from Notre Dame and the University of Minnesota. She doesn’t want me to brag too much about her, but have you seen her artwork? She’s amazingly talented. She’s working on a new website. I’ll get the link up when it’s complete. Until then, try this.
I think the first recording Liz and I sang together in King Fish Crow was one track at IPR. That’s when Corey B. Toth got caught in our web. Later we recorded four songs at Old Fashioned Records with Cody Fitzpatrick. Then we recorded in Corey’s basement and we lost a dozen scratch tracks at Kooler Sound. And most recently we recorded Hotdish Army at 27 Years Studio in New Ulm. I’m looking forward to the next one with her.
Through it all, Liz has added style, elegance, and balance to my rugged persistence. I appreciate it more than she will know and I am grateful that she is a part of this band. It wouldn’t be the same without her.
Happy Birthday, again, Liz!
“I found that dance, music and literature is how I made sense of the world…it pushed me to think of things bigger than life’s daily routines…to think beyond what is immediate or convenient.” – Mikhail Baryshnikov
We’re thrilled to unveil our new website, kingfishcrow.com. We hope it’s functional and easy to navigate. You’ll be able to find everything you want to know about King Fish Crow right there. Call it our one stop shop. Check when our next show is and find all of our social media. You can even like us on Facebook. And now you can stream us on Spotify or download us on iTunes. So tell your friends and we’ll see you at the shows.
Spring?!
In regard to my mention of spring last week, I must remember not to speak of spring as warm and beautiful and blooming until at least June. Mentioning the beautiful weather at this tumultuous time of year is bound to bring a week in the thirties and more snow. I’ve learned my lesson. This is Minnesota. The calendar says spring, but winter does not want to let go of its icy grip just yet.
Nephews
Yesterday three of my nephews were baptized. The crazy part is they are cousins, all born within four months of each other. Jude Robert is the oldest. Samuel Joseph is the middle cousin. You could call him the fulcrum. And Malachi Patrick rounds out the gang. We affectionately call them the Three Murpheteers. (It’s also a hashtag on Instagram.) As they were being held around the font in the church, I couldn’t help but beam as an uncle to all three. And my dad, Patrick Joseph, he was beaming ear to ear. Can there be a greater moment for a grandfather? I suppose time will tell.
Now we have these new little faces peering out into the world, reaching up into our faces. And I can’t help but think I look more like an uncle than I ever thought I could. Who knows? Maybe they’ll form a noisy little trio. We can only hope and nudge and teach.
Happy Birthday, Liz!!!
“They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” – Andy Worhol
On Friday night, we played Reverie Café on the NE corner of Franklin and Nicollet for the last time. We’ve always had a great experience there and Friday was no different.
Bunker Fuzz 