Notes From the Grid is a bi-weekly column about the Columbia County music scene written by Rob. It is featured every other Friday in the "On the Scene" supplement of the Hudson Register Star. See all »

January 30, 2012

Musical Year in (ahem) Review

This will be about my musical year, I can’t speak for you because you have your own memories, but reflection and consideration are good concepts and besides it’s an easy way to get a column done during the hectic holidays, an edited list edited in decidedly un-chronological order.  So here’s a slice of what happened in our immediate environs from then to now.

On the heels of the intimate Lena Deluxe (aka Sunbeam) Christmas eve show at the Musica Loft this writer prepared for a grueling journey – crazy fireworks in Iceland for New Year’s, seeing the amazing Turkish clarinetist Selim Sesler (an experience that I feel must have been similar to seeing Django Reinhardt in Paris in the 1930’s and playing vielle a roue and stump fiddle with luthier Danny van Den Herrewegen in rural Belgium.

I wasn’t very upset about missing out on the horrific snowfalls in and around Hudson while I was gone, but I did assume that the Columbia county music scene may have decided to take a nap. Not so. January was a time to to see the noted pianist Joshua Rifkin at Club Helsinki, which also hosted the Hudson Valley Songfest and the notorious Bindlestiff Cirkus Cabaret . In the Musica Loft thirty or so t brave souls venturing (some of them for hours) out into the bitter cold were rewarded by the polyphonic unaccompanied singing of the Starry Mountain Trio performing Croatian, Appalachian and British songs.

The winter shivers were eased a bit thanks to a few incredible shows featuring female performers with differing local ties - Rasputina, Jill Sobule and Ljova and the Kontraband as well as MadM (Melissa Auf der Maur) and Lia Icis not to mention the premier of Ryder Cooley’s performance piece “Xmalia at Helsinki which has, at this point in time pretty much proved themselves as one of the classiest nightclubs in the country.

Sweet Soubrette serenaded Hudson on three different occasions and in three different places in 2011 perhaps setting a musical record for a Brooklyn based band, but Nina Velvet from Cape Cod and Yukari Roja from Japan also made multiple appearances in Hudson this past year each of them playing a number of venues - Helsinki Hudson, the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, Basilica, Musica, the Spotty Dog. Nina has also performed at Jean Deaux books and Records, the site of a number of innovative and intriguing shows, including a recent performance by Diane Cluck. Diane has also been a regular performer in the area since her first show a few years ago at one of the 300 block incarnations of John Doe’s.

The Hudson.Water.Music series dominated the mid-week happening of Hudson’s summer. Included in the performances were Sweet Soubrette, Hellvar, Bongo Roots, Mother Fletcher,  The Newborn Trio, Taina Asile y la Banda Rebelda, The Lost Radio Rounders, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus featuring unicylces, magicians, clowns, jugglers and buccaneers. There were also hula hoopers and belly dancers and some of the most delectable food and drink available. The very first (and hopefully not the last)  Bengladesh Cultural Festival was another highlight of 2011 offering music, history, dance, fashion and food as did the continuing Hudson Black Arts and Cultural Festival thanks to the great people at Operation Unite and the City of Hudson for enabling musical events at the riverfront park.

Winterwalk is one of the most musical Hudson Events with musicians in almost every open venue in the city. There was a new Hudson Music Festival produced by Chad Weckler and Rob Johanson this summer that featured numerous acts sheltered by tents up and down Warren Street in Hudson but the the most impressive new venue/event creator was Basilica Hudson which had a fantastic schedule throughout the temperate part of the year featuring Buke and Gase, Bonny Prince Billy, the premiere performance of Hudson’s own Grrl/Punk duet, the Troublemakers, The Bunny Brains (including one performer who had an uncanny resemblance to Meshell N’Degeocello) Miss Shirley’s Buckleshiners from New Orleans, Daniel Higgs from Baltimore and an incredible Harry Partch flavored offering by Kristopher Perry and Gideon Crevoshay among other offerings.

Which brings us to the Spotty Dog. A lot of the performers (and there are A LOT – often there are three or more shows in a single week, each offering three performers or bands!)  are not household names but are well respected in limited genres. Avantgarde? Funk? Trance? Traditional Folk? Dance Trance? Rock? Noise? Folk? Anti-Folk? Folk Freak? (I am not making ANY of these up!) Jazz? Jazz Fusion? Ambient? Dubtronica? Acid Rock? Acid Fusion?  You get the point. The Dog gets the music. Which leads me to a convenient segue concerning this week end. It’s Friday, January 6 right? Hold on to your hats, there are a number of significant events about to erupt.

Friday January 6, 2012

Railbird @ Helsinki
This Saratoga/Brooklyn based indie/experimental/psychedelic type band has appeared at the Spotty Dog as well. I like what I heard online and I recommend this show.

Saturday January 7

Wood Spider
Pocotello
Apocalypse Five and Dime
@ the Spotty Dog

I know a lot of these people and I like them a lot. This is going to be an incredible show – you like tight harmonies presented by handsome and intelligent women? Got it. You like Balkan fevered craziness with too many bass instruments and a banjo? Check.

Also

The Renewal Chorus
@ the Musical Loft
These singers ( lots of them, sometimes almost a dozen) have been kind enough to agree to stop and share their music during their tour of the Northeast USA. They sing unaccompanied Appalachian, British, Shape-note and Corsican traditional music and more. You have probably never heard anything like this.

Wait….. it gets worse.

Sunday January 8

Steve Earle

Yes. Steve Earle.
@ Helsinki.

What can I say? One doesn’t get a lot of chances to visit with a legendary performer in such a intimate environment.

That’s what makes it so difficult to let you know that there are a number of legends playing in Hudson Sunday night.

Eleanor Friedberger formerly from the Fiery Furnaces will bring her solo project to the Spotty Dog.

And….that…. is… not… all.

John Wesley Harding, novelist songwriter, guy with a fake name he stole from a Bob Dylan album will perform on Sunday night at the Spotty Dog as well.

Mr. Harding’s name comes up along side other names like the alive guys above (Bob Dylan & Steve Earle)  and a number of not alive guys as well (Phil Ochs, David Blue and Steve Goodman).

What a perplexing weekend! Fortunately no one has to worry about whether the shows will be well attended, rather the problem will be getting in the doors. Call ahead, come early or be prepared to bribe someone.