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The Left Coast sends their harbor-rock jam crusaders Cope to the near East this weekend for a co-bill with the auditory equivalent of making it rain by Aquaphonics. The historic Paradise Building's most recent venue rendition, The Bamboo Room, will play host to a night of southern funk, island blues and danceable electronic rock, before the boys head back to their own stomping grounds for a feature set at the St. Petersburg Folk Festival. Momentum has been the name of the game for the Tampa crew following the release of their second studio installment Going Home. The rigorous cross coast and Northward touring ventures have paid off with headlining slots at festivals like Orange Blossom Jamboree this past May and the upcoming Big Jammalamma in October; as well as co-bills with The Heavy Pets in Atlanta and Tim Reynolds in Tampa early next month. To cap off the big year two of the hottest Florida music events, Bear Creek Music Festival and The Bond Fire Arts & Music Festival, will claim Cope as contributing artists.
Cope
Of course, the success has not been in vain, and fans of the band can rest easy knowing that the evolutionary progress that has defined the quartet is only moving forward at an exponential speed. The already smooth live delivery of Dennis Stadelman (guitar, banjo, vocal), Kenny Stadelman (bass, vocals), Dave Gerulat (drums, vocals) and Juan Montero (saxophone, keys, vocal) grows tighter with each visit. The latest addition to the group, Montero's horn and ivory efforts have finally recessed into the total sound and offer a texture that compliments and organically encourages new auditory destinations. Throw in some stellar new material in jam launch pads "What Goes Up" and "Bear With Me," and its evident that pieces are in motion for a blow out in the plush Lake Worth blues club.
Aquaphonics
This is not the show for arriving late in hopes of avoiding a let down by the opening act. Aquaphonics have been equally busy building their stats. An album release and headlining show at the Culture Room, a set on the Amphitheatre stage at Blackwater Music Festival and stellar stage sharing opportunities with Perpetual Groove and Brock Butler are just a few noteworthy benchmarks. The trio will also be repping South Florida at the aforementioned Bond Fire Arts &Music festival celebration going on New Years Eve weekend. The new EP, Headline, features polished studio versions of live staples "In Dew," "One," "Waiting For It" and title track "Headline." Over eleven years of concerted efforts by Jessiah Weston (drums) and Alan Martinki (keys), combined with Steve Elmore's dynamically unique guitar contributions in recent history, have built a liquid formula that appeals to technical purists and the groove-inclined.
Steve Elmore | Aquaphonics | Photo by Destiny Spang
Although Martinki has creatively filled the bass role by adapting his key strokes, the band has been accompanied by bassist Dan Silver on stage for a handful of their more recent concerts. It is yet to be seen whether or not the addition will evolve into a permanent role, but it is safe to say that Weston's already adept drum tech plays well with others, while Martinki is also freed up to have all hands on deck. With all the buzz and energy both bands have been building as the year comes to a close, it is safe to say that the one-two punch this Friday night will be a statement show for both as they aim to break out of the South Florida scene. Do not miss this one.
You can get tickets for $10 here or at the door. The Bamboo Room is located at 25 South J Street Lake Worth, FL. Show starts at 9 PM.
Part 1: "Un-be-liev-able" As an avid patron to local music venues in South Florida, and abroad, bearing witness to a night like this seems inevitable. It is unfortunate, but rest assured that even upholding a status as a seasoned veteran could not have prepared anyone for the series of events that transpired.
Aquaphonics and Marc PaperScissor Team Up
After months of mounting anticipation, the North Florida dub-fusion trio Greenhouse Lounge kicked off a two night run from Delray to Miami last night. Hailed as a staple act of Aura Music and Arts Festival, as well as garnering a strong support base on their turf, South Florida ready for a strong dose of homegrown live electronic music to get the weekend started.
The heat lightening overhead lit up the sky above Atlantic Avenue. Ominous clouds threatened rain but more importantly served to set the tone for an eerie and hot summer night. Something in the air was off. I felt this even before I arrived. A cold beverage in the lot cooled my nerves and my body temperature. I was on time for once but the venue had the doors closed. This was odd given that every other establishment in the surround area was full and in swing. An unsettled group was forming outside but I wrote it off and readied my camera bag.
Things Go South
A member of the Cheesehead Productions crew hit me up and warned me to not come in. He came out and told me they just kicked Matt Beck out of the venue. As the head of Brotherly Love Productions and the promoter for the event, booting him would have some heavy repercussions. I made my way towards the entrance and caught up with him. A perfect storm of misunderstanding, mismanagement and inflated egos that stemmed from earlier in the evening had catapulted into the illogical decision to have him escorted out by a third party security personnel.
Given my personal interactions with Matt and Brotherly Love Productions, I know how much time and effort goes into bringing in talent and making sure every show runs smoothly for the band, the audience and the venue. He takes this very seriously and this was a big night for him, the bands and the local scene. Like any well oiled machine, the more simple things appear on the surface is usually an indication of more intricate processes going on in the background. In a nutshell the whole thing went awry when the venue kept the doors locked after the scheduled opening time out of some unjustified fear that no one was going to show up. When Matt stepped up to point out possible problem areas he was seen as a threat to the internal power struggle. Even as I write this it seems incomprehensible that a revered promoter could be penalized for simply doing his job.
Beyond that the staff was disproportionate with only 1 bartender and half a dozen security guys, complete with ear pieces and bad attitudes. The end result was a tragic case of too many chiefs distorting the truth and the upper level management of the venue letting his staff make executive decision based on misinformation. No matter what was actually said or not said, the way it was handled was completely unprofessional and a huge turn off to the concert goers and BLP Krewe faithful.
Despite the blatant mistreatment by the venue, Matt swallowed his pride and put on his professional face when he rallied for everyone to support the bands and tear up the dance floor for them. The venue realized they were in a bad place and decided to wave the $10 cover, thus sacrificing an easy $1,500 that would have been kicked back to the establishment and promotions. This kind of drastic decision making coupled with other revelations, such as a poorly stocked bar, may be an indication that this place is in trouble. Now we know why.
Music Saves The Night
Aquaphonics hesitantly took the stage around 10:30 PM to a decent sized crowd of eager fans. The vibe was tense at first but as soon as the music started all negative thoughts were out the door. This was the biggest stage I have seen them grace and they took full advantage of the sound capabilities. Images projections displayed local artist Marc PaperScissor's designs through psychedelic filters and sequences as the boys hosed the crowd with smooth electronic movements and reaching jam sections. Much like they have been doing in recent history, Aquaphonics was on point, playing up and the best I have ever heard them.
Aquaphonics
Taking a vow to never again monetarily support the current management of the venue meant heading across the street for a beer and shot combo before coming back to Sir Charles' electronic bass efforts. My research into his sound lead me to believe he would have a different approach, but the crowd was vibing to the hybrid dubstep-electronica. I could not help but place him as a generic rendition of producers like Derek Smith, but that could be a result of my limited exposure to the genre or the limitations of the genre itself. The guy believe in his music, which any music fan will applaud regardless of their own personal preference. His unending energy on stage proves it. I will give him another chance tomorrow.
Sir Charles
The Last Straw
It was getting late and Greenhouse Lounge took the stage. They band made a point to give a warm shout out to Matt that was met by a loud, positive response from the crowd. In hindsight I think that jab might have set the venue personnel off. The staff collected every piece of BLPJessiah, the drummer from Aquaphonics was tossed for an undisclosed reason. Those that protested and tried to question the security were also given the boot. It was an unreal turn of events and the most unsettling thing I have seen happen at a show. After the show was over I went back in to question the general manager. She had no idea who I was but went off on Brotherly Love Productions management and responded that the other patrons were forced out for rough housing. Having nothing to lose at this point, I called her out on this false information before being told to leave.
Greenhouse Lounge Kills It
Unfortunately the peripheral events taking place were a distraction from what was happening on stage. That being said, Greenhouse Lounge took the crowd on a trip through heavy dub lead by Dave Sweeny's thunderous bass and robotic posture. Skillful hip-hop vocal samples from the likes of Ole Dirty Bastard incorporated well with their break beat tendencies. The tones were on point, especially Zach Welnert's clean space guitar. I had to shed my own predispositions about how they might take the hypnotic composed sections to soaring peaks and improvisational segments. Instead they rely heavily on grooving textures and strategic effect sequencing that aim to capture the ear and no necessarily fulfill tension and release junkie's desires.
Greenhouse Lounge
The set was much shorter than expected, but for obvious reasons. I enjoyed some of the darker moments in the music and was impressed with their tight transitions. The crowd put in a good energy for the band and seemed more than satisfied with the performance. It was only night one and the general consensus was to get out of there reasonably unscathed was a major plus. See you guys in Miami tonight!
Greenhouse Lounge
Set 1: Bebot (Up Until Now Remix), Koto, Backdoor Deal, Sands, Let's Go (Trick Daddy Remix), Empires Fall, Scream (Michael Jackson Remix)
Aquaphonics Set I: Sip, Spooky, In Dub/In Dew, Animal, Super Moon, Waiting For It, Fingerbreaker
Videos Courtesy of Mark Duclos - Cheesehead Productions!
Time to get wet! On Friday night the infamous BLP Krewe and guerilla film zealots Cheesehead Productions traveled North in caravan style to catch the Aquaphonics. It was to be the first show of a two night run in their home turf of southern Central Florida. Little Moir's Food Shack was playing host so we made a concerted effort to grab some grub from the esteemed restaurant before catching a great night of jams and experimentation from the band. Simply put the food is top notch from the appetizers to the desserts and our party of 8 felt more than satisfied. The cozy venue room Maxi's comfortably fit the thirty or so patrons and the vibe was positive and relaxed. The format of the bar section of the Food Shack puts the band up against the entrance wall and provides a natural focus point from anywhere in the venue. Another interesting dynamic is the location in a shopping center. All of the other establishments close early so volume is a non-issue. The Aquaphonics always sound better closer to an 11 volume range.
Set 1 echoed from the bar to the eatery as we finished our microbrews and excessive, yet fulfilling, desserts. The song selection was standard and went through covers like Electric Feel by MGMT. Set 2 drew in the crowd and the band seemed to be on a different level. They locked in on many of the extended jam sequences and knowing looks were exchanged on more than one occasion.
Deep ambient sections and pedal play from Steve faded into high energy choices like In Dew. The crowd was in motion on the limited dance floor and smiles were present all around. Jessiah was particularly on point and his near perfect bass and snare drum work accentuated the intricate synth and organ fingerings coming from Alan's bipolar bass and keyboard tones.
Aquaphonics
Each time I catch these guys they improve on technique and extended sequencing. The amount of layered sound coming from three guys is amazing, especially without the presence of a true bass player in a borderline electronic band. The band played the next night at the Redemption Ultra Lounge in Stuart. They have some very big shows coming up opening for Greenhouse Lounge and Sir Charles at Pineapple Groove and then a two night run with Perpetual Groove at the Culture Room. They finish that weekend on Sunday with a third show at Hurricane for the BLP Rock Out With Your Cook Out.
Alan Martinke
Steve Elmore
Jessiah Weston
Another day at the office
The knowing look!
UPDATE: Click here for a recording of Aquaphonics playing InDub on Saturday night at the Redemption Ultra Lounge!
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