BEST Music 2016

BEST new-ish festival
The Hogchute Opry

The Hogchute Opry Festival has got all the best stuff — bonfires, fireworks, and horseshoes, to name a few. Oh, and don’t forget the best folk, bluegrass and country music the area has to offer. Then, take all of that, put it in and around a barn in the middle of the woods, and get real folky for two days. Having only been around for a few years, this young event is a fresh take on a festival that the area needs. It also helps bring together some of the most down-to-earth local dudes around. It takes the sentiments of outdoorsy music and puts it in the most appropriate setting. Even the least “country” of us wouldn’t say no to jamming out under the stars with these guys. (JM)

 

 

 

BEST nostalgic scene moment
The Beauty Shop reunion

 

 

When it was announced that The Highdive (RIP) would become The Accord in 2016, that was surprise enough for most people — not to mention the announcement that came with it: a one-off performance from John Hoeffler’s long-defunct outfit The Beauty Shop. All along, the idea here was to do one final show before Hoeffler’s exit from Champaign-Urbana for a spell. I think most all people didn’t need a justification for the reunion, because like myself, people absolutely love The Beauty Shop. It provided not only an amazing first (live music) show for The Accord’s new opening weekend, but within the music scene, it brought us back to the early aughts, just for a night. TBS sounded as good as they did back then. (PS) Photo by Sam Logan.

BEST tour stories
Bookmobile!

 

In last year’s installment of BEST, we made a point to identify how awesome it is that bands are going on tour. Local bands, loading up a van and slugging it out on the road. There’s only so many shows you can do in Champaign-Urbana, after all — and we’ve had the pleasure of being able to publish a bunch of Tour Diaries over the course of the last few years. On the road with Bookmobile! — the trio of Trevor, Luke, and Jared — was absolutely the highlight of the year for this series. Sure, written in stream-of-consciousness in a lot of ways, but that is ultimately the beauty of not only these features, but this magazine — we ain’t perfect, and we know it. A choice quote: “The boner that was supposed to book a show in Evansville, Indiana failed to do so, so now we have a day off on a Saturday. Fuck it! We’re gonna go goof.” It is a terrific read, and to live it, I’m sure, was an entirely different story from these goons. (PS)

 

BEST stage presence

Father John Misty at Foellinger Auditorium

 

What more can be said about indie rock’s infamous crooner and veritable “ladies man,” Father John Misty? We’ve already said it all. Misty has the reputation of being a bit of an egocentric douche, and his performance as that character is always perfect. It fits him to a T — almost as well as a pair of leather pants. His April show at Foellinger Auditorium was no exception. He was swaying and writhing and shaking his fists. He was suggestive with his mic stand while winking at the ladies in the first few rows. He got up close to the audience — REALLY close. Several times, he even let audience members fully embrace and caress his head and neck and play with his hair. His stage presence was absolutely ridiculous, and seriously awesome.

FJM is a talented artist, both as a musician and as an actor. It’s easy to believe that the sleazy, melodramatic lothario we see on stage is who he is IRL. He’s aware of that, and boy does he play it up. Post-performance, he seemed to transform back into a mortal being, in a way. He stayed a while to chat closely with his audience, and although I did not linger, I’m inclined to believe that he real does like his fans, and not only as props or lays. Whatever your opinion of him, one thing is inarguable — he puts on one hell of an interesting show. (JM)

BEST summer event

Outdoor shows at Loose Cobra

 

The Loose Cobra is quite the place out there in Tolono, about as dive as dive gets — and Matt Talbott & Co. have thrown a variety of shows over the course of time there inside the bar. Well, last summer, it hosted bands outside in the parking lot — roped that sucker off, started slinging beers, and hosted Robbie Fulks, Bobby Bare Jr., and a variety of locals. It was a grand ole time, and the simplicity of it all is kind of the most charming part. It is totally shoestring — nothing flashy whatsoever. The stage is what it is — a means to an end, with all due respect. Plop a PA and some amps out there, and get this shit going with some rock ‘n roll. Coincidentally enough — HUM will perform there next weekend. (PS)

BEST album art
Kowabunga! Kid’s Wasting My Time

The album cover for Wasting My Time, by the punk-pop group Kowabunga! Kid, is intricate and subdued. The black and white nighttime foreground is superimposed onto a dark and ornate wallpaper-esque image, like one that may be found in the halls, or on the floors, of a haunted hotel. Indeed, when asked, Aaron Shults of Kowabunga! Kid reflected on the dark, nighttime theme of the cover.

“Designed by Kamila (Glowacki), idea really came from an experience Kamila and I had when we were at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, CO (the hotel that inspired Stephen King to write The Shining). We were standing outside the hotel while the full moon was pretty much the only light in the city. The moon illuminated the snowcapped mountains and created a very striking image and vivid memory for us.

“Connections to astronomy also appear throughout the record, so we wanted to keep the landscape ambiguous and somewhat lunar. The pattern in the background also connects to the Stanley Hotel/The Shining by alluding to patterns in the carpet from Kubrick’s film.”

This album’s spooky artwork is designed to leave a lasting (first) impression on the listener, especially since this is the group’s first LP. Kowabunga! Kid’s Wasting My Time succeeds in sticking in our brains at first glance. Add their punk tunes to it, and that makes these up-and-coming rockers something to keep an eye on. (JM)

BEST project in the works
John Isberg’s local music documentary

 

Perhaps if this series was called MOST, we could provide John Isberg and his documentary with MOST ambitious documentary, but alas, it is called BEST — and Isberg deserves a lot of credit here. He’s putting together a documentary called Where It Begins, which is a film about the Champaign-Urbana music scene from 1977-2000, and has interviewed what one can only call a “shit-ton” of notable folks, Steve Albini, Adrian Belew, Jeff Schroeder (Smashing Pumpkins), Joe Shanahan (Metro Chicago), and just so, so many others. John, do you sleep dude? Seriously. I can’t wait to see this thing when it is ready for the world. (PS) Photo by Jen Province.

BEST talent buyer that this scene will miss

Mike Armintrout of Canopy Club

 

 

Seth summed it up quite nicely last week, as longtime talent buyer Mike Armintrout made his exit from Canopy Club last week after 15+ years. He’s onto Purdue for his next endeavor, but there’s no question that his presence in the Champaign-Urbana scene will be sorely missed. Simply starting a list of shows that Armintrout brought to that room in Urbana wont’ even remotely do it justice — there are just too many to list. The void left behind won’t be an easy one to fill, and perhaps won’t be for quite some time, we shall see. Regardless, Armintrout contributed a great deal to the music scene in our fair cities throughout the years, and deserves all the recognition that comes his way. (PS)

 

BEST live show
Run The Jewels at The Pygmalion Festival

 

BEST show that more people should’ve seen 
Mavis Staples at the Virginia Theatre

You may not know Mavis Staples, the lead singer for the 1960’s group the Staple Singers, but you should. Her family soul and gospel band put out songs like “I’ll Take You There” and “Do It Again,” and she has had a strong solo career. The 76-year-old Chicago native never gained the fame of musical peers like Aretha Franklin, but she has always had just as much soul. Mavis, at The Virginia, treated the audience as if they were her children. She regaled us with tales of her family and her tour, and made us laugh out loud at her onstage antics. She was exuberant and bubbly and energetic as hell. I found myself thinking that she needed to be more careful at her age, and then inwardly shamed myself for that thought. Mavis was absent of arrogance; she played all the crowd favorites with a huge smile on her face. Hers is a character of grace, and we left feeling loved. Too bad you missed it. (JM) 

BEST new talent buyer / all ages space

Austin Duncan, Institute 4 Creativity

 

 

In a period of time where all-ages spaces are basically non-existent in the public realm of Champaign-Urbana for shows, over the course of the last six months or so, there is a definite tip-of-the-cap towards Austin Duncan (you might know him from his project, Snayl) and Institute 4 Creativity. Over that span of time, there have been dozens of shows — all ages, no less — and a lot of great bands and talents that have strolled through to perform in the space. In a position of a promoter and one that can be thankless at times, Duncan has proven that he’s in it to perpetuate this portion of the scene unlike anyone else. Sure, there should most definitely be more of this booking style, but alas, expenses and energy are limited. Nice work, Austin. (PS)

 

BEST new experimental outfit 

Snayl

 

Let’s continue to sing Austin Duncan’s praises by lauding his new project, Snayl. Snayl is a dreampop/electronica experimentation that is fully representative of and at home in his domain of Institute 4 Creativity. Duncan just put out his first release under the Snayl moniker, entitled Dreaming of Ghosts, and it’s bound to compel some seriously deep thinking. The fresh and intricate sound found here is a certain indication that what’s to come from Snayl will only get dreamier. (JM)

 

BEST festival that deserves more attention

CU Folk and Roots Festival 

As a sort-of-new member to the area, I’ve realized quickly that C-U has a very strong folk and roots scene. It seems that every week we’ve got like five folky shows going on somewhere. That’s because it’s part of the culture here. C-U has got a plethora of festivals to call its own, but one that flies a bit under the radar is the Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival. Completely DIY and run by volunteers, this festival boasts over 80 folk performances and other rootsy activities over three days in downtown Urbana — stuff like storytelling and song-circles. Activities like that are what is important about this festival — the sense of community it brings to its participants. You need to make sure you’re one of them this November. (JM)

BEST crowdsurfer

Matt Lunsford at Polyvinyl’s SXSW Showcase

 

This is a moment that just makes a smile come to your face, or at least to mine — this year down in Austin, TX at South By Southwest, this moment happened. Polyvinyl Records‘ Matt Lunsford, a grown-ass dude crowd surfing at his label’s showcase during White Reaper at the Sidewinder. Fucking awesome. That kind of stuff doesn’t happen very often after being in the industry for that amount of time, and that sort of playfulness is worth the recognition. People should take a page out of Lunsford’s book not just for this, but for a litany of other reasons as well. Rock on, dude. Keep living that dream. (PS)

BEST spaced-out moment
Blood Moon during RIDE

If you missed out on this, you truly missed out on something unique. This moment occurred during the last night of Pygmalion, during the last set for the outdoor show. The bombastic British shoegaze band RIDE were to perform as the exclamation point for the multi-day fest, and the anticipation of blown minds and ears was heavy in the air. This conclusion was going to coincide with the occurrence of a Blood Moon: a total lunar eclipse of a super full moon, given its nickname because of the entrancing reddish color it takes on. So, the eclipse began shortly before RIDE’s set, and shone down over the entirety of it. The band’s wall-of-sound barrage of music and crazy, glittering light show pretty much broke my face in half, all while a HUGE celestial body the color of death (or life, depending on how you look at it) seemed to just barely be holding itself up above my head. As a viewer that evening, if there were ever a time to think that someone had dosed your beverage, it would’ve been then. That kind of experience is truly once in a lifetime. It was spectacular, and it was the BEST. (JM)

BEST surprise album
CJ Run’s Listen to the Kids

I’m not sure I’ve ever been struck completely out of nowhere by a local artist before the way I was when CJ Run dropped their debut project Listen to the Kids in May. Run is clearly an advanced lyricist with a knack for wordplay, but where the project truly shines is its insanely progressive production, a tendency that is seemingly lacking in hip-hop as a whole, let alone in Champaign-Urbana. To see an artist step outside of the box is truly refreshing, and well-deserving of a nod for a great album. (BH)

BEST Twitter account improvement
WEFT Community Radio

One of the small pleasures of the Champaign-Urbana media (and social media) scene over the past year has been the emergence of WEFT’s Twitter account is one of the best ways to find new music coming out of town. They’re always retweeting other artists, venues and fans, keeping a good pulse on the scene. Plus, they’re not afraid to have conversations with dumb Twitter trolls like me when I feel I deserve a talk show or podcast. Good info and good humor makes a great Twitter account, and WEFT has both. (BH)

BEST musical marketing
TroubleChasin’, “Video Fliers” (Dir. Boots Howard)

Due to the nature of Champaign-Urbana’s size, there simply aren’t endless amounts of outlets through which artists can promote themselves. Sure, social media goes a long way, but even then, it takes creative ideas executed well to make a splash. Local rap duo TroubleChasin’ had the best instance of that this year, when they constructed a series of video fliers for their album release show at The Canopy Club, including a super cool footage, captured by a drone, of them on top of a dilapidated water tower in Downtown Champaign. (BH)

BEST young talent
Baby Harmony

Baby Harmony dropped her remix to O.T. Genasis’ “Cut It” in May, and it caught viral fire almost immediately. The reason why? She’s five years old, and has more views on the internet than you or I will ever have in our lives. Plus, it’s the most adorable video I’ve seen in quite some time. Here’s to hoping that Harmony continues to hone her craft, and perhaps one day we’ll be reviewing her album on SP. The future is bright. (BH)

BEST movement
Mother Nature’s Miseducation of Hip-hop series at the IMC

Until this summer, Champaign-Urbana has kind of lacked in opportunities for youth to express themselves in terms of hip-hop culture, but luckily, earlier this month, local rap duo Mother Nature filled that void. Presenting all sorts of workshops for kids over the course of a week at Urbana’s IMC. Education is power, and the more that the youth are educated about hip-hop, the more the culture can thrive and more of a scene can develop around that culture. Much like Chicago YCA or YouMedia programs that produced enormous talent, Mother Nature is also starting a commendable movement. (BH)

 

BEST venue that will be sorely missed
Mike N Molly’s

I thought that I had felt the brunt of the pain from Mike N Molly’s closure when they closed their doors in May, and we said goodbye for the last time. But when I’m really going to be feeling the loss will be when it’s Friday night, and the friendly, low-key confines of MnM’s are no longer available for us to patronize. The music scene in town will miss the venue space, a crucial small room, and I will most certainly miss the PBR specials. (BH)

BEST poster designs
Steve Schaberg

If you follow local stand-up comedy at all, you probably recognize Steve Schaberg’s name. In addition to being one of the funniest comics in town, he also has made a name for himself doing some super cool and unique posters for various shows. Some cool ones that come to mind are Snayl’s recent Album Release Show artwork, Kowabunga! Kid’s summer tour poster (pictured here) and countless others that always are unique and innovative. If you spend any time at all around Downtown Champaign, you’ll probably see them up at various locations, and they’re always more fun to analyze than the average flier. (BH)

 

 

 

 

Julia McAnly, Boswell Hutson, and Patrick Singer all contributed to this article.