JANUARY 8th with Arborea and Allysen Callery

january 8th:

this saturday!

I know I'm confusing all of you

sorry.
Saturday, November 13th!

I just have to write about this show, cause it was so gosh darn fun!
Marie Stella, Hyena, Elephant, BIG MUFF...
Freakin', the best line-up. This show satisfied all my grunge rock yearnings somehow. So much heart in all the music, ecstatic.
Marie Stella was amazing.  Sydney Bourke led the songs with a strong, sexy voice kind of reminiscent of Kristin Hersh but a million times better. They sound like they've been playing together forever. The instrumentals were hard and seductively heavy but so intricate. I love seeing a band that moves to what they are playing, it's so awesome watching that energy just take them. Thanks Bryan for adding another item to our menu! Did we decide on "The Bryan" or "The Bruchman"? That's a black bean brownie with homemade ice cream over the top, warmed up. (Oh, and for our mermaid postcard!)
Hyena.  Seriously Colby, I had no idea.  I was completely captivated from start to finish. The vocals sound like they are tapped directly from the heart and soul. I'm tempted to start comparing them but it would only cheapen what they do. If you missed them that night, keep tabs and catch them when you can. (Hopefully, at our place again soon). There was wildness in their music too, like the cracking of a whip in a storm. Impossible not to get drawn into it.
Elephant was the cherry on top. A mix of beautiful songwriting and visceral energy. Light and dark sounds balanced out the room while reigniting it! Gorgeous.
The night started with BIG MUFF. Totally threw me off guard. One guy, with a color changing light shining up on him, in sunglasses and a hood. I'm apprehensive to start describing his music. I really couldn't stop laughing almost the entire time, just because I couldn't believe how good it was... He moved like you would if you were rapping karaoke style alone in your bedroom. Perfectly placed sound movements and a really keen sensibility for musical switches within the songs. I want him to come play my dream dance party inside my head. A solo electronic wizard!


-k

last sunday november 21st

surprisingly well attended room for a sunday night. thanks to everyone who came out. Thanks for bringing your friends too guys. Beautiful night. The Powder Kegs brought the room to life and infused the night with energy. I've never heard them live before, great show!
Tica Douglas played a gorgeous set with viola partner in tow. You can tell right away, there's real talent there. Her songwriting is funny and poetically wordy.  I was listening hard to hear all her words. The viola belonged in the songs so naturally and instinctively played to encourage each mood.
A lot of people came to see Robert Sarazin Blake. No one was disappointed. I was really blown away actually. He is sort of a comic and his words spoken and sung have an Irish bent that catches you off guard. He managed to weave observations of local quirks and character into his songs and pre-song banter that made me feel somehow closer to everyone in the room. I've never seen anyone like him before. He has a real genius for utilizing the here and now and makes you feel everything's kind of alright. Cannot wait to have him come back! (He and his girlfriend danced to the other bands music too. Loved that.)

much love and thanks for a great night!
k

jeez. can anybody read this font color?? changing it now.

saturday november 20th

Right now I'm on my in-law's computer, home for Thanksgiving. It's really hard right now trying to send my mind back to this past weekend. It's all just color blocks and really good music. And was there actually moshing going on???? How come I missed this?!!
I want to draw a picture of Celine with wings coming down to the bar to save me from the wrath of heavy drinkers that night!!! Thank you!

ANYWAY

This weekend started with Gabe of o'death coming to visit early to shoot a video for their new album. He handmade masks using melted skin wax flesh and a bed frame chipped into splintery wood slivers, whited out graduation robe, and flying machine flashlight eyes cute monster.

Skeletonbreath started the night with one of the most beautiful sets I've heard them play. Really the liveliest. I think they've been recharged by some new energy- it can only come to life in that stingingly satisfying way filtered through the songs they write. Whenever I see them play, I can't believe what I'm hearing. I can only describe it as a flock of birds that know which way to go always, psychic. I didn't even get to watch them this time with the horde all over the furniture. The feeling of birds must have come from my mind painting to the sound. So exceptional.

The Woes. Sometimes the musicians change or grow in number or slim down to just Osei (which is amazing). But Saturday nights group felt really perfect. Osei has this honey rich voice, that no one could ever imitate. It really defines their music. I'm constantly impressed by the way the room handles sound. His vocals floated above the music and weaved in and out of it. Their music is like an ethereal carnival of sweet and mellow. It swells and falls without ever a carny shrillness. Ok, it's like a carnival with caramel apples and the smell of caramel and cotton candy and soft grass at sunset, but it doesn't get freaky once the sun goes down and kids high on acid start filtering in.

o'death. ridiculous. it's ridiculous what a huge fan I am of this band. sometimes it sucks just a little that I'm married to the lead singer. Their new album (out March 1st..) is something that haunts me everyday now. I have it on the moment Greg leaves and let it play continuously until he returns and I have to hide my obsession a little. No new songs in their set that night but a rebirth were the older songs they played. They are definitely a band that's so hard to watch without being infected by a strange energy. I couldn't see them at all. It was great actually to experience it so live but without the visual, and still feel it's effect on me. The sound was so tight, like they'd been on the road for two months. I think there were a lot of newcomers to their music that night and you could tell. A lot of people had a look of shock and joy on their faces. When they played I reviewed the room and everyone had a smile on their face, such a great feeling.

Jacob and the House of  Fire. If you stayed for the epic end to this night...well please keep watch for this band's return, as we will be building an incredible night around them when they come back. Our big build-up for their set was a teaser of 3 beautiful songs. A lot (a lot!) of people came out especially to see these guys. Definitely a bitter-sweet night- the fire alarm went off and the entire 140 main st. had to evacuate the building (tenants and all). There was no way of turning the alarm off without the fire department and they came and very dramatically all garbed up marched through every room and storefront that 140 main encompasses. Jacob and the House of Fire were heartbroken. A long night of waiting to play and working up to it fed by the energy in the room. Apologies to all their fans that came (some of you from far away) to experience their music that night.

Thanks, everyone who came out. We are so touched by the response to the show. Thank you for drinking so much that we sold out of most of our beer, and for the smell of sweat and booze that still lingers a little.

GRAND OPENING WEEKEND!

Yes its true we've been open periodically since our first show with Casiotone for the Painfully Alone on Oct 12th. This weekend, though, (starting with Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher and the Wrong Reasons and D. Gross), will mark our official grand opening. Partially this is because this will be my first show as a Maine resident.  Our first show that Kristin and I will be together(i've been down in brooklyn working on an album this since sept). We're going to be open regularly(not just for shows) and hope to really become a place folks in Biddeford and around the area can feel comfortable coming to whenever they need to relax, drink, talk, eat, watch movies and listen to some great music.  We'll post our hours soon, but expect us open each night as a general hang for the community.  Thanks all, we are so excited to take on this adventure.

-Greg

poster by dan blakeslee. makes me soo happy.

Such an amazing show lastnight!!!

Drab Pony was so captivating. I starting recalling memories of playing in my grandma's backyard as a kid while listening! His music is energizing and deeply relaxing. Have you ever had a cup of tea that's so potent it's almost like doing drugs? That's kind of what it was like!
Trying to get a sound clip off my phone from his performance...


Black Swans couldn't have been better. I think everyone was blown away by every single song. So excited for the Spring when they say they'll be back! Jerry and Tyler have such a chemistry, it's so amazing to watch. Each song was like it's own little movie. I was getting these beautiful little glimpses and it made me want more so I could see the whole picture. You can tell these songs are from a very real place. So superb.
Such sweet guys too!

Lastnight was a night of sweet guys! The five gents of Milagres played an amazing set! I was new to their music, and was so excited to see them play. Their music filled our little room so gorgeously. I sat on the couch in the back for most of it so I could ease back and take it in. There's so much texture in their music, I think if you listened endless times you'd always get something different. BUT it is so light and airy that I think it took them a thousand years to get that effect from these beautifully structured songs. What a pleasure!

I would love to repeat this line up any day!



Thank you Savannah for doing the door lastnight!
Thanks Jeremy for being our sound hero!
Thanks Gil for the constant moral support!

thank you

thanks to everyone who came out for our very first show on tuesday!
some friends and a lot of new faces made us very happy.
a lot of fear and excitement led up to this day and we feel really welcomed, everyone's been so warm to us.

we opened with beer, wine, root beer, hot and sake cider. our only food was pumpkin, chocolate chip cookies. but our menu will be expanding. check out our food + drink blog.




Thank you Rayne and Jeremy!!!

our first show is on tuesday!

Casiotone for the Painfully Alone our first show ever. on Oct 12th.

Vermont Joy Parade. playing with Dr. Gasp and Nick Jaina on Oct 28th. wow what a bill!

nick jaina on october 28th @ the oak and the ax

MV & EE show moved to Nov 12th, here at the oak and the ax

 So excited that MV & EE will be joining us at The Oak and the Ax on November 12th

musings on hogfarm studio

as we creep ever closer to an opening date, i feel its important to explain exactly whats going on here. as someone who has had the fortune to tour with my bands all over the country and into europe, i've come to value the venues, and venue owners of smaller communities- the folks attempting to carve out something personal, sometimes something truly weird. the folks who take risks putting themselves out there when there may or may not be an audience for what they do. the thrill is in finding an audience in those smaller communities. somehow it manages to resonate in a way that simply doesn't happen in larger cities.
when you find a venue like that, you remember it. and what gil and coco at hogfarm have been able to do is something truly beautiful and important to me in my daily life. when we heard they were going to close the annex my wife, kristin and i, saw this as an opportunity to attempt to continue on in their spirit, because honestly this is what we want to do with our lives.
our hope is that we can be a fraction of how hospitable and warm they have been to all of you who come through our door. what we can offer is a very select collection of the things we love: the music that means so much to us, the films, art, performances and food that we long to share with all of you.
we are not from maine. but we have somehow always been drawn to it, and look forward to it becoming our home.

thanks for stopping by,

greg & kristin

the black swans, coming october 17th, 2010

casiotone for the painfully alone, coming october 12th, 2010