After this weekend, I feel I've learned something about evolution, or at the very least, about my ability to adapt to new environments. Once I accepted the fact that I could not shower for three days in a row, I found comfort with each progressive layer of dirt, sweat, and bug repellent building on my skin if only for its ability to keep swarming mosquitoes away. But this festival was not about the dirt or the bugs, it was about enjoying music outside and away from cell phone towers.
Admittedly, this point was mostly lost on me as I spent more time at the coffee shop in town or in Nic's tent than I did in front of or behind the stage. Despite this self-made seclusion, I still managed to hear several incredible artists, two of whom I recommend below.
'Hymn for Her'
Making the biggest musical splash at BIMF 2011 was 'Hymn for Her' starring Lucy and Wayne and their fuzz-box fueled formula. Sure their gimmicky. They live, tour, and record in their 1961 Bambi Airstream which is featured prominently on all their album covers and publicity shots. Lucy plays a home-made 'three-stringed broom handle/cigar box' guitar with each string fed into an array of effects pedals while Wayne stomps a bass drum and hi-hat, strums his acoustic guitar or banjo, and howls through a distorted microphone. But beyond the novelty is a cleverly arranged sound and uncompromising cool that keeps 'Hymn for Her' stuck in your brain for days. Their songs are all in the same key, but Bob Dylan and 'Led Zeppelin 3' covers have never sounded more natural among blues and country tinged originals. Bridging the gap between old and new or north and south is not as easy as it sounds and it would be easy to write 'Hymn for Her' off as a trailer-park version of the White Stripes and The Black Keys. Those often made comparisons have merit, but they hardly tell the whole story. Lucy and Wayne are sincere and adept at creating a variety of rhythms and sounds from a very limited range of pitches. The BIMF crowd hardly knew what hit them the first night but were screaming for encores after their headlining spot on Saturday. Electricity this palpable and grungy usually comes from a suburban garage, but Lucy and Wayne manufacture their sound from a stainless steal trailer and its every bit as entertaining. Find more at their website: Hymn For Her Website
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| Lucy and Wayne on stage |
'An Dro'
Blending traditional jigs and dances of Celtic and French-Canadian origin with classically inspired original numbers, 'An Dro' easily fills and surpasses the folk festival niche for scholarly ensemble.
Like Shakespearian actors, these musicians painstakingly research correct technique and interpretation providing a vital link to the past. Michele Venegas, Fred Wilson, and James Spalink fill in the melodies and tightly intersecting harmonies on violin, guitar, lute, and other stringed instruments. 'An Dro's' secret weapon however is its percussionist Carolyn Koebel. Seamlessly transitioning from assorted hand drums of Middle-Eastern and Western origin, as well as stomping on a kick-drum, tambourine, and hi-hat, Koebel's effortless precision with multi-meter patterns is matched only by her ecstatic energy. Koebel physically reflects her deep emotional connection to the music as if electricity periodically shoots through her entire torso, creating a performance that is as much fun to watch as it is to listen. For more information, check out An Dro's website: www.andromusic.com
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| An Dro Full Band |
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| Koebel rocking the whole kit |
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| Koebel rocking the tamborine |
As for our performances...we vastly improved on day 2. For our first performance on Friday, I greatly under-estimated the ratio and ferocity of mosquitoes on the island. Wearing only shorts, a short sleeved shirt, and NO bug-repellent, my hands spent more time slapping my arms and legs than gripping my sticks and holding down the beat. Needless to say, I prepared myself for Saturday with jeans AND layers of bug repellent, a combination that made steam rise from my body and sweat to saturate my clothes. Still, Saturday's applause felt earned in the way that Friday felt sympathetic.
If nothing else, camping on an island in the forest helped me to appreciate modern conveniences such as hot running water, walls that insulate noise, and air-conditioning. If only all of those amenities could fold inside of a tent.
