Covered! – CMJ 2009
by The Artistree
Last October marked The Artistree’s first official coverage of CMJ (College Music Journal). To develop our itinerary, we read through the extensive CMJ lineup act by act – an extremely entertaining task in itself! We realized how many goofy band names there were in this sea of “up-and-coming.” We honed in on the music that we already enjoyed but had not yet seen live. We anticipated being thrown into experiencing the sets of artists unfamiliar to us during the wait for those we would arrive for. The most charming concept of such an event, wouldn’t you say? Little did we know that CMJ 2009 would frequently force us to initiate a spontaneous “Plan B.”
Day One
This was the first major festival that the three of us would attend as press. The process of picking up our passes on site an old, hot church put us in an intimate setting with fellow attendees. It thrilled us to be so closely among like-minded professionals and respected musicians. The first day of the rest of our lives flooded over all sensations. We made sure to downright enjoy the material perks of free swank…magazines, posters, sample CDs, toys – even edible items – filled our blue CMJ totes!
The first performance happened to be our favorite pick, My Jerusalem. They blew our engaged excitement away into pure enjoyment at the Living Room. The band’s engrossing live energy proved to us that many publications had dropped the ball on recognizing one hell of an Indie super group! Proceeding to the PureVolume House, we experienced ‘The Artist Lounge.’ Open bar, electronic freebies, hair product…and Jeffree Star. Enough said.
Food, like music, is a shared passion between The Artistree and therefore always accompanies our musical outings. Chad, being a hardcore New Yorker, recommended Lombardi’s for the day’s good eat. After devouring pizza perfection, Mike stepped out to get money from the ATM and hurried back wide eyed. It turned out that Nick Zinner (of YYY’s) was hanging out on the corner. Mike doesn’t get “star struck” often but he was clearly electric in this moment. We stopped by Crash Mansion for a few moments to observe what was happening when we realized that Zinner was again there! Having consumed so much pizza, we barely moved onward to the Bowery Ballroom. Deep in our food comas, we checked out Stand’s delicate set and called it a night.
Day Two
The second day started for us in the evening at Santos’ Party House. First-timers will feel it’s pretty incredible there. A perfect vibe to fill any gig or party space needs. We caught Deastro from the start. Kat listened to them before, but none of us were sure of what to expect. An electronic infused sound can be hit or miss. What was funny was that when the band took the stage, none of us were even sure it was actually Deastro – including Kat! The live material sounded nothing like what she was fond of on the album Keeper’s.
Being a bit disappointed by this experience, we discussed what we felt was a lack of talent on the overall lineup compared to what previous years had to offer. We retreated back to The Living Room and much to our surprise, witnessed filthy jokes and brilliant parodies by the great Margaret Cho! We stuck around for the next act, Family of the Year, based on Spin Magazine’s recommendation via their “25 Must-Hear Artists from the CMJ Festival” list. Despite what came off as a costume party on stage, we gave the music a shot but were soon forced out, disturbed by the band’s major lack of finesse. We were in need of a boost, determined to find a performance to make the night worthwhile.
Where Deastro failed, Midnight Juggernauts surplused and succeeded. “Juggernauts, save CMJ!” was overheard then applauded before beats and dancing broke out to mark the accomplishment. They delivered a radiantly psychedelic sound with an astral light show. This set stretched into the A.M. and was evidently well received by all who made up Bowery Ballroom’s sold out audience.
Day Three
Our press passes were quietly served by limitation. Long lines, sold out signs, and cold shoulders greeted us, at every venue we went. The first was Mercury Lounge where there was an intense line for a showcase featuring Ambulance Ltd. The bouncer told us that waiting in line would not guarantee an entry – regardless of ticketing or passes. Apparently, they weren’t sure how many extra tickets they would sell at door value and so, admission would be based on that. We began to panic…we were not alone in the lack of controlling our plans and could do nothing more than hope for luck.
For this same reason, we also failed to see The xx, Atlas Sound, Broadcast, etc. The bands considered top-notch. Should music press really be treated so improperly? Isn’t that the purpose for an artist to register for such an event…to be seen and covered? A challenge that outsiders would not consider sensible when observing the situation. We made the best of it by networking through the chaos and later catching My Jerusalem for a second time. We were delighted to notice that they had further perfected their performance. In a good way, we didn’t think of it as a possibility – but it showed!
The absolute highlights of the night were Sydney rockers, Youth Group, at Fontana’s. As far as we’re concerned, Youth Group rocked CMJ the way most bands should but don’t…they played their set for a modest sized crowd in a tiny space as if they were major venue headliners. The fact is, they played in a dark, smutty basement and still completely blew us away! Ladies and gentlemen, this is what music is all about. Thank you to Youth Group for turning a frustrating start into a satisfying, memorable finish. Kudos must also be given to UK’s The Jessie Rose Trip, who played beforehand. This is no Amy Winehouse rip-off band. Their style of music and in fashion is the real deal. The female vocalist, a true vintage powerhouse!
Day Four
At Crash Mansion, we were not rocked as hard as we would have liked during Cruel Black Dove. The live set mellowed out their debut material, which sounds shadowy and almost Industrial recorded. Considering their new chemistry, we are curious to see what CBD will later unravel. We hit Fat Baby next, a venue none of us had ever seen. We were surprised to spiral down into the narrow, dimly lit hole in the wall that hosted The Lovely Feathers.
Mike’s first impression did not go over well as he witnessed the lead singer haggling on the phone. Drinking while performing, starting songs over and using time to call out crowd-talkers were reasons that later left Chad and Mike further peeved. Kat, however, could not take her eyes off of the antics and appreciated that they were true to form. Despite what came off as obnoxious, we felt as though we were watching our friend’s play a show in someone’s basement. We were taken aback by the quirks, yet we enjoyed that these differences were somewhat funny; a love and hate relationship. Collectively, we agreed that this made The Lovely Feathers the quintessential CMJ act to see.
We drove through pouring rain to Music Hall of Williamsburg where there was no line for a change. The last pass was admitted hours ago, which is why we failed to see The xx yet again. Our last CMJ memory was finding comfort in Polish food. We attempted to see múm on Day 5 where the same formula was a huge disappointment to us. At this point, we were worn from running around between various parts of the city and Brooklyn. Both fun and exhausting, it reminded us of Disney World. Hopefully next year we’ll get to go on the popular rides.
Special Thanksto Keith Hagan // SKH Music
Tags: CMJ, Cruel Black Dove, Midnight Juggernauts, My Jerusalem, The Jessie Rose Trip, The Lovely Feathers, Youth Group
- December 31, 2009
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