The Park Metropolis Tune Summit, which I attended from Sept. 7 to 9, goals to develop into a brand new form of interactive music expertise for artists and followers, with a particular deal with psychological well being, restoration assist and neighborhood relations.
Will Schube did an exquisite job protecting these elements on this article, however how did issues play out in actual time? Have been the labs fascinating? Have been the artists and moderators into it? Did the power from the labs translate to the reside reveals later that very same night time?
What follows is my expertise on the first annual Park Metropolis Tune Summit from the extravagant opening kick-off dinner on Wednesday to the Anders Osborne set on Saturday night time, with founder Ben Anderson on vocals and bass, that closed the present.
Day 1: Labs
I created a listing of the labs I wished to attend, and due to the intelligent approach they’re scheduled, it was attainable to cram in fairly just a few by often planning on leaving early. Having mentioned that, as soon as somebody or one thing an artist is speaking about resonates with you, good luck getting up and leaving. You sit there, mesmerized, till the tip, like I did.
I couldn’t make it to the John Prine lab with Jason Isbell, Warren Haynes and others on time, and the tent was packed, so my choices had been both Celisse or Adia Victoria. I made a decision the very best concept was to seize a great seat and be taught a bit extra about Victoria. I noticed individuals strolling out of Celisse smiling, however one way or the other additionally trying like they’d been crying, whereas I and others leaving Victoria appeared like we had simply caught a fork right into a socket.
Victoria’s descriptions of rising up within the South as a Seventh-Day Adventist had been highly effective, concise and shifting. One of many distinctive elements of her newest album, Southern Gothic, is the sense that, though she is essential of the South, she appreciates the positives as a lot as she is going to criticize the negatives. She quoted James Baldwin, “I like America greater than another nation on this planet and, precisely for that purpose, I insist on the proper to criticize her perpetually.”
She had related views on church, which she cherished for exposing her to music and tune however struggled with “the limiting scope the church locations round your ideas and your thoughts.” And her saying “If I’m going to remain on this congregation, elements of me are going to should die off” reveals a powerful stage of self-awareness at a younger age.
The lab with Warren Haynes and Anthony Mason was extra concerning the journey of Haynes’ life, from his father supporting his early curiosity in music to his preliminary mission with The Allman Brothers and subsequent collaborations with The Lifeless and different artists that adopted.
Haynes’ perspective on collaboration is, as a substitute of looking for the place he suits into one other artist’s model or forcing them to suit into his, he goes into the session already conversant in that artist’s strengths, and writes and performs music to reinforce them.
The unofficially renamed “ADD Promoter Lab” with Peter Shapiro, Jay Candy and Mason moderating was the primary tent the place I seen just a few brokers and no less than a few promoters hanging across the again, with Dave Margulies of Excessive Sierra within the entrance row and different business varieties scattered all through the tent. Mason began the lab asking Candy for a full recounting of the occasions main as much as the Joni Mitchell set to shut out Newport Jazz, and Candy advised of strolling into “Summertime” at rehearsal in a Newport church that had among the largest dwelling names in music historical past breaking down in tears, and never being positive if she was going to sing onstage the subsequent day till the primary notes had been performed.
For Shapiro, of Brooklyn Bowl, Capitol Theater, Relix and Fare Thee Nicely fame, I believed the main focus can be totally on his new guide, The Music By no means Stops: What Placing on 10,00 Reveals Has Taught Me About Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Magic, however as a substitute began on Fare Thee Nicely and the primary Brooklyn Bowl, two issues he wished to try this most individuals mentioned he couldn’t. It is a recurring theme all through his profession. Mason requested Shapiro how lengthy the excessive lasts after pulling off one thing epic, and his surprisingly particular reply was “72 hours,” earlier than he should reset and attempt to do all of it once more.
Day 1: Music
Upon strolling into the Songwriter Home, you are feeling why this place is the guts and soul of the Summit. Positioned in a fantastic historic constructing on the foot of Primary Road in Park Metropolis, and with an intimate however laid-back vibe set by the musicians, this was, fingers down, everybody’s favourite shock on the Summit. I caught the again half of the Waylon Payne, Pher and Rick Brantley set, and all three made lasting impressions with Payne and Brantley admitting Pher had the very best voice.
I extremely recommend you take a look at Celisse reside the subsequent time she is taking part in close to you. Someplace in the course of an epic, 10-minute, jammed-out “Freedom,” the mix of her voice, lyrics and the distinctive, deep tone she will get out of that guitar pulled me into her world to the purpose that I fully misplaced monitor of time and missed Katie Pruitt over on the Cabin. So on it was to DMC, who threw down just like the hip-hop legend he’s, rocking all of the traditional hits and intertwining some new bars throughout tune transitions that mirror his present mindset.
Strolling out of DMC with quarter-hour left in his set after “Peter Piper” was not straightforward, however two minutes later strolling into Haynes busting out “Patchwork Quilt” made it worthwhile. The remainder of his set was unbelievable, and the primary day formally within the books.
Day 2: Labs
Backline, a non-profit whose mission is to attach music professionals and their households with a community of psychological well being and wellness suppliers, threw an artist breakfast on Friday, and I used to be psyched to see what number of confirmed as much as be taught extra about them. Their companies are free for everybody, from the band to the crew to the merch desk and even their households and vital others. Backline case managers work with both a complete manufacturing crew or particular person members of a band or crew to arrange psychological well being plans for the entire tour catered to that individual or group’s particular wants. I can’t assist however suppose that if this service was obtainable within the early ’90s, not to mention earlier, what number of sensible artists, crew and relations we’d nonetheless have with us.
Keith Garde, Aerosmith’s ex-manager, clearly felt the identical approach when he virtually broke down in tears describing what Backline does, at the start of “The Nice Collaboration” lab he moderated with panelists DMC, Tammy Michelle and Michelle Esrick.
The primary of a number of Grateful Lifeless-themed labs was “If My Phrases Did Glow” with Bonny Gentle Horsemen dissecting the artwork, lyrics and poetry of Robert Hunter. Any fan of the Lifeless would have felt proper at residence there, and one in all my favourite elements was the organizers going across the tent, having everybody who quoted Grateful Lifeless lyrics of their highschool yearbook elevate their hand (about 3/4 of the tent), then go across the room to have every individual recite the road.
Fred Armisen’s “Comedy for Musicians, however Everyone seems to be Welcome,” was equal elements music nerd humor, stand-up comedy and Armisen exhibiting off his guitar and drum abilities. A few jokes about polyrhythmic drumming went approach over my head.
Celisse with Adia Victoria moderating was intense and enlightening. I discovered that Celisse has a tattoo of Sister Rosetta Tharpe on her forearm in order that if anybody asks about it, she will be able to say “Humorous you requested…”, after which go on to elucidate that we’ve her to thank for the existence of not solely the blues, however rock and roll as nicely. She continued that lastly giving credit score to Little Richard and Chuck Berry was solely half-way there by way of correct recognition, which proves there’s nonetheless reluctance to acknowledge trailblazing ladies, at the same time as we declare to be extra progressive.
In addition they mentioned how the blues was one of many uncommon locations the place males had been allowed to sound weak and open with their emotions, however on the similar time each unhealthy relationship in each blues tune is one way or the other the lady’s fault.
I checked on the “What’s Going On” lab with Devon Gilfillian and Joe Pug. Seems Gilfillian’s a laid-back dude with a terrific smile and infectious chuckle who discovered that, if he was actually going to do that music factor full time, he needed to maintain his nostril, shut his eyes and soar into the deep finish of the music pool that’s Nashville.
Day 2: Music
Charlie Musselwhite and Elvin Bishop are blues legends, and I used to be glad to catch their distinctive storytelling and music.
I’m unsure the place to begin with John Craigie, aside from he has a singular model that’s exhausting to explain. Perhaps its stream of consciousness comedy people with often summary, however all the time poignant underpinnings of social commentary? Or possibly he’s only a humorous dude who likes to put in writing absurd songs with names like “I Nearly Stole Weed From Todd Snider” and “Dissect the Chicken.” Both approach, by the point he received to the hook of his encore, “when the apocalypse is over, I hope you want your job”, my thoughts was blown.
Devon Gilfillian’s headlining set on the Cabin Friday night time was absolute hearth. Seamlessly transitioning out and in of songs starting from straight blues to exhausting rock to soul, he even threw down a pair sick covers of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” and Led Zeppelin’s “Lemon Tune.” To not point out his acapella “Lean on Me,” the place he walked offstage together with his entire band and sang in the course of the gang with competition founder Ben Anderson becoming a member of in. A fittingly epic finish to day two.
Day 3: Labs
“Spirituality and the Highlight” with Dave of Dopey Podcast with Anders Osborne and Wyatt Pike — who, enjoyable truth, was the native Park Metropolis contestant on American Idol — was fascinating. Wyatt had an entire psychological breakdown midway by way of Idol and needed to stop the collection solely. Apparently he hadn’t shared that story with anybody till this lab. After Osborne described just a few breakdown moments of his personal (one significantly loopy story in Paris), they moved on to the significance of getting a connection to one thing non secular in your life to maintain you grounded, even when that factor is so simple as being attentive to your respiration thrice per week for quarter-hour.
I used to be enthusiastic about Jay Blakesberg’s lab, a 60-minute slideshow of his life, from teenage Deadhead who favored taking photos to being one of many preeminent music photographers of a era. He talked about discovering his first press move on the bottom at a political protest organized by Jane Fonda, and having his picture of Tom Petty be the quilt of Rolling Stone after he handed. This lab was full of non-public tales that I’m not comfy sharing, however if you’d like a better take a look at Blakesberg’s work, the Morris Museum in New Jersey is displaying a retrospective of his pictures from Oct 14th to Feb 5th.
Day 3: Music
On the Songwriter Home, Matt Warren performed with Invoice Luther, Dave Pahanish and Hallie Steele, all achieved songwriters themselves. The final tune Warren performed was “Each Storm Runs out of Rain,” which he launched as Maya Angelou’s favourite nation tune.
Angelou as soon as mentioned: “There’s a rustic tune out now, which I want I’d written, that claims ‘each storm runs out of rain.’ I’d make an indication of that if I had been you. Put that in your writing pad. Irrespective of how boring and seemingly unpromising life is correct now, it’s going to vary. It’s going to be higher. However it’s a must to maintain working.”
Warren co-wrote the tune with Gary Allen, and listening to the previous sing an emotionally charged, acoustic model in a room of possibly 30 individuals was spellbinding.
For the final night time of the competition, essentially the most fascinating music was on the similar venue, O.P Rockwell. First up, Daniel Donato Cosmic Nation — belief me, “cosmic nation” describes his music completely as his set opened with a jammed-out Johnny Money/ Grateful Lifeless cowl “Massive River,” and later, “Again on the Prepare” from Phish.
His supervisor advised me a narrative about when Donato was taking part in in a canopy band in highschool and, unbeknownst to him, his historical past trainer was behind the room. The following day the trainer referred to as him in after class, mentioned he noticed him taking part in, dropped an enormous binder of reside Grateful Lifeless CDs on the desk and mentioned, “You must hearken to all of those.” Daniel responded, “The place do I begin?” Instructor mentioned, “Doesn’t matter,” and Cosmic Nation was born.
Keller Williams’ Grateful Gospel continued the nation Lifeless theme properly. Their association on “Midnight Moonlight” was fascinating.
To shut out, Ben Anderson put collectively a lineup for Anders Osborne and Mates, together with Ivan Neville on keys and Anderson himself on bass and occasional vocals. Anderson took full management of “Fireplace on the Mountain” with a driving, bouncy bassline and comfortable, bittersweet vocals. The perfect bits from the remainder of the set included the Meters cowl “Fireplace on the Bayou,” a charged-up “Stoned, Drunk and Bare” with Osborne shredding and a really acceptable “Aiko” encore with Donato on lead and Ivan Neville on vocals.
The Summit was successful. Lab day passes bought out, and the labs had been a success. The Songwriter Home made a particular impression on everybody, and the reside music on Primary St. offered a possibility for the entire city to have enjoyable.
The dates are already set for subsequent 12 months.
