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Dec 27 2012
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Phoenix Underground Articles

McDowell Mountain Music Festival Brings The Roots and The Shins to Downtown Phoenix

An exciting event has raised Phoenix Underground from the ashes to report with much enthusiasm that the premier Arizona music festival~The McDowell Mountain Music Festival of Arizona~ is coming to central Phoenix. It will be a three-day musical festival taking place at Margaret Hance Park between March 22nd and March 24th. This has been an event that has been yearned for by this blog and many other cultural outlets who want to see premiere events in central Phoenix~where they belong.

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival’s move to Hance Park allows for a more populist event that reaches out to all residents of the valley to have equal access and travel time. In the meantime, it becomes an opportunity for Phoenix to shine as it hosts music lovers from around the country to enjoy the burgeoning downtown area.

The line up for the festival is outstanding and is far less esoteric then MMMF’s past festivals. It includes The Shins, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Les Claypool, Dr. Dog and the headliner of headliners will be The Roots that will be the top of the line on Saturday night. This event will be a locus of Phoenix pride that will allow local artists, musicians, deejays, and businesses to be able to step up their game and strut their stuff. It will be in the best interest of every town in the valley from Buckeye to Queen Creek to show off an Arizona music festival that will kick off next season’s music festival, even before Coachella starts. It will be going down at a time when Phoenix will have beautiful weather and at a time of renewed interest in downtown Phoenix life.

Another highlight of the event is Margaret Hance Park itself, which has been the subject of oft suggest improvements. However, there is nothing wrong with the park itself, it only needs events like the MMMF to give people an opportunity to appreciate it. In fact, the park has a very scenic atmosphere that has a beautifully lit underbridge that the lightrail passes over. The Burton Barr Library sits on the Northeast corner of the park and is in comfortable walking distance from the Evans-Churchill neighborhood where FilmBar, the Fair Trade Cafe, Portlands, Jobot, the Angel Trumpet Ale House, and a host of other cafes, shops, and restaurants that are opening on a regular basis. Plus, the park is only a short lightrail trip from cafes, pubs, and restaurants from Camelback all the way down to Jefferson Street.

The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is in its 10th anniversary in 2013. It is the brain child of John Largay who is the owner of Wespac Construction. It is a non-profit event that emphasizes “Charity, Culture, and Community“. McDowell Mountain Music Festival was rooted in the very underrated venue called Compound Grill that was located in the northeast of Phoenix, inside the corner of the 101 and Scottsdale Road. Unfortunately, the Compound Grill closed this year. However, the announcement of Hance Park as the location of the festival breathes new life into the MMMF.

With the relocation of the festival in central downtown and an outstanding line up, McDowell Mountain is posed to be one of the premiere musical festivals that will kickoff the music scene in 2013. The Crescent Ballroom will be supporting the event with afterhours featuring Orgone and Deertick to cap Friday and Saturday nights of the festival. John Largay and the MMMF deserve a salute for bringing the festival to the downtown where hopefully it will remain. (Now, if we can only convince the Phoenix Film Society to bring the Phoenix Festival downtown, the downtown may be even closer to making Phoenix a cornucopia of cultural celebration.)

Tickets will be going on sale on January 1st, 2013. A three-day pass is $120 and is more than worth it for the total experience of music and people, but daily tickets will range from $40-55 apiece.

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Apr 05 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Presents Video

VINYL~A Phoenix Story

Introducing a documentary about the reemergence of vinyl through the eyes of local Phoenix. According to Nielsen company, the sale of vinyl has been rising over the past five years. There has been a decidedly real and measurable interest in Vinyl for many reasons. The documentary features T.J. Jordan, owner of Revolver Records, Tim Stamper of Tracks in Wax, Dario Miranda, the manager of Stinkweeds, Dan Mazza, owner of Arizona Hi-Fi, and Alex Vonotovich, known to his fans as Djentrification. VINYL examines the reasons behind the explosive sales of Vinyl over the last five years. It also looks at the story of the technology and how music companies have foisted an inferior product upon the music consumer. It celebrates local heroes like Don and Dennis Chiesa who were the owners of Tracks in Wax. While CD and MP3 was luring the consumer, Don and Dennis were continuing to push the quality of vinyl, even though vinyl stores were closing down. As T.J. Jordan said, “If it wasn’t for records stores like Tracks in Wax or Eastside Records [which is now Ghost of Eastside after the original went out of business.], I probably wouldn’t have a record store now.”

“You collect Vinyl, you trade compact discs, and you delete MP3s.”

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Mar 27 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

Searching for the Art of Listening to Music in PHX Record Stores

Over the past few weeks, I have been working on a documentary for Phoenix Underground about record stores in Downtown Phoenix. Phoenix Underground interviewed with owners and employees of wonderful local shops that sell vinyl and sound systems. I also interviewed a local DJ named Alex Votichenko who performs with vinyl under the moniker-Djentrification. PHX Underground visited Revolver Records, Tracks in Wax, and Stinkweeds, which is owned by Kimber Lanning of Local First Arizona. Normally when I venture into these projects, I only expect to collect a few passing thoughts by the business owners and their patrons.  However, this time I was drawn into some very stark realities about our social and cultural behavior. As I was working on Vinyl, I found myself frustrated by how easily the consumer is drawn into poor buying decisions and how music companies try to enforce the buying public into those decisions. As I was working on the documentary, I was interested in exploring the resurgence of vinyl records over the last couple years. I wanted to find out if it was just something fashionable, if not a reaction to the “curse of the white cord” that slithers from the ears of most pedestrians and public transit commuters. I considered my auditory intelligence score higher than average. However, I found that I was as much of a “Manchurian Candidate” that was victim to the re-education campaign that music companies’ and digital distributors’ pogroms subjected us to buy into MP3s and MPEG-4s as any other consumer of music.

It is a fact: Vinyl records are superior to any recorded medium out there. As, TJ Jordan, the owner of Revolver Records, said in his interview, “It is over a 100 years old and no other medium has stood that test of time.” Sales of vinyl have reflected this reality. According to the Nielsen Company that measures audiences and sales of media, vinyl sales have been going up since 2006. More vinyl has been sold than any other year since before 1993. There are many reason for that, but the primary rationale is that Vinyl is a superior product. In the interview with Dan Mazza who owns Arizona Hi-Fi, “There is no question that records sound better than CD because vinyl records sound waves that go beyond our hearing up to 40,000 Hz, whereas CDs cut off at 20,000.” Although, our ears may not be capable of hearing that high, our bodies still experience it. Mazza further emphasized that MP3s are even worse.

“If you look at a digital file, its pattern is jagged, whereas a record moves in smooth curve, which is where the warmth comes from,” said T.J. Jordan, “A CD is a compressed version of a record and an MP3 is a compressed version of a CD.” Imagine all of the sounds of a forest with the layers of wind rustling through the pine trees, the scurrying of animals, and the whistling of birds…THIS is the vinyl experience. It’s as close to the original recording of the reel to reel recording that you will experience. The distances between the sounds and the layers that provides a more three-dimensional auditory experience of standing in a forest is squashed into a plastic bubble with digital downloads. Compact Discs remove the rustling of the wind and MP3s remove the needles and the pine cones, while leaving only the trunk and a branch with two birds whistling.

It raises the question as a listener of music: Why do we listen to music? Do we listen to it as background noise, as stimulation when we go for a walk, or are we trying to experience the music exactly as the artist intended for it to be experienced. All of the mixing and engineering that went into Dark Side of the Moon is lost on an MP3. It’s like looking at desaturated version of the Sistine Chapel that’s been pixellated to boot. Furthermore a sense of community is lost with MP3s and I-Pods. Dan Mazza notes that, “When I was in high school and college, we would pull out ten albums and listen to them all night with a group of people, while you’re drinking beer.” What is wonderful about the album is that it can be a collective experience, unfortunately it’s beauty and depth has been traded for portability and simplicity that extends to more than just music. In the interview with Dario Miranda who manages Stinkweeds, he put it succinctly, “The things you love should not be convenient.” It is a frustrating reality to those of us who threw out our albums or gave our parent’s collections away. Then, we went out and spent untold dollars to replace them with inferior products. How can anyone be shocked by anyone downloading music illegally, when downloads have absolutely no residual value? On the other hand, you can sell a record. Fortunately, as Tim Stamper of Tracks in Wax said, “It’s been indy bands that have been pushing fresh presses of new albums. Records are now coming with CDs and downloads.” This has allowed music lovers to have the best of all worlds. They can listen to their music on a run. Listen to their CDs in their car. Then, pull out their vinyl at home and listen to it with friends.

Stay tuned for Vinyl that will be published soon here on Phoenix Underground. In the meantime, be sure to visit Revolver, Stinkweeds, Tracks in Wax, and Arizona Hi-Fi. Arizona Hi-Fi will disabuse you of everything you believed about sound. Go into Arizona Hi-FI and ask Dan to sit you on the couch and you will get some audio psycho-therapy. Check out Djentrification who performs regularly at Film Bar and The Crescent Ballroom.

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Feb 07 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

Neo-Localism for the Aspiring Filmmaker

Spike Lee came to Arizona State University on January 25th, 2012 and spoke to its students. Lee lamented that one of the major issues for many independent filmmakers is financing small films. “Woody Allen makes most of his films in Europe, because he cannot get films [Like Midnight in Paris] financed unless it is a comic book or television-based franchise”, he said. This may discourage a young filmmaker, but there is actually a silver lining in the midst of this greed on the industry’s part. Like music, filmmaking is more democratic than it has ever been before due to the off of the shelf technology. In the midst of this, the industry is in serious financial trouble, because film attendance is decreasing. According to the website Box Office Mojo has seen a 10% decrease in tickets sold over the past two years. Now, this may be due to the economic downturn, but audiences are not interested in what Hollywood is turning out. Now, 2012 might see an upturn in ticket sales that might be dramatic due to the release of The Star Wars series in 3-D, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Hobbit. But, all of these are franchises and are competing for audience’s attention with video games, torrents, Netflix, social media, and a multitude of other factors, which are much cheaper, competing for the attention spans of audiences of all ages.

If you are an aspiring filmmaker, whether you live in Phoenix, Oklahoma City, or Louisville, filmmaking, as with other forms of media, lends itself to Neo-Localism. All artists draw from their own hometown experience, so a Local Arts movement simply makes sense. Because, our comedy and our tragedy emerges from where we were raised and lived. There are a plethora of stories that can be told about every city, town, and hamlet throughout the United States. However, Phillip Bradstock of the City of Phoenix Film Office said, “It’s very difficult to maintain financing for film projects in Phoenix. Most of the work that comes here is often Reality Television and often bring their own crews. You may get an occasional production assistant hired who knows the area.” The total economic impact of the film industry last year was $13,130,233. “Our biggest goal is to see growth in production with companies that hire local professionals.” Most of the work that is being done in the local area are photo shoots, corporate and industrial training, and commercial work. Bradstock said that the biggest production time is between October and April where companies get their summer commercial stock ready. Many production companies in Phoenix are temporary and fold once the production is complete.

Film Festivals, like music festivals, are growing as a new local outlet for distribution to shop independent films as an alternative to the standard industry distributors. There are a variety of film festivals that take place in Arizona, which is the same case with cities in other states that support local filmmaking. There is the Almost Famous Film Festival, The Arizona Student Film Festival, there is also the No Festival Required that facilitates lesser known films from local, national, and international filmmakers. And, of course, there is The Phoenix Film Festival that may take place at the Scottsdale 101, but is still located in Phoenix proper. Outside of Phoenix, you also have The Tuscon Film and Music Festival, The Sedona International Film Festival, which starts this month, and The Flagstaff Film Festival. There is surprisingly no shortage of film festivals and if you have a strong work of cinema, the festival circuit is the first step to marketing independent films. Plus, there is The Phoenix Film Society that facilitates the Phoenix Film Festival and provides ample opportunities to see new and offbeat films.

Unfortunately, there is such an association with filmmaking with Hollywood or New York. What a young filmmaker needs to understand is that when John Cassavetes made Shadows, it was a film that he made with an Arriflex 16S with local actors about the city that he lived in. This local notion is the same inspiration that drove Scorsese to make Mean Streets and the same type of stories can be made in any town. Now, it’s easier than ever as long as you have a good story  to tell. In Arizona, in particular, between Tuscon and Flagstaff, there are untold numbers of film and video professionals that populate the state of Arizona.  There is no shortage of professionals that range from photographers, editors, actors, costume makers, graphic designers, etc who also have their own tools and materials to bring. The problem? The problem is that there is no center of locus that is able to bring these artists, craftspersons, and technicians into a single organization. Phoenix already has a collection of successful production companies that are in The Valley that Include Image Ave. Studios, Great Scott Productions Inc., True Story Films, Quantum Leap Productions, and many more that are located in the valley. The Valley would be the ideal place for many established production companies to farm out pre-production and post-production responsibilities that can be prepared and shipped off to locations that do not have to be located in Arizona.

But in all reality, it is tough to get productions together and draw financing. In 2006, there was the The Motion Picture Tax Incentive Program, which drew productions to Arizona for reduced costs. However, that program expired in December 31st, 2010. However, over the last few weeks, Senate Bill 1170 “The Multimedia Incentives Bill” has been proposed in the senate to foster more film and media production in the state of Arizona. It passed on February 2nd and is now going to the Arizona House for consideration. Bradstock said, “It passed the senate, but whether the Speaker allows it to go forward in the house is his decision. Over the last two years, it either was not introduced by the speaker or did not get out of committee.” There are film offices and commissions throughout the state to support and advocate for film productions in Arizona that would benefit a great deal from such legislation. The very same elements that drew filmmakers to California in the early 1900′s is in Arizona with environments that vary from desert to temperate climates. In addition to this, there are spaces throughout Phoenix, particularly in the Warehouse District. However, Bradstock says, ” Most of those spaces are not ideal for sound stages without refurbishment, because you need ceiling spaces at least 30 feet high. In addition to that, because Phoenix is in a flight path and along the train, it makes those spaces problematic.” The ideal place to build a sound stage would be either in North Phoenix where you have the space. Currently there are two sound stages being built, one that is in Avondale and the other is being built in Mesa, which is well on its way. But, there are a great many professionals out there who need to make a living and so much pro bono work going on as it is. But, there are many tools in for an ambitious filmmakers who have a good story to make films that’s are cinematically unique to Phoenix and Arizona at large.

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Feb 02 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles, Phoenix Underground Presents Video

The Blue Atmospheres of Zola Jesus

Zola Jesus , a Wisconsin band, lead by Nika Roza Danilova kicked off the first show of their tour last night at The Crescent Ballroom. The show was opened by local Phoenix indie-pop artist Youceff and the Brooklyn duo Talk Normal. Many are disappointed that they may not have gotten tickets to see Flo and the Machine at Comerica in April. If that is the case, then the question is why didn’t you go see Zola Jesus? She fits within the gallery of female voices that are able to maneuver though many vocal ranges like Florence Welch or the vocal airiness of Casey Dienel of White Hinterland. In addition, Miss Danilova has a pixie-styled presence as she engages the stage on the wings of her voice. She kept a very enthusiastic rapport with the audience as she walked through the audience at one point where she performed Sea Talk. The atmosphere of the performance drew upon winter motifs that Miss Danilova was very much a character within a blue-frosted fairy tale set. Percussionist Alex DeGroot who has been with the band for two years said that, “She represents what may not be most apparent in most pop music, because she is very different.” He also noted that although Zola Jesus is a band, “It’s very similar situation as Nine Inch Nails, where Trent Reznor was the creative force of the band.” The same is true for Zola Jesus that is the alter-ego for Danilova. The band is touring east to Austin, New Orleans, and beyond to continue performing songs from their new album Conatus. (The Setlist: Avalanche, Hikikomori, Stridulum, Collapse, Sea Talk, In Your nature, Shivers, Seekir, Lick the Palm, Night, Ixode, Vessel, and they did an encore with Run Me Out and Poor Animal.)

Traveling with the band was a overwhelming surprise of Talk Normal lead by Sarah Register and Andrya Ambro who are from Brooklyn. When you go see a headliner, you know what the general mood and tone of the music is going to be. However, the surprises are usually the opener. In the case of Talk Normal, Zola Jesus chose an amazing opening duo. They are Patti Smith on steroids. Sarah plays on guitar and Anrya Ambro plays on drums with an onstage experimentation that has echos of Velvet Underground. Both musicians would weave their voices together with a driving “Tribal Pop” of Ambro’s primal drumming. They used feedback as a painter would use dripping spirals of paint that would encircle Ambro’s driving vocals that would carry yearning pitched notes that expressed an apocalyptic edge. Once Talk Normal finished their set, the audience wanted the band to continue performing. They are a magnificent addition to Zola Jesus’s tour. Ambro said, “That she wanted Talk Normal to continue to always be a surprise,” when audiences see them. They performed songs off of their albums Sugarland and Secret Cog. (Their set list: Sunshine, Baby Your Heart’s Too Big, XO, Lover, Lone General, Shot This Time, Bad Date.)

A show at the Crescent would not be the same without a local musician exhibiting what Phoenix can do. Youceff was first at the Crescent when Reptar was not able to open for Phantogram. . He stepped up to the plate and entertained the audience with a wonderful brand of indie-pop with a one man show. This was his second performance at The Crescent and he is peformed before Talk Normal Youceff describes his muic as, “A mix of bass lines and beats, coming together setting a landscape that expresses his voice and hopes it leads to a catharsis for the audience.” Youceff is going to Phoenix College and performs with the choir there. He is originally from Brussells, Belgium and came to Phoenix when he was fourteen years old. “The reason my mother chose Phoenix was because it was the cheapest ticket.” However, he found that when he and brother left Belgium, that Phoenix was surprisingly welcome and hospitable. Youceff does an amazing job channeling ambience in his music and churning it with the softness of his voice that is hypnotic to his audiences. You can find his album and download it at his website on Bandcamp for free.

The entire evening was a contrasting experience between the raging reds of Talk Normal to the misty blues of Zola Jesus. If you missed tickets to Flo and the Machine, do not despair, because you can have the same musical experience with Zola Jesus.

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Jan 26 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

Musical Instruments Museum: A Phoenix Paragon

At a time when Arizona may not have a great deal of street cred right now and it seems like, well, a cultural desert. In fact, Phoenix has a cultural touchstone that ranks with any other cultural institution like Guggenheim Art Museum, the MET, or the Art Institute of Chicago. It is located in an uncommon spot that is just a couple blocks south of another shopping mall, which there are more than enough in The Valley, but there is only one MIM. The Musical Instruments Museum sits on the corner of Mayo and Tatum just south of the 101 and Tatum exit. The MIM is a based on a museum in Belgium and the MIM was financed by Robert Ulrich who was the CEO of Target and an enthusiastic collector of African art and student of its history. It opened in April of 2010 and it is the largest museum to feature musical instruments that represent cultures, nations, genres, and instrumental categories. The MIM’s public relations representative Erin Kozak stated that the, “MIM’s role is to enrich, collect and preserve instruments from around the world.” The visit to MIM is primarily an auditory experience. If you have an aversion to wearing headsets, which some do when they go museums, then you will be depriving yourself of half of the experience.

You enter through the lobby once your check in and walk past the collection of guitars that range in time from the Middle Ages to the modern electric guitar. The primary galleries are up a stair case that spirals to the second floor that are organized by continent from Africa to Asia. If you are not familiar with using museum headsets, the technology is wireless and does not start operating until you enter the galleries upstairs, so don’t be alarmed if the headset is not working. Once you enter the African gallery and approach the exhibits, the headset will engage once you approach the flat screen televisions beside the items on display. As Kozak says, “There are no talking heads that interrupts the musical experience.” It is primarily a sensual experience that allows you to drift from display to display. If one element strikes you, it is that music is one of the primary elements that unites humanity into a community. Furthermore, there is an innate desire for human beings to create and enjoy music, if it’s tapping your foot to making an electric guitar from a Castrol can. Immediately, the experience becomes both emotional and intellectual as you are drawn into the myriad of rhythms and sounds that you may hear for the first time in your life. Rather than sounds and colors, you are experience tones and vibrations that inspire even the most passive to think in a more creative way. Kozak said that the average visit to a museum is about two hours, but a visit to the MIM is clocked at about three hours and thirty-eight minutes.” In short, the MIM is not an experience that you can have in one visit. This is good news for Phoenicians and Arizonans, but for visitors who come to see the MIM from all over the world. It not only brings foreign diplomats, but it also brings rocks stars and pop stars to the museum to experience the music and the craftsmanship of the instruments. This is an inflection point of pride for Phoenix at a time that many may not be aware that we have one of the most important museums in the world in our city. Another element of the MIM said Kozak, “Is that there are a variety of new exhibits throughout the year and a visitor never leaves with the same experience twice.” On February 25th, there will be a unique exhibition in the Target Gallery of two hundred sanzas that will consist of a private collection. And on February 18th, in lieu of Arizona’s Hundredth Anniversary that will celebrate Arizona musical highlights from Native American music, to Canyon Records, to the Gin Blossoms, Stevie Nicks, and Alice Cooper.

Another major highlight of the MIM is its 300 seat auditorium that presents many artists of world renown. There are many concerts that take place at the MIM in an auditorium that is acoustically superb, and one of the best in the United States. Once you have experienced the galleries on the second floor, a second stair well will lead you to the artists gallery. This gallery consists of the instruments and accoutrement of modern and contemporary musicians. Being displayed now are the guitar of Carlos Santana, the jumpsuits of Elvis Presley, and the piano that John Lennon used to compose Imagine. There is also a gallery of mechanical instruments that feature antique pieces that recreate the whistling of birds to displays of mechanical piano scroll punchers. There is also a room for visitors to actually touch instruments and be able to play them. The Musical Instruments Museum is a multi-faceted experience that operates on an educational, artistic, and entertainment level. If you love music, play music, or like to dance to music–it is an experience worth traveling from any part of the Valley,

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Jan 23 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

Strong Beer Festival on February 18th

The greatest decision that Jan Brewer ever made in her political career was announcing Arizona Beer Week, which will be February 18th to the 25th this year. The highlight event of Arizona Beer Week is the Strong Beer Festival that will be on Saturday, February 18th, where craft brewers from throughout Arizona and the United States will gather to serve their brews. The event will include up to sixty breweries. The festival is organized by Arizona Craft Brewers Guild and the event is being marketed by an Arizona marketing firm. Much of the event is not only about inviting out of state brewers, but highlighting the craft brewers of the state, especially new brewers like the Phoenix Ale Brewery.  The Arizona Craft Brewers Guild is also working with partners throughout the city and the Valley, most notably the Arizona Restaraunt Association to bring beer fans of all levels to the event. This is the 12th year of the event and the third year to take place in the downtown and it will be returning to Steele Indian Park.

Often, most avid connoisseurs of craft beer are compelled to go on a pilgrimage to an event like the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, which is a three-day event of beer tastings that is in its 25th year. The Strong Beer Festival did take place in the Mesa Ampitheatre, but, “Mesa was a long ride for our attendants and Steele Indian Park was a central location that was on the light rail,” said Jerry Gantt who is the Executive Director of the Arizona Craft Brewers Guild. Mr. Gantt wants Arizona Beer Week to emphasize the awareness of beer as a tasting experience, rather than an opportunity to drink beer for the sake of drinking beer. “It’s an educational opportunity to introduce people to craft beer.” There will also be four food vendors this year that the organizers are working with to make the line waits shorter and more efficient. Last year, there were about 2500 people who attended the event and Mr. Gantt expects a larger attendance this year, weather permitting. Mr. Gantt said that even though last year’s event took place on a rainy day, the crowding in the tents fostered a camaraderie that was comparable to the Oregon Brewer’s Festival. Beer connoisseurs raise their glasses in yowls of bliss that rises in a chorus of hop-seasoned reverie that travels across the crowd in a sonorous wave. There are three levels of tickets: there are VIP tickets for who want to go earlier with an exclusive crowd that starts at noon. General admission will start at 1:00 and there will also be reduced tickets for designated drivers. Mr. Gantt said “It’s going to be a fabulous event.” In addition to brews and food, there will also be bands performing at the event. Steele Indian Park is also a unique stage to present the event for Phoenix and Valley resident to come together and toast to a great event in Arizona’s centennial.

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Jan 19 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

Localism is No Longer a Slogan

In the wake of the housing crisis and the new economic climate, a Neo-Localism has emerged that is no longer a lifestyle choice.  Obviously, not everyone is going to replace their lifestyles, New Localism is more about reform than revolution. No one expects a suburban family to walk away from their house at this point and move downtown. However, the new economic realities are challenging the consumer to be more conscious of how and where they live. This is relevant from your commuting choices to your consumption choices. It is no longer a movement to challenge globalization either, Neo-Localism has been spurred by globalization to add more options to an already established global marketplace. The more that residents of Phoenix can keep money in the local economy, the more relevant the economic recovery is going to be to where we live. Example, Starbucks is often a whipping boy for globalization while at the same time it espouses itself as a proponent of local control and fair trade. But, most who go to Starbucks are not interested in those values, they are interested in the caffeine to get their day started. But, now we live in an age where Starbucks established a new standard for coffee and a re-education has taken place. As a result, there is no reason for anyone to buy coffee or gift certificates from Starbucks any longer. If you go throughout The PHX Valley, you have The Matador in the North Valley, Ground Control in the West Valley, Coffee Plantation in the East Valley, and endless local options in central and downtown Phoenix from Lola’s Coffee Bar, Fair Trade Cafe, the Lux, Jobot, Perc Up Coffee Cafe, and a new cafe opening up on 16th Street called White Sage Espresso. Nearly every district in central Phoenix will have a cafe within an acceptable walking index.

Localism goes back to the late 19th century in response to industrialization. Historically, local control was applied most famously by Mohandas Gandhi when he lead the salt march and pushed boycotts of British made textiles. Local is no longer a faddish slogan. When it comes to the choice of vendors, if money can be kept in local businesses, than regions can have more control over their economic recovery. Neo-Localism builds upon the trendiness that often drove much of the local movement that was a characteristic of urban gentrification movements that began in the eighties. Originally, this was driven by the demand for organic foods that often were only afforded by upper income groups that were often left of center.  But, the Neo-Localism movement is no longer a “green movement”, although programs that encourage Community Supported Agriculture that is facilitated by Farmer’s Markets are an element of it. Neo-Localism has become more moderate than the eighties movement that is becoming a lifestyle choice that affects industries of all strains. Too often the notion of “localism” became embedded in platitudes that were tossed around with international implications. Geography is no longer an obstacle to be able to participate in a given field. Cities often had to be located near rivers or harbors, but the digital geography has allowed for canals to be hewn to channel power from economic centers like Los Angeles or New York that have been the center of many industries. It is very possible to start media and production companies in Phoenix and be privy to talent and data that is no longer isolated to the coasts.

Neo-Localism has also become a moderating force in political discourse that simplifies the ideological debate. An example of this is “The Buckled Sidewalk and Cracked Streets”. There is no ideological debate about a crack in the street, regardless of what ideological philosophy that you subscribe to. When there is a crack in the street that is filling with grass, regardless of your background and demographic–it has to be fixed and no one can disagree that “The Buckled Sidewalk and Cracked Streets” are a problem with obvious consequences and an obvious solution. It eliminates the abstract national conversation about the American role in the world and what is the best economic template for the nation, which is a debate that can continue forever ad nauseam. In the face of Neo-Localism if your political ideology cannot fix “The Buckled Sidewalk” in a concrete way, than it fails to be a pragmatic. You might as well be talking about Middle Earth or a galaxy far, far away, but is not ensconced in reality.

Even in the usage of social-media, what is the interest in liking, friending, following, or fanning any person, business, or organization that will not have a direct benefit on your day-to-day. This is as simple as knowing what the specials are at Il Postino or Fair Trade. This extends to media as well, between reading local publications versus reading an out-of-state publication, the question needs to be asked what impact does their information have on the day-to-day life of someone in a given locale. This goes for given publications and media outlets choice of topics for their daily news flow. Does the information they provide going to provide insight and  be a practical guide to living or is it going to be a stream of trivial nonsense? Many newspapers in local urban areas are often not locally owned, The Arizona Republic for example is owned by Gannett and much of the publications not locally owned are often ”mirror news pages” that don’t have anymore wit than a teenager moderating his Tumblr page.

There are some consumer choices that are not able to be changed. The local consumer is not going to be able to find a locally manufactured phone or laptop in Phoenix. However, the Phoenecian can choose entertainment locally, live locally, and consume locally. The example that has been raised has been coffee consumption, but the same principle applies to beer and entertainment as well. Between buying out of state beer and local craft brewing, there are plenty of locally brewed options that are just as if not better than out of state beer. This is not a radical departure that requires a complete lifestyle change, but it may require one to think a degree north than the moment past.

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Jan 11 2012
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Films and Tunes

Electrical Peformance by STRFKR to a Raucous Crescent Ballroom

STRFKR performed at the Crescent Ballroom on Tuesday, January 10th, to a very energized and enthusiastic group of fans. Since I have been covering concerts at the Crescent, the STRFKR concert was the least reserved experience that I witnessed among the audience. Opening for STRFKR on stage were the Painted Palms from San Francisco who performed songs off of their EP Canopy. Painted Palms were started by two cousins from Lafayette named Chris Prudhomme and Reese Donague who were joined on stage by their drummer Travis Cutright. When Reese described the genre of music that Painted Palms plays, he described it as Psyche-Pop, which are psychedelic sounds with a pop-structure. However, both Chris and Reese still consider their band a rock & rool band with a 4/4 time structure. Chris Prudhomme’s voice has a layered range where he can move from lower to higher register of notes. Their band has often been compared to the music of Panda Bear or Animal Collective, but they even drift from Electro-Pop sounds of that genre to the reggae twinges of 311. In the past, Painted Palms opened for Braids and Of Montreal and this is not the first time that they have been to Phoenix, although it was the first time at The Crescent. They have also performed at The Marquee and the Sail Inn. When asked about the renewed interest in Prog Rock and New Wave, Prudhomme said, “That music tends to come in waves, but digital media has allowed for prog rock to develop because bands can be smaller and more multi-layered.” He brought up the example of Tame Impala who is only one artist, but sounds like a multi-piece band. When asked about influences, Prudhomme pulls from artists of the sixties and seventies that vary from Todd Rudgren to David Bowie.

This was STRFKR’s first performance at The Crescent after performing in Phoenix before at The Trunk Space, The Modified Arts Room, The Rhythm Room, and The Nile. Starf’r is a Portland band that has been touring its 2011 album Reptilians. The original band consisted of Josh Hodges, Shawn Glassford, and Keil Corcoran and they have been joined by Patrick Morris and Ian Luxton. Upon coming out, if there were any obituaries on glam rock, let it be known that it is still alive. The band came out wearing vintage dresses as shirts on their slim frames with rouge and eyeliner applied to their cheekbones. This flair of showmanship only added to the energy and worship of the crowd who were no less adoring of this hybrid of David Bowie and Robert Smith. But, the passive viewer should not judge the flourishes as the identity of the band. Since Hodges started the band, it has gone through many transformations and this was only one manifestation of STRFKR. When asked about the state of music, Keil Corcoran who is one of the original members said, “The internet has changed everything, these days blogs make bands. It has gotten very grassroots! Bands that never got good press before are now getting exposure.” Corcoran went on to say that there are great bands like Wampire, Guidance Counselor, and Arohan that equally deserve attention and are still working hard to get it. What strikes the observer most was the commitment of the STRFKR fans that raised the entire experience from being a concert to a happening. STRFKR will be continuing their tour into California, but they will be returning to the studio with Polyvinyl and moving to Los Angeles to work on the next record. The Crescent is a small venue with an intimate crowd, but STRFKR did an amazing job creating an experience for its audience and it became a magical event even if you are not familiar with the music.

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Jan 09 2012
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Films and Tunes, Phoenix Underground Articles

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth at The Phoenix Art Museum

The Pruitt-Igoe Myth directed by Chad Friedrichs is a documentary, which was screened at the Phoenix Art Museum, explores the possibilities and the dangers of social engineering, sprawl, the loss of urban density, and the very concrete impact it had on the life of families and the individual. The Phoenix Art Museum has had a series of films at their theatre in the museum, but does not get the attention that it deserves. It has an interesting series of films coming up including Koyaanisqatsi and Baraka. The Pruitt-Igoe Myth was screened to support the exhibit of Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture for the 21st Century that will continue to April 29th.

In the recent wake of the financial disaster that was driven by inflated housing costs, there has been an increased interest in New Urbanism and urban planning. The topics of urban planning vary from public transportation, to bicycle lanes, community supported agriculture, and walking indexes of communities. This topic is nothing new, most famously Jane Jacobs explored the notion of social engineering in her classic The Life and Death of American Cities ,which she illuminates in meticulous detail about the realities and dangers of social engineering. In short, she posits that urban planning should start with the communities and neighborhoods that are already established, rather than scraping and rebuilding.

Pruitt-Igoe was a housing project that was built in St. Louis, Missouri and was open in 1954 and was intended to provide for poor families who were living in dilapidated slums. Pruitt-Igoe was a thirty-three building complex of eleven stories each and consisted of a total of 2,870 apartments. The documentary consisted of an investigation in the circumstances that lead to its construction and included interviews with former residents who offered articulate anecdotes that were both humorous and horrifying.

As with any new project, all things start with the best of intentions. Unfortunately, Pruitt-Igoe was built at a time when suburban sprawl was occurring and much of the middle-class was leaving the city. At the same time, many of the World War II jobs that were fueled by urban industrialization were also leaving the cities. This left Pruitt-Igoe, a fresh new residence for lower-income families, in the middle of an economic desert. As a result, the housing authority neglected the maintenance of the project and it quickly began to decline, not to mention increased alienation between urban and suburban communities. As time went on, security and safety became a major issue for the buildings and police often ignored the community. By 1971, less than twenty-five years later, the decision was to destroy the projects and the footage of its destruction became a notorious symbol of the failure of social engineering and government housing.

However, the successes and failures of Pruitt-Igoe were a mixed bag at best. A couple of residents had very good memories of family and friends that would not have occurred if not for Pruitt-Igoe. At the same time, it did provide opportunities that would not have transpired if they did not live there. Not that there weren’t awful events that took place there, but as one resident expressed, “Pruitt-Igoe taught me empathy.”

There are a great deal of lessons to glean from the documentary, particularly as Phoenix deals with a failed social engineering project of its own in the wake of the housing disaster. Mismanaged land usage and unfortunate sprawl that was facilitated by private agencies, i.e banks, rather than government agencies. More focus is returning to the downtown and with that a growing conversation about how to go forward with land usage and lifestyle in general. There is an increased emphasis on rather than scraping and rebuilding, instead preserving and extending communities. As Jane Jacobs noted in her book, if you can create a community experience that allows for a collective social and cultural experience than that will invite people not only to visit, but to live. Needless to say, this translates to economic benefits like increased property values and tax revenues for the city. There was only a one time screening of The Pruitt-Igoe Myth, but it deserves a viewing whether you find it rescreened in The Valley or online.

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