Thanks so much to everyone who came out, especially the fabulous bands who played, and to Trophy Bar for hosting the whole madness. I know everyone I invited to play were some of my favorites, so of course I was thrilled more than anybody else to see them all at one place, but I was extra excited because they all played incredibly strong sets. A ton of pictures are posted here with helpful captions, and we filmed pretty much the whole thing, so video will come soon too! All pics were taken by me (Sarahana), except where noted.

Afuche

The Afuchitas – a feisty gang of interpretive dancers put together by our explosive opening act, Afuche.

Not only was there a lot of dancing, but quite a bit of synchronized screaming.

Afuche decided to go pick up their badges and free Kangaroos shoes after setting up. They played in their new shoes.

And they even sported the free Kangaroos shirts they got in their gift bag.

The amazing drummer of Afuche is clearly adored by his group of dancers.

tUnE-yArDs

Zach Condon’s crew was drinking outside and they all got up and rushed in as soon as we heard Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs testing her voice inside.

I’d asked her if she wanted to do an acoustic set, and she performed on a sole (tenor) ukulele. I had goose bumps throughout her set.

Pic below by Sahara

Zach Condon of Beirut, Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs, Ruben Sindo Acosta of Afuche hanging out in the backyard.

Luke Winslow-King trio

This was my dad’s favorite set at the show. When Luke Winslow-King’s most handsome trio in the world played their 20s inspired rag tunes, and given the Trophy Bar decor, I felt like we were sailing on a boat.

The washboard kills.

And look at this fabulous tuba.

Gracious Calamity

Ideally these girls from Gracious Calamity would play at your bonfire party or your porch. They played a quiet folk-y set that sounded like sweet lullabies.

Doesn’t this look very warm and fuzzy? It’s only missing a bonfire.

Glass Ghost

Glass Ghost provided just the bit of diversity we need in our line-up. Eliot Krimsky’s haunting voice, idiosyncratic rhythms, and awesome bass setup on the keyboard. I was so glad to have them on. I misplaced my camera during their set, so didn’t get to take pictures, sigh.

Pic below by New York Rock Market

Pic below by Sahara

Pic below by Sahara

I found my camera as the set ended. Here’s drummer Mike Johnson.

Drink Up Buttercup

I’ve seen Drink Up Buttercup a bunch of times, but this was the best set I’ve seen from them, period. Drunken sailors all around. Can’t thank them enough.

They played a song about penises and another one about “female anatomy”.

Consulting a last-minute set list they’d made on their iPhone.

Jim had to kneel cause he was using the one little mic we had for his guitar. It was his birthday eve.

Sharon Van Etten

Sharon Van Etten started off by saying she didn’t have any songs about penises.

And that she was wearing her mom’s shoes (with holes).

She was stellar, of course. I don’t even need to mention that.

Pic below by Sahara

Pic below by Jessi Bautista

Pic below by Jessi Bautista

Pic below by Sahara

Pic below by Sahara

Mark Charles of Vandaveer laughs at Sharon’s jokes.

Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs watching Sharon perform.

Adam Arcuragi

Adam Arcuragi arrived with a crew he put together in the last minute. It included a saw player, and plenty of clapping and stomping.

This man changed his plans to be in Chicago to come play here instead. He’s crazy like that. He’s moving to New York soon and you should be on the look out for backyard performances.

When they discovered there was only one mic, they improvised plenty of things.

Vandaveer

Vandaveer started indoors, but after an issue with the mic levels, they yelled, “Who wants to go outside?” and we all poured into the backyard.

It was a fine call! The light rain had cleared just in time.

It was very French, really.

Rose Guerin of Vandaveer strikes a pose.

Mark Charles climbs a table. La Strada looks on.

Motel Motel

People kept asking me who our secret guests were. I had to clarify that it wasn’t a secret at all, but just that Motel Motel is very special. I’d asked them to play a set that would be a “Secret Garden” set and I’m amazed by how much these guys grasp the idea of the Secret Garden without me having to explain anything at all.

Bassist Timo Sullivan and drummer Jeremy Duvall played a guitar case and a banjo case instead.

Look at Mickey Theis. Doesn’t he look like a very handsome man from the 50s?

Eric Engel doesn’t really need the mic at all.

They played “Harlem” the same way they played it for our Secret Garden video (coming soon): a capella, backed up by a recording on a tape. Erik Gundel and Mickey Theis provided gorgeous harmonies.

Timo Sullivan taking a break from his exhausting guitar-case-playing session.

Delicious kebab rolls my mom sold in the backyard.

Thanks everyone! Seriously, it was the best party I’ve been to!

Apart from the awesome bands and their awesome managers, and supportive friends in general, notable thanks to Sahara (my sister and trusty helping hand), Kevin Eder and China Kirk (both devoted friends and moral supporters), Ray of Ray Concepcion (he filmed the whole thing!), and my mom for staying up all night to make the delicious food.

Download the Hooves on the Turf Northside Sampler (49.8mb).

It includes a song each from all bands playing our showcase, in the order of appearance.

1. “Karate” by Afuche
2. “Hatari” by tUnE-yArDs
3. “As April Is to May” by Luke Winslow-King
4. “Song that Grows Like a Vine (Live)” by Gracious Calamity
5. “Sosey & Dosey” by Drink Up Buttercup
6. “Mechanical Life” by Glass Ghost
7. “For You” by Sharon Van Etten
8. “Ain’t No Grave” by Adam Arcuragi
9. “Woolgathering” by Vandaveer
10. a song by our special guests

Hooves on the Turf’s Northside Festival showcase
at Trophy Bar, 351 Broadway Brooklyn, NY 11211

FREE / 21+ / June 13, 2009 / 1PM Onwards

2:00 Afuche
2:30 tUnE-yArDs
3:00 Luke Winslow-King
3:30 Gracious Calamity
4:00 Drink Up Buttercup
4:30 Glass Ghost
5:00 Sharon Van Etten
5:30 Adam Arcuragi
6:00 Vandaveer
6:30 Special Guests (oh my!)

Download the Hooves on the Turf Northside Sampler (49.8mb).

It includes a song each from all 10 bands.

Philly’s Drink Up Buttercup has a new 7″ for “Farewell Captain”. It’s made in Czechoslovakia and it’s red, and you would know this firsthand too if you owned it for $7. I feel like the band has an identifiable sound that can grouped into light and dark. “Farewell Captain” belongs to the dark, and with its jolting thrusts of everything (keys, bass, guitar, drums), a quirky change of tempo that takes you to rolling dark waves of the ocean sweeping across drowning sailors (quite possibly), and an echoing, semi-operatic, haunting refrain that closes the whole thing, it’s been a staple at Drink Up’s live shows. In a way, it’s in itself a portfolio of the band’s sound. For now you’re either going to have to buy this 7″ or head over to myspace in order to listen, but posted here is the b-side, “Sosey & Dosey”, which is a fair representation of their light sound. After listening to various live versions, it’s pretty exciting to have a proper mp3 of it to yourself (which comes with the 7″ of course). I love the lyrics, too: “Sosey” and “Dosey” are the names of the characters involved, and they “keep on falling”, to the rolling beat of that song thaf feels like one long tumble.

Download “Sosey and Dosey“

The single release party was at the new Bruar Falls in Williamsburg on a rainy Tuesday night (the horror, right?). It was my second time there, and the mood was weird, not festive like it was at the Afuche/Tune Yards show. Maybe it’s just me, but I come away from darkly lit venues with a general lack of happiness and a vague sense of exhaustion. Drink Up Buttercup is an especially visual band, and even though the weird venue projection they played against was kind of cool, half the fun is being able to see (not just hear) these guys play, which was difficult in this setup. The stage is small there, so they couldn’t really move around either, and whoever was doing the sound was doing a terrible job, in my opinion. It sounded like everything’d been pushed to the max with no concern for balancing the different elements (in my recording I can’t hear the drums at all). Even during the first band’s set, the volume was so loud that it was surprisingly and absolutely impossible to talk to anyone at all, which I’d never experienced before. Fortunately, Drink Up Buttercup doesn’t let anything get in the way of rocking out. Still, I wasn’t 100% satisfied, so I went to the Santos Party House show the next night, where the stage had breathing room (yes!), the sound was clear (yes!) and the audience was a whole lot funner. It was my first time there, and I really liked it. Pictures in this post are taken from that show.

Farzad Houshiarnejad of Drink Up Buttercup was found taking a nap.

At this strange place:

But he woke up to set the stage with the rest of the band.

He got on his knees and got right into it. This was one of my favorite shows I’ve seen in Austin so far.

These guys are known to get crazy on stage, but they do so without trying. An “instrument” like a trash can easily come across as a gimmick, or a prop, but when Drink Up plays it, the sound of smashing tin makes complete aural sense. That’s probably because unlike a lot of bands who’re great at putting on a memorable show but don’t have songs you’d want to listen to at home, the inherent design of Drink Up’s songs define all the signature qualities of their live shows. Nothing feels out of place or like an afterthought.

Ben Money has one of my favorite stage presences ever.

I love Mike Cammarata.

And James Harvey’s opera-influenced voice.

Then I headed out to the DCist party to see These United States at Friends Bar. Middle Distance Runner was playing when I got in.

After their set we stepped out to catch Joe Pug down the street at Paradise. There was music everywhere.

Joe Pug is from Chicago and he’s fantastic.

Back at Friends Bar, US Royalty was playing.

Then came These United States!

Middle Distance Runner watched intently.

We were back on the streets.

Musicians everywhere.

We headed to Ms. Bea’s for another of Todd P’s patio parties.

This time around, it was a New York Noise get-together. Box Elders were playing.

Pains of Being Pure at Heart was already there, in anticipation of their 9:00 PM set, but mostly to relax, I’m sure, since Ms. Bea’s seems perfect for a little break from all of the downtown madness.

I was there to see The Beets, from Jackson Heights, Queens, but it was impossible to judge. The sound at the venue was too washed out and muddy.

Someone hated haters:

Still Flyin’ played next.

Their guitar was broken in the course of their flight, so they played a borrowed one. They had a fun presence, and a lot of people were digging their music, but it’s not my thing.

Some people drew on the ground with chalk.

Let’s Wrestle played next.

Then we headed to Club 1808 to catch Suckers. Our cab driver told us that we were getting off at “crack central” and that he couldn’t believe we were being asked to come to this place. I don’t know where he was getting his information from. Club 1808 had a pleasant backyard with a nice stage, and the only person mean was a clean-looking white boy in a baseball cap who exited the premise yelling, “If you ain’t from Austin, you’re shit!” He was furious.

The Chap was playing. They’re British. They were really into poses that were synced with the lyrics and the music. Like this one:

And this one:

Or this, which they froze in at the end of their set for a full minute I think. Their songs were silly but their performance was really tight.

The schedule was kind of all over the place. Dark Meat wasn’t even supposed to play, but they did.

Their band members were sprawled all over the lawn and the stage.

Slow Club came on next.

They started with acoustic songs and tried out electric ones.

They ended with an unamplified song amongst the audience.

Casio Kids from Norway played next. Even though their music isn’t my type, their sound was crisp and every detail was a fine cut. They were dorky in that Norwegian dance band way, but they were fun.

The Mae-Shi were supposed to be the headliners but they played before other bands. To put on an unforgetable and engaging show is their practiced art, even though they’re a little show-off-y for my liking, and sometimes some things can feel like tricks being pulled out of a bag. But if you’re looking for an amazing concert experience, you should see the Mae-Shi.

Rebecca of Slow Club, who performed her version of The Mae-Shi’s “Run To Your Grave” later on, watched on.

There were more guest performances.

The band I went to see was Suckers, even though I’d promised myself to not run after bands I already like, let alone bands I already like that are from Brooklyn. I’m glad I went to see them though, they provided much-needed nourishment for the overworked musical sensibilities. They also played a song they’d just written on their 3-day-old tour, which happens to be their first tour ever.

Quinn Walker’s voice isn’t quite fully back yet, but he was fearlessly pushing it, and it sounds awesome even in its injured form.

After this I headed back to Paradise to catch The Tallest Man on Earth, who was set to go on at 1AM, but he never showed. I found out the next day that the schedule was all backed up, and he would’ve had to go on at 3AM if he were to catch up, so he cancelled his performance. Instead of his goodness, I was stuck with this band from LA. They played pretty good and they seem well-intentioned, but most LA bands live in a world I can’t relate to, so I was extremely bored.

20. Those Darlins

This is the sound I was looking for when I clicked on far too many terrible country bands from the SXSW official artist list. I’m sticking with Those Darlins instead.

Download “Wild One“

19. Hurray for the Riff Raff

When Walt McClements plays that accordion and Alynda Lee sings her sad songs, there’s no sense at all in leaving the room.
Watch their “Secret Garden” video.

Download “Grocery (Live at the Secret Garden)“

18. Fanfarlo

I really dislike the high synth lines in this particular song, and there’s one track in their album Reservoir that sounds a little too much like its arrangement was modeled after Beirut, but this voice is too good to resist.

Download “Harold T. Wilkins“

17. Liz Green

What a hauntingly magnificent voice. In her live performances she is joined by the fabulous Gus Fairbairn and John Fairhurst (whose solo set itself is sure to be awesome). Liz doesn’t have any unofficial shows planned as of now, but you can follow my twitter if you’re interested in keeping up with any last-minute performances and/or house shows she’s sure to play.

Download “Midnight Blues“

16. Sharon Van Etten

One of a kind, and best paired with whiskey. She’s only playing unofficial shows.
Watch her “Secret Garden” video.

Download “It’s Not Like“

15. Left Lane Cruiser

This just sounds like an enormous amount of fun.

Download “Big Momma“

14. Cotton Jones

Paranoid Cocoon is a fine album, and Cotton Jones is one of the most graceful bands today.

Download “Blood Sentimental Blues“

13. Motel Motel

Motel Motel is easily one of the more interesting bands to have recently come out of Brooklyn.

Download “Coffee“

12. Dark Dark Dark

Their sea-bound traveling songs are always a treat. They’re only playing unofficial shows.
Watch their “Secret Garden” video.

Download “New York Song“

11. Adam Arcuragi

I love Adam’s wholesome voice; there’s just the right combination of swagger and heartbreak in it. He’s only playing unofficial shows.
Watch a video of him playing with his friends from These United States.

Download “The Bottom of the River (Live at IOTA)“

10. Lonnie Walker

It doesn’t look like there’s been much recorded, yet there’s an unmistakable and likable personality that comes through in the few songs available.

Download “Compass Comforts“

9. Micachu

This is probably the band in this list that intrigues me the most.

Download “Golden Phone“

8. Callers

When Sara Lucas sings, you can be sure that it’s to your benefit. It probably even makes your heart healthier. Callers is from Brooklyn.
Watch their “Secret Garden” video.

Download “More Than Right“

7. Suckers

Suckers is equipped with a great drummer and a fantastic combination of two very distinct voices; hopefully Quinn Walker has recovered his by now, after losing it temporarily. Suckers is also from Brooklyn.

Download “Afterthoughts and TV (Demo)“

6. Drink Up Buttercup

These guys seem to deliver engaging shows without a fail; probably because they’re some of the most confident and assertive performers I’ve ever seen, and they’re totally bent on making the shows fun for themselves.
Watch their “Secret Garden” video.

Download “Sosey Dosey (Live at Earfarm’s CMJ show)“

5. Floating Action

My favorite new band. Their upcoming self-titled is already one of my best-loved of the year.

Download “50 Lashes“

4. The Tallest Man on Earth

I guess Kristian Matsson must lead at least two lives, because he most certainly leads one in my dreams!

Download “The Gardener“

3. These United States

It’s a good thing These United States plays so many shows so very often, because I’m pretty close to becoming dependent on seeing them perform every now and then. I’d like to think that I’ve seen many great bands who are brilliant on stage, but not all of them have the dangerous effect of acting like a magnetic field to what you consider important and what you don’t. In your life, I mean.
Watch their “Secret Garden” video.

Download “Honor Amongst Thieves“

2. Tune Yards

Some of the most important songs I’ve heard recently are from Tune Yards’ album, Bird-Brains. Merrill Garbus, the woman behind it, is a rare jewel; her songs have nine lives, and her voice is their overarching, irreplaceable mother-ship. You’re gonna have to be driven if you want to catch her though: I was told she’ll most definitely be playing only one show, that being the Force Field PR + Asthmatic Kitty party. I’m guessing her other band Sister Suvi’s multiple-show schedule has something to do with it.
Watch her “Secret Garden” video.

Download “Hatari“

1. White Denim

Badass! Their album Exposion is one of my absolute favorites from the last two years, but I’ve never seen them play before. I’m on a high-priority mission to catch at least one White Denim show while in Austin this week.

Download “Don’t Look That Way at It“

On a side note, there will be no Secret Garden shows for the next two Tuesdays, but there will be daily updates from Austin, and there will be new videos after I return. If any of the twenty artists listed here interest you, you should follow me on Twitter.

Drink Up Buttercup is one of my favorite new bands right now; I love their distinct aesthetic for rhythm and how all four members seem to totally get it as a sound of their own, which seems to happen less often than you’d think, I guess. I met with them in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, just as the sun was just setting, and they were on their way back to Philadelphia after playing a few New York shows. They’d come in their tour van that “wolf howler” Farzad Houshiarnejad described as “nothing but trouble”, though he wasn’t quite referring to the the two shiny trash cans that were peaking out of it while they unloaded more portable instruments like a keyboard and a tambourine.

The band jumped right into playing a new untitled song while walking in no particular direction, only to realize halfway through that the guitar singer James Harvey had borrowed from their manager Simon Henderson, and which set the key for the song, was tuned way lower than normal. They carried on anyway, but we decided to re-shoot the song by an abandoned (and scattered) pile of clothing, after which they sang “Lovers Play Dead” on our way to the waterfront, where Simon found a discarded ironing board for Ben Money to put his keyboard on. Then they played “Sosey & Dosey”. While Farzad was lighting a cigarette afterward, they burst into a traditional Polish tune, which was probably my favorite part of the whole evening. When I asked if any one of them was Polish, they all affirmed some degree of Polish heritage, except for 18-year-old, half-Ukranian drummer Mike Cammarata, who said with a noteworthy delivery, “I’ve got nothing”.

Secret Garden is a video series produced by Hooves on the Turf, in which we meet with a band to film them performing a few songs outside the context of a regular show. You can view the full video archive here.

Please link to this page if embedding these videos.
Watch in HD + fullscreen mode

Part 1 of 2

Honey Honey, Lovers Play Dead

Part 2 of 2

Sosey & Dosey, Polish Heritage

Website: Drink Up Buttercup Myspace

See schedule for upcoming Secret Garden videos.

Here’s a schedule of Secret Garden releases coming in the near future. If you’re unfamiliar with this ever-changing, magical garden, it is a video series in which I film bands performing a few songs outside the context of a regular show. Along with the schedule you’ll also find some “candid band photos” that, as a tradition of my own, I take after each shoot–though sometimes I forget.

If you’re a blogger who’d like to write a preview for any of these episodes before they release, just email me at hoovesontheturf [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll give you access to an “advanced screening” of a sort. Thanks!

2009 Winter/Spring Release Dates for Secret Garden Video Series

Feb 13 – The Minor White (impromptu session)

Mp3 coming soon.

Feb 17 - Drink Up Buttercup

Download “Sosey & Dosey (Live at Ear Farm CMJ Showcase)” (via Ear Farm)

Feb 24 – Tune Yards

Download “Hatari”

Mar 3 – Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps

Download “Closing the Doors”

Mar 6 – Matt Jones

Download “One Cotton Shot Short”

Mar 10 – Suckers

Download “Afterthoughts and TV (Demo)”

I’m pretty sure that Drink Up Buttercup is pretty much everyone’s idea of a great live show. The songs were good too, but it didn’t matter much what they were playing as long as they were playing, though I was an instant fan of James Harvey, one of the three singers–this one providing operatic voices every now and then. I couldn’t even sit still while capturing the footage from my camera. The Lisps played after them, and it was a blast seeing them in a regular show, outside of their musical; without the need to stay in character, they seemed much more free to move to their own music, and this was more apparent in singer Sammy Tunis, who was strikingly dressed in a black dress paired with red stockings and red boots. It was great to hear a few tunes off their musical, The Futurity–that song about mathematics is pretty sweet. You’ll notice in the video that drummer Eric Farber even moves like a robot to create that mechanical beat. Go see for yourself–videos of both bands are after the jump, and there’s more coming next week.

Please link back to this page if embedding any of these videos and images.

Drink Up Buttercup – Turn HD on.

Download “Mr. Pie Eyes“ | They’re playing Club NME on Feb 5 and The Living Room on Feb 8.

The Lisps – Turn HD on and watch in full screen mode

Download “Documents“

Drink Up Buttercup – Photos

The Lisps – Photos

Websites: Drink Up Buttercup, The Lisps