Bob Log III @ Off Broadway

      Opener Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout was really something else. I've never witnessed a lead singer take his mic with him upstairs, into the bathroom, and out the front door all while singing. The craziest part? It wasn't a wireless microphone. He was dragging this thing on a cable throughout the whole venue, frequently serenading the audience one person at a time. Despite the strangeness, the band sounded cool too, spanning several genres including circus music. I might describe it as weird hardcore (weirdcore? Is that a thing?)
     Bob Log III is a blues musician. That's the simple way of putting it. He's a one man band. Also, he always wears the helmet and jumpsuit. Seeing him in concert is definitely an experience. At first I was really intrigued by the absurdity of the whole thing. He can barely see out of the helmet and his songs are mostly about sex and "doing whatever the hell you want." But then, as the show continued, I became incredibly impressed with the music and the skill it takes to perform that music. It's pretty hard to concentrate on singing, guitar, kick drum, high-hat, two drum-machines, and a clap pedal at the same time. My eyes couldn't even follow his left hand.
    Audience participation? At every show he invites two girls to sit on his knees while he plays his hit song, "I Want Your Shit On My Leg."
     "This one is for the ladies. And when I say ladies, I mean ladies named Shirley. Any Shirley's out there? No? No Shirley's? Well shit, this song ain't gonna fuckin work."
     I'm serious when I say that the last true bluesman is not Jack White or The Black Keys. It's Bob Log III. Isn't that what the blues was all about? Being the only person in your band, drinking, and acting crazy? 
   Here's a music video to help you understand what it's all about.

    Before the show, I was able to get a brief interview with Mr. Log himself. He laid on a couch while I sat down. I was like a therapist, trying to understand his insanity.


Anti-Formula: How old were you when you learned to play guitar and how did you learn?
Bob Log III: Well, I first started to play guitar when I was eleven. Umm, I didn't necessarily LEARN to play guitar when I was eleven but I started. And how did I learn? I just picked it up, put on a record and started just making noise  like the record was making, or tried to anyway. Just start hitting it. "Beat that thing every fuckin day," that was the plan.


AF: Where are you from and where do you live now?
BL: I'm from Tuscon, Arizona but I live in Melbourne, Australia.


AF: Is it true that the toilets flow backwards in Australia?
BL: I've never seen that happen because we don't have a swirley toilet, we've just got a whoooosh! toilet. It just all goes straight.


AF: Besides Evel Knievel, what are some of your influences?
BL: Well, Angus from AC/DC. I kinda liked Superman when I was a kid. And, uh, I like pole-vaulters. I think that they do a good job getting over that pole.


AF: They do. They are some of the most underrated athletes, I think.
BL: Right, right. And it's kind of a sport you kinda have to do alone. There's no real "team" pole-vaulting. And I'm not saying that there shouldn't be team sports, that's great. I play like pole-vaulting of music. It's kinda like you kinda gotta be alone to do it the way it's done right. This thing, anyway.


AF: If you weren't a musician or a pole-vaulter, what would you be?
BL: Yeah, I have no idea. I've never even thought about that. Hmm... nope, no idea. [laughs] Never occurred to me.

AF: Alright, that's all I got. Thank you very much.
BL: Alright, Dakota. That was very easy! Thank you very much, man.

     I'd like to end this one with a quote from the show last night. I want it to be the epitaph on my tombstone.

"I ain't done yet, goddamit." - Bob Log III

Mildred and The Mice - I Like My Mice (Dead)

There is a shroud of mystery that surrounds the musical act Mildred and The Mice. Jack White, the album's producer, has given us one story about a hardware store, a Winnebago, and a lack of artist info but I have some doubts. It's a wonderful story and I hope it's true but I just can't be sure. However, I know that they created a 45 single and that's what I'm going to talk about.

I picked this up at Vintage Vinyl knowing nothing about Mildred or her mice. I just knew that Jack White is one of my favorite producers and the girl on the front looks crazy. Awesome.

"I Like My Mice (Dead)" is a very simple song containing only two or three chords. It begins with Mildred singing in "meows" with some instruments behind it. Everything stops and the guitar comes back with a different riff. The ultimate stomp beat, Mildred shouts about killing mice. The guitars sound naturally distorted, a common theme with Jack White. After a few great screams, the tempo really picks up. If you listen, you can tell that Mildred barely has any breathe. She makes this kind of face-melting noise towards the end.

The B-Side, "Spider Bite," also starts with some excellent meowing. The song is very slow and scary as Mildred sings lyrics that are similar to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" except the spider sneaks into houses and bites children. Then she sings about a cat that comes along and kills some more mice, a common theme in Mildred's small discography. Very quickly the song changes back into the fast tempo of "I Like My Mice (Dead)" and the entire song changes. That's right, the B-Side turns into the A-Side.

"I Like My Mice (Dead)" is out now on Third Man Records. The mystery of this record only makes it more exciting. I think it's pretty interesting, funny, bold, and a great way to make your friends very concerned. I only pray that Mildred hasn't already murdered the rest of her band...

Foo Fighters @ Scottrade Center

Photo courtesy of Danny Hommes

     A band as big as Foo Fighters typically has two openers so let's get that out of the way first.
     Mariachi El Bronx, the alter-ego of hardcore band The Bronx (it's a little confusing; they're not even from the Bronx, they're from LA), took the stage in their matching black and red mariachi outfits. While at first a little confused, I was pleased to hear their unique sound. They combined mariachi and punk music in a really cool way. Their drummer, a Buddy Holly look-alike, played a cocktail kit that sounded awesome. It was clear that the whole band was having a blast.
     What can I say about Rise Against? The bass player was solid. The singer had a lot of enthusiasm. That's the positive stuff. The drummer was weak. The songs sounded the same. The guitarist can kick his foot above his head and does so at EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY. But, they made the Foos sound better. Gotta give them that.
     The band finally took stage and opened with "Bridges Burning," the first track of their new album. Playing a great mix of old and new songs, the set lasted three hours just as Dave promised. Many of the songs had extended endings and "Stacked Actors" featured a guitar battle between Chris Shiflett and Dave Grohl.
     Emphasizing on the epicness of their rock music, the stage had a platform that extended all the way across the floor of the arena. Have you ever been to Scottrade? It's pretty big. There was also a riser at the opposite end. It doesn't get any bigger than singing lead vocals for a band all the way across a stadium. They also had an awesome light show.
     "Young Man Blues" was covered by Foo Fighters for VH1 Rock Honors The Who in 2008. Since then, they've been playing it at most of their live shows including the one last night. They also led us in Tom Petty and The Heartbreaker's "Breakdown."
     At the beginning of the encore, Dave played a few songs on acoustic before being joined by the rest of the band. Finally, the best possible song to end the night, "Everlong." This is my favorite Foo Fighters song as well as that of many other fans. It has the amazing quality of meaning something great to everyone who hears it even though everyone hears a different meaning. If you enjoy any form of rock, go see Foo Fighters in concert. They're the most accessible great rock band on tour.

Sleepy Kitty - Infinity City

St. Louis local music always surprises me. Sometimes it's hard to believe that such good music can be made by people who live so close to me, people I see on the street or in the audience at concerts.
Infinity City starts out with "Gimme A Chantz!," a rocking song to start out with. Paige Brubeck has a great Nilsson-like way of harmonizing with herself that appears throughout the album.
"Seventeen" is a cover of the Beatles' "When I Saw Her Standing There." At six minutes long, it's not quite like the original. It's an intriguing jam of the classic hit.
"NYC Really Has It All" is a conversation with an old friend about how much their hometown has changed since they were young. This is a perfect anthem for reminiscing about your own childhood.
My favorite track, "Dykula," has vocals that remind me of Karen O. Her basic message in the song is clear: I wish I'd never met you. I also like the retro "shoobop's."
Lastly, the vinyl-only eleventh track, "Greetings From Cherokee St USA," is a simple song of piano and beautiful vocals. At certain points it is filled with street noise, presumably recorded from Cherokee Street. It is a beautifully written song about Sleepy Kitty's neighborhood. Like most vinyl-only tracks, it's only available on the vinyl copy, sadly.
Infinity City is out now on Euclid Records. I bet you can pick it up at a certain record store of the same name.

Buchers Boy - Skin and Bones

Country music is frequently filled with themes of sorrow, coffins, shotguns, and dogs. This album may not have those last three. As far as sorrow, it goes one step farther. Rage. This is country music that definitely seems to be more anger-fueled than woe-fueled.
Butchers Boy is a country-rock band with an emphasis on 'rock.' The vocals sound tortured at some points. I can't always understand them which makes me want to listen to them over and over again until I can understand the entire message.
The drums provide very innovative takes on well-known rhythms. Some of the guitar solos are especially mean.
Highlight tracks include the title track, "Skin and Bones," with a slightly sinister mood and brilliant guitar. On top of it all, my favorite part is the xylophone solo at the end. "Put On Your Jacket" starts out slow and then builds with tumultuous drums and some awesome breaks. The organ on "Wicked On Broadway" makes the song sound like a great party.
Possibly the coolest thing about this album is that all twelve tracks were recorded live in the studio and in only two days in August of 2007. That's a pretty difficult task to accomplish but it sure makes for a fun album.
"Skin and Bones" is out now on Grape Juice Records but it may be a little hard to find, especially for anyone outside of Chicago. That said, if you ever come across a copy of it, buy it.

Sunday - LouFest 2011

Ume rocking very hard

The retro rock of Old Lights started out the day. Their set reminded me of early Elvis Costello, definitely not a bad thing. Although their lead guitarist broke a few strings and experienced other difficulties, there was always another spare and the set continued just fine.
Jumbling Towers had a chaotic, unique keyboard based sound that my friends and I all enjoyed. The drummer was very talented and the singer looked like David Byrne of Talking Heads if you squinted. Definitely one of my favorites from sunday, I was disappointed to find a different sound on the free sampler they gave me. A drum machine? Where's that awesome guy? That said, I look forward to future releases from them.
Ume was the heaviest band of the weekend in my opinion. Their hardcore songs paired with Lauren's sometimes sweet vocals made a great combination. Her outfit was actually a great representation of the band's sound. A little black dress and combat boots. Also, she's the best headbanger I've ever seen.
Next up was the band I was most excited for, Lost In The Trees. Their set did not disappoint. The soft orchestral folk music was a stark contrast to Ume. The audience seemed quiet and respectful of their delicate sound. The set included brand new songs, a skeleton horse puppet being paraded through the audience, and a personal story about delivering pizza to the wealthy while on narcotics. Awesome.
The Low Anthem followed, being the only other folk band on the bill. The singer's voice sounded a whole lot like more recent Bob Dylan tunes.
Das Racist was definitely the wild card of sunday. The three maniac rappers took the stage and played much of the material from their forthcoming album, "Relax." Never taking themselves seriously, they told us how they planned to "do a couple more blues songs, some classic rock songs." They showed a lot of energy and I swear there must have been at least one of them talking at all times. They played Metallica on their laptop, air-guitaring heavily as they walked out.
!!! was one of the most entertaining bands of the weekend. How could you not enjoy watching the singer dance, dance with the audience, dance with a man in a wheelchair, dance on top of the speakers, and knock a row of lights right off the speaker while dancing? It was incredibly entertaining and created a great environment to hold an impromptu dance party with strangers. It started to drizzle a little bit near the end but that didn't stop anyone from grooving.
Cat Power doesn't play many live shows but for St. Louis, an exception. Her vocals sounded just as good, if not better, than they do on the album (which is pretty great.) The entire band experienced some issues with their monitors but it still sounded great from the audience. True to her discography, Cat Power played at least a few covers. In the middle of the set, an amazing sunset and a rainbow appeared. This would have been cool with any of the bands but it was an absolutely perfect visual for Cat Power's stunning set.
TV On The Radio had a noisy and rocking sound that has become their signature. Keeping with the theme of their new album (Nine Types Of Light) they had a great light show to go with the music. In my opinion, they could have mixed the audio a little better. It didn't ruin such a moving set however. I was particularly excited when they played my two favorites, "Repetition" and "Wolf Like Me," in a row. Dealing with the death of their bass player, Gerard Smith, this could be TV On The Radio's last tour. Whatever they do, I'm sure it will be in everyone's best interest. This set was really powerful and loud and a great way to end a great weekend in St. Louis.

Saturday - LouFest 2011

Kings Go Forth

The weekend began with Jon Hardy and the Public. I heard a rumor that they practiced the entire set fifteen times including turning off the AC at Jon Hardy's house to experience the predicted heat. It paid off because they sounded great. Near the end of the set, one of their guitarists had to quickly change clothes and go get ready for a set with his other band, Troubadour Dali.
Troubadour Dali rocked the house (err... lawn) with their psychedelic music. They definitely helped prove that St. Louis does in fact have great local music, something that everyone in this area should recognize.
Sleepy Sun played some of their heavy, long jams. The best way to describe this is 'epic.'
All nine members of Kings Go Forth appeared clad in white uniforms. Their funky soul music was a great contrast to Sleepy Sun, pouring out love and sunshine. It was incredibly danceable, as I quickly found out.
Dom was, although limited, very cool including a special cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry." Not that it matters in the long run, but the singer totally looks like a girl. Girl hair, pants, and voice. It was a little awkward but contributed to the absurdity of their music.
Surfer Blood played a good combination of fun and dark songs including some new tracks that have yet to be released. The frontman needs to learn to not talk quite so much but still a very fun set.
Due to hurricane Irene, The Roots could not make it. However, ?uestlove graced us with his DJ set of awesomeness. Boasting that it covered 85 years worth of music, this was a great big dance party at LouFest.
Deerhunter appeared calm and cool on stage while they played many fan favorites. The bass player looked pretty stoned to me but it certainly didn't prohibit him from playing some amazing bass lines. After announcing to the audience that this would be the last song they played on tour for a long time, the singer realized they still had thirty minutes left in their set. This mistake caused some people to leave that area but didn't take away from a great set.
To end saturday, The Hold Steady took over the blue stage. The sun had gone down at this point, making the stage even more of a focus. Belting out lyrics like a dictator giving a speech, singer Craig Finn was full of energy, frequently repeating lines away from the microphone and moving his limbs around. They played a wonderful set despite last year's departure of their keyboard player. It featured a great combination of old and new material.