Snail Post “Thou Art That” Live Video from The Obelisk All-Dayer

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 24th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

snail photo adam donnelly

I really think Snail should release their set from last year’s The Obelisk All-Dayer. I’ve never started any kind of online petition, and I’m not usually one to go fishing for comments — because I live in terror that I wouldn’t get any — but yeah, you can check out the video of their 10-minute epic roller “Thou Art That” from the show and if you agree with me that the whole set should see at least a digital release or a limited tape or something, please leave a comment on this post. I’m not saying if we hit a certain number of comments they’ll put something out, but it certainly can’t hurt to try. Right?

“Thou Art That” was a highlight of 2015’s Feral (review here), which came out on Small Stone and was the perfect occasion for the trio of guitarist/vocalist Mark Johnson, bassist Matt Lynch and drummer Marty Dodson to hit the East Coast for the first time in their 20-years-plus history. They absolutely killed it at the show, with what seemed to me to be the night’s biggest crowd, and though I’d seen them on a rare tour years before in San Francisco (review here), this was obviously something special. I was lucky they could make the trip to play.

This isn’t the first live video they’ve posted from the All-Dayer either though. They had one for the title-track of 2009’s Blood (review here) that came out at the beginning of the year as well, so “Thou Art That” — shot by David Strayer with board-recorded audio by Jaime Traba and additional production from Matt Lynch — is the second time they’ve teased the prospect of doing something with that material. I already offered to write the liner notes for a tape or any other kind of release. Come on, guys. This one needs to happen.

I’ve been kicking around ideas for a second The Obelisk All-Dayer for the better part of the last year. Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn was on board last I checked, but I’m not sure if it’s something I want to do again, especially with a baby on the way. We’ll see. If you have an opinion on the matter, I’d love to hear it.

Oh, and if you see some schmo down in the front rocking out at the end of “Thou Art That,” well clearly that’s just somebody who very, very much enjoyed the set. Ha.

Dig it:

Snail, “Thou Art That” Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer

The almighty SNAIL playing live at The Obelisk All Dayer in Brooklyn NYC 8-20-2016.

Video: David Strayer
Audio: Jaime Traba
Production: Matt Lynch

Snail, Feral (2015)

Snail on Thee Facebooks

Snail website

Snail at Small Stone Records

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Snail Post Live Video of “Blood” from The Obelisk All-Dayer

Posted in Bootleg Theater on January 4th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

snail at the obelisk all-dayer

If you’ll allow me a sentimental moment: I remember quite clearly standing in front of the stage at Kimo’s in San Francisco in 2010 and singing along with Snail‘s Mark Johnson and Matt Lynch to the titular hook of their 2009 return album, Blood (review here). It was among the greatest joys of the day to do so again this past August at The Obelisk All-Dayer at the Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. Some time passed between the two events, obviously, and Snail have put out two more records in the meantime in 2012’s Terminus (review here) and 2015’s Feral (review here) and shifted from a four-piece back to the original trio of Johnson on guitar, Lynch on bass and drummer Marty Dodson, but still, it was something special.

When I announced The Obelisk All-Dayer was a thing that was happening, Snail were among the first acts who got in touch with me, offering to make their way across the continent for what would be their first East Coast appearance ever in a history that stretched as far back as their 1993 self-titled debut (review here). The generosity of that gesture was unbelievable, but the truth of the matter is I’d already dreamed of having Snail involved in the show, as Feral was so decisively their best album to-date and those songs ones I very, very much wanted to see brought to life onstage. I’m hardly an impartial observer at this point, but they were even better in Brooklyn than they’d been six years earlier in California.

The video below for “Blood” was recorded at The Obelisk All-Dayer and takes footage captured by the esteemed Frank Huang and Jennifer Hendrix and manipulates it with some additional psychedelic weirdness suited to the overall vibe. But listen to the sound as well. Snail were so on-point that I was just blown away, and as I watch “Blood,” I can only keep my fingers crossed they follow this up with a companion clip for “Thou Art That,” or, you know, a tape release of the whole set. Either way. No pressure. Ha.

I’ve included the full-stream of Feral at the bottom of this post also. I know you’ve heard it, but hell, you should hear it again.

And please enjoy:

Snail, “Blood” at The Obelisk All-Dayer official live video

Happy New Year! The high point of 2016 (for us) was getting to play The Obelisk All-Dayer in Brooklyn. Matt combined footage from a variety of sources and the board tracks and created a really trippy video of our performance of ‘Blood.’ Check it out! See if you can find the footage of a person giving blood at a blood bank…

Video and Sound Production: Matt Lynch
Footage courtesy of Frank Huang and Jennifer Hendrix. Photos by Jennifer Hendrix.

Special Thanks to: Jennifer Hendrix, Frank Huang, JJ Koczan and The Obelisk and all the folks who came to rock.

Snail, Feral (2015)

Snail on Thee Facebooks

Snail website

Snail at Small Stone Records

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The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016: Frank Huang Posts Videos from Full Lineup

Posted in Bootleg Theater on December 14th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk all-dayer

No question 2016 has had some highs and some lows, but for me, the first-ever The Obelisk All-Dayer, held Aug. 20 at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, was something truly special. Hardly stress-free, with the broken-down car and assorted this and that throughout the day and evening, but at the end of the show, my head down on the bar while DJ Adzo spun classic heavy rock after Mars Red Sky finished, barely able to stand, it was entirely worth every second of effort and freakout. What a blast.

As I dig into the wrap-up portion of the year, I’ve been thinking a lot about what was the real peak moment. I put a book out this year, which is something I’ve daydreamed of doing since I had the cerebral complexity to daydream. There’s always Roadburn. This past weekend sitting around playing video games with The Patient Mrs. was pretty sweet, if I do say so. But I keep coming back to The Obelisk All-Dayer, and I think that might be it.

That whole weekend was so special to me, not even just the show. It was an incredible time and I was humbled to see people enjoying themselves throughout the day, digging on the free tacos (thank you, Steve Murphy), gratified to hang out with good friends and to see excellent performances. It was an honor to play a part in hosting those who came out, including Brooklyn’s premiere videographer Frank Huang, whose work I’m thrilled to feature today.

If you’ve ever YouTubed anything from the Saint Vitus Bar or seen anything from the venue posted here, you know Frank Huang‘s work. Someday they’ll make a documentary about him, but until then I’ll just note that the guy is unparalleled in his dedication to capturing live music, and the quality of what he does has become an essential component of an entire generation of NYC showgoers’ live experience. Even for shows I attend, when I see Frank there, I look up the video afterwards, because inevitably his camera got something I missed. He is an invaluable resource and a gentleman to boot.

Below you can see snippets of varying length from each of the eight bands who played the All-Dayer, which Frank has newly posted with my deepest appreciation.

Whether you were there or not, I hope you’ll dig in and please, please enjoy:

Heavy Temple, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

King Buffalo Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Funeral Horse, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

EYE, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Kings Destroy, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Snail, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Death Alley, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Mars Red Sky, Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer 2016

Once again, thanks to Frank Huang for being on hand to tape these sets, and to the Saint Vitus Bar for letting me put this show on. Stay tuned in the New Year for more info on The Obelisk All-Dayer 2018.

Frank Huang’s website

Saint Vitus Bar website

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The Obelisk All-Dayer — THANK YOU!

Posted in The Obelisk Presents on August 22nd, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the-obelisk-all-dayer-thanks

I honestly can’t remember the last time I was so tired. Pure physical and mental exhaustion. By the end of the day I could barely stand up, keep my head up, or down one last cup of coffee while watching Mars Red Sky close out the show. It’s been three days. I’m still not sure I have the mental faculties to write this post.

I hereby dub the first-ever The Obelisk All-Dayer a success.

The day started with The Patient Mrs.’ car breaking down on I-95 in Connecticut on the way south to Brooklyn and continued through flash floods, the first two bands running late (both got there on time, but my nerves were already frayed from being late myself), my camera breaking – again – during Funeral Horse, Death Alley blowing a tire on their way up from Philly, and so on, but there were tacos, the day ultimately ran on time, and everybody killed.

Absolutely killed. I mean it. Front to back. What a show.

From Heavy Temple bringing it for an early 2:30 start through Mars Red Sky dipping back to their first record for a rendition of “Strong Reflection” that nearly brought a tear to my eye, and everything in between. King Buffalo? Funeral Horse? Fucking EYE? Kings Destroy? Snail? Death Alley’s absolute ownership of the room? There wasn’t a dud in the bunch.

Most importantly, it seemed like everybody there had a good time. The tacos went. We wound up with about 170 people in the door, not counting bands and guests, and with the professionalism of the Saint Vitus Bar staff, the show ran smoothly the whole time, changeovers were easy, and my sincere hope is that everyone who came felt welcome, because they absolutely were.

On that note, I’ll say that I’m not going to review the show. Just doesn’t feel right. But I did want to say thank you to a few people who helped make the day so incredibly special.

First to The Patient Mrs., who not only handled money at the end of the night, but sold posters and patches, kept me sane as we stood on the side of the highway and waited for the tow truck, reminded me to eat, and got me that aforementioned last cup of coffee to get me through the last part of the show. She was there (almost) the whole day and it was deeply meaningful to me to have her around.

Thanks to Walter Roadburn, who left the comforts of home to come and co-DJ the afterparty, sat in traffic with The Patient Mrs. and I on the trip from Boston to Connecticut, Connecticut to Brooklyn, and back again. The time we got to spend talking about music, about what he does with his festival, and his insights on the show are memories that I imagine I will continue to treasure for as long as I can remember anything at all. Highlight of the weekend, without question. And thanks to Esther, who convinced him to come.

Thanks to David Castillo, George Souleidis, Sound Guy Jeff and the staff at the Saint Vitus Bar, which leaves absolutely nothing to question as to why it has the reputation it has. The generosity they showed in welcoming the All-Dayer into their rightly-hallowed space, the accommodation of the weird schedule, and just the sheer slog of the hours put in – all handled with professionalism beyond enviable. Other venues should aspire to run such a ship. It was staggering to see it from the end of someone organizing a show. Thank you so much.

Thank you to Steve Murphy for the endless, thoroughly unjustified belief in my being able to pull this whole thing off, for the tacos and for the support across the board. Thank you for your friendship, your kindness, and for your threat to print up bootleg Obelisk t-shirts to give away at random. I hope that works out.

Thanks to the bands. Mars Red Sky coming from France to play, Death Alley from the Netherlands, Snail from the West Coast, Kings Destroy giving New York due representation with a special set – “Planet XXY?” who knew? – EYE from Ohio, Funeral Horse from Houston, King Buffalo from Rochester and Heavy Temple from Philly. And to Walter and Adam Otracina for helming the afterparty. Whether they were coming from near or far, it really felt like everybody put something extra into the show and I was continually humbled and blown away by what I saw and heard all day and into the night. People loaning each other gear, making adjustments on the fly, starting and ending on time, everything came together better than I could’ve hoped, and it was just wonderful to see. I am deeply grateful.

Thanks to Jaime Traba for recording the audio of the sets. More on that hopefully soon. Thanks to Frank Huang for capturing video. Steve Truglio, Randy Blood, Harry Booth and others for getting photos. Like I said, my camera died, so knowing that there were plenty of others around was a great comfort.

Thanks to Skillit for the amazing poster and logo design, and to Dave from Made in Brooklyn for printing the patches. Thanks to my family, Suze Wright, Andy Wright and Rob Jones, for coming and helping sell merch. Thanks to Slevin and Ralph. Thanks to Liz and Dave from Earsplit and Becky Laverty for the plugs. Thanks to Postman Dan for buying tickets even though he couldn’t make it. Thanks to Randy and Laura Blood, Juan Lopez, Jen Hendrix-Johnson, Kenny Sehgal, Phil Moon, Adam Sawford, Nico Liengme and Laurel Jane May, Earl Walker Lundy, Seibert Lowe, Paul John Shaft, Lisa Hass, Melanie Streko, Ron, Jill Lavilette, Brian Schmidt, Ross Colombo, Alex Jakstas, Natasha Padilla, Tad Proshansky, Zack Kurland, Greg Aramini, and many, many others who came out, everyone who had a kind word about the site, the band selection, my book, everything. I’m quite sure I’ll add to this list as I regain even my usual limited use of my mental faculties, but this is for starters and please know that whether you were there in-person or if you shared a link or saw a post about it and liked it or bought tickets in advance or just read the site generally. Thank you. Thank you all so much. Thank you.

Thank you.

I’m going to take a couple weeks and really think about whether this is something I want to do again, but if I do, I know it won’t be an annual thing. Whatever happens moving forward, I want you to know how unbelievable this night was for me and I hope for everyone who attended as well. One more time, thank you.

I don’t have photos of my own, Steve Truglio was kind enough to send me shots of each band who played, and you’ll find them after the jump.

Read more »

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The Obelisk All-Dayer Countdown: Afterparty with DJ Adzo & Walter Roadburn

Posted in Features, The Obelisk Presents on August 18th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk all-dayer

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

It’s going to be a long day. I know it, you know it. That’s kind of the idea. Some all-dayer it would be if it was a three-hour gig. Nonetheless, I urge you to stick around when The Obelisk All-Dayer is done this Saturday at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NYC, because the afterparty is going to be ridiculous in all the right ways.

Even after Mars Red Sky finish. After Death Alley, Snail, Kings Destroy, EYE, Funeral Horse, King Buffalo and Heavy Temple are done, the show will go on. The first-ever The Obelisk All-Dayer (just buy your goddamn tickets already) is proud to welcome DJs Walter Roadburn and Adzo for a vinyl-spinning set after the last band to cap the night with a final reinforcement of the show’s party vibe.

All are welcome.

I am thrilled and honored to have Walter Roadburn coming over for the fest. Over the last seven-plus years, there is no single individual who has inspired me more through his passion and relentless work ethic. As the organizer of the Roadburn Festival held annually in Tilburg, the Netherlands, he’s helped shape European and worldwide underground heavy rock in ways I don’t think he’d ever admit to, and the creativity he puts into what he does is second to none. He is someone who has turned “putting on a show” into an art form, a genuine expression of love and reverence that only continues to grow and develop with each passing year. It will be humbling to have him there, let alone picking tracks.

He’ll be joined by DJ Adzo, aka Adam Kriney, drummer/vocalist of Brooklyn natives The Golden Grass. That outfit has been one of the highlights of a Brooklyn psych scene over the last couple years, tapping into a vein of proto-heavy that encompasses a positivity few bands would dare go near. Their unabashed joy for what they do comes through in their recorded output and live shows, and they’re the kind of group you just know has some killer taste. Kriney has made numerous DJ appearances around NYC over the last several years as DJ Adzo, and I can’t wait to hear what he spins as Saturday night creeps into Sunday morning at the Vitus Bar.

That’ll do it for the countdown. Show is the day after tomorrow, and quite frankly, you need to be there. I hope you’ll come. I’ve worked hard to make it a special day front to back, and while I know not everyone will be there from start to finish, my hope is that everyone who shows up gets something memorable out of the experience.

Thank you.

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

Saint Vitus Bar website

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The Obelisk All-Dayer Countdown: Heavy Temple, Chassit Teaser

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Features, The Obelisk Presents on August 17th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk all-dayer

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

I’m gonna need you to take my word for it on this one. Really. You don’t want to miss Heavy Temple as they kick off The Obelisk All-Dayer this Saturday at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. You just don’t. They start the show at 2:30PM, and whether or not you caught onto their first, self-titled EP (review here), it doesn’t even matter because their new stuff blows it out of the water. Bassist/vocalist High Priestess Nighthawk — who needs real names, anyway? — has assembled a lineup of righteous compatriots and as a hard-fuzz power trio, they’re absolutely scalding on stage. Heavy nod, psych flourish, rhythmic density, memorable hooks and the occasional soaring moment that is absolutely bound to leave an impression.

Part of the reason I ask you to take my word for it is that the teaser below doesn’t actually give much of a taste of their upcoming next release, Chassit. The Philly three-piece will have a tape out via Tridroid by November, and presumably some more audio will precede before then, but the bit of noise and feedback proffered by Nighthawk, guitarist Arch Bishop Barghest and Siren Tempestas — who leads the march kicking into the track “Ursa” shortly hereafter — is the first audio to come from Heavy Temple since the self-titled and at very least it lets you know the kind of filthy tonality they’re getting down with these days. Way down.

Rest assured, there will be more to come on Chassit as we get closer to and through the release of the tape, but in the meantime, catch Heavy Temple this Saturday at The Obelisk All-Dayer with Mars Red Sky, Death Alley, Snail, Kings Destroy, EYE, Funeral Horse and King Buffalo. If you haven’t gotten tickets yet, get them here.

Thank you and enjoy:

Heavy Temple, Chassit teaser

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

Heavy Temple on Thee Facebooks

Saint Vitus Bar website

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The Obelisk All-Dayer Countdown: King Buffalo, “Goliath” Live

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Features, The Obelisk Presents on August 16th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk all-dayer

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

In today’s The Obelisk All-Dayer countdown post we see Rochester, New York’s King Buffalo laying blissful waste to the venue at which I was first fortunate enough to watch them play: The Living Room in Stroudsburg, PA. This clip is from this past April, and I wasn’t at this show, but having seen the band as recently as June, I can vouch for the righteousness of the textures they inhabit.

They’ll play second at the first-ever The Obelisk All-Dayer, this Saturday at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NYC (if you haven’t, get your tickets now), joining the bill with Mars Red Sky, Death Alley, Snail, Kings Destroy, EYE, Funeral Horse and Heavy Temple, as well as aftershow DJs Walter Roadburn and DJ Adzo (aka Adam from The Golden Grass).

The three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Sean McVay, bassist Dan Reynolds and drummer Scott Donaldson come to The Obelisk All-Dayer on the heels of releasing their first full-length, Orion (review here), which continues to unfold on repeat listens and has only come to stand taller among the finest of 2016’s many debut albums. Already they’re no strangers to touring, and this gig will wrap their latest stint directly supporting Orion coming out.

If you haven’t heard the band before, get to the Vitus Bar early. I mean it. Not only are you going to want to see Heavy Temple, but King Buffalo‘s blend of psychedelia and heavy blues is second to none, and they’re precisely the kind of tripped-out and welcoming vibe I want to emphasize with this show, proving that just because something is heavy and has a presence doesn’t mean it needs to be pissed off at nothing or full of testosterone chestbeating. Dig in and look forward to the live immersion.

Special thanks to Steve Truglio of PA’s My Show for the clip. To see the entire gig, click here.

Enjoy:

King Buffalo, “Goliath” live in PA, April 16, 2016

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

King Buffalo on Thee Facebooks

Saint Vitus Bar website

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The Obelisk All-Dayer Countdown: EYE, Vision and Ageless Light Album Trailer Premiere

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Features, The Obelisk Presents on August 15th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk all-dayer

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

My understanding is that the release date for EYE‘s long-awaited third album — actually not that long, it just feels that way — has been pushed back to November. When it arrives, Vision and Ageless Light will be the Ohio space-psych rockers’ first outing for new label home The Laser’s Edge, following 2013’s Second Sight (review here) and their 2011 debut, Center of the Sun (discussed here and here).

The trailer premiered below marks the first audio to be made public from Vision and Ageless Light, as well as the debut of the cover art, and it comes so far ahead of the release date in honor of the band’s appearance at The Obelisk All-Dayer, THIS SATURDAY, Aug. 20 at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. Five days from now. If you’re not excited for it yet, I double-dog-dare you to click play below and not buy a ticket immediately to witness this Moog-y majesty in person.

EYE were the final band to be added to the first-ever The Obelisk All-Dayer, and what they bring to the lineup is something distinct from every other group involved. Their lush, melodically rich progressive psychedelia is utterly spaced in its atmosphere, but still maintains an emotional crux, as the swirling synth and guitar, vocal harmonies and contemplative rhythms display across their first two albums leading up to this one. If I wanted to, I don’t think I could be more thrilled to have EYE as a part of this show, and the fact that they come on the eve of issuing their new album with the prospect of playing new material only enhances that enthusiasm.

Joining EYE at The Obelisk All-Dayer are Mars Red SkyDeath AlleySnailKings DestroyFuneral HorseKing Buffalo and Heavy Temple, as well as DJs Adzo and Walter Roadburn, who’ll handle aftershow duties. It’s going to be incredible. Don’t miss it.

Enjoy this sample of Vision and Ageless Light and get your tickets for Aug. 20!

EYE, Vision and Ageless Light album trailer

The Obelisk All-Dayer tickets

EYE on Thee Facebooks

Saint Vitus Bar website

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