2015 Comfest .. where you'll find me

It's time for Comfest again, and if you up to share a beer or band, feel free to find me at the following locations:

First Shift Friday, Saturday & Sunday carrying gear at Offramp Stage, which is very cool because we get free beer for volunteering and get to hang out with Meghan, my favorite photographer in Columbus (sorry, David & Greg, but at least you're in the top three!) and carry gear for cool bands.

Outside of that, we'll be at or around the following stages at or about the following times to see the following bands:

Friday

3:30 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Matter of Planets

3:40 p.m. • Bozo Stage • X-Rated Cowboys

5:00 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Cliffs

6:00 p.m. • Bozo Stage • Ekoostik Hookay

6:50 p.m. • Jazz Stage • Shaun Booker & Sean Carney

7:00 p.m. • Gazebo Stage • Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk

8:00 p.m. • Gazebo Stage • Hocking River String Band

8:55 p.m. • Main Stage • The Girls!

9:55 p.m. • Main Stage • Bummers

Saturday

11:30 a.m. • Offramp Stage • I Mustache You A Question

3:15 p.m. • Jazz Stage • The Phoenix Project

4:15 p.m. • Bozo Stage • The Spikedrivers

5:05 p.m. • Bozo Stage • Willie Phoenix

6:05 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Psychic Wheels

7:00 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Leathal FX

7:10 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Dominique Larue

 7:45 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Leathal FX

8:00 p.m. Gazebo Stage • Megan Palmer

10:00 p.m. Live Arts Stage • Damn The Witch Siren

Sunday

11:40 a.m. • Chuck Oney & The Flare-Ups!
1:55 p.m. • Offramp Stage • The Haynes Boys

2:40 p.m. • Offramp Stage • Drift Mouth

4:55 p.m. • Offramp Stage • The Kyle Sowashes

5:50 p.m. • Bozo Stage • Long Tall Deb & Werewolves of Alabama

7:00 p.m. • Gazebo Stage • Erica Blinn & The Handsome Machine

7:15 p.m. • Offramp Stage • The Receiver (after Erica Blinn)

As far as Before & After Comfest .... we've got nothing set in stone. Might hit up Little Rock or Patrick J's to see Colin Gawel or Ryan Smith (respectively) or maybe a little of both on Thursday, Friday it's Angela Perley & The Howlin Moons at Park Street Tavern and Sunday's wide open.

So ... there are my bands to pick for Comfest. Anyone I should see that I've missed?

Comfest 2013 Schedule!

It's the happiest weekend of the year, for me: Because it's time for 2013 Comfest! New beer mug rules aside, I'm gonna go have a blast, see a bunch of great friends, super bands, and all around fun, including my first ever "Stage Crew" volunteer shift on Sunday at the Offramp Stage, along with two clean up and recycling shifts because the park doesn't clean itself!

So if you're looking for Allie and me this weekend, this is probably where you'll find us. We will be primarily camped out by the Offramp Stage in the shade if we're not out seeing these bands:

Friday

04:25 Solar    Aaron Lee Tasjan
05:55 Gazebo    Erica Blinn & The Handsome Machine
06:50 Jazz    Jen Miller
07:40 Solar    Micah Schnabel
07:55 Main    Happy Cinchester
09:10 Live Arts  The Ooh-La-Las

After Comfest: 
Rumba Cafe for Aaron Tasjan (solo), J.P. Olsen and Tim Easton
or the Treebar for Erica Blinn,  Shane Sweeney and Matt Monta

Saturday

12:15 Solar    Megan & Larry
02:35 Gazebo    Salty Carmels
03:30 Main    Willie Phoenix
04:45 Offramp    Post Coma Network
05:30 Offramp    The Girls!
06:00 Gazebo    Erika Hughes
07:00 Main    The Floorwalkers
07:20 Offramp    Strangers in Daylight
08:15 Offramp    The Receiver

After Comfest:  
Rumba Cafe for Aaron Tasjan (with Mark Nye and Matt Mees), Tim Easton & The Floorwalkers

Sunday

12:45 Offramp    The Real California
01:00 Gazebo    Colin Gawel & Lonely Bones
02:50 Main    The Spikedrivers
03:00 Offramp    The Smoking Guns
04:50 Main    Out Of Our Tree
05:00 Gazebo    Angela Perley
06:25 Offramp    The Whiles
07:15 Offramp    Two Cow Garage

My 2012 Comfest Schedule

I've had a few friends ask me for ComFest suggestions ... and who I'm going to see this year, so here is my ComFest Schedule ... in addition to my volunteer shifts doing trash clean up and recycling, I'm also working with my friend Ryan Cox as he spreads the word on the Cannon.fm  (This is an app for the iPhone, iPod and iPad, available here, that will allow you to discover music based on individual cities and genres, starting with Columbus), so you might see me handing out info as I travel from stage to stage.

That being said, here's my ComFest 2012 Schedule, and if you want a cool shirt and some free beer tokens, Comfest always needs volunteers ... so go here, sign up and become part of the ComFest Community of Volunteers.

Friday
Noon-4	Volunteer	Trash
3:40	Whoa Nellie!	Bozo
5:50	Ginger Lees	Solar
6:30	Low Men	Offramp
7:05	Tim Easton	Solar
8:30	Shane Sweeney	Solar
9:00	Micah Schnabel	Solar
9:20	The Ooh-la-las Burlesque	Live Arts
Saturday
Noon	The Shazzbots	Offramp
12:35	Erica Blinn	Gazebo
2:20	The Salty Carmels	Gazebo
3:20	Spikedrivers	Gazebo
4:00	Apple Bottom Gang	Offramp
5:30	George Elliot Underground	Offramp
6:25	The Town Monster	Offramp
7:20	The Saturday Giant	Offramp
8:15	Winter Makes Sailors	Offramp
9:15	She Bears	Offramp
10p-2a	Volunteer	Trash
Sunday
11:45	Harvest Kings	Offramp
12:20	The Dewdroppers	Bozo
2:00	Erika Hughes	Gazebo
2:50	Willie Phoenix	Bozo
3:40	Jenn Miller	Jazz
4:00	Mendelsonics	Gazebo
4:50	Lost Revival	Offramp
5:35	Bygones	Offramp
6:25	Alert New London	Offramp
7:15	The Girls!	Offramp

CD Review - Shane Sweeney - The Finding Time"

 "It's all been said before but it must have fallen on deaf ears the first time."

Shane Sweeney ~ "Legion"

When I first heard Shane Sweeney, better known as the other vocalist in Two Cow Garage (gravely voiced Micah Schnabel sings the majority of TCG songs) was releasing a solo album, I wasn't sure what to expect. A friend of mine recently asked me if I skipped the Shane songs when I listening to Two Cow Garage, like I used to skip over the Grant Hart Husker Du tunes in favor of Bob Mould's stuff.  I actually like Shane's songs, and his voice, and his aggression, but there are times where I wish he'd sing a song, rather than fight it.  

While I never said this to him, I think someone did ... because he's done just that on "The Finding Time," his latest solo album. The album is, as far as I can hear, completely acoustic and a complete joy to listen to. It's been out since July, but I've been trying to find time to listen to it, let alone write about it.  That started last week.  Shane's playing a CD Release Show at Rumba on Friday, November 4th, with Jeffery Fernengel, Todd May, And Nate Linek. You can get the MP3's on Amazon or iTunes, or you can go get your face rocked off and buy an actual CD from Shane's merch table.

"The Finding Time" starts out with what today sounds like a song for the "Occupy (insert locality here)" movement. It's call "Legion" and it sets the tone musically, and lyrically:

 "There's more of us than them,
All it takes is everyone to raise a hand
Say I won't lay  down for money.
I will hold my head up and die like like a man
Won't you stand with me?
Brother won't you stand with me?
Won't you stand with me?
And if one should fall,
If one should should fall
If I should fall
Another will take up the call"
~ "Legion"

Knowing Shane and his fondness for making porch music ... kicking back pickin' and singing with friends and beer, it sounds like a lot of these album could be called "The Front Porch Sessions," and that's a compliment.  They're simple, straight forward tunes about life, family, and being strong in a world that just doesn't give a shit about you.  "When I Am Empty" and "Hallelujah" and "The Owl" and "Try Again Later" are among my favorite songs on this CD, and "Motel Blues" is a great life-on-the-road track that a lot of traveling musicians could have written, but didn't.  The CD ends with a couple of tracks featuring some great harmony on the vocals, the first being "See You In Heaven," a tribute to a friend who's in another place now. with some subtle guitar picking behind it. I love the way the song builds. The latter is a reprise of "Legion" ... short, and sweet, like it should be.

Will this be a chart buster? No. Sadly, it's not corporate rock. It's the complete opposite. But Micah and Shane have this "Art or Die" mantra. And this is art. This is Americana at it's finest. Good music made by a man who shows he's more than the screams and slamming bass lines you find in the Two Cow Garage songs some us know and love.

Comfest 2011 ... so far

After a quick romp through the schedule ... here's what I'm picking:

Friday

Gazebo    12:55    Erika Hughes
Off Ramp   2:10    Wing & Tusk
Off Ramp   4:15    Whoa Nellie!
Main       4:55    Bastard Sons of Neptune
Off Ramp   6:30    Karate Coyote
Off Ramp   8:00    Envelope
Gazebo     9:00    Colin Gawel & Lonely Bones
Off Ramp  10:15    Phantods



Saturday

Off Ramp  11:55    Shazbots
Off Ramp  12:50    Eric Nassau & Friends
Main       2:35    Floorwalkers
Solar      4:00    Victoria Parks
Off Ramp   4:50    Harvest Kings
Gazebo     6:00    Mendelsonics
Off Ramp   6:25    Lost Revival
Main       7:55    Sean Carney
Gazebo     8:00    Donna Magavero
Main       8:55    Willie Phoenix
Off Ramp   9:05    Lydia Loveless



Sunday

Gazebo    11:00    The Ginger Lees
Gazebo    12:00    The Spike Drivers
Gazebo     1:00    Tim Easton / MSGers
Off Ramp   4:00    The Dirty Flaggs
Off Ramp   4:45    Bicentenial Bear
Main       4:50    Mary Adam 12
Jazz       4:50    Jen Miller
Off Ramp   5:35    Yellow Light Maybe
Gazebo     7:00    Megan Palmer
OffRamp    7:15    Wet Darlings



I'll save my bitching and complaining about the bad music selections this year until after the event.

A Day In The Life of Manny Malhotra

So as I'm perusing the channel lineup (online, that is) for what tier of service I want to buy for cable at the new place (move-in date 9/15); I'm struck realizing for two channels, alone, I have to go with the whole package.

What two channels? The NHL Network and the NFL Network.

Yep, if they don't screw you with the ticket prices, they'll get ya with the TV stuff.

Oh well, I'll watch the hell out of both of those channels, so to me, they're worth the extra price level.

The NFL is a given ... but damn am I looking forward to the NHL network. Hockey, 24-7-365. Hell to the yes.

I mean, outside of the classic series and classic games and old-time hockey (Can I get a shout of Eddie Shore?), today I'd so watch "A Day In The Life of Manny Malhotra" ... formerly of the Columbus Blue Jackets. (Yes, it's a real show.)

I've not seen the show, but based on the fact training camp invites have been sent to several of his peers, he remains an unrestricted free agent with a telephone that's not ringing, it might go something like this:

"Hi. It's 6:30. I'm Manny Malhotra of the Please-Some-GM-Offer-Me-A-Contracts. I'm a pretty good center. By that I mean the freaking Blue Jackets let me walk away. So it's September, I should be in training camp, but here I am, sitting by the phone."

We cut to the kitchen. Manny is eating some Wheaties. They are the breakfast of champions. One has to admire his optimism. From the left, Mrs. Manny (Joanna, sister of Steve Nash ... for reals) appears. She sits down and pours a bowl. She asks Manny to pass the milk. He misses her hand by about 18 inches, and watches as the milk falls to the table, but somehow, doesn't spill.

You hear a door open. A man wearing a Red Wings jersey walks briskly through the kitchen, not even looking as Manny stands up. The stranger grabs the milk off the table. He slaps Manny in the chops when Manny says "Hey, that's my milk" but never slows down, nor drops the milk.

Manny and Mrs. Manny watch the guy walk away. Mrs. Manny hands her hubby a towel. He sits back down holding it up to his bleeding mouth. Nothing is said about him refusing to challenge his neighbor to a fight, or defend his honor, or get his milk back. Apparently, that's as common at home as a defender stealing the puck, slapping him in the shin and skating away is on the ice.

His wife looks at him. Says "Hey, since I can't eat dry cereal, can you at least put the bowl in the sink?" She watches as Manny walk slowly across the kitchen, all alone, and drops the bowl on the floor, missing a wide-open sink despite having no defense or goalie in the way. Again, his wife looks on as if this is nothing out of the ordinary.

Manny then trips on the hardwood floor as he turns around. Shaking his head, he stands up, looks around for a phantom call from the ref, then heads back to the living room. He sits at the end of his couch, next to the phone.

Which still isn't ringing.

"I don't get it. I was drafted in the first round by the New York Friggin' Rangers. And now the Blue Jerkits won't even sign me?" Sigh.

(Fade)

Hell yeah. I'd watch the shit out of that show. But you Blue Jackets fans saw that all last season ... didn't ya?

Dear Comfest ...

Thanks for kicking my ass for three consecutive days.

Quick highlights ... I'll have some photos and videos of all that and more later this week:

Friday:

• Hanging with friends all day! I love you people.
• Ryan Smith and Miss Molly on the Gazebo.
• A very ill Leah-Carla Gordone fighting off a summer cold to rock the Solar Stage.
  
• Help Is On The Way and Happy Chichester on the Main Stage. Help Is On The Way looked and sounded great ... they're either dead on or dead awful.
  
• Oh, and there was this little alt-country act called Two Cow Garage who left such an impression that EVERYONE was talking about that show all weekend. They blew up the main stage to end the day. Wow.
  

Saturday:

• Again, - hanging with friends all day ... all but two were different from Friday ... but again ... I love you people.
• Hanging out at the Offramp Stage with Jessie and Casey and Phil and Amber and Jamie and random Treehouse Friends.
• FINALLY seeing Jen Miller on the Jazz Stage when it wasn't raining on her.
• Bookmobile and the Kyle Sowashes and The Receiver rocking up the Offramp Stage.
• Colin Gawel and Ghost Shirt owning on the Gazebo Stage.
• Willie Phoenix rocking the hell out the Main Stage.

Sunday:

• Walking around enjoying the last day of my fifth Comfest just taking it all in.
• Watching some amazing performances on the Gazebo Stage while hanging with Quinn and Jess, and Andy and Alli, and Ron and Elliot, and Shane, Micah, Bernadette, Anissa, et.al.
• Ukulele Man and Jason Quicksall and Megan Palmer and The Randys were amazing.
• Lydia Loveless put on a great show on the Offramp Stage that had punk rock chicks dancing with their dogs. Anytime you intro a song with "This next song is for all the sluts and whores in the crowd" it's a good time.
• The Spikedrivers on the Main Stage.

Top Three Comfest Moments:

1. Two Cow Garage
2. The Receiver
3. Willie Phoenix
   

Lowlights:

• Dude getting stabbed to death. Always a bummer.
• HUGE blister on my toe (granted, not the same as above, but that's a tough act to follow).
• The amount of trash I (and my fellow Cleanup and Recycling crews) cleaned up during Saturday night cleanup shift. It's not the damn dirty hippies at Comfest, it's the apathetic kids and white trash that make the messes. Hippies know enough to clean up after themselves. Hell, they started the environmental movement.
  
• Trying, once again, to like a certain band because a friend does, only to realize, I don't.
• Missing Erika Carey.
• Not finding the Nye's on Friday.
• Not able to walk well enough to do cleanup and recycling on Sunday because of the blister on my toe that's huge.
• Having to wait another year for Comfest 2010.
  

Sigh.

Congrats, Blue Jackets, and Fans.

While I'm not a Blue Jackets fan, I have to say I am glad they made the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, even if it came at the expense of my Chicago Blackhawks, via a shoot-out victory.

Columbus is a town of front-runners and bandwagon fans for anything NOT wearing the scarlet and grey ... as most major cities are. The Blue Jackets have their die-hard fans, and they always will ... but when they're winning, it seems like everyone in Columbus is Carrying The Flag.

And good for them. Everyone loves you when you win.

Besides, Chicago's going to the playoffs, too, for the first time in 11 years, mainly because Bill Wirtz finally died and his smarter, less greedy son realized just how bad his father had run the franchise into the ground and alienated his fan base. And Chicago has fallen back in love with their Blackhawks.

Hopefully this playoff run, the first in the Blue Jacket's eight years in the NHL, will get the casual fans in Columbus to fall in love ... or back in love ... with their Blue Jackets ... and create a whole lot more true fans who come along with them ... to stay.

So, despite my team losing tonight, why am I glad for the Blue Jackets?

Simply this: It's good for hockey. It's good for Columbus. And it's good for my friend Tom Reed, who covers the Blue Jackets for the Columbus Dispatch.

Oh, and it's also good for all the businesses and other entities that make money of big crowds downtown, out in bars for games, and celebrating the joy that comes with the thrill of victory ... I'm happy for them, too.

So yeah, congrats, Blue Jackets. And congrats, Blue Jackets Fans. You may boo and hiss at me for wearing my Blackhawks gear ... but I'll always be a fan. I hope, someday, after 32 years of cheering on your Blue Jackets, you'll still be a fan of your team, too.