They certainly meander into rock-y terrain at times. They even bound into ethereal soundscapes best described as indie.
As evidenced by their inclusion in two high-profile festivals over the course of this weekend and the next, however, it is the pop community in particular that is fawning over Northampton's The Fawns these days.
Your friendly neighborhood Nightcrawler caught up with half the Fawn herd—guitarist/vocalist Henning Ohlenbusch and drummer Brian Marchese—to talk shop about the International Pop Overthrow Nov. 2-6 in Allston, where they will be performing along with fellow Valley-dwellers The Winterpills and School For The Dead, and the big Pop Fest New England (Nov. 9-11) multi-day affair at The Elevens next week, where they will be the area's lone representatives.
Quite an accomplishment, gents. Seems you truly are living the proverbial Pop Life these days.
"Yeah," laughs Marchese . "And we already have a Lesa (in singer/guitarist Lesa Bezo), so if we can just get Henning to change his name to Wendy, the rest of us can duke it out over who's Prince, Jerome and The Dr."
On a more serious note, the personable percussionist adds that both events attack the pop genre from decidedly differing angles, with the IPO leaning towards the tastes of record store owners and collectors who "formed bands and worship all things involving three-part harmonies, heroic choruses and Rickenbackers," while Pop Fest is the audio equivalent of a virtual "trip around the globe to the world's coolest underground clubs."
Ohlenbusch echoes similar sentiments with regard to the latter, noting that when another of his bands, the previously mentioned School For The Dead, performed at last year's Pop Fest, it felt as if they had "traveled to another world" after a weekend alongside billmates from as far as Sweden, Norway and the U.K.
"A strange phenomenon," he concludes. "[There could be] one local band for the whole weekend, yet the club will be packed full of pop fans."
In related news, there will be two local bands and one from New Haven at The Elevens this Friday, Nov. 2. But considering that the show's headliner is yet another project of Marchese—Sitting Next To Brian—and that the evening will mark that band's official CD release party for its latest studio effort, Polite, it seems highly plausible that Ohlenbusch's afore described "full house phenomenon" may very well materialize pre-Pop Fest. Noho's own Space Captain and Nutmeggers The Mountain Movers will kick off the festivities.
Speaking of reaching Maximum Capacity, the Chicopee venue of same name recently relocated from its prior home on Memorial Drive to 116 School Street. No less than the likes of Aquanett (Nov. 2), AC/DC apers Back In Black and Guns 'N' Roses replicas Cocaine Tongue (both on Nov. 3) help break in the new digs this weekend.
Meanwhile, for those under the impression that only Valley boys like Ohlenbusch and Marchese can manage multiple musical endeavors, consider the case of Asheville, N.C.'s Tyler Ramsey.
As legend and his bio have it, the locally known six-stringer was jamming on a South Carolina beach this summer when one Ben Bridwell, singer for Sub Pop Record label's Band Of Horses, reportedly liked what he heard and asked Ramsey to open for his band's fall tour. The very next day he asked him to join the band as well.
See Ramsey pull double-duty solo, then with the Horses on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Pearl Street on a bill that will include Aussie-rockers The Drones sandwiched between.
Lastly, so as not to infuriate our beloved fretheads, it also must be noted that Robert Fripp, best known for his work with King Crimson and David Bowie, will perform with his League Of Crafty Guitarists this Friday, Nov. 2, at the Narrows Center For The Arts In Fall River. For more info, kindly point your browser to www.thelcg.net.
Send correspondence to Nightcrawler, P.O. Box 427, Somers, CT 06071; fax to (860) 698-9373 or e-mail Garycarra@aol.com.
