I really didn’t know who Ben Shaw was. I came across his 2016 release, Feet to the Fire, last year and dug it from the very beginning. I thought to myself, “Who is this new guy in the Eau Claire … Continue reading Ben’s Back: Ben Shaw Gracing the Valley Once Again
Integrity is powerful thing. While, in many cases, we have reduced it to a measure of consistency in thought, behavior, speech, etc., it means more than that. It has to do with wholeness, with the pieces of a whole being … Continue reading Cracked Foundations: My Eaux Claires Troix Story
Who do I belong to? Not horrors Not wretches Who do I belong to? Immortal Eternal I have a shirt bearing these lyrics. It’s a new shirt. New to me at least. I picked it up November 19 at … Continue reading Intergenerational Rocking with Project 86
On Saturday, August 13, 2016, around 11pm, I walked away from my first experience with Eaux Claires (EXC). In that moment, I was already fully aware that something had shifted in me. I was different. As I began walking toward … Continue reading The Eaux Claires Impact: Connection and Belonging
I’m spending some time with Field Report’s new album, Marigolden, this morning. This is a new relationship and I’m just becoming acquainted with the album, but I think we’re going to be good friends. It is rich, full, provocative, and emotive. And Christopher Porterfield’s odd analogies and word pictures are ever present. I will never forget the first time I heard Field Report. In February of 2013, Kalispell, Shane Leonard’s project, was set to play a backstage concert at the State Theater here in Eau Claire. I was super excited about this show, as Shane’s music and friendship has … Continue reading The Emotive, Provocative Music of Field Report
picard is a project initiated by Jason Ulwelling in 2011 that has grown into a full-blown collaborative effort (including Brad Hanson and Eric Giardina, and various other influences and musicians), resulting in the release of the band’s first album (appropriately entitled “#1”) earlier this year. Style-wise, it’s hard to classify picard as anything more specific than “rock.” Some of their songs are edgy/harder. I can easily hear some grunge influence in several of the songs, as well as elements of epic rock story-telling (especially in “Ed”), like you might hear in classics like Queen or Led Zeppelin. Now, I’m not … Continue reading picard: A Mixture of Discontent and Melodic, Driving Rock
I make no bones about the fact that I am a big Adelyn Rose fan. I love their style, the fullness of their sound, the uniqueness of Addie Strei’s vocals, and the incredible percussion talent that is Dave Power. The first time I talked to Addie and Dave back in August of 2012, their debut album, Mezzanine, had only been out for a few months. Even though I, and many others, thoroughly enjoyed that album, Addie and Dave were quick to mention that the songs there were not really indicative of who they were as a band anymore and they … Continue reading Coming of Age: Thoughts on Adelyn Rose’s “Ordinary Fantasy” and Album Release Show
A little more than a week ago, I had the great pleasure of attending a We Are the Willows show at The Cabin. I had been looking forward to it for some time. I love the band and I love the venue. I was not disappointed in any way with what I experienced… even though I left the concert before it was over (more on that in a moment). I expected to enjoy the band’s unique instrumentation, excellent musicianship, and Peter Miller’s soaring vocals. I certainly got all that, but I got two surprises as well. Those two surprises … Continue reading Walking Out on We Are the Willows
In the last week or so, I have become really familiar with Hannah Connolly’s “Flying EP.” There is a sweet sadness that permeates the five song collection. I have found myself totally drawn in to the sadness in her songs. They are stories of intense heartbreak, loss, and hope. I wrote about these things at some length for the upcoming issue of Volume One, so I won’t spend time repeating myself here. However, I had the opportunity to hear Connolly play live again last week at the Volume One Gallery as a part of V1’s Jingle Jams series. And, I … Continue reading The Tip of the (Hannah Connolly) Iceberg
