Dub 101 Tour / April 6 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer
Photos By: Kyle Rutherford

The Union exploded Thursday night when the Dub 101 crew rolled in, bringing along quite possibly the biggest electronic music act ever to Athens

First to spin was DJ Pro Bono, a 5th year recreation management senior from OU. Pro Bono's set was chill, with a high emphasis on hip-hop and rap mixed into drum and bass, drumstep, and classic dubstep. It took him most of his set to bring in some bangers, but he was able to make everything he played danceable. Pro Bono says that he is just starting to produce his own music.

Second up was Easty, an Athens local and Casa employee, who played a heavy dubstep set. His set had an emphasis on classic British style, but it also brought in super heavy bass songs. There was less rap and hip-hop influence, but glitchy stuff progressed into heavier stuff that was better to dance to. Easty said he will be releasing some original material soon.

The first touring act was Thunder St. Clair, who countered Easty's heavy dubstep set with another heavy dubstep set. He was able to mix any kind of dubstep together, transitioning well and throwing in a tons of dance tracks, all with a heavy bass twist. Thunder St. Clair got his start about four years ago, stemming from his college graduation party. He put on the first ever dubstep party in Cleveland, and still continues to put on these parties. He is heavy influenced by producers like Machine Drum and Starkey, and has opened for huge producers, like !2th Planet and Datsik.

Fourth out was Carma, out of the company My Best Friends Party. A DJ of about 7 years, Carma played more of a dance dubstep set, using tracks like "Fire Hive" by Knife Party, transitioned into remixes of popular Top 40 songs, like "Niggas in Paris" by Jay-Z & Kanye West. Since his initially playing dance music, Carma has risen to playing a mess of club shows in Columbus through MBFP.

A little background before I go into Crizzly's set. Born in Texas as Chris Marshall, Crizzly has only been DJing for about 4 years, which isn't band, considering he is only 19 now. Chris started his career playing high school parties and school dances, progressing into producing about two years ago. Marshall's sound can be described as crunkstep, a near epileptic mixture of mid-2000's style rap and hip-hop, mixed with drum-and-bass, heavy dubstep and drumstep. Though he doesn't have any original music slated for release, Crizzly's remixes are being spun by popular DJ's/producers worldwide.

Only one word can truly describe his set: insane. From start to finish, the music was heavy and the crowd was going crazy. Pro Bono's alter-ego as MC Drunken Assassin conducted the crowd through the insanity, rarely straying from spitting commands into the mic, as well as hyping everyone up. Some of Crizzly's most memorable drops were his remixes of "Hard in Da Paint" by Waka Flocka Flame, the internet famous "Big Booty Bitches" and "Go Hard" by Dream. The most memorable mix for me was his remix of "Dat Ass" by Logun and "Bass Cannon" by Flux Pavilion. The track about literally blew my mind, and I know for a fact that the faces of everyone in attendance were melted off.

Dub 101 Tour / April 20 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer
Photos By: Kyle Rutherford

The second installment of the Cumulus Entertainment's Dub 101 tour to hit Athens this season was in was in full swing at The Union Friday night. A sort of a 4/20 celebration (and yes, many mentions of the counterculture holiday were made), Cumulus brought in High Chai Recordings' Slave out of Kent, Ohio, to blister the faces of anyone that set foot within the small venue.

First to spin was Captain PlannedIT, who was probably the most eclectic DJ to play the entire night. Going on first with the crowd slowly trickling in, the bass his electro house and dubstep mixes had a greater affect on the rattling of the venue and some or our brains. Yes, his bass was heavy, but it was never too heavy that is caused people to stop dancing...or breathing. DJing using Traktor as well as adding in his own samples and self-produced drum parts out of Ableton Live, Captain PlannedIT (aka Jason Karikas) played some more popular EDM (Electronic Dance Music) tunes, with a glitched-out, yet less bass heavy remix of the ever so popular "Sandstorm" taking hold at one point, as well as Skrillex's "Right In." But the craziest and most original thing about Karikas was that he played an alto saxophone over a few parts of some songs. Sounds different, but it was lively and fun.

Next out was DJ Technician (Brett Bernardo) from Springfield, Ohio. When Bernardo gets on stage and mixes, the musical feel is as of something you would hear in the UK or in an underground Los Angeles club pre-2010. Bernardo typically starts out with some chill, glitchy bass music that sounds like something you could fall asleep to. Moving forward, the bass gets deeper and some dubstep wobbles are prevalent, but it all stays within the realm of classic UK bass and dubstep music. Even with Bernardo yelling at to the crowd "Ya'll want to hear some dubstep?", attendees didn't get their Americanized brostep that it was obvious that they wanted. Just like February's Love and Light show, no matter the bass, jungle beats, or wobbles, some people just can't get a hold of classic dubstep and bass music, which is dearly unfortunate because DJ Technician is one of the better DJs of that genre that I have seen.

Third out was Columbus's Kingpin (James Castrillo), a 4 -year DJ that plays everything from glitchy house to moombathon, which hits close to home for Castrillo because of his Latino roots. Starting heavy as hell, Kingpin played the sort of stuff you'd hear from a club DJ, but did tend to play music that some attendees could only stand around and looked oddly confused to, such as Deadmau5's "Cthulhu Sleeps" and some moombathon, which gave Castrillo the chance to come out on to the floor and dance for a little while. But the bangers were still there, from roeVy, to Kill the Noize, to Porter Robinson. All in all, Castrillo definitely warmed the crowd up for the headliner.

If only one word could describe DJ/producer Slave's set it could only be heavyashell. Starting heavy with an (obviously) cannabis inspired dubstep track, the 21 year old David Timko stayed heavy throughout, playing mostly electro house and dubstep. Timko was able to make things seem easy when mixing, playing many club bangers like Borgore's "Flex(Document One Remix), practically balling energy up in his hands and throwing it out onto the dance floor. The coolest mix session (for me at least) that took place was a straight, effortless mix of "Fire Hive" by Knife Party, "Bass Cannon" by Flux Pavilion, and the Noisia remix of "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites" by Skrillex. Also mixing in KDrew's remix of "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye (a song whose remixes have become a staple for professional and amateur DJs everywhere), dubheads were pleased throughout Timko's entire set.

Last out was Dayton's Elton Mack, a seasoned DJ who runs a group called Run DDT (Dayton Dub Tribe) and has even been a resident DJ at Dayton's Club, Masque, doing Thursday dubstep shows for six months. Mack's set was what one would expect to step into whilst at a club, combing heavy remixes of rap and hip-hop tunes, but mixing in softer remixes of "Dani California" by Red Hot Chili Peppers. Obviously the dubstep and even the drum and bass influences were superior, but the occasional dance and house music made the now smaller crowd jump. Mack played what clubbers would love, but throwing in heavy bass and closing with a remix of "Hit the Road Jack," he was able to play something that everybody could like and that everyone would dance to.

My Ticket Home / November 11, 2013 / The Barn

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Photo By: Kyle Rutherford

Intimate house shows are kind of a rite of passage for bands. Luckily for Athens residents and OU students, the area hosts many of them. So when Columbus metalcore act My Ticket Home announced it wanted to play some house shows on off-days from touring, it was no surprise that someone from Athens decided to get them down here.

Monday night, about 25 people met at The Barn to see the Rise Records four-piece play a fairly intimate show. The band is on tour supporting its new LP, Strangers Only, and has been on tour with Nonpoint for the last few weeks.

The space in The Barn was just big enough for the small crowd and band setup, so attendees were fairly up close to the band. Being the fan that I am, I made sure to park myself right in front of lead vocalist/bassist Nick Giumenti.

The band started with “Teenage Cremation,” bouncing around the small area while the crowd did the same. Compared to its older melodic metalcore sound, the band has morphed into more of a nu-metalcore sound. The new album gives off the same vibe that Slipknot’s first record did, but with even heavier vocals. Live, Giumenti is just as aggressive as Slipknot’s Corey Taylor while guitarists Derek Blevins and Matt Gallucci work together just like Jim Root and Mick Thompson.

Since the band was only using studio monitors, the vocals weren’t very clear. Fortunately for fans of the band, they knew every word to their set. From “Keep Alone,” “Painfully Bored” and the first single off the album, “Spit Not Chewed,” the band and the small crowd were energetic throughout the set and gave the band a memorable first house show and a great Veteran’s Day. 

Skeetones / September 8, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Photos By: Kyle Rutherford

The Union was straight up funky Saturday night with a night of bumping music. There were saxophones playing, DJs DJing and the floor quaked from the amount of dancing.

The night started out with a set by DJ More. The OU sophomore kept it down tempo, mixing through a variety of hip hop, bass music and trap. The empty dance floor was a downer, but More still played through a great set.

Next out was DJ Pro Bono, keeping it funky with a variety of genres. He started his set with a bit of classic Top 40, throwing in some Michael Jackson and other funky stuff. As his set moved along, Pro Bono spun some harder electro house, making the venue’s floor vibrate. This vibration was only a test for what was to come. Pro Bono also played a heavy bass and house set during the later set change.

Skeetones, the night’s headliner, were an interesting Cincinnati five-piece. They had the style of a jam band with very minimal vocals, but with a very heavy electronic influence (four of the five band members had laptops in front of them). Much of the music was upbeat to ambient dance music, with songs that typically ranged from 7-10 minutes long. The band’s drummer had an energetic style, playing from simple backing to beats to a near drum 'n bass style.

Last out was Sassafraz from Athens. The six-piece group played the funkiest set of the night, with a sound that mixes funk, hip hop and just a bit of jazz. The heavy bass parts, inclusion of saxophone and trumpet and rapped vocals gave the band the feel of Flobots and even Elemental Groove Theory. Emerson, the band’s lead vocalist, led a well-orchestrated set, able to go from soft, jazzy vocals to up-tempo rapping. The dance floor was shaking through the whole set, definitely making The Union the funkiest place to be in Athens.

DUB101 / September 28, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Photo By: Kyle Rutherford

The first of Cumulus Entertainment’s dubstep 'n bass music tour, DUB101, came through Athens Friday night. The Union was infiltrated by two up-and-coming dubstep DJs/producers, Eric Evasion and Sean 2:16 of Cleveland.



First to play was Capt. PlannedIT of Athens. PlannedIT stayed with a light hip-hop sound to begin with, and then moved on to some upbeat glitch hop. While playing a remix that he produced, PlannedIT was joined onstage by a friend with a guitar. The light, elongated notes rang through the music and created an interesting sound that one doesn’t always hear in electronic. As his set winded down, Capt. PlannedIT threw around a little bumpin’ trap music to finish off. 



Next out was Easty of Athens. Personally, I have seen Easty perform many times with his intense dubstep style, but this evening was something different. The man had to have been touched by Zeus because he brought it hard. The energy was intense as Easty faded in and out of each song, mixing through remixes of Diplo & Lil’ Jon and SKisM. Easty, whose real name is Matthew Roberts, was bombastic while on stage, moving from mixing to speaking into the microphone to jumping around like a madman. 



Next out was Eric Evasion. Eric played one of the first DUB101 shows in Athens about a year ago, and he certainly brought back his same intensity. Having played The Werk Out Festival this past month and the Big Dub Festival in August, Eric has a lot following him. His music choice is heavy, grimy, dirty and pretty much any other word that is used to describe dubstep these days. He had the feel of producers like Datsik and Excision, with crazy bass throughout the set, which was sometimes difficult to dance to.



Out to clean up was Sean 2:16. While focusing on the American side of dubstep, Sean also had a heavy trap side to his set. Songs like “Booty 2 the Ground” by ƱZ x CRNKN, as well as “Original Don (Flosstradamus remix)” by Major Lazer were mixed in for the trap side, but Digiraatii’s remix of “Cleveland” by MGK brought the crowd to the more dubstep side of his set. At one point during Sean’s set, a college age student repetitively asked Sean to played the ever so popular “Gangnam Style.” The night’s MC promptly replied with, “Ya’ll want some K-Pop?," to which I repeatedly replied “Hell no!”



The Sowashes are back!

The laudable lineup of The Kyle Sowashes, Scubadog and Blithe Field took to the stage late Saturday evening at Athens' Casa Cantina. I arrived rather early, having missed out on two Casa shows in the past due to the venue already being "at capacity" before each show's allotted start time. I had no intentions of making that mistake a third time, and I was pleased to find that the place wasn't even half-full when I arrived.

Blithe Field started off the evening. As the only act I had not seen prior to that evening as well as the first act of its kind I had witnessed live, I could not hide my intrigue as Blithe Field's single member began his set. As the venue slowly filled up, we bobbed along to the sampled, electronic beats that filled the room. One song in particular was passingly referred to as a "club jam," and if our honeys were in the vicinity, we should find 'em. Paraphrasing, of course. I did not have a honey, so I felt a bit lonely. Then, no one else really seemed to have anyone either, so I couldn't really be too upset.

The men of Scubadog came next, and as they proved once again, there is never a dull moment at a Scubadog show. They sounded even better than I remembered them -- and it hadn't even been a month since my first encounter with the band (when they played with Flotation Walls and She Bears earlier this month at the Union). The energy was high and as far as comparing Scubadog to the other two acts that evening, they actually probably got the most substantial crowd response.

Oh, and did I mention the show was sponsored by Twilight? Well, it was. Scubadog's Teddy Humpert told me so.

Columbus' Kyle Sowashes capped off the evening.

I saw these guys at Lobsterfest last year, and to be honest, they were probably my favorite act. Their banter can be hilarious, and their songs are just as praiseworthy. You get a real "normal guys" vibe with this band, and it seems as if everyone can relate to at least one of their songs. The best part was that if you hadn't seen the Kyle Sowashes before, it really wasn't a big deal; they played a fair amount of new songs mixed in with some of their much older material. One comment from lead singer Kyle Sowash: "We wrote this song when you guys were probably freshmen in high school." Gee, Kyle, now I feel old, too.

The Sowashes' set ended a little before one in the morning, capping off two-plus hours of some toe-tapping, arms-flailing goodness from three of Ohio's finest. All in all, a good night for live music in Athens, Ohio. You should've been there.

-Kevin Rutherford, Senior Critic
Photograph courtesy of The Kyle Sowashes' Myspace

Wobble on the Bricks / November 16, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

On a cold night in Athens, The Union was heated up by bass music and the sweat of many satisfied attendees. The latest edition of Dave Rave’s Wobble on the Bricks hosted a variety of talent from all across the state.

The first DJ to grace the stage was Kingpin of Columbus. Having played the Athens DUB101 spot this past April, it was obvious he would bring a diverse set. True to his name, the capital city DJ performed with a bowling pin at the front of his setup.

Much of his set didn’t rely on bass music, but sort of up-tempo stuff. There were disco-sounding tracks, but also a bit of trap music. The variety was a good match for the beginning of the night. Shout out to James Castrillo for wearing a tie and cardigan while he played. Classy!

Columbus' Magua played a very heavy set. The beginning of his set started out pretty glitchy, but varied through dubstep and a bit of trap. Magua is a very exciting DJ to watch, in that he practically balls up energy behind the decks and throws it back at the crowd. He jumps and throws down to songs, works the mic and is just an overall fun person to dance to. Kudos.

Out of Cleveland, Thunder St. Clair brought yet another heavy set. Having killed it while opening for Crizzly back in April, it was pretty much impossible not to get him back ASAP. He definitely didn’t disappoint, mixing behind clean bass music, grimey dubstep and upbeat trap music. The talented and experienced DJ was downright fantastic in his mixing and song choice. Plus, the lucky dude gets to open for Zeds Dead next Wednesday.

Last out was Ohio University student DJ Paulo. According to Dave Rave, he is a student from China via Brazil. Much of the beginning of his set began with glitch and a little bit of moombahton. But as his set wore on, a few dubstep songs were added in. All of this was very minimal compared to the remaining drum n’ bass & drumstep that was played.

His music soaked up all remaining energy by show attendees, even with his somewhat different style of mix ins/outs. The only problem was a friend of his acting as a sort of MC. It was cool in that it kind of gave you the feel of an underground Los Angeles or London DNB club, but the man occasionally went a bit over the top.

Brothertiger, DJ Self Help and bustedBASS / May 24, 2012 / Casa Cantina

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer


The streets of Athens were quiet Thursday night, with many students having either made their way home for Memorial Day festivities or to Hilton Head. Inside Casa was a night of diverse music that left attendees unable to control their dancing feet. At the helm was DJ duo bustedBASS performing their last Athens show for awhile, with support from DJ Self Help and Brothertiger.

"Thank you for coming out. Hope you like the jams, man," said John Jagos, the man behind Brothertiger, right before he ripped into his synth-laden chillwave set. This was the first show in Athens after his European tour with Teen Daze and upon rolling into his song "A House of Many Ghosts," the wait was well worth it.

Jagos' breathy voice and bubbly synths echoed beautifully through the warm atmosphere of the venue, while those in attendance swayed and danced along. More classic songs like "Lovers" were played, but "I've Been Waiting," off Brothertiger's most recent release, was given this particular warm feeling. And the closing of the set with "Feel" prompted many attendees to ask for more music.

DJ Self Help's set was next. A turntable user over more modern controllers, Self Help's set built as he went on, starting from more lo-fi indie electronic and evolving into more heavy bass songs that lacked the overwhelming synth sound of modern house music. With emphasis on jungle bass, moombathon, and hip-hop, Self Help spun "California Love" by 2Pac and "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith, all in the same set as Diplo and Dillon Francis. Self Help plays a blend of what starts at first as softer stuff, but evolves into more heavy bass material.

The set played by bustedBASS was what it usually is: a mixture of electronic songs, as well as pop music and classics. As the crowd grew, heavy bass music was played and hula hoopers did their own little routines. Some of the music played was "Contact" by Usher, as well as Beastie Boys, Major Lazer and a bustedBASS remix of "Lonely Boy" by The Black Keys. 

With it being their last show in Athens for a while, DJs Arthur Henke and Joe William gave it their all in creating an insane festival. Even with date complications and a lesser crowd, bustedBASS was able to deliver exactly they intended on doing and obviously had fun while doing it.

Dave Rave presents: Love and Light / February 15 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Wednesday night drew a small crowd to the Union for what was probably one of the most insane shows the place has seen in long time.

Currently on their North American tour and moving on toward their set at Miami, Florida's Ultra Music Festival, glitch/crunk/dubstep duo Love and LIght killed the small show, and left me wondering why there were so few people there. Then I remembered that people need sleep for class the next day... fuck it.

The first DJ supporting was DJ Pro Bono, who started off the night with a nice house-infused dance set.

Next out was Capt. PlannedIT, who played a heavy Drum and Bass set, infusing some elements of dubstep and glitch in.

Last supporting was DJ Technician, who played a set consisting mainly of very heavy dubstep, something the crowd didn't seem used to and didn't know how to react to, prompting the DJ to as "What? You guys don't like real dubstep?"

Love and Light started and ended their set heavy and upbeat, bringing so many elements of heavy electronic music together that bass drops rattled speakers harder than ones at a 3-day metal festival.

Their original tracks blew me away and they seemed like they were having so much fun on stage, compared to some DJs who seem all business and focus.

The unfortunate part, as usual, were the many drunk attendees, ruining it for the others that came to see a good show, by heaving their friends up so high that they hit the ceiling. Not Cool.

But, throughout the set, all was not lost, and the thumping beats brought a great night to a small but worthy crowd.

Twenty One Pilots, MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia / January 12, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Sunshine and cats: that seemed to be the theme at The Union Thursday when Westerville, Ohio’s Twenty One Pilots rolled in to play a free show for a packed house of patrons who seemed happy to be out of the snow.

Opening bands included MBANZA and Dean Tartaglia from Mind Fish, both from Athens.

Tartaglia started the show with only him, his guitar, and a backup electronic drummer. Now, I’ve never listened to Mind Fish until I started writing this review, so I’m not exactly sure if he played any of their songs. But, he played a good amount of stuff that the crowd could easily grasp: a more pop-punk-like set that compares to Weezer, or even a stripped-down Fall Out Boy. The major mindfuck of his set came when he sang a song about his cat, using meow more than most lyrics.

The 8-piece MBANZA came next, donned in face paint and feathers to make themselves look like members of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan. Their Folk/Roots set was pretty great, though the younger crowd could only get into it had they had a few drinks in them. The more interesting part of their set came from a vocalist/percussionist who did some sort of a melodic yelling, like the guy singing at the beginning of The Lion King, but with no words. Their covers of “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead and “You Are My Sunshine” were interesting, as well as great.

Last onstage, much to the crowd’s pleasure, was Twenty One Pilots. It’s hard to give these guys a particular style, but I can say they sounded like a more electronic version of Flobots, but with the stage presence and energy of--dare I say it--Hollywood Undead; the rap skills of pretty much any great artist in the game; and a light show comparable to that of Innerpartysystem. By all that, the crowd was wowed. The raw energy coming out of the two members was incredible.

Most of the music played from a laptop controlled by drummer Josh Dun, but Tyler Joseph smoothly transitioned between singing/piano, keyboards, and rapping. The crowd was intense, with constant jumping and alcohol-spilling, though no one seemed to care. Their cover medley included “Steal My Sunshine” by LEN and “It’s Gonna Be Me” by 'N Sync, and everyone ate it up.

A band could be a crowd-pleaser, but not play well musically. But overall, the unsigned Pilots could soon be a force to be reckoned with in the alternative music world.

Dave Rave 2-Year Anniversary / January 28 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

The dark forces of the underworld were at hand at Saturday night when Columbus's roeVy creeped into The Union for Dave Rave's 2-Year Anniversary show.

The first set of the night by DJ Time Traveler was a fun and somewhat soothing set, where the crowd got really into the beat of the music, consisting mainly of electro-house. There were hula-hoopers, stage dancers, and everything seemed to open up just fine. His only problem was a somewhat annoying intoxicated girl that kept taking to his microphone to scream "DAVE RAVE!!!" over and over.

DJ B-Funk played a great set, mixing in remixes of popular pop/hip-hop with other electronic songs. His set made the whole place jump and heat up really fast. His set consisted of some heavy bass songs, like "Breakn' A Sweat" by Skrillex ft. The Doors, "Lionheart" by Afrojack, and "Save the World" by Swedish House Mafia.

Last out were "The dark lords of electro" roeVy, a hard electro/dubstep duo that don head coverings with red lasers pointing out of what is made to look like their eyes. The light show, the projected images, and the music made for an extremely intense set.

The projections consisted mainly of the group's name multiple times, "666," and upside down crucifixes. The energy on the packed dance floor was incredible, making me think multiple times that the floor would cave in. Their music was mostly original, consisting mainly of some very hard electro and dubstep, mixing in some of their recent songs off of their The Demons EP, like "Raum" among others.

Luckily for those in attendance, "the #1 party at the #1 party school" was at least 10 steps above normal.

ACRN Presents: Evolve, Chemical Committee & Emcee Kilgore / October 25, 2012 / Fern Gully

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Fern Gully was gettin’ gangsta Thursday night when an eclectic hip-hop lineup stormed its doors. The small room was packed with listeners who were eager to hear what the three men were able to bring to the music world.

The first artist was Emcee Kilgore from Parkersburg, West Virginia. Kilgore was very humorous and energetic in his first performance, occasionally getting into the faces of attendees and spitting his lyrics. His vocal style is very loud and aggressive, yet his humor and vocal prowess are what make his music into the quality form that it is. Also, his instrumental tracks sounded more like something one would hear in classical music.

Next was Chemical Committee from Cincinnati. Much of his set was spent standing with his eyes shut, expressing his poetry over heavy bass instrumentals. Lyrically, he was very deep and his presence was an odd, but original way of expressing his inner self.

Last to play was Cincinnati’s Evolve. The Realicide Youth Records signee brought his original, powerful music to  Fern Gully, along with a sort of, how the kids say, "swag" that included delivering his poetry through closed eyes. The music was moving and drawing, with vocal elements on the punk side, layered over electronic-based hip-hop beats. The small room was a perfect element for Evolve, who even had a projector pointed at him. Audience members could only stand and bob their heads as Evolve went between manipulating multiple samplers and synthesizers to laying down vocals that spoke of near anarchy and a lack of understanding of the world.

Evolve, Brothertiger and Blithe Field / January 14, 2012 / The Fern Gully

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Take me to outer space!

The Fern Gully was packed and alive Saturday night when Blithe Field, Brothertiger, and Evolve came to play.

Blithe Field’s sample electronic set was great, starting in from some of his slower songs that kept the crowd mellow, but finishing off to some more dancey songs that made the floor start to cave. What was memorizing about his set was his focus. There was so much going on around him, but he never looked up of broke concentration. Very impressive in my mind.

Second was synthpop Brothertiger, who played the most energetic set of the night. Jagos’s lively set had the essence of a more upbeat Depeche Mode, with better vocal effects and louder keys. Everyone was moving for the entirety of his set, during which he played songs like “Feel” and “Lovers” from his Vision Tunnels EP, and some off his new LP Golden Years, which comes out March 27.

Last was Evolve, an alternative hip-hop artist from Cincinnati. What was great was the he did all of his own music in real time off of his laptop and a few effects/samples boards. Most of his lyrics were about civil issues, often things involving the government. Very punk-influenced. His electronic beats were phenomenal, making some crowd members want to go to outer space, and they were easily comparable to any professional electronic musician that has any sort of popularity.

Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, Emily and the Complexes / November 11, 2011 / Casa

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Though the night air was chilly, that didn’t stop many people from hitting up Casa Nueva for a folk night that consisted of Thomas Comerford, Dave Buker and the Historians, & Emily and the Complexes.

The crowd was noticeably small, though, making it hard to distinguish between concert-goers and bar attendees.

The first act, Columbus’ Emily and the Complexes, the solo project of Tyler Verhagen, warmed up the crowd with his plugged-in folk-punk style. Standing alone, he won over many with his soft, yet occasionally throaty voice. Playing many of his originals, like “Emily, You’re Right” and “If I Had Money," as well as covering Alkaline Trio’s “Fuck You, Aurora." Tyler was able to let the emotion in his voice and lyrics radiate through the crowd.

The next act, Columbus’s Dave Buker and the Historians, were one of the more interesting acts of the night. Their electro-folk sound could’ve gone easily unnoticed, possibly because a lack of their full band. The vocals of Buker and Paul Valdiviez went well together, but when it came to a bar setting, it lacked relevance.

The last act, Chicago’s Thomas Comerford, ended the night with his blend of folk instrumentals, a southern-inspired voice without the twang, and echoing vocals. His ability to keep the mood somber but still feeling good was riveting.

Unfortunately, by the time he started to play, much of the previous crowd had left. With softer songs, as well as epic rock songs, Comerford blended in well with the bar style and with those attending.

Woodland Slumber, DJ AA and bustedBASS/ February 2 / Casa

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Casa may have warmed up Athenians, but the music inside got people moving. Backed by Woodland Slumber and DJ AA, bustedBASS moved a full house into a frenzy with their interesting mixes, and exciting songs.

Woodland Slumber warmed up the place with a very mellow set, mostly consisting of some ambient and alternative electronic. His mixing was good and his song selection was great, but the only problem was a lack of people.

When DJ AA started to play, the place began to fill up. He mostly played a set of hard electronic and house, mixing in a little dubstep every once in awhile. The crowd seemed to enjoy it and were moving throughout; it just almost sounded like it was the same song over and over.

The duo of bustedBASS killed their set from the beginning with a dubstep remix of "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes. They music they played ranged from from pop remixes to other types of electro. They kept their energy up throughout. They are truly an act to experience for yourself.

ACRN Birthday Bash / April 4, 2013 / The Union

By: Xavier Veccia, Staff Writer

Thanks a lot, Mom.

What do you mean why am I being snippy with you? You know damn well why. You never throw me any good birthday parties! I mean, pin the tail on the donkey? That's some baby stuff. You know what ACRN had at their party? Freaking indie bands! Where's my indie bands, huh, Mom?

One of them, The Saturday Giant, even did a cover of “Gangsta's Paradise” and “Where is My Mind?” And all I get is grandma singing me “Happy Birthday” on the phone. Off pitch, too, might I add.

And it was at The Union. There were a bunch of people there, just fooling around and having a good time. That's much better than our moldy basement and my cousin with the sticky hands.

Oh, and ACRN even had a dance party. Overwaves a.ka. Kyle Rutherford a.k.a. “The Mixologist” a.k.a. The Mr. 11Fest runner-runner-runner-up played a killer set while a bunch of drunk people danced the night away. And no, Mom, the chicken dance doesn't count as dancing the night away.

You know what, I'm just going to live with ACRN from now on. They know how to party. Unlike you, Mom.

ACRN Presents: Blithe Field, Old Worlds, and Whirl / March 1 / The Smiling Skull

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

The crowd at The Smiling Skull were chilled out, but excited for the show that was brought to them Thursday night, with a lineup of music on the weirder side, everyone seemed to be pleased.

First out was noise/electronic act Whirl, a duo that consisted of Death Beef, and Matt Umland of Tin Armor. The Columbus group held no true structure to their sound, no set list, but more of an improvisational set that lasted a good 30 minutes STRAIGHT.

The music was ambient, but had an awe-inspiring power to it, with glitched-out synths, completely layered with different effects pedals. It was one of those sets that you just have to watch the performance to experience it for yourself.

Next was Columbus's Old Worlds, an experimental mathcore/emo/post-rock group that held a tight influence from every single instrument used, even using soft, near opera-like vocals. The 5 piece consisted of a the typical guitarist/drummer/bassist trio, but added in a KORG synthesizer player, and a violinist who had almost more effects pedals than the band's guitarist. Vocally, the group's male vocalists had the kind of voice that could remind one of old Jimmy Eat World, with the female synth and bass players adding a lighter harmony to it. Instrumentally, the music seemed slightly ambient at times, with the experimental qualities of The Fall of Troy and Dance Gavin Dance. What impressed me the most instrumentally was the guitarist/vocalist kept to a finger-picking technique throughout most of the songs.

Last was Athens' own sample electronic Blithe Field. With recent hype and his April 12 release of Warm Blood coming close, and with a recent spotlight in Alternative Press, OU senior Spencer Radcliffe brought his typical A-Game, mixing many of his older tracks and even premiering a new song from the upcoming album.

One may think that the Skull would be out of Radcliffe's element when it comes to venues, but the difference in setting gave him a particular advantage, where front-row members were within arm's reach of him, giving attendees a more intimate experience.

ACRN's Lobsterfest 2012 / Day One / May 31 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer


Lobsterfest started with a bang Thursday night at The Union. The night had mostly an electronic feel to it, with genres ranging from ambient free-form to chillwave.

The first group out was Whirl, a Columbus two-piece playing their second Athens show. The duo, consisting of ACRN alumnus Ty "Death Beef" Owen and Tin Armor's Matt Umland, plays a free-form style of electronic that is full on synth worship. The music doesn't stop until they are done playing, adding to the effect of what it all sounds like. There is an underlying structure to it, but the music is obviously impromptu, full of sound manipulation, synthesizers and digital sequencers. The two seemed focused during their entire set, constantly doing something to change around their ambient sound. The addition of a projected logo image in the background and the ever-changing lights of The Union made it seem eerie and apocalyptic, but one could only stand, listen and just feel.

Next out was Blithe Field, a sample-electronic artist from Athens. The creation of Spencer Radcliffe, the sound is just pure and fun. Even with how chilled out the music was, Union attendees were eagerly dancing and enjoying everything that Radcliffe threw in. Spencer seemed very relaxed and comfortable playing on The Union's stage, playing very loose, but focused all the while. He played tracks from his most recent release Warm Blood and his 2011 album Two Hearted, such as the ever popular "People I Love." Radcliffe ended his set with "bible school," a song from his album Beautiful Wave '74. I especially enjoyed it because I was screaming at him to play it right before he dropped it. 

John Jagos, the sole brain behind his chillwave/nu disco project Brothertiger, gave his last (and best) Athens show to date. The whole crowd was supportive of Jagos throughout his entire set, singing and dancing along to the songs they knew and even the ones they didn't. Jagos played songs that ranged from his two EPs to his full length, opening with "Vision Tunnels" off of his Vision Tunnels EP, then playing "A House of Many Ghosts" off the Point of View EP. Jagos ripped through some of his more recent songs off of his Golden Years full length, including the upbeat "Golden Years," the heavy bass-driven "Out of Line" (a song that belongs in the 80's) and the ever popular "Lovers." After working the crowd into a fever, Jagos covered "Ask" by The Smiths, which sounded great with his synthy feel and breathy vocals. Before closing his set with "Feel," Jagos, through near teary eyes, graciously thanked everyone for the support over the years and expressed his love for everyone in attendance. Best of luck to him.

Last out was Lazer Babez. The Athens six-piece was the only band that used any drums or guitars throughout the night, but they were distorted and affected like crazy. The only sort of vocals that came from the group were little hums and whistles expelled from the bongo player, then heavily distorted. They too had an underlying structure through drum beats, bass lines and drum sampling, but mini Korg-playing and guitar riffs gave them the feel of a free-form noise band. Ambient and experimental, the group ended the night in a great way. 

Hyrrokkin, Sport Fishing USA and Sign Off / January 5, 2012 / The Smiling Skull

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

A good crowd packed into the stuffy Smiling Skull Thursday night for a rock show of interesting styles. Out to play were Hyrrokkin from Yellow Springs, Sport Fishing USA from Yellow Springs, and Sign Off from Athens.

Sign Off started the night with a noisy experimental post-punk set, with songs that changed from a classic heavy punk sound to an experimental/electronic sounding noise rock in less than a few seconds.

Not bad for a band that only consists of a bassist and a drummer.

Next was Sport Fishing USA, a band that takes classic rock, shoves it into modern indie, and takes near-pop vocals and lyrics of young adult/teen angst and shoves them into the indie. It's like a a "turducken" (Chicken stuffed into a duck that is stuffed into a turkey and cooked) for the ears.

Some things that stood out about their sound was that brothers Nathan and Brendan Moore harmonized fantastically on practically every song played. Nathan was also able to break down into guitar solos and interludes that sounded somewhat prog-rock and experimental while the rest of the band kept the crowd moving.

Last out was Hyrrokkin, an avant-garde/experimental trio for which one could go absolutely ballistic. Everything seemed to be completely in-place, but so scattered and crazy when it came to how it was structured. No song sounded similar, with some songs sounding as metal as the background music of a Sylvester Stallone movie, or as soft as those of an ambient group. But normally the soft parts were only intros/outros to even more heavy instrumental insanity. What was thoroughly impressive was that the bass part easily kept up with the guitar riffs, even sometimes matching the pattern altogether.

Folk Fest / October 19, 2013 / Franklin Ave.

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Music for a good cause is something fairly common in Athens.

Saturday's "Folk Festival" was just that--a gathering of musicians to benefit the Be the Match Foundation, which helps find matches for patients in need of bone marrow transplants. OU Sophomore Handen Roberts helped to start the festival because the foundation helped when he needed a life-saving transplant after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2011. 

Rain came early in the day but it still didn't deter Athens residents from coming out to watch music on the handmade stage. 

The festival as a whole could barely be considered a folk festival considering the wide array of acts that played. Headliner W.C. Lindsay played a wonderful set of electro-pop, Blonde was more of an indie rock group, Tall Trees had more of an experimental progressive rock sound and the ever popular Fathers of the Revolution combined surf, swing and other rock genres to create something of their own.

Even with the cold weather, the turn out was great as well as the music.