Catching up on Summer's Local Musical Highlights and Fresh Scuttlebutt

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Cream of the Crop:

Catching up on Summer's Local Musical Highlights and Fresh Scuttlebutt

By Randy Chandler

As Summer 2002 draws to a close, I am struck by the staggering

amount of great shows seen and heard about over the past few months. And

I'm not talking about the warmed-over Hair Metal or Crusty Nostalgia that

was flung at us by the major venues.  The Review kept you well abreast of

those events; but even more significant were several noteworthy 'local

happenings' that no 'End-of-Summer' issue would be complete without

mentioning.

2002 was the year that Matt Dalton's Dirt Fest moved into new digs,

invading the Birch Run Expo Center with three stages and roughly 20 bands.

Featuring the best & brightest of our local underground talent, Dirt Fest

is fast becoming an institution, not unlike Ozzfest.

One welcome sight at DTE this summer was Matt Besey, opening for Creedance.

Backed only by Bruce Crawley and Mark Dault (and really, what else does he

need?), Besey drew thunderous applause from the packed throng Our boy Matt

is making headway with a lot of these promoters and it couldn't happen to a

nicer or more deserving guy. Matt actually popped up at Whites later that

same evening, joining the members of Maybe August for a searing 20 minute

meditation on Jimi Hendrix' Little Wing.  (And as for Maybe August, all the

hype surrounding these guys is dead-on. Pound-for-pound they may just be

the best band working the tri-cities today.

My own recording studio, HIGH Concept, threw a great show at Shooter's that

featured many of the best acts we've had the privilege of working with over

the last year. Each set was recorded for posterity and you can own copies

of each. Log on to: www.espmusicservices.com for more info.

Bruce LaFrance offers 'Emergency Service' with his new company ESP Music Services

And speaking of ESP, ESP Music Services owner Bruce LaFrance has just opened a storefront in Bay City and is out to save the collective ass of the local music scene. In addition to offering full light & sound equipment rentals at reasonable rates, LaFrance plans to have technicians on call during gigging hours. So if it's the top of the second set and A) your amp blows up; B) your drummer puts his foot through his bass drum head; C) your entire P.A. system takes a dump, just call 891-9333 and someone from ESP will be there in two shakes to make damn sure the show goes on. The store is located in the old Romas behind the old Sawmill, off Midland street, and if you're gigging in Bay City and need strings and sticks on the way, ESP deals in GHS, Ernie Ball, Pro Mark, and Pro Co.

"I've always been about giving the people what they want," says the award-winning bassist and seasoned sound engineer. "Now its about giving them what they need when they need it."

ESP were out in force at the inaugural 'Battle of the Bands' at the

Wildwoods of Terror. Though the event was minimally advertised, the owners

promise many great shows to come, starting with a Special Halloween Season

Kick-Off Bash on October 1st. Featuring, among others, The Miscreants, who

nabbed the $500 prize at the first battle.

Despite threatening skies, the rain managed to hold off and provide the

small audience with one of the best representations of our local scene I've

witnessed in quite some time. Oddly enough, none of the groups seemed to

give the competition any thought; all the bands roadied for each other and

the vibe was more like a Freak Family Reunion (replete with plenty of beer

and backstage antics) than any kind of contest. From an amusing opening set

by Sprout & the Orange, which featured The Ramone's I Wanna Be Sedated done

in at least five ways that Joey & Company never dreamed of, through a truly

inspiring set by Silverspork (not to mention strong sets by up & comers

Skylar, Evasic, and my personal favorite, Stampd.  It was truly a great day

for original music.

Pat Kuhn of The Miscreants pictured with Jeff Scott at

the recent Review Music Awards, spearheaded the Inaugural

Hamilton Street Block Party on July 1st.

One of the best days I spent all summer was at the July 1st Hamilton St.

Block Party.  The roster of talent amassed at this gig was nothing short of

Saginaw Rock 'n Roll in a nutshell: Sprout, Lila Rasa, Matt Besey, Tres

Putos, Silverspork, Ratchet Jaw, Young Guns, 2nd System and Downpoint,

headliners The Miscreants, and to cap it off, Poke and Burnaround at the

Hamilton St. Pub. Couple this will Al Limberg's  Midas touch behind the

mixing board (and remember, this was a 14-hour gig in almost 100-degree

direct sunlight, and every last act sounded incredible).  Al is the 'Iron

Man'.

Hangovers and heatstroke be damned, everyone was playing at the top of

their game. In most instances, each band gave the best performance I've

ever seen from them. As the sun went down and The Miscreants stormed the

stage, illuminated only by the dull yellow glow of the streetlamps, band

and audience transcended their respective roles and the result was a

roiling tempest of primal energy. I hit the pillow that night spent and

buzzing from one of the best shows I may ever see. Kudos to The Miscreants

front man Pat Kuhn for doing most of the organizational work and several

key businesses for sponsoring it.

Congratulations to Tony and Jackie Furlo on their recent nuptials. I'm

about out of space now, but look forward to getting off my ass and bringing

you more coverage of the incredible music your hometown has to offer.

Later!

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