Playing accordion and touring with the Fighting Jamesons!!

The Fighting Jamesons

About roughly a month ago, I joined another band called the Fighting Jamesons (Celtic rock/punk from VA Beach- check it out: www.thefightingjamesons.com) as their new accordionist. I've played a total of approximately 7 shows with them roughly and a handful of some smaller acoustic sets with them as well. The current line-up as pictured above (from left to right) is: Tim Creaux (fiddle), George "Geo" J Bauman IV (lead guitar), Ryan Ware (bass guitar), Mike Powers (leader vocals, acoustic/rhythm guitar), yours truly/Miles Hoyle (accordion), and Justin Connor (drums).
   
    We played the Mohegan Sun in Conneticut (which is this crazy awesome humungous casino- and apparently the 2nd largest casino in the world- or so I was told!). I'm proud to say I resisted most of the gambling (though it looks fun!)- and only lost $3 of the $5 dollars I gambled with (lol thanks for watching my back to our drummer/Justin Connor/the Irish Thor!) I must admit I do not understand craps at all- nor do I want to- I don't gamble more than $5 to $10- if I lose more than $10 I will feel so bad it's not funny. Can't do it! Nevertheless, it was a super fun stop- and the building was huge, I'm sure I was somewhat amusing since I got lost a lot haha.

    Webster Hall in New York City (I couldn't believe I was getting to play somewhere where Gogol Bordello- one of my all time favorites- along with other great acts like St. Vincent and Florence and the Machine had also played-- the venue has these really pretty pictures of past flyers of them and countless others displayed on the wall). We played with two other Irish groups that night: the Broken Banjo Strings and the Narrowbacks- both great bands and nice to chat with. THAT- ladies and gents- was actually my first time in New York City! Not bad for a first timer huh? : )
   
The Lost Horizon in Syracuse, New York (some local punks came out and danced around to us- and we had a great time hanging out with them afterwards!), it was a fun town to be in- and the only place we got to stop and walk around in for quite a bit, it was bigger than I expected- I've never been too far up north (so I never really knew what to expect at each stop really)- if not for the cold (we happened to be on tour during the record breaking lows) I could've stayed outside more, but eh- an incredibly small price to pay for a really rewarding and fun experience!
   
Also McGraths in Dalton, Pennsylvania (quite possibly the prettiest town we stopped in- it was a snow covered mountain- which was a neat surprise, as I'd never been there before and had no idea what to expect- but I felt very bad for Geo and Dennis in that moment- as icy weather and big hills has got to be terrifying to drive the RV in!). The owner was an incredibly nice guy (thanks for the free t-shirt- I'm definitely sporting it!)
   

The Fighting Jamesons @the Mohegan Sun.

    It's been an incredibly exciting time with them, I'm really pumped up as we are very soon about to begin recording what will be the Fighting Jamesons second album, and my first album as part of their new line-up. I feel highly honored and very excited to be partaking in both the new line-up and the new album- and am looking very forward to the road ahead! I'm trying to keep calm- but so incredibly hyper that we will be playing at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City opening for a band that I'm a big fan of- World Inferno Friendship Society (I know right!?) on February 8th! Speaking of World Inferno, I must say I'm a fan of their former/sometimes member Franz Nicolay (whom I once briefly had the pleasure of speaking to outside the Norva when he was touring with the Hold Steady- a huge thanks to my best friend Heath for convincing me to go to that one, because I almost didn't go!) In the mean time- keep your eye out if we stop near you and for the new album! To find out if were coming near you and about the new album just keep looking at the Fighting Jamesons site (www.thefightingjamesons.com) to find all you need to know! As for now- I am off to practice!

MELT-BANANA DETONATES THE BLACK CAT IN D.C.!!!!

Agata of Melt-Banana at the Black Cat on 11/04/2013.

The Black Cat is a pretty neat venue, connected to a nice little cafe on the side downstairs. Apparently there is both an upstairs, and a downstairs stage- but this show was downstairs- so I have no idea what the atmosphere upstairs was like- downstairs is a decent small stage, perfect for the up close and personal show experience. It has a relaxed vibe, you can do what you like: stage dive, crowd surf, mosh, chill, whatever. The stage is at a sorta sideways angle. I thought that stages placement in the room was a little bit odd- but regardless, a nice setting to see them in.

    They had a fun opening act with Brain Tentacles- a noise project consisting of sax and drums (the one and only Dave Witte of Municipal Waste actually, who has also drummed with Melt Banana in the past!)- I've seen Melt-Banana like 4 or 5 times now- and sometimes the opener may be cool- or may be something I'm (no offense to the opener) simply waiting for to be over so I can see the headliner. With Brain Tentacles, this was not the case- they were a highly interesting fit and one of the best opening acts to have been before Melt-Banana that I've personally witnessed in a while. It was a short set and very experimental and kinda free jam, with some looping rhythmic sax, followed with leads over top and all sorts of time and tempo changes, I hope these guys come out with some recordings- it was a really neat experience.

Yako of Melt-Banana at Black Cat on 11/04/2013.

We might as well go ahead and address the issue that is concerning to their fans and people who have seen the band previously versus now: yes they are a duo now, with computerized drums and bass instead of session musicians; fear not my friends, what seems like a huge change is actually not slowing these two down at all. Its incredible they could still put on the show they do with the exact amount of power and sustain their special vibe with just the two of them, it was nothing short of another incredible adrenalin rush. Not one ounce of energy from  them doing it as a duo was lost. Agata and Yako are the creative core, so you can't go wrong when its just the two of them. Part of what makes Melt-Banana so great is there ability to constantly surprise their audience; new tricks from a seemingly endless bag of their uncompromising originality.

Yako truly knows how to command the room with her presence, as soon as she waves her hand as they kick into the first song of the night the room explodes, people are just crashing into people in the most gloriously fun way possible! Her voice and personality have always been a dominant feature in what makes the group so special, there has never been anyone else quite like her. Agata rips into the first chord, and the sheer volume of the room feels like a musical bomb has just went off, your ears sorta hurt; yet you like the way it feels, you know its going to be a great night ahead. The room has just transitioned from a state of calm anxiousness into the human-monster-truck show; kids are piling onto each other like cars and just gliding on each other to the high voltage mayhem occurring before them. It's pedal to the metal from here on, the band has total control of everyone now, and your going on the most insanely fun ride a concert has put you on in who knows how long. Sure, your knees and shins are going to hurt tomorrow from getting pushed into the stage, but it's totally worth it. Watching Agata up close and personal work his guitar laser-gun scratching magic techniques and foot pedal collage of creative brilliance is one of the most innovative and impressively coordinated moments in punk rock music history. 

MxBx packing em in like sardines....

As far the set-list is concerned, they did some great chunks of Cell Scape: "Shield for Your Eyes, a Beast in the Well on Your Hand", "Lost Parts Stinging Me So Cold", and "Chain-Shot to Have Some Fun" to name a few. Slices of Bambi's Dilemma:"Blank Page of the Blind", "Cat Brain Land", "Cracked Plaster Cast" and some others. I definitely remember they threw in ,"Spastic" from the ,"Charlie" album, plus their usual crammed mini-set of super-short songs. The picture of this room during the series of short songs crammed together is phenomenal. The room continually crammed into a tight lop-sided ball before exploding apart for roughly 20ish seconds or less about ten times in a row to the likes of ,"His Name is Mickey" and, "Stick Out". They did a huge chunk of material of their new album! They did the first two opening tracks, "Candy Gun" and "The Hive" the blaring raging, "Red Data, Red Stage", the undeniably catchy stop-start sensation of, "Schemes of Tails", and the highly danceable and irresistibly catchy closer on the album, "Zero". Some bands stray away from doing a lot of new material live, worrying if the audience hasn't had a chance to hear the new album or hear it enough to the point that they'll not be familiar enough with the it to have a connection, but they did at least half of it if not more. However, Melt-Banana always dares to be bold and original, and instead of shying away from new material they find ways to present it that are fresh and exciting, and simultaneously familiar since its still embodied in their trademark sound.

Agata blows minds for a living....

    At the end of the show, I stayed parked at the stage with the other fans, all anxious to talk to the band. Their guitarist Agata remembers me from Chapel Hill NC (he seemes to recall the homemade sweater I have) and he smiles and goes, "Hey! Chapel Hill right!?" I asked them to sign posters I had made from pictures I took of them at a previous show last time they toured the U.S. Yako and Agata were totally surprised, I don't think they'd had this particular request before; it was a really neat moment, there reaction was truly priceless. They aren't just an amazing band, they always treat the fans with respect. They never turn people away who want to talk to them or ask for an autograph at the end of the night. Melt Banana puts on a killer high-energy show every time, they are always ahead of the curve, and have the the most unique take on punk that anyone could ever have to offer with a sound that is truly and completely their own. Jello Biafra has a spoken world album called, "I Blow Minds for a Living"..... Melt-Banana could easily lay claim to such a statement as this themselves.

Top 10 Best Experiences While Busking EVER……

Yuri Lemeshev of Gogol Bordello.

Top 10 Best Experiences While Busking EVER……

1. Why it just so happens I met my lovely lady Stephanie while busking! Best tip I ever got!

2. Meeting Gogol Bordello while busking outside the Norva. Before the show I did see Eugene Hutz- regrettably I admit I froze and other than saying, "Hey" I just froze. I know- I'm an idiot! Lol. Luckily I did not repeat this mistake all night. I met pretty much met the entire band- including- their accordionist Yuri Lemeshev! I actually met a good chunk of the band both before and after the show- while I was busking before the show he said to me, "Sounds good" and nodded- I was kind've afraid to say much at the time- I'd be lying if I said I wasn't totally starstruck.

Jason Webley!

After the show, I met Yuri again with Sergey Ryabtsev their violinist. Sergey is sooooo funny and cool- he's really full of personality- HE FREAKED OUT when I asked him to sign my CD of their first album,"Voi-La Intruder" (which for any of you remember that wonderful place while it was there- I picked up one day at Relative Theory Records! UGH! I miss that place!)- he was like, "Oh my God! I can't believe you have this!! We have to get Yuri in on this one! YURI!!!!!" I'm pretty sure what he meant was that because of the whole Mysapce craze at the time with their song, "Start Wearing Purple" (though that song is also on the first album- the version that mostly came into the public eye was the Underdog Worldstrike one) and their latest album at that time (my personal favorite so far to date!), "Super Taranta!"- so they were really excited and surprised to see someone asking them to sign the old one. Later the other band members signed my copy of Super Taranta- it's a memorable night I'll never forget- Gogol Bordello- along with Korpiklaani, Beirut, Flogging Molly, and some other bands- they are one of THE MAIN REASONS I was inspired to start playing accordion.

3. Meeting the Drowningmen and getting into their show for free w/Moneybrother and Flogging Molly on the Green 17 Tour. Unforgettable night.

4. Meeting Jason Webley before he played at the Taphouse in Norfolk, VA. He came up to me and introduced himself and was really nice (he looked much different in person- as he had short hair- and every photograph I had seen of him was with long hair) I made really nice tips that night and used it to buy his records- and he put me on the guest list and got me in his show for free.

w/Aly aka Lady Lamb.

He was a really great guy- not just as a musician- but it was great to get the feeling that he actually cared and was enthusiastic to talk to the fans. His performance by the way- was incredibly memorable- and he has the greatest commanding ability of forcing everyone to just shout and scream along even if they don't know the words. He does a lot of neat fun audience participation in challenging one half of the room to be louder than the other. He does some cool accordion improv- he lets the audience pick songs sometimes for him too- that night he did a cool 80s pop song improv- people just shouted them out and he'd think about it for about 2 split seconds- and start playing whatever songs people called out. Instead of that whole audience worshipping the performer vibe- he creates a different vibe where its like a big party and he's the life of it- musically impressing and hanging out with everyone.

5. Meeting Aly Spaltro (aka Lady Lamb and the Beekeeper)- she offered to get me in the Beirut concert for free- though I already had a ticket, I had a neat chat with her. She put on an incredible opening act! Though only slightly an odd pairing with Beirut (I can't explain why)- she is incredibly captivating- I can often lose interest in watching the lone-singer-songwriter on a guitar- but she had the whole room in the palm of her hand.

Similar to the tattoo the girl on Colley had...

Though this second part didn't really occur because of busking it's still awesome- that same night after the show Zach Condon of Beirut signed my record and said, "That's a very nice accordion". I told him I was surprised that their accordionist, Perrin Cloutier was playing a chromatic button accordion since all the photos I'd seen of their live shots before showed him using a piano accordion- and he goes, "Yeah he recently switched/learned button too- he locked himself in a room for a week" lol though that was brief it was totally awesome. I also met Luke also shortly approximately around this time I think (because I know I've mentioned seeing Beirut before to them all) and then he introduced me to Hunter and John and later on we had Nate aboard- and that's part of how our band met. : )

6. The second time I got to see Drowningmen live when they were touring with Alkaline Trio- while busking outside- Matt Chapin who plays trumpet in Mewithoutyou came up to me and showed me this really awesome huge accordion tattoo on his arm and struck up a neat conversation with me when he said, "That's awesome man- check this out- my grandfather played accordion!" Also while busking after the show was over- people were super nice and excited and into the accordion tunes- their spirits were so high after Alkaline Trio finished up.

7. Improv jamming with various friends/people in the street- Aaron Evans (glockenspiel & guitar) & Mike Twark (drums)- good guys, Wes Sutherland- good harmonica player- always had fun hanging out with Wes- we'd hang out a bit both go hit a corner- and meet up again later- I miss seein' him around- I hope he makes it into a blues band someday- it'd be the perfect fit! Charles from DJ P & Mr. T on violin- I love that guy! He's so nice- and he kills it at the violin- unfortunately we only got to jam together a few times- one time at this cafe together with this guy on tables and the energy was just really clicking'…. various other strangers- a guy who played spoons, a guy who juggled……

8. Another tattoo: this was incredibly funny and cool- busking on Colley avenue- this girl walks up to me and flexes her arm (but she had to use her other hand to jokingly push her "muscle" up- she was a tiny thing lol) and its a tattoo of an accordion and says, "Squeeze this!" lol so awesome. Before that it was just an ordinary day lol.

9. Busking in Williamsburg- early morning before Accordion Festival once- and then later that year before a Reckless Passengers gig at William & Mary: ) 

10. Getting hired for various gigs- some weddings, a French speaking club, Valentines Day, and some restaurant gigs all from giving my number to people in the street who liked what they heard- being fortunate to find a gig for the first 4 months I moved to Alexandria too. : )

DROWNINGMEN SHOW!!!!

Nato Bardeen w/Drowningmen @ the Jewish Mother

It's now the 3rd time I've seen the Drowningmen play; this time it was at the Jewish Mother, and like always their performance was top-notch. They did an incredible set with a nice selection of stuff from the new album, "All the Unknown" and their 1st album, "The Beheading of the Songbird". For those who don't know this band- seriously, I highly recommend that you just dive right into this stuff- these albums are basically classics of our time. I can't stress how much you should see this band live if you can, their performances are always so much intense.

They were relatively recently signed to Flogging Molly's own label Borstal Beat Records (the only band other than Flogging Molly themselves so far to date)- it should be really interesting to hopefully see the label handpicking and releasing other great bands on this label in the future as well. I can't find much of any information about any future plans from the label on the net/interviews with the band, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

James Smith w/Drowningmen @ the Jewish Mother.

Drowningmen have a neat instrumental setup- piano and organ, two guitars, sometimes mandolin, bass, and drums. Part of what I love about watching them play, is that the frontman in this band is quite versatile; Nato Bardeen switches between guitar, piano/organ, and the occasional mandolin and theremin appearances. He is a captivating frontman, the songs are well crafted and he channels them seemingly effortlessly to the audience.

For some songs, James Smith remains on guitar while Nato does additional keys along with Gabe Messer at the organ, creating a neat swirling effect. Jeff and Nato on guitars together create well layered sounds with excellent riff work. One example of such crafts and also one of the highlights of their set-list is a number from the first album called, "Caroline, You're A Mess" with a constant crashing feel, backed with an heavy propulsive beat. It's such an addictive moment on that album and a climatic point in their live show. Crowd-pleaser and potentially a lead single from the first album, "Rita" features a brief melodic guitar inro that introduces and enforces the melody of the vocal lines in the moments to follow. It's a song that wins the heart of the audience and has them singing along with its user-friendly chorus, even though they've maybe never heard it before.

Nato Bardeen of Drowningmen

Some really interesting moments in there set are their songs, "Player Piano (Web We Weave)" from the first album, along with, "The Waltz" plus, "Bored In A Belly", from the second album all have these neat waltz beats coupled with a hard indie-rock feel at times.  they are truly unique- as I can't think of anyone they sound too much a like- just similar pinches here and there.

Gabe Messer w/Drowningmen

Todd Eisenkerch (bass) and Rory Dolan (percussion/drums) give the band the driving rhythmic backbone it needs. Rory in particular, has a a somewhat peculiar set-up and a very unique drumming style, he's definitely a hard-hitting drummer; pounding away at the kit much more savagely than most, but his dynamics are top-notch, he even takes it back appropriately for the softer moments and breaks out some mallets.

Drowningmen write very articulate and enormously infectious indie-pop gems. It's a wonderfully layered sound: waves of organ, ripping guitars; all topped with a unique lead voice, and followed by a tight driving rhythmic force. Some bands you go see, it's a fun night; but it becomes just another night and gets lost in the back of your mind. That's not the case with these guys, they make you remember them each time.

Accordion road trip to Oakton

Michael Rubin.

So I returned with a huge grin on my face from the trip to the accordion clinic and concert in Oakton, Virignia.

I can't stress enough how much thanks I owe to all the guys in my accordion club, particularity Sid and Tip; also Jim Rice for helping me out and helping me get there, and also to Dale Wise for welcoming me into his home as well and taking the time and showing me his amazing accordion repair room and all the accordions he has in there. Their sheer kindness and willingness to help me out is jaw-dropping alone, and I really appreciate the help of the other club members.

Jim Vandelly.

The concert itself was spectacular, I love the atmosphere at workshops like these, because it's basically all accordion players getting together and just playing for each other and sharing ideas and information.

David Rubin was a highlight in my opinion as he gave a performance of this Israeli song I really liked and recently heard at our VALOV meeting just before this event. I had a nice chat with him about klezmer music, something I've grown increasingly interested in.

Michael Bridge.

There was a great performance of Russian bajan music by Jim Vandelly- his set was really interesting and he did all Russian material. I was glad to finally meet him as I had heard about him a year or two ago in the AAA (American Accordion Association) newsletters. I feel Jim and Dave were my favorites of that evening probably, I find them very interesting not only because they are masters at their craft, but also because of the way they specialize in particular genres.

Michael Bridge is like a young accordionist version of Yngwie Malmsteen! He has the most amazing bellow control and shake techniques and he even does this crazy thing where he bends, yes he BENDS notes on his accordion. He briefly demonstrated how he does this at the workshop, it's crazy! You watch him and you can't feel anything but completely entranced and spellbound. Michael Bridge has a captivating quality to him; you become spellbound, completely involved in watching and listening to him. He draws you in within seconds and you can't not just feel compelled to fall silent and become fixated on what he's doing.

Duffy Llama.

Duffy Llama is truly a shoman. This man has STYLE like no one! He writes this golden amazing stuff with these like swinging and sweeping melodies that just kind've lift you off into the stratosphere. He has pizazz! He's highly entertaining, and a very energetic guy. I only get to see him briefly at these sort of gatherings, but I'm glad I get to see him when I do; I definitely look forward to seeing them all again at future events.

Valov Accordion X-mas party!!!!

Jocque playing at Valov xmas party.

The accordion club I'm in, VaLov (Accordion Lovers of Virginia) had its Christmas party this last Sunday- which was AWESOME!!!!! It was so much fun- though I don't usually even care much for Christmas tunes, Sid's jazzy version of, "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and Tip's dark/Russian-like version of a an xmas tune that embarrassingly I can't recall which one he did at the moment were both highlights! When it comes to Christmas songs you've never heard them like this! It was a blast!

Not to mention- Jim Rice and a harmonica soloist (who I've met before but I don't believe I got his name) did a nice version of a Greek tune as well. I played an original waltz for the group and Celito Lindo. Jocque did a classical piece for us that he recently learned and played at his daughters wedding! I was so glad my girlfriend Stephanie got to come along and meet everyone, she seemed to really enjoy it and though we had to leave a bit early so I could get her back to Norfolk on time- we managed to participate in I believe it was a Middle Eastern or Arabian song I don't recall the name of at the moment.

Jim Rice playing at the Valov xmas party.

Tip playing at the Valov xmas party.

As usual I had to beg Andy to do his amazing version of the Frankie Valli tune, "You're Just to Good to Be True". His version is truly stunning, every time I see him I beg him to do it again; Andy always reminds me why I wanted to play in the accordion in the first place, watching him do this song is always inspiring and leaves you speechless afterwards.

Most of all- I'm looking forward to this Saturday more than anything at the moment! As I'm riding up to Williamsburg to meet up with Jim Rice and together I'm going with him the rest of the way to an accordion workshop and concert in Oakton, Virginia near Washington DC. featuring Michael Bridge. 

Jim & Andy playing at Valov xmas party.

Being a part of an accordion club like VaLov is a great experience, as otherwise it's pretty hard to meet other accordionists, and wouldn't be likely to have been lucky enough to meet the other members otherwise. I feel very fortunate to have met the other members and listen to their songs, their stories, and share good times and great music with them. That being said, I'll be excited to follow up this post soon with our trip to Oakton! 

Melt-Banana blow the roof off Shaka's in Virginia Beach!!!!

Agata of Melt-Banana @ Shakas.

I recently saw recently Melt-Banana (a noise-punk/rock band from Tokyo, Japan) for the third time at Shaka's in Virginia Beach. Not to mention what could be better than some neat local bands opened up for them? That's right- Geneva, Pan Galactic Straw Boss, and Primitive Impulses all opened the show, which made for a nice a variety of openers all pulling from different styles. Though all the opening acts were great, I feel Geneva stole the show when it came to the three local opening bands!

Geneva @ Shakas.

Melt-Banana are incredible live, the energy is always a dominant force in their performance and along with their originality and totally unique sound. With Agata's unique laser-gun-like guitar effects, and Yako's yelping spitfire vocal attack, the band is kind've like punk rock from Mars. Agata's guitar effects frenzy and slide techniques galore in all his punk rock power chord fury combined with Rika's rocking bass as the backbone of the rhythm section and Yako's incredible commanding bark of a voice is both highly entertaining and strong and they have never failed to make my blood pump and speed my heart up while witnessing what they do.

Yako of Melt-Banana @ Shaka's.

Watching Agata play is amazing. He is so precise and also chaotic. His performance contains seemingly limitless energy, but it's not just random outbursts of energy; it's controlled energy! Melt-Banana controls the energy, just when you think it can't get any more intense; they make it blow up even more in the most inexplicably awesome way!

They did a lot of material from Cell Scape & Bambi's Dilemma, while not excluding highlight moments like: "Free the Bee, and "Lost In Mirror" from Teeny Shiny and some killer tracks from Charlie: "Circle-Jack (Chase The Magic Words, Lego Lego)", "Spathic!", and "Stimulus For Revolting Virus". Though I knew what to expect seeing them again, every time I see them they manage to blow the audience away every time. It is no wonder they've been a band for 19 years! I can't wait for their new full-length album to kick off sometime in I believe early to mid-2012; of course they've made no official announcements as to when just yet, this is a rough estimation).

Getting my copy of Cell Scape autographed.

I was lucky enough to meet them yet again; got autographs and the pleasure of their guitarist recognizing me and my homemade Melt-Banana hoodie from the last two times I've seen them in Chapel Hill. To have a band you truly admire remember you as a person and not simply another countless fan approaching them is truly an honor. He Said, "Hey! From Chapel Hill, right? I'm like, "Yeah!!!!"

Meeting Yako after the show.

I'm so glad they played close to home in Virginia Beach and they didn't have to drive to Chapel Hill again to see them, though I would have! They put on an amazing show at Shaka's and had everybody in their excited on their feet and jumping around; as always it was a really memorable show. If you ever have the chance to see them, do it! It doesn't get any more intense than getting to watch them up close.