Photo credit: Dorret
Sick Weapons
Whartscape
MICA Parking Lot (North Ave)
Baltimore, MD
July 11, 2009

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Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

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1. MP3: Today I Listened to Born Against
2. MP3: If You Love Me Take Me To The Hospital
3. MP3: Jackson Bad Dog
4. MP3: I Want My Brains Back
5. MP3: Love Me
6. MP3: Orgy on the China Train
7. MP3: I Get Fucked for the Fuck of It*

Notes:
Outdoors show/Stage B
*Ed Schrader cover
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

The Woes
Whartscape
MICA Parking Lot (North Ave)
Baltimore, MD
July 11, 2009

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1. MP3: Sunset
2. MP3: The Secret
3. MP3: Let Me Ride

Notes:
Outdoors show/Stage A
Audience very chatty
SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

My Whartscape didn’t start until the third quarter of the evening’s festivities at the BMA. As far as Friday goes, some ludicrous logistical issues had me caught up until nine o’clock when the original plan was to arrive shortly after noon. Here’s a short rundown of what I caught on Friday Night.  Greg also popped in, and was there for a significant portion of the daytime.  All photos are his, and his segments will be in yellow.

The day was gorgeous on the steps of the BMA.  The trappings serene, with hanging greenery framing the walls of the museum behind the performers.

I was very excited to see Black Vatican, but they seemed a bit lost in this setting. Their music didn’t really connect for me.  Their spaced out garage jams felt small, tinny and overprocessed, like bits of metal rattling around a tin can.

Wye Oak however, performed a riveting, ascendant set while being dressed to impress.  They confidently lead off with a brand new track followedby a pair of tracks off The Knot and one from debut If Children showing off their new level of epic layering and big sound.  Keep an eye out for my review of The Knot.  I say without hesitation or reservation that it is easily one of my favorite albums of the past decade.

Read the rest…

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MP3: DD/MM/YYYY – They

Anyone who showed up to last year’s Whartscape knows that DD/MM/YYYY kill onstage, same goes for those who saw them on tour with Videohippos in May. This bunch of experimental-rocking Canadians dropped their fourth release, Black Square, but only a few months ago. I thought it was pretty great. My email account caught up with theirs for a few questions fairly recently, here’s how it went down:

1. You guys were at Whartscape last year; care to describe the experience as a band?

-Whartscape last year was amazing. We got to see the killer whales, bird names, mae shi, and thank you.

2. What’s the biggest reason why everyone should go to Whartscape?

-so they can get freaky deaky to all the good bands playing.

3. What sort of reputation does Baltimore hold in Toronto, is it accurate?

-There are a lot of fans of all things baltimore in my group of friends. Personally, I think of it as a city without a large culture industry which allows creative people living there to not think about what is cool or contemporary and just do what they do which then makes it cool and contemporary. All the referentiality of extant culture without too much self consciousness that a larger city might breed. You will have to tell me if it is accurate.

4. If Baltimore were a comic in the New Yorker, what might be the caption?

-”I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.”

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MP3: Double Dagger – Vivre Sans Temps Mort from More Record Release Show, Live @ Floristree

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

11. NO THROWING DRUMS INTO THE AUDIENCE

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Nolen: Last year when loads of teenagers and local hipsters in often
intentionally-ridiculous outfits looked at me funny coz I had on white
pants and a polo.

Denny: When I stupidly threw that drum into the crowd last year. Good
thing there’s a rule about that this year. But I felt like total shit
after it happened. Also the first Whartscape where Kevin (from
Videohippos/Blood Baby) was rolling around on this really tall ladder
hooking stuff up admist the swarming drunk crowd.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Nolen: The Dan Deacon Ensemble, coz even though Denny plays in it, I
still haven’t seen it live. They’re one of the only bands I’ll have
time to see as well because this is our last day of tour so we’re
getting to town after most of it’s already happened. As always I’m
stoked for Future Islands, too.

Denny: My bed, because I’ve been on tour for a long time and psyched
to nap it up in my own linens. Honestly, I can’t choose one thing,
there are a lot friends of mine that I’m excited to see play. Big Bear
should be sick, I haven’t seen them play since 2005, which also was
the first show that I saw Dan Deacon. It was a tense situation, but
that’s another story… I’m also excited to see if Narwhalz will
actually play beyond 2 minutes this time. I’m bummed I will miss the
New Flesh though.

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Nolen: Sweaty. Sweaty shows are good shows.

Denny: Festivus. Because it’s for the rest of us.

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

Nolen: Because they’ve asked us every other year and it’s always been
one of the most fun shows of the year.

Denny: You mean when they myspaced us? Yeah, it’s definitely a great
homecoming show. If we we said no, we would be total chumps.

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MP3: What Cheer? Brigade – Saiyan re Saiyan

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MP3: What Cheer? Brigade – Malaguena

Let my bias be known: I am a recovering marching band addict.  Tuba (not sousaphone mind you, those are for wusses) for three years, trombone for one.  It’s hard for me to watch groups like What Cheer! Brigade or Mucca Pazza and not get so amped that I want to run home and get my tuba.  They’ll likely be candidates for an exuberance award for this weekend.

Trumpeter Cordey checked in with us:

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

This will be our first Whartscape! All 18 of us! We are a big, fat 18-piece brass and percussion band from Providence, Rhode Island. Our music is a mix of Bollywood pop, traditional Balkan brass, New Orleans wango-chango, noise and metal, crabcore, etc. Although we are listed as a “marching band,” I hesitate to say we are one – we’re more like a mobile, party unit.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

I don’t know where the rest of my bandmates stand on this one, and it’s kinda hard to check in with all one-million of them. We’ll only be around on Saturday, so I’m gonna say I’m most excited to see Ponytail, C Spencer Yeh, and Ed Schrader. Haven’t had the chance to see them before. I’m also excited to see my friends EAR PWR again. HOLLA!!!!

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Friends!  Whartscape, like life, is about playing music with your friends and for your friends. And this year it seems that everyone involved is a friend or a friend of a friend. Although it may seem that Whartscape carries connotations of cronyism, that’s okay – nothing is at risk here (except for potentially bad music).

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

The lineup is killer; it shall be a blast. Everyone involved gets to play for new audiences, and everyone involved has the chance to be that new audience for everyone else involved. It’s kinda like that vicious cycle that goes: “I eat because I’m sad; I’m sad because I’m fat; I’m fat because I eat,” but instead of gaining weight, we’re all gaining, uh… fun!—

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MP3: The New Flesh – No Expectations

Baltimore punks The New Flesh will tear your ears off and spit in them if given the chance.  And I highly recommend letting them.

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Seeing sunglasses and consuming energy drinks.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Microkingdom, Pleasant Livers, Zomes

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Sounds

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

An offer I could not refuse

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MP3: Lo Moda – People Who Like Carolling

Lo Moda is one of the most mature projects on the Baltimore music scene in the sense that their music has transcended all those worries of early musicmaking, growing into something that is unique, complex and constantly evolving organically. Weird, experimental, “art-school” without any of the pretentious baggage that so often comes with that in youth.  For more in-depth on the process and history, check our interview.

Sadly, they had to pull out of Whartscape, but lead singer Peter Quinn (Candy Machine, INK) weighs in on the situation with some good news for those of you stuck in DC:

hey man, i love whartscape. we had  to back out of this year’s due to scheduling miscommunicaitons. but as a caveat, we’re playing the fringe in DC that night as well. my favorite whartscape memory is two years ago seeing double dagger rock it and see nolan leap on top of the crowd on the first note.

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MP3: Weekends – Pay Per View Dads

Local duo Weekends is Adam Lempel and Brendan Sullivan, and their self-titled debut CDR has gotten a lot of play in my deck.  Great experimental rock that has always proven a rollicking good time live.

Adam Lempel

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

my friend neil getting hit in the head with double dagger’s tom. this is our first time playing so we’re pretty excited. and we’re playing on saturday which is brendan’s birthday.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

talk normal

3. Choose one word to describe whartscape, and what it means to you.

that would be impossible

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

uhh… it’s whartscape!

Brendan Sullivan

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Also when my friend Neal’s head collided with double dagger’s tom.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Maybe the Dan Deacon Ensemble

3. Choose one word to describe whartscape, and what it means to you.

?

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

We probably asked them before they asked us.

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MP3: Santa Dads – Lion Song

A friend of mine uses three categories to sort his record collection: “rock”, “pop,” and “weird shit.” Santa Dads’ Anima Mundi is definitely one for the “weird” rack, but nobody said nuthin’ ‘bout that being a bad thing. Enjoy some ukulele-beatbox songsmithing as you read on, dear audience.

(Josh, the uke-playing half of the duo, loves caps lock, apparently.)

1. What sort of headgear would Whartscape wear if it were a person?

- AN ARROW STRAIGHT UP THROUGH THE HEAD

2. Name 3 words that describe Wham City.

- FREE ETERNAL TROUBADOURS

3. What personal connection do you have to Baltimore as a city?

- BORN IN ITS BURBS – LIVED AROUND THIS SHIT 85% OF MY LIFE – DEVELOPMENT OF INSPIRATION AND IMAGINATION THRIVES IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT IS VACANT, CHEAP, AND, THEREFORE, PROUD OF IMPOVERISHMENT, VIRILITY, AND ADAPTABILITY

4. Is Whartscape like Christmas to you guys, (do you wear santa hats for it)?

- WHARTSCAPE IS LIKE THE INVERSE OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE WE ARE THE TOYS THAT MUST PACKAGE OURSELVES AND GIVE COMPLETELY TO SOME CHOSEN STRANGERS, ONLY TO HAVE ALL OF OUR WORK TORN TO PIECES AND OURSELVES DEVOURED BY OUR THANKFUL MASTERS. NO SANTA HATS; WE WEAR THE SHACKLES OF OUR NECESSARY TRUTH. JUST KIDDING, YEAH, CHRISTMAS IS GREAT!!

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MP3: Polygons – Miami to Key West

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MP3: Polygons – Potential

If you were to interpolate that electronic music meisters Polygons have some connection to the Hexagon, you would be dead on.  Not only are the duo of Josh Atkins and Miguel Sabogal 2/3 (the other 1/3 being Karl Ekdahl) of the crucial reshapers of the old Lo-Fi space into a vibrant, collective-run venue.  They also somehow find time to drop nuggets of organic electronic goodness.  Check some of the tracks from their forthcoming album.

Miguel Sabogal

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Whartscape 2009 is the first time that Polygons is playing. We’ve experimented with electronic music for quite some time but only started gigging under a name as of this year. As a show-goer this would be my 3rd Whartscape. Usually more bands than you can see are playing so stating a favorite moment is a bit tough. Perhaps it should be the bright image of Dan Deacon’s trippy green skull above the audience at the Floristree. That picture ended up as a screensaver on my cell phone until it broke.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

I’m most excited to see Chandeliers play this year. They are from Chicago and have played the Hexagon a few times this past year. They are by the most exciting live electronic band I’ve seen so far.

3. Choose one word to describe whartscape, and what it means to you.

Recalcitrant

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

Both Josh and myself are friends with a person in Wham City. She had been to a few of our shows and is really supportive of our music. That’s how we got the offer to play this year. We said yes because we want to make people aware that the music we make is completely improvised. I’m personally fond of any opportunity that presents itself in which we can play our music loud and with a lot of bass.

Josh Atkins

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

Polygons has not played Whartscape before. However, two days before Whartscape last year my friend DJ invited me to play guitar and synth in his band Teenage Souls. He writes these really incredible, but super intricate electronic pieces and typically plays solo drums along to them. I remember practicing with him for the first time the day before his slot and it sounding great, but I felt like I had no idea how to remember all the changes in his songs. The next day we woke up super early, practiced again, and then carted all our gear over to the Whartscape stage. Sunday at Whartscape last year was one of those sweltering hot Baltimore days and setup was a whirlwind because the stage was being assembled as we loaded our gear onto it. I think we ended up playing two improvisations and two of his compositions that day. I got really nauseous from the heat right after we took down our gear and had to go home. I ended up passing out all afternoon and didn’t get back until the middle of Double Dagger’s set. I did get to see Denny chuck a drum into the audience which was equal parts horrifying and punk-as-fuck.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?
Equally excited for Chandeliers, Liturgy, Beastmaster, Soft Pink Truth, Leprechaun Catering, Wolf Eyes, DJ Dog Dick, and Nautical Almanac.

3. Choose one word to describe whartscape, and what it means to you.
Chaos. This is about as DIY as festivals of this scale get. Pretty much anything can happen for better or worse.

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?
Who wouldn’t say yes? We don’t have any egos to stroke. Great festival, great bands, great people running it = no brainer.

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Teen noise-niks Needle Gun should not be overlooked.  Their age belies their impressive experience and aggressive experimentalism.  Their inclusion amongst the vast and diverse MT6 roster speaks volumes.

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

I only went to whartscape 07, got to do some improv with human host during the day, do not remember most the bands that day but the location and weather were super rad, the show that night at floristree from my memory was super crowded and hot, first time ng playing whartscape though.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?
Infinity window and C Spencer plus the local goodies

3. Choose one word to describe whartscape, and what it means to you.
“Gathering” hopefully it will be much like the gathering of many many juggalos looking for the same stage with a miller or bud in their hand

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?
good bands, good freinds, why not?

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MP3: Videohippos – Narwhals

Photo credit: Josh Sisk (Whartscape 2007)

It’s surprising to me how few people know of Videohippos. I mean, they’ve been around the block more than a few times; they’ve been doing the Wham City thing since anyone can remember, not to mention their thumbs up from Pitchfork. And from Stereogum. And Oh My Rockness. Even so, if you ask your typical college-age trendy-type who’s hip to what’s indie, they probably haven’t a clue about the Hippos. Which is a big shame. Want to benefit your community for once? Tell your favorite music fan about Videohippos.

1. Do you have any particularly fond memories of Whartscape past?

- 2006: having to cancel the videohippos performance because it was so hot in the copycat bldg that my projector (mounted on the ceiling) was starting to melt. the first time jeremy and I performed Ultimate Reality- it was kind of a train wreck, but everyone was still freaking out, particularly Rjyan kidwell on top of the giant subwoofer that guy werner had let us borrow. somehow i thought i could handle playing with blood baby during a psilocybin experience. pete cut his finger in the industrial fan and it freaked me out real bad. getting to see the coughs and matt and kim play in my living room.

- 2007: videohippos set had a symetrical three screen video installation at Floristree- the videos we normally use were flanked by two mirrored screens of amazing footage that jim shot from the car window in Idaho. a temporarily crippled lizz king playing her set with a cane in the alley behind load of fun. impromptu butt stomach set on borrowed instruments when one of the bands didnt show up on time.

- 2008: funny clown crowd surfing. sewn leather starting his set by announcing “I gotta shart”, michael petruzzo performing topless, lizz dancing behind the creepers wearing only a life-size white tiger head.

2. Chances of Videohippos reforming as a bubblegum pop band?
– Not on my watch.

3. Any predictions for this year’s festival?

- Lots of personal space being invaded in the best way possible.

4. You guys have done your fair share of collaborating with other Wham City artists. Anything due to be released soon?

- We have a 10″ record coming out soon on vicious pop records that has three new songs. Each one is a collaboration with different friends: “firefoot” features Ed Schrader on vocals, Kate and Andrew of Teeth Mountain added percussion and strings to “bottles,” and DJ dog dick put the icing on “High Dive” with thoughtful lyrics and his trademark layered electronic sonics.

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MP3: The Art Department – Censor

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MP3: The Art Department – Second Nature

The Art Department has graciously provided us with 2 previously unreleased, unmixed tracks from their forthcoming and as-of-yet untitled album that looks to feature more of their signature quirky sound, replete with high-pitch quaver-vox and delicately picked lines.  While conceptually forged from random bits of Ehrens’ aural fixation on high-neck capos, the Art Department’s sound often bears eerie similarity to work from DC’s Q and Not U.  Jon Ehrens also took time out to answer our questions!

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

At last years Whartscape, when Oxes took the stage, they began their set with a tense guitar build-up. They hadn’t played in years and it was the first time that I – or anyone there – had seen them in several years. As the guitars chugged, drumless, and the anticipation built up, a police helicopter flew overhead, shining it’s spotlight on the band, and then the audience. The place went crazy, the band kicked-in and the set ruled harder than I could have ever imagined.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

JANITOR!

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Lunacy – I’ve recently come to realize that Baltimore is making me insane, and I either have to indulge this and resign myself to lunacy, or move away and become a normal productive member of society. Of course I’ll choose the former, and participating in a festival in which over 130 bands play in 3 days for 20 minutes a piece will only encourage me do descend into madness.

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

Why would I say no?

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MP3: Sick Weapons – Orgy on the China Train Live @ the Talking Head, taped by the Baltimore Taper

Photo Credit: Shawn Breen

Sick Weapons rock.  Flat out, no question.  Just listen to “Orgy On the China Train.”  Lead vocalist Ellie Beziat takes time to humor our line of questioning:

1. What is your most vivid memory of Whartscapes past? If this is your first time playing/attending, explain yourself/selves!

I ate a handful of mushrooms during Wzt Hearts last year. I remember drinking a strawberry daiquiri out of a pineapple. It is our first year playing Whartscape. We are super excited. Bring pineapples. Or mushrooms.

2. Who are you most excited to see this year?

Vincent Black Shadow are playing at 4:20 and that’ll be cool. We are using their equipment so we are stoked that they are playing!

3. Choose one word to describe Whartscape, and what it means to you.

Nerds. Look around man.

4. When Wham City came calling and asked you to play, why did you say yes?

One of our guitar players is Wham City. But I don’t know if ‘they’ came calling or if Peter O’Connell got drunk and put Dan Deacon’s head in a toilet.

Once again, to celebrate all things Wham and Whartscape, we asked some of the artists performing to answer a mini questionnaire. Future Islands’ William Cashion was our first subject.

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MP3: Future Islands – Little Dreamer

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MP3: Future Islands – Pinnochio

Yeah? So what if last year’s Wave Like Home was fully kickass? Who cares if Future Islands are totally Wham City vets? I mean, they only played Round Robin and toured around with Dan Deacon on his last outing. Most of them were in the ensemble, but that doesn’t even count. They’ve been in like, what? Two Whartscapes before? Whatever. Here’s what bassist William Cashion, 1/3 of these synth-poppers, thinks about all of this jazz. </sarcasm>

1. If there’s one single thing, say an essence, that embodies all that Wham City has to offer, what would it be?

- Whartscape is pretty much the embodiment of what Wham City has to offer. Lots of friends, cool bands from all over, performances, jokes, and tons of emails.

2. What’s the best reason to live in Baltimore?

- The music and arts community / Cheap rent.

3. What do you think the chances are of Dan Deacon enlisting every artist performing at Whartscape for his next project?

- Probably won’t happen, too many dudes.

4. What’s your favorite part about Whartscape?

- A year’s worth of bands coming together for one special weekend.