And And And

Guitars and Grimm's Fairy Tales

Brandy was lucky enough to take a trip to The Enchanted Forest amusment park last weekend to experience a local music festival known as The Great Idea. Roller coasters, characters from fairy tales and rockin' bands made this an all ages day of fun that lived up to it's name. Read the article here. 

*Photo by Joe Preston

August 15, 2013    

Guitars and Grimm's Fairy Tales

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Guitars and Grimm's Fairy Tales

- by Brandy Crowe

 

You may have noticed it If you have driven through Salem on the Interstate 5 corridor. It is a colorful and strange attraction, with Humpty Dumpty waving to the highway, plaster cottages and a roller coaster jutting above a tuft of forest-The Enchanted Forest.

 

So here is a thought. Here’s a really good idea. What if, for one day in the height of summer, among all of the destination music festivals, one took place in an amusement park. What if you invite the best of  local bands, and have them play throughout the park with dwarves, blue fairies, and roller coasters!

 

And so you have it, creative minds made it happen, and simply dubbed the festival “The Great Idea”.

 

This year was the fourth incarnation of the festival, and included 22 acts among the 8 acre spread. The festival is unique, as it boasts itself as a music event for all ages. Many people rocking out have fond memories of visiting the park when they were kids, and this event provided a great opportunity for families to share music and dancing with their youngsters.  

 

I arrived with three girls in tow, and we went inside the gingerbread house, where eerie dolls portrayed the story of Hansel and Gretel. Hansel was in a cage. Most of the fairy tale attractions are are a bit dated, mannequins hang dead-eyed out of windows and softly speak stories. As Lone Madrone played a brushy western sound in the trees, we proceeded to black-lit caverns where animatronic dwarves were harvesting jewels. Two guys behind us were giggling hysterically and completely happy, I’m pretty sure they were on mushrooms.

 

The entire park is indeed, nestled in a beautiful forest, completely shaded, and full of mazes and slides. Throughout the day, different bands played simultaneously in different areas. The music had started with L’Orchestra D'Incroyable and the sunny sounds of Axolotl Daydream. Rllrbll rocked out in Western Town, and in The Village, children twirled to the acoustic twinkling and impressive harmonies of The Weather Machine, right in front of where those “four and twenty”  blackbirds in a pie pitched their demo during snack time. We explored up and down the hill,  catching one of my favorite rock sets from an energetic band called Phantom! (The ! is part of the name, and I can’t find them. If anyone can send me links to the music, help a girl out and comment below).

 

The Jolly Roger portion of the park, ended up not as a pirate themed area, as I had imagined, but rather a bizarro Holocene with experimental solo sets. First there was A.C. Jenson of Rollie Fingers, who somehow pushes huge guitar riffs as electronic recordings while manning a drum kit. Then there was Joe Preston, AKA Thrones. Thrones calls his work visceral, and you can see him plotting and accessing his moves on stage. The bass and feedback are dark and decimating, they radiate outwards, but there are also silent and internal spaces.  Everyone in the room was transfixed, and shadows were cast from the lights of the dancing water fountains.

 

Hearing And And And as we climbed the hill to The Big Timber Log Ride was surreal. We splashed down and went to the Haunted House, which looks truly spooky. For whatever reason Abe Lincoln was hanging out near one of my favorite brewers, Gilgamesh, who was on hand to pour their delicious beers. Sons of Huns thrashed on a stage decorated as “Geppetto’s Toy Shop”, and everyone was sitting down, which was...different. My daughter was briefly entranced by the pixie-like quality of Lost Lockets' Kaetlin Kennedy, and there was a lot of dancing, and quite a few kids were bouncing on shoulders during the headlining set of The Builders and the Butchers.

 

The drive home to Portland was accompanied with rainbows for miles, punctuating the enchanting experience.


 

 

  

Lone Madrone    

The Weather Machine    

And And And    

  
 
 

 

August 15, 2013    

Old Age, Genders and And And And at Doug Fir 8.17

You’ve heard of the perfect storm, when your palms sweat and stomach burns, the very whisper of musical excitement makes your innards churn. This coming Saturday at the Doug Fir the storm clouds are gathering for one hellacious show, featuring a lineup of bands you’ll want to know if you don’t already. Old Age, Genders, and And And And will be taking the stage in what could very well be a rock n’ roll hailstorm of fire and brimstone. All fancy language and descriptions aside, all three of these bands simply rock in the true sense of the word. The raw energy of each, the sheer electricity will be more than enough to have anyone riding the lightning. This is a triumphant trio of bands you won’t want to miss! - Cory Huennekens

August 15, 2013    

And And And Play Big Ass Boombox Festival 1.12

And And And's No Party is the band's first studio recorded EP. It provides a cleaner separation of the band's recipe which involves a little '60s lo-fi with a dash of garage pop and sprinkles of folk and lounge music. Nathan Baumgartner airs his grievance through whaling vocals abreast the meticulous drumming and stirring of bass, guitar, and the multi-instrumentalist Ryan Wiggans who interchanges cello, clarinet and trumpet. "The Joy of Cooking" concocts bread pudding (or french toast) and insecurity. "Holy Fucking Matrimony" attacks angst with quiet tempo changes, and "Old Folks Home" complains with enough cheer to make you want to say "Fuck it" and just keep moving. I am not sure if these guys have New Year's resolutions, but the lyrics of "Not Going to The Party" sound right: "…just doing what you do, and I'll just do that same thing too". - Brandy Crowe

January 10, 2013    

Rigsketball Returns

Rigsketball Halftime

March Madness just ended and all of you bracketologists out there are probably pretty sad you'll have to until next year to get your bracketology on, but don't fret! Back for a second year by popular demand, in a move that is sure to establish itself as a Portland institution - it's Rigsketball! If you're late to the game, Rigsketball is halfcourt, 3v3 basketball played on a regulation hoop attached to the back of a van, just about anywhere the cops won't bust the party. However, when played in a bracket-style tournament with 32 of Portland's most ballin' bands and a couple of well-coordinated city permits in the 2012 calendar year: it becomes Rigsketball 2k12! - a summer tradition monstrosity that threatens the safety of every man, woman and child in a 50-foot radius, all the while promoting physical exercise, good attitudes and teamwork! Not to mention connecting 32 seemingly disparate bands and their fans in friendly opposition while providing all parties involved the chance to see each group do something new and exciting outside the studio or venue. If you like sweat, beer, bands, jams, vans, basketball and the possibility of some extremely minor bloodshed - then you'll love Rigsketball 2k12!

Last year's bracket was constituted by Typhoon, Starfucker, And And And, Radiation City, Rock n Roll Soldiers, Jared Mees and the Grown Children, Archers, Aan, SKELETRON, Sean Flinn and the Royal We, TxE, Laura Gibson, Support Force, Animal Eyes, Charts, The Woolen Men, The Blast Majesty, Dirty Mittens, Monarques, My Autumn’s Done Come, Youthbitch, Rocky & The Proms, SUPER MONSTER, The No Tomorrow Boys, Surfs Drugs, Hello Electric, Rabid Wombat, Lee Cory Oswald, Otis Heat, Ugly Flowers, Mannequinhead, and The Taxi Boys. 

Rigsketball 2k12 registration will open April 15th (filing taxes optional.) The first 32 eligible bands to register will be a part of this year's tournament and it is sure to fill up quickly after last year's buzz. Actual competition begins July 26th and goes through August 9th. If you're in a band, be sure to save the registration date. If you're an adoring fan, be sure to donate. The Deli will see everybody out on the court. Wherever that is.

April 10, 2012