Festival season is upon us

This is a very important time of year for huge music and jam band fans. Spring and summertime  in Baltimore always means Natty Boh’s, Oriole games, Ocean City and music festivals and outdoor concerts.

Summer festivals are a great time because there are always great acts ranging from a variety of genres, and there is nothing but music and happiness in the air for however many days a festival lasts.  All of the members in our band have each been to several music festivals over the past couple of years, including Bonnaroo, All Good Festival and Lollapalooza, culminating to some of the best times of our lives.

Now that we are in a serious local jam band, the possibility of someday playing a major music festival would be a major point in all of our lives. Vespertine Movement has to work our way up to the big dogs, and a great way to start doing that is by playing local festivals wherever we can.  VM has started to do that and we plan on playing a few local festivals this summer in Catonsville, Frederick, and other areas.

What is so great about playing local music festivals is the fact that you can get your music out to so many people who have never seen or heard about you before. On top of that, there is not as much stress on selling a lot of pre-sale tickets to fans, friends, and family because a lot of people are there for the festival to see some great live acts.

Two years ago, VM got a last minute chance to play at Federal Hill’s biggest music festival, the Federal Hill Street Beat Festival.  We shared the stage with some of Baltimore’s best local bands and also had the chance to meet other bands that are not from the area.  We played a 45-minute set, and when we first hit the stage there were not too many people by our stage, but by the end of our set there were a couple hundred of people grooving and dancing to our music.  It was the best show and day the band has had to date, because we heard so many compliments about our music, got to see some great bands, and we got to meet so many new people that love music just as much as we do.

This summer should be a great time and the band is hoping to play some big shows and local festivals so we can spread the word on our music.  We will be playing all throughout Maryland, and we hope to get out to Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Delaware, and possibly New York.  We are always looking to get new fans who love our music, and music festivals only help the process, so look out for VM to be doing just that this summer.

Meet TELESMA

TELESMA has been impacting the Baltimore music scene for almost a decade.  TELESMA blends psychedelic rock with electronica which results in some groovy music that can get the audience dancing.  Some of the instruments musicians play in TELESMA are different from the norm and can not be found anywhere else.

TELESMA is made up of Ian Hesford, didgeridoo/kubing/percussion, Jason Sage, keyboards/percussion/vocals, Chris Mandra, guitar/mandrum, Bryan Jones, bass/electronic percussion, Joanne Juskus, vocals/percussion/karatalas, Rob Houck, drums/electronic percussion.  They have been playing many shows and festivals since they started and continue to spread the word on their weird and funky sound.

Check out my conversation with Chris Mandra on the origin of TELESMA and how they impact the Baltimore music scene.

Photo courtesy of S. Lipton

Q:What instrument do you play in TELESMA?

A: I play guitar, analog guitar synth, sing, and “manDrum” (a wearable electronic interface I worked on @ STEIM in Amsterdam).

Q: When and how did TELESMA form and start playing shows in the local area?

A: TELESMA was formed in 2002 by Ian Hesford (didgeridoo, kubing, dumbek, percussion) and Jason Sage (keyboards, percussion, programmer, lyrics). In early 2004, the two then added musicians Joanne Juskus (vocals, percussion, karatalas), Chris Mandra (guitar, analog guitar synth, his unique manDrum, and vocals), Bryan Jones “Jonesy” (6 string MIDI & upright basses, theremin, percussion), and Rob Houck (drum kit, percussion, electronic drums) to complete the lineup.

Q: What or who made your band want to go in the electronica genre?

A: TELEMSA is a group that uses electronic instruments along side ancient instruments (by some accounts the didgeridoo is 10,000 years old). We just do what we like and our interests are significantly varied to make electronics part of that.

I got into eletronic music in the early 80’s because of my love of the electric guitar and signal processing.  It’s interesting that today almost anything you do could be considered “electronic music” because it all uses electronics to manipulate the audio in significant and sometimes outlandish ways.

Q: How was the audience reaction/response when TELESMA first started playing shows? Has it changed since your band has progressed and how so?

A: The audience reaction has always been overwhelmingly positive. I think it’s very hard to not see Ian play the didjeridoo and not get excited.  It’s pretty amazing, visceral stuff that resonates with people.

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Umphrey’s McGee announces massive summer tour

Our favorite prog-rockers Umphrey’s McGee have released a ridiculous tour for summer 2010.  Umphrey’s McGee will be pulling out all the stops by playing major venues and festivals all over the country.

Umphrey’s McGee is fresh off of playing Jam in the Dam and touring Australia.  They are also on the heels of the ground breaking UM Bowl that is still attracting rave reviews and buzz in the music and jam band industry. This won’t stop the Chicago-based band who thrives off of the live show.

The summer tour will start on May 28 at Summercamp in Chilcoathe, Illinois and end on August 14 at the Masquerade Music Park in Atlanta, Georgia.  Umphrey’s McGee will be touring with great bands Brock Butler, moe, Cornmeal, Tea Leaf Green, Widespread Panic and Rebelution.

Let’s not forget all of the great bands UM will be sharing the stage with at major music festivals such as Summercamp, Bonnaroo, All Good Music Festival, Wakarusa and Summerfest.  Umphrey’s McGee will also be playing the much-anticipated “Red Rocks & Blue” at Red Rocks Amphitheater with Galactic and The Wailers.

This will be a big summer for Umphrey’s McGee and they will be able to show off their wide range of talent to thousands of die-hard music and UM fans. Check out the rest of Umphrey’s Mcgee’s summer tour.

Just Play

A local musician writes intricate lyrics about his emotions and life stories for his local band and lives his life under one simple motto.

“Just play.” said Dave Tart, former Music Studies major with a focus in percussion performance.  “I live my life based off of that motto because all I do is play and write music, and when you play with anything you’re going to have fun, and that is the most important thing.”

Tart started playing music at the young age of three and was heavily influenced by his dad who was a talented drummer.  He followed his dad’s footsteps and was attracted to the drums at a young age.

“Most kids want to play with action figures and toys when they are young,” Tart said.  “All I wanted to do was play the drums all of the time because it was fun hitting those things and hearing the sounds that were being made.”

Tart has studied and practiced drums and percussion since elementary school and can successfully play over 25 percussive instruments. Tart has shown his musical ability in various ensembles and jazz, pep, and marching bands throughout his high school and college career.

Tart has also been playing and studying the harmonica since his freshman year of college, because drums did not fit in his dorm room and he needed to play music through another instrument.

“My favorite instrument to play is the harmonica because it does not come as easy to me as the drums and I am never as good as I want to be,” Tart said.  “People tell me that I am a great harmonica player, but I know I can get better, and that is why I continue to practice and learn new things.”

Tart plays harmonica for a local rock and hip-hop band the Three Tree Experience. 3TE originally started as a joke between Tart and his friend Matt Lowe (bass).  After their other close friend, George Barnes (drums), said that he would join band, the idea turned into a reality and the three trees were set.  3TE has been playing throughout Towson and Baltimore over the two and a half years carving a name for them in the local scene.

Besides playing groovy harmonica licks influenced by John Popper from Blues Traveler, Tart controls the show with his powerful stage presence that is able to grab anyone’s attention.  On top of that, Tart’s funny yet in-depth lyrics leave audiences both laughing and scratching their heads in curiosity on the hidden meanings in his lyrics.

“I write all my songs based off of one emotion at one particular time,” Tart said.  “I try to make my lyrics as intricate as possible while adding jokes and puns that are based off of the many crazy life experiences I have had in my short life so far.”

Dave Tart has a couple of notebooks that are filled with lyrics and hopes to apply as many of them as he can to songs that the Three Tree Experience will write in the future. He will be content as long he continues to live out his motto and expresses himself through writing lyrics and/or playing drums and percussion.

“There are two things I am good at, making people laugh and playing music,” Tart said. “Music has been my life for the past 20 years and I plan on surrounding myself around music for the rest of my life, and I will have a fun time doing it.”

Tea Leaf Green is “Looking West”

Thank the music gods.

Tea Leaf Green announced that they will be releasing a new studio album this June.

The album, titled “Looking West” is the first studio album the San Francisco-based rockers have released since 2008, and the album has a fitting title.  Tea Leaf Green just capped off a huge tour throughout the United States and finally settled back home to put the finishing touches on the much anticipated album.

The album is set to hit the stores Tuesday, June 8.Tea Leaf Green will celebrate the release of their new album with a special acoustic set June 16 at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco.  They will then play some major summer shows and festivals to support the album.

It’s going to be a great summer for this awesome band, and if you have not given them a listen, I really suggest you check them out.  I saw them at the Recher Theatre in April and it was one of the best shows I have seen in a while.  These guys really know how to rock and get a crowd pumped.

Here are the rest of Tea Leaf Green’s summer tour dates

06/05 – Wakarusa – Ozark, AR

06/16 – Café du Nord – San Francisco, CA

06/19 – Oysterfest – San Diego, CA

07/03 – Marin County Fair – San Rafael, CA

07/09 – All Good Music Festival – Masontown, WV

07/10 – Abbey Bar- Appalachian Brew Co. – Harrisburg, PA

07/11 – Tags Summer Stage – Big Flats, NY

07/12 – Rocks Off Concert Cruise – New York, NY

Check out this video of Tea Leaf Green playing the fan favorite “If It Wasn’t for the Money.” ENJOY.