CMJ 2009 : Day One

<img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/cmj09day1recap.jpg" alt=" " />Even for a CMJ weaker than before, Day One was thin - but some friends of the Q helped out... ...
CMJ 2009 Day One Recap

CMJ 2009 : Day OneGoing into CMJ, one knew the acts & shows were weaker this year, thanks to the damn ‘conomy, but Day One was still surprisingly weak, even for a Day One (usually the weakest day, as many haven’t arrived yet).  The already-pale Day One afternoon got even thinner, while favorite nighttime spaces from CMJs past severely disappointed.  But between whatever free drinks one could find, got newly appreciative of some friends-of-the-Q(RO):

 

Conflict of Interest XI @ Rebel

Union Line

 The Union Line

The Union LineClick image for full gallery

The night before CMJ, Rachael Ray’s media company The Syndicate held their 11th annual ‘Conflict of Interest’ party – so dubbed because one of the bands that played was her husband’s, The Cringe (see below).  The free drinks were supposed to last until after they were done, but Rebel is such a nightmare – multiple levels broken up into tiny, oddly-shaped space, so confusingly laid out that even security doesn’t know how to get to the stage (literally!  And they didn’t seemed ashamed about it…), etc. – it was damn hard to get any.  And the crowd was a major pain, too, seemingly unaware that, if someone’s trying to walk past you, you should at least try to move a step to let them through (even when there was all the room in the world to take a step), or knew that, if you’re part of a line of people winding their way through a crowd, you shouldn’t just stop at some random point and not move, with people behind you still trying to…

 The Union Line

 

The Cringe

 The Cringe

Mr. Rachael RayClick image for full gallery

Intentionally skipped the nepotistically-terrible Cringe, whose best song is a mediocre Pearl Jam cover (what did the ‘Jam ever do to get so many bad covers? – QRO Retrospective).  Only saw them thank the crowd for "letting them play" or "listening through us" or something…

 

White Denim

 White Denim

James PetralliClick image for full gallery

Others, even here at QRO, are high on White Denim (QRO live review), but couldn’t get into them. Though maybe that was just because of the nightmare that was Rebel. Did get to see a photographer climb the faux-stairs to the faux-cage to take shots:

 caged photo-heat

 

Fanfarlo

 Fanfarlo

though no Rebecca Zeller...Click image for full gallery

Could only take Rebel for so long, so left only a few songs into White Denim (see above), and completely missed the headliner, Fanfarlo (though did see a bit of them during the day of Day One proper – see below) – where the crowd was probably worse (but do love the female violinists in rock bands – i.e., Rebecca Zeller of Ra Ra Riot – QRO spotlight on).  Did get a not-half-bad gift bag out of the night (once you could find the exit…).

 Fanfarlo

~

 

Pop Tarts Suck Toasted party @ Cake Shop

Motel Motel, 3:20 PM

 Motel Motel

Click image for full gallery

Eric EngelAfternoon on Day One of CMJ is basically two things: picking up badges, and shuttling between Cake Shop (QRO venue review) & Piano’s (QRO venue review).  So, after picking up badges at Judson Memorial Church (still holds a place in my heart, as where saw Arcade Fire play two-and-a-half years ago – QRO review), headed down to Cake Shop for Motel Motel (spotlight on).

Cake Shop ain’t exactly designed for Motel Motel’s alt-country twang, but every time I’ve seen them, they’ve been better.   Singer/bassist Eric Engel’s voice & mannerisms are less ‘mannered’ every time, too (though pretty sure heard someone remarking to another member of the band about his voice, when going down the steps at the 2nd Avenue subway stop), but they’re still kind of jam-bandy.

There was a funny moment when Engel announced, "Sorry – I forgot my capo…" and had to run off.  Someone else in the band joked in mock-disgust, "This is CMJ!…", with which another band member replied, "This is SXSW!…" (QRO recap).  "Ooh… let’s start a fight!" was finally added.

 Motel Motel

 

Seth Kallen, 3:50 PM

 Seth Kallen

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Princeton (QRO live review) tour may have had to back out of CMJ when they signed on to with Art Brut (QRO spotlight on), forcing the cancellation of two Cake Shop appearances to follow up their upstairs one last CMJ (QRO photos), but their manager, Seth Kallen, did appear upstairs this year.  His alt-country, including slide-guitar, was designed for the all-seated upstairs at Cake Shop (very DIY set-up – a chair was holding up Kallen’s microphone stand), but kind of feel like I’ve heard this a million times before.

~

 

The Music Slut/Sneak Attack Media party @ Pianos

Fanfarlo, 4:00 PM

 Fanfarlo

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Pianos was way too packed to get anywhere near to see Fanfarlo – not that surprising, considering they’d not only headlined the pre-CMJ Syndicate party the night before (see above), but are gonna be headlining the much bigger Webster Hall (QRO venue review) in December (QRO concert listing).  Eventually snuck up through the back/side door (not for the last time at CMJ…), but still stuck behind the bar.  From what was caught, their alt-folk was fun, not freaky.

 

The Love Language

 The Love Language

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A much more enjoyable setting was upstairs at Piano’s, which you pretty much only go to during CMJ (though nothing there will beat running into Elizabeth Powell – QRO interview – of Land of Talk – QRO spotlight on – and then-boyfriend Justin Vernon of Bon Iver – QRO CMJ photos – there during CMJ ’07 – QRO recap).  Kind of makes you wish there were non-CMj shows upstairs at Pianos – wider space, better air conditioning, bigger bar, more seats, etc.  Recent Merge Records signees The Love Language had a grander alt-country/folk, but still energetic.

~

 

New Zealand Music showcase @ Red Bull Space

Media Meet-n-Greet @ LimeWire Space 

Wanted to hit up the New Zealand Music showcase early for first band, Surf City (QRO album review), as well as start early on the free-all-night vodka, but there was a massive line outside, right from the start at 6:30 PM.  So headed over to the Media Meet-n-Greet at the nearby LimeWire Space for free drinks & food.  Someone there thought it was a good idea to have a ‘Thanksgiving theme’, which made for a bit of an awkward buffet (Thanksgiving food isn’t meant to be eaten standing up, off of paper plates), and strange mixed drinks.

Tried Red Bull Space again after ‘Meet-n-Greet’ (met very few people…), still huge line, door working on the one in, one out policy.  The showcase was obviously a) promoted too heavily (your badge included a badge-card advertising the event, and an ad for it was the back of the festival guide book), b) too easy to get into (didn’t have to have a badge – could RSVP), c) had too big a draw in free drinks all night long (your only hoping of getting in might have been that some drunk got bounced out…), especially considering it was the only official event there this year, and d) in too small a place.  Nowhere near as good as the Red Bull Space on the first night of CMJ last year (QRO CMJ 2008 Day One recap).

~

 

PureVolume House @ 169 Bowery

With little going on on Night One, free drinks were the bigger draw, so headed over to PureVolume House at 169 Bowery.  In service during the day as the Artist’s Lounge, the place was then closed & reopened at 8:00 PM.  Arriving a few minutes early, picked up PureVolume House badge-card, which is a really great way to do it – only have to get your name checked once (though, for some reason, they checked your I.D. other times you entered – would they give a badge-card to someone under 21?…), can easily show it, don’t have to wear a wristband the entire festival, etc. (does require that you have a badge, though).

Last year, 169 Bowery had been the FADER Fort, with free drinks & bands like Little Boots (QRO CMJ photos) & Crystal Stilts (QRO CMJ photos).  This year, it was no-name bands, and while waiting, heard those others who were also waiting, talking about middling-to-bad hard rock & rap-rock (Rage Against the Machine seemed to be the big favorite) – not a good harbinger for what was to come… 

 

Kid:Nap:Kin, 8:05 PM

 Kidnapkin

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And the ill omens proved right, as some terrible hard-rock band took the ‘stage’ (just a space on the floor at the back).  Well, not ‘terrible’, but had less than zero interest in – and the same seemed to go for many at CMJ, as PureVolume House was anything but packed, a stark contrast to the same space last year as FADER Fort.  And the staff/place didn’t seem to have their act completely together, either – couple of random chairs in the middle of the place, and a kind of pushy security guy who thought you should know not to put your drinks on the unmanned tables displaying ‘schwag’ like earplugs (actually, pretty useful there & then…).

 

Cheap Seats, 9:20 PM

 Cheap Seats

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Hung around at PureVolume House until it was time for Zambri (see below) at Crash Mansion upstairs, just a block north (walked up with an old guy listening to the Yankees playoff game on the radio), only to find out they’d been bumped from 8:30 PM to 9:15 from Noah Heroux of Hooray For Earth (see below), boyfriend of one of the girls in Zambri.  So headed back down to PureVolume House for drinks (and a seat) to kill the time.

In addition to getting a mixed drink in a leaky cup, saw Cheap Seats.  Unfortunately, not the late ESPN Classic show, at least they weren’t hard-rock, but rather not-special, somewhat emo/emotional pop/rock.  And cheesy emo-country/rock is definitely more enjoyabe, unasked for & unexpected, than hard-rock.  They seemed like nice guys, and they & their fans seemed to understand if they weren’t your style, as opposed to douchey hard-rock bands & fans.

~

 

NME party @ Crash Mansion (upstairs)

Zambri, 10:15

 Zambri

Click image for full gallery

Turns out Zambri was bumped to 9:50 PM, and didn’t actually go on until almost a half-hour after that, but good to get a break in the drinkin’ (though once you start drinking for free, any band playing where booze isn’t free, it feels like they take forever to set up…).  Crash Mansion upstairs, a.k.a. ‘BLVD’, is super-classy – seems like it would be a nice place to see a band.singer's hair

bassistsinger's hairZambri was likewise classily dressed for the occasion, as they should – the band has not one, but two attractive female singer/keyboardists (and a lady bassist…), either of which could front their own band (though the new haircut on one makes them look a little too alike).  More importantly, they’re good enough to not leave early to go get another drink (but should cut down anyway…).  Would be easy to classify Zambri as ‘chick electro-rock’, but they’ve got a substantial sound.  And would probably like them even more on record, after multiple spins.

 Zambri

~

 

Cross-Pollination showcase @ Piano’s (upstairs)

Middle Distance Runner, 11:15 PM

 Middle Distance Runner

Click image for full gallery

Middle Distance Runner (QRO spotlight on) were scheduled for 10:15 PM, but checked upstairs at Piano’s just to be sure, and things were running late there, too.  QRO’s Mike Gutierrez (QRO articles) is a big fan of theirs, and can see why – their alt-pop/rock is good without being too artsy or too cheery, and the band was certainly having fun.

 Middle Distance Runner

~

 

CMJ showcase @ Mercury Lounge

Jupiter One, 11:30 PM

 Jupiter One

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There was a strong crowd for rather up-and-coming Jupiter One, though still enough space for one to make their way up the side of Mercury Lounge (QRO venue review).  Maybe that was because it seemed like it was the ladies were especially into the band.  Jupiter One are still kind of hard to classify – electro? emo? – certainly somewhat mainstream, but moving along nicely.

 Jupiter One

~

 

PureVolume House @ 169 Bowery

PDA, 11:50 PM

 PDA

Click image for full gallery

Crap-rock – sorry, ‘rap-rock’.  Actually, not that sorry – there was no one there for the douchebag-seeming rapper/singer, and he deserved it.  Tulsa, Oklahoma is not proud of this son of their soil.

Killing time before Hooray For Earth at Crash Mansion, the chairs in the middle of PureVolume House had been taken away, but found another one, farther back.  Should have brought a magazine, but did see the cops arrive.  However, other than making me hesitant to drink in front of them, they did nothing, just stand around near the entrance for a few minutes, like they were waiting for someone to leave and come their way, and then just left, after only a few minutes.

 

Bang Bang Eche, 12:30 AM

 Bang Bang Eche

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Also, apparently saw New Zealand’s Bang Bang Eche, but have zero memory of them – and you’d think you’d remember kids like these…

 Bang Bang Eche

~

 

Tm/WhiteSmith/Cash @ Crash Mansion

Finally had had enough, headed to Crash Mansion downstairs (QRO venue review) to wait for Hooray For Earth, who were scheduled for 12:15 AM, but you knew that wasn’t happening…  Did talk to one of the girls from Zambri (gotta figure out their names…), who though their show upstairs earlier (see above) sucked, at least compared to their Bang For Changes EP release party at Studio @ Webster Hall (QRO venue review) two weeks ago (QRO concert listing).

 

Extended Family, 1:00 AM

 Extended Family

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But then there was yet another band on before Hooray For Earth?!?  And one not on the schedule?!?  Whoever Extended Family were (if that was their name…), have to admit, didn’t really pay attention, though they were later recommended by Matt Walsh of The Forms (QRO spotlight on), and did have an attractive frontwoman (QRO photo – though the flash was not kind to her – QRO photo).

 

Hooray For Earth, 1:30 AM

 Hooray For Earth

Click image for full gallery

However, Hooray For Earth was worth the wait.  On a night with little going on, had planned on hitting up these FoQ (Friends-of-the-Q) anyway, but was still very satisfied with their performance.  An unusual mix of punk-rock, art-rock, post-rock, hard-rock & more, it can be hard for H4E to immediately grasp the listener, especially Noel Herouxnear 2:00 AM, downstairs at Crash Mansion on the first night of CMJ.  But the band wisely played their best, or at least most accessible songs, like "Videostore" and the new "Surrounded By Your Friends" (QRO set list photo).

If anything, Hooray For Earth are a little too good for their own good, too accomplished and able, thus making more complex music that isn’t immediately enjoyable (kind of reminiscent of Rahim – QRO album review – where are they?…).  The weird lighting, sort of a film projection going over Heroux, made them a little more distant, too (and the crowd was mostly female, for a band you wouldn’t peg as appealing more to women than men).  But definitely a band that deserves a break outta CMJ.

 Hooray For Earth

~

 

Unfortunately missed:

– Surf City (QRO album review) @ Red Bull Space, 6:30 PM – 7:15 PM.  See above

– Your Nature (QRO live review) @ Crash Mansion (upstairs), 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM.  Figured that they were already done by the time I’d left CMJ mixer/Red Bull Space line, but probably hadn’t even gone yet…

– Paper Route (QRO live review) @ Union Hall (QRO venue review), 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM.  Brooklyn’s Park Slope was way too far out to go (barely ever left Bowery area of Manhattan), despite how good Paper Route’s new Absence (QRO review) is.  And nothing can ever top when I saw them at SXSW (QRO photos).

– The Forms (QRO spotlight on) @ Kenny’s Castaways, 10:00 PM – 11:00 PM.  Wasn’t gonna figure out where that place was, for a NY band seen many times. 

– Broadcast, Atlas Sound (QRO live review) @ (le) Poisson Rouge, 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM.  (Le) Poisson Rouge (QRO venue review) might have been an interesting place to see these two atmospheric bands – but QRO caught them later in Portland anyway (QRO review).

– Freshkills (QRO live review) @ Lit Lounge (QRO venue review), 10:15 PM – 11:00 PM.

– Sugar & Gold (QRO photos) @ Cameo (QRO venue review), 11:00 PM – 12:00 AM

 

Other notes:

Amazing weather on Day One – it was late in October, and you barely needed any jacket!  That’s global warming for ya…

– Maybe that’s why there was a ton of traffic getting into the city, preventing many from getting their badges on the first day.the drinkin' - what CMJ's really about...

– CMJ ‘gift bag’ was just sad this year, especially when compared to what Rachel Ray was giving out the night before (see above)

– Yes, drank a fair amount (to the point where my handwriting was so bad in my notes I wrote, "Can you even read this?"), but imagine how much worse it would have been had their been any good, or even halfway decent, bands at PureVolume House (was able to read it…)?…

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