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Local Music

B/CS Loud!Fest Bryan’s Annual Independent Music Fest Begins Tonight

Loud!Fest

 

Tonight, OMBG is heading to Bryan/College Station for their annual Loud!Fest shenanigans. The founders of Loud!Fest started it because they were tired of local bands getting kicked around by other supposed “local” festivals, so they decided to start their own using their own ethics as musicians who share stages and often work together anyway.

 

We LOVE this concept. This is something that just about every regional group of bands tries, but doesn’t seem to pan out or stay true long term, but for Loud!Fest,  entering it’s 5th year with much anticipation from both fans and bands, it looks like something that isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

We are happy to attend and bring back vids and pics, and hopefully some interviews… but why wait on us? You should go if you are in the area. Why? It’s only 5 bucks for a wristband for both nights. That’s more than 20 bands spanning 2 venues in 2 days.

Here’s the lineup:

FRIDAY, MAY 18TH @ REVOLUTION CAFE & BAR
8:45p – Girl Band/K&K ENT (indoors)
9:30p – See Rock City (outdoors)
10:15p – Stout City Luchadores (indoors)
10:45p – Only Beast (outdoors)
11:30p – Modern Convenience (indoors)
12:15a – Skyacre Spyplane (outdoors)
1:00a – The Ex-Optimists (indoors)

SATURDAY, MAY 19TH @ REVOLUTION & STAGECENTER
6:30p – ASS (Revolution)
7:00p – Sea Of Wolves (Stagecenter)
7:30p – Mike The Engineer (Revolution)
8:00p – Rubela Muti (Stagecenter)
8:30p – Strike Threagles (Revolution)
9:00p – Labs (Stagecenter)
9:30p – The Stand Alones (Revolution)
10:00p – Modok (Stagecenter)
10:30p – Come And Take It (Revolution)
11:00p – Chelsea Hotel (Stagecenter)
11:30p – Lee Bucker & The River Bends (Revolution)
12:00a – Venomous Maximus (Stagecenter)
12:30a – Cavegirl (Revolution)
1:00a – Alkari (Stagecenter)
1:30a – The Hangouts (Revolution)

 

For more info: http://www.bcsloudfest.com

Local News: local band Commending The Fallen releases video produced by local indie film outfit Shatter Glass Entertainment

A while back, we had local band Commending The Fallen as a featured artist. These guys were a Christian Metal Band and… all things being equal, they fit the criteria of local music that we wanted to promote despite their genre or belief system. (local, unsigned, DIY, and grassroots). We also featured a small indie film director (now going by the name of Johnny Lee Riker) with Shatter Glass Entertainment around the same time. John had a film that featured a cheating girlfriend being murdered during coital bliss with a gun attatched to a sex toy (seriously “T is for Trigger” look it up).

The two have collaborated to make this music video. We think it’s important and… we take a lot of the credit/blame for it AND we don’t mind. Why? Because in this day and age everyone in the modern punk, indie, hipster bullshit world is trying to be so PC. People make it impossible to tell dead celebrity jokes or political mutterings, and you can’t even order in a eatery without some wanna be punk kid or a straight edge kid not old enough to drink telling you that you are poisoning your body. Everyone is either a feminist, a vegan, a fauxtivist, or some kind of lame meme sharing entity on facebook who shows their political leanings by some graphic that they didn’t make much less bother to research.

And yet out of all this… OMBG brought you a video of a Christian band made by a horror film company that has a flagship movie featuring a gun dildo.

You’re Welcome

Poor Favor plays VTXIFF art show

Joe Reyna and The Paralectric play at the Victoria TX Independent Film Festival Friday Night

Mike Turnini plays the art show at the Victoria TX Independent Film Festival

The film fest didn’t just bring films to Victoria Texas, it also showcased music just about every night. Here’s Mike Turnini, a 17 year old Shiner native I wrote about last week… He opened the night Saturday, and rocked it.

Victoria TX Independent Film Festival- Caleb Moraida

I met Caleb Moraida Friday night outside of Tasty’s Tacos picking up some street food for Brea and I. He was handing out handbills for the taco truck and asked me if I was enjoying the festival. We started a conversation and he mentioned that he had also made a film. He said it was being shown the next night at midnight, and I knew we had to go check it out. Saturday night, he took time out to talk to me for a quick minute about his film. I am glad he did. Caleb is one of the great untold stories about this whole festival The festival’s mission is to bring underground film and inspire film makers to make more films, it gives the area and chance to see something they normally wouldn’t see, and an artist it’s ability to have a crowd. Caleb’s film is the textbook story of how many great artists get their start. He did it all himself, he doesn’t really have much to say about it other than, “I made it” and “check it out”. Honestly… he doesn’t have to. Because when they screened this short film, it brought down the house. The applause for the movie was great, and it made my night. I was happy to see a local hometown kid get a better response than some of the films shown that night. I think all the movies I caught were great, but this is a kid in our HOMETOWN who did something for the sake of doing something, and it worked.

Victoria TX Independent Film Festival Day 3 Blog…

The day started with me with sleep still in my eyes. Day 3 of little to no sleep and the effects of 2 straight days being ourselves (i.e. drinking and being totally cool people) I ambled to the Federal Building where I was told there was going to be a press event in which I could get more interviews. I have interviewed a lot of fascinating people the last couple of days. but figured I could always stand to meet a couple more. (It’s kind of a cool passion of mine, this talking to people thing) So I show up to the building, inside they tell me to go ahead and set up and do my thing,  I go upstairs inside this beautiful old building (which would make great artist apartments)  and just kind of hang out, after about 30 minutes, some festival volunteers come to help out, but no one else comes. Turns out, 10:30 is too early for some people. I guess some people just can’t hang. Oh well… After an hour we decide to leave, but it wasn’t a total loss,  we did walk around the place, the building is awesome. Someone needs to shoot a video in it.

Federal Building

  The first movie I watched that day was the short film program . The Love and Other Malfunctions program featured 5 films. Some touching. Some funny and some very sad and thought inducing. Following that was a Q&A with director Christine McCarthy and the Miller Brothers from “Pillow”.

Q&A for short film program

    The next film I saw was “Kevin”, which is the documentary by Jay Duplass. I was lucky to interview Kevin Gant the night before, and he is a really cool guy who remembers your face and what you talked about. As a musician, that’s important,  Kevin gave everyone he talked to his attention and left everyone feeling good about their Kevin Gant experience. Before the movie, he played for the crowd.

Kevin plays for the crowd before the screening of the documentary "Kevin"

  After the screening, the audience was treated to a Q&A with Kevin and Jay Duplass who was skyped in via movie screen.

Director Jay Duplass skypes in for Q&A

  I was really going to stick around for the awards ceremony. I don’t really care about awards ceremonies anyway when it comes to artistic things. I honestly think you can’t judge one person’s art over another, (that’s a whole other blog) .. Our podcast wasn’t invited in to the VIP with the other legitimate news media, and I wasn’t about to pay to get into a lounge, so I went to the art exhibit next door that had been the site of the afterparties the last few nights, and it was already in full swing. (plus we had a table giving away beer koozies, buttons and stickers) so I was happy to be in my element again with DIY Art and music. Mike Turnini played a blistering set. The 17 year old Shiner high school senior always impresses me.

Mike plays the art exhibit

  Poor Favor played after that.

Poor Favor at the art exhibit

  After we recorded both Mike and Poor Favor’s set, we tore down our booth, and put it away so we could enjoy the after party. When we came back the party was in full swing, spilling out of the building into the street.

After party outdoor crowd

  We tool a break from the party to watch young  15 year old Caleb Moraida’s short music video which was a last minute unofficial addition to the program at midnight. There were numerous people from the party (inebriated) who came in with us and the film (which is awesome) brought down the house. It was a very gratifying thing to see a kid who made a film because he wanted to have his movie shown in a theater to a crowd. Later we came back and proceeded to do what we do at afterparties, which is just be awesome. We learned a lot about things this festival, we had a good time. We can’t wait for next year.  

Victoria Tx Independent Film Festival Blog (Day 2)

First off… I had every intention of showing up to the early matinees. The alcohol from the opening night party mixed in with the wonderful guests from all over the world however, had other ideas. After scurrying to post the blog for the night before and the interviews, Brea and I headed over to downtown well after 6pm. Joe Reyna and The Paralectric were starting to playas night fell at the Junior League Building outside. They sounded great. Brea recorded their set.  

Joe Reyna and The Paralectric

  Behind the band movies of Avlo’s art (whose art show was inside) was screening behind them. I really liked the vibe of the place, but I had to head to the Welder center to catch a film I really wanted to see. Captured. It’s a great documentary about a documentarian. Clayton Patterson, who we had interviewed the night before, and really catches how he evolved into using video cameras, about his photography and love for the Lower East Side of New York and the rich history of the people, music and art that comes from that area. Afterward a Q&A followed, in which several points were made about art, the commercialism of America, and the importance of documenting things. It was a fascinating panel.

Q&A for Captured

  In the lobby, I also met and interviewed Kevin Gant, who is the subject of the documentary “Kevin”. He was good enough to take time to talk to me. His movie plays today at 4pm followed by a Q&A and a session of Kevin playing guitar. I like Kevin, he’s a good all around guy, he spent some time in the Junior League building talking to the musicians and generally interested in everything going on.

Kevin Gant

  After that, I went to the afterparty at the Junior League Building, where Stepping Razors were putting on a blistering set. Got home at close to 4 in the morning. ‘Cause that’s how we do. Videos and interviews, recordings and more to come.

Stepping Razors

Young Singer/songwriter Michael Turnini Sets His Sights For Bigger Venues

I first met 17 year old high school senior Mike Turnini in Shiner Texas, I think he showed up to see a band of mine play, or maybe it was one of Brea’s solo shows. When I heard he played music, I was interested. There is something about a person who lives in a tiny town doing things their way. You see, Mike comes from Shiner Texas, it’s the same town that Brea, Mdawg and Dean hail from. There isn’t much there as far as youth culture, even if the place is rich in beer and country music culture. Mike kind of reminds us of… well… us when we were his age. In an age when most kids are still trying to even find out the type of person they are, Mike is out there writing his own music and trying to make something happen. “A lot of my music is about leaving, trying to leave… I want to get out of here so bad, but at the same time, it’s kind of sad because I am a senior in high school and I am about to leave, I have no idea what I’m going to do, it’s exciting and scary.” Mike said. Mike went on to do his own shows. At first only attracting 5 or 6 friends, but now with his guerrilla shows he promotes on facebook, he can attract a quick crowd in his local park of an easy 30 or so people. (not a bad feat for a kid with a grassroots campaign and no like minded people to share a stage with) Mike takes his acoustic rock sound ala Frank Turner-ish attitude to any ear he can. Now Mike is trying his luck online in the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands to try to get on the Warped Tour. All you have to do is vote… You can go here… listen to Mike and Vote here… Why is this important? Mike is young, he’s got all the intensity and great attitude a musician should have, being from this town and not dealing with shitty promoters and bands with terrible egos have let him keep his optimism, and it shows. He’s a genuine nice guy who plays like the devil. He has taken a situation of no support and turned it into something awesome by throwing his own grassroots shows. When we talk to you about DIY and doing things your own way, I could do no worse than to show you Mike as an example. He does things right. He deserves something good to happen to him. I invite you to help him do so…

The Grammys Need To Get Off My Lawn…

I noticed on news feeds this morning that The Grammys were last night. I shrugged and went on with my morning coffee. Somewhere along my 3rd cup of liquid goodness, I sat on the balcony scrolling through posts and news of the event and thought to myself why it really wasn’t registering with me as this being a big deal. I figured it out pretty quick. We’ve never been fans of popular music, and to this day I have come to the conclusion that pop music, for the most part equals crap. I mean, if we trusted other people to make our choices as to what “good” is, we would be running a very different podcast. The problem with art is that it is really not as quantifiable as something like say… a business plan or the most fuel efficient car out there. I mean if we gave out awards for the best mileage on a SUV, it would be clearly printed on black and white, but dealing with music, film, writing, any of these things, we leave it up to popular vote, and lets face it… your friends at the water cooler wouldn’t know good music if it bit them on the ass. It’s not they’re fault really, I mean they only have the options that are laid out for them. They spend their time online reading other people’s facebook pages and comparing their lives to their neighbor and co workers, they don’t bother to try anything new or find something interesting they can call their own. You got to figure yourself pretty lucky in that respect, I mean, you don’t listen for just our drunken banter. I hope that we have done what we have set out what to do. We originally brought you this podcast because we thought that a lot of bands (our friends in particular) deserved to be heard. There are shows going on in your town regularly, and sometimes a band will come around that may never be in town again… They will never make it famous, and you may never get the chance to be wowed by them or meet them. There is also a chance that it may not be your cup of tea, but honestly I think I would rather spend my free time checking out a show meeting people and having an open mind than sitting on Facebook wondering what every one else is doing. As for me, I stopped believing in award shows the year Titanic beat both Starship Troopers and Contact for best special effects. I mean seriously… you built a model boat and sank it. Ugh. In other news: -We caught a hell of a show at the Texan Saturday night. Poor Favor, Toxic Fuse, Cherrybombers and Bertha ripped it up pretty good. You can catch 3 out of 4 of these bands’ interviews in our interview section. - Worlds Scariest Police Chases is coming out with their new album in April. It will be 80′s style hardcore songs themed about the po-po. Should be good you can check out their earlier demo on their bandcamp page.