Sound Downtown Festival still a promising failure
November 16th, 2008, 3:39 pm · 9 Comments · posted by Ben Wener
What a strange Saturday night, to be wandering the streets of downtown Santa Ana with a few hundred scattered neo-bohemians under a blacked-out sky while the North Orange County border burned.
What a weird sensation to be inside the mostly disused Yost Theatre – an old vaudeville house that was most recently a Mexican movie spot, and reportedly will now be the new home to Koo’s – listening to Swedish outfit the (International) Noise Conspiracy (there they are above, in a clip of “Smash It Up” from a few months ago) spew radical social-revolution rhetoric not far from the poorest parts of an often shallow county that voted more for McCain than Obama, while a 20-minute drive away million-dollar homes were going up in smoke.
Definitely made any burn-the-rich perspective a bit more palpable.
Too bad hardly anyone else was there to witness that or most any other moment of the 12-hour Sound Downtown Music & Arts Festival, held Saturday at 10 different locations in the city’s revamped arts district next to the Civic Center.
The roam-about concept, like the old version of San Diego’s Street Scene in miniature, is a worthy one, spotlighting venues (the Yost, Festival Hall across the street from it) as well as restaurants and clubs (Memphis, Proof, Bistro 400, the Gypsy Den) that either aren’t used enough (or at all) for live events, or simply aren’t known to anyone but the local bohos. But even if the county hadn’t been glued to television and online coverage of the fires, I suspect the poorly advertised, shoddily run Sound Downtown bash still would’ve been a bust.
Not that there wasn’t plenty of notable talent on hand. Even early in the afternoon, when most places were populated only by friends of bands, the music was worth checking out. That is, when it coalesced into something worth hearing (rootsy country collective Peanuts was drowned in bass) or actually took place (more than once I hoofed it to another venue only to discover that the scheduled act was either a no-show or still setting up).
Venus Infers, down a man who got stuck in freeway-closure traffic, were easily the standout of the afternoon, every bit as impressive playing to 30 people inside Memphis as it was attempting to convert a packed Mouse House a few weeks ago opening for Chris Cornell. That rising lineup should have been moved to a later slot at Festival Hall, a glorified rec room reminiscent of the long-gone Fender’s Ballroom in Long Beach.
There, it could have been placed either before or after Mika Miko (quirky indie post-riot-grrrl Sleater-Kinney-lite stuff out of L.A.) and the Growlers, who sound and look like retro-cool Brits the Coral moonlighting as a stoner surf band. This night, all but the group’s bassist were in ashy, island-native-face and loud Hawaiian shirts. (They’re a one-trick pony – after 20 minutes you’ve pretty much taken in all they have to offer. But it’s easy to see why the locals dig dancing to ’em.)
For the most part, though, things didn’t begin to click until the orange sun dipped behind the inferno line – and the (I)NC emerged in purple velvet get-ups Prince would surely have approved of, pumping out material from its forthcoming Vagrant Records release, The Cross of My Calling.
That disc (due Nov. 25) finds the band working with venerable and eclectic producer Rick Rubin, the man behind, among others, the Beastie Boys’ classic Licensed to Ill, Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way and the final Johnny Cash albums. But you’d have been hard-pressed to detect his influence from the raw and pummeling blasts of anarcho-rock that the Conspiracy set off.
Frankly, the between-song messages were often more meaningful than the garbled ones Dennis Lyxzen stuffed into his not entirely discernible lyrics. At one point, someone held up a homemade sign that read: “Gay straight black white – marriage is a civil right.” On the flip side: “Land of the free?” Lyxzen’s response: “Don’t take this the wrong way, but California is probably the gayest state in the world. Makes no sense, makes no sense (in reference to the passing of Prop 8). Everyone, everyone, everyone should be able to be miserable and married.”
He was preaching power-to-the-people maxims to a very small choir, although doing so with rousing riffs on his side.
Yet, to my increasingly assaulted ears, all of the night’s clear highlights were amalgams, even the Conspiracy, an otherwise garage-rock-crazy group that now fuses the muscle of early Cheap Trick to the fury of the MC5. And still I’ll take the infectious energy of fellow Swedes the Hives over ’em any day – a half-hour of the (I)NC can be plenty, especially after a long wait.
Besides, sometimes it’s more invigorating to rage against the machine by simply getting your groove on – and across the street at Festival Hall, the delirious Mexican Institute of Sound was throwing down techno-salsa with live drums and laptop DJs. (Later on, after midnight, a more authentic take on Latin music, courtesy of the Boogaloo Assassins, could be found bumping its way out onto the sidewalk in front of Bistro 400.)
More amalgams: Long Beach group Free Moral Agents, who packed Memphis by 9:30, served up seemingly free-form Mars Volta skronk, albeit with the temperance and approachability of TV on the Radio. Then there were the modernized Tijuana grooves of the Nortec Collective’s Bostitch +Fussible, a Mac-music duo abetted by Sousaphone, trumpet, clarinet, acoustic guitar and accordion – and which came off like Kraftwerk gone norteño, complete with computer-grid visuals and occasional bursts of lysergic Yellow Submarine-style head trips.
Was that worth waiting that extra hour for, after I’d already downed a rather delicious Latin rice bowl with chicken over at Jason’s, where, as with Proof and the Crosby, I only ever saw DJs spinning? Oh, probably not. The after-hours scene down here was certainly the domain of habitual club crawlers, the sort who can kid themselves into thinking their fave local band is seriously something special.
I didn’t belong … but what else was I gonna do? Watch late-night fire coverage? After such an unsettling day, it felt strangely reassuring to be among people dancing and drinking their cares away. Maybe next year Sound Downtown’s organizers can secure some truly major headliners, and then this party will really go off.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
I agree. The fest was a GREAT idea, it just needed a little restructuring. I saw Venus Infers and they should have been in the Yost for sure. But their performance rocked. For like a couple hours, I think around 5:30 or 6 there were only DJs spinning and Free The Robots should have played at a venue with more of a dancing area. Also, other artists to note are The Flying Saucers, who were the first performers of the day at the Yost and The Living Suns, who I didn’t get to see perform and I regret that.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
As far as I can tell, considering the lines I saw at venues as early as 6:30 on a Saturday (which is early), the festival was well attended, especially considering the fires and that downtown Santa Ana is not normally that well trafficked by this crowd. I also thought the line-up did an excellent job of reaching out to a new demographic while also catering to the largely Hispanic demographic that already frequents the neighborhood.
And the Hives over INC? You’ve got to be kidding me.
Further more, I’m not sure Ben gets that DJ’s can be musicians. Nosaj Thing, for instance, DJed the Crosby, and the man is not just a DJ. The Register needs to get somebody writing for it who actually understands what’s going on in music today.
November 17th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
I am shocked at how shallow and poorly written this blog is. Maybe you can find shelter at a Goldenvoice show next time.
November 17th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
Grant: Those “lines,” every time I encountered them, seemed to be nothing more than people being held up by security until another act was set up inside … then they were let in without problem, and with plenty more room to roam, with the exception of smaller places like the Crosby and Proof and Memphis. The Yost and Festival Hall never had lines, because they could have fit three times as many people in each venue all evening.
As for DJs being musicians — of course they’re musicians, and I didn’t mean my mention of encountering nothing but them at certain spots as some widespread dismissal of their talent. I’ve seen Nosaj Thing, and he’s quite good. But DJ sets aren’t uncommon to those bars/clubs (then again, neither are some of these bands). I felt it more important to check out other things, particularly for a readership — the Register’s — that, let’s be honest, hardly knows anything about any of these acts.
Finally, sorry you feel this one blog post indicates I know nothing about what’s going on in music today. Or maybe you’re basing that opinion on deeper reading? In any case, I’d argue that a) you haven’t read enough here, and b) you’re coming to OCRegister.com for cutting-edge writing about DJs? Really?
November 17th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
Christopher: “Shallow” … well, that’s your assessment, I won’t complain, to each his own. But “poorly written”? How so, exactly? I ’spose I shouldn’t care about such an unfounded claim, but I’d kinda like to see you back that up with examples.
And why the Goldenvoice mention? I don’t cover any shows because of who’s presenting/promoting them. I cover shows based on inherent interest, artistic value or obvious popularity among readers. They’re presented by Goldenvoice, Live Nation, AEG Live, Nederlander … even independents like the people who staged Sound Downtown. I show no preferential treatment for promoters. Just check out how I’ve trashed some of their shows, when warranted.
November 18th, 2008 at 10:10 am
Ben,
It seems to me that you came into this event already believing it wouldn’t be what you wanted it to be. As a reporter you should be more open minded and at least feel out the event before making any preconceived notions. The fire should be irrelevant to your article other than maybe it affected some of the people coming to the event. I thought the event was great for Downtown Santa Ana. Yes, there could be better talent but this was the first year. You mention Street Scene in San Diego - that started in 1984. This event even being mentioned in the same sentence gives it credibility. Downtown Santa Ana is definitely on the up and developing a core scene revolving around music, fashion, art, entertainment, and food. Where else can you really experience an urban setting right in the middle of Orange County? In the future, have an open mind and maybe you will realize how far Santa Ana has come and how much potential it has for the future…
November 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
With a limited budget, a core group of dynamic people produced an event that drew roughly over 3000 patron (attendance goal), despite the tragedy of fires and subsequent freeway closures, to an area otherwise poorly trafficked on an average Saturday evening. The consensus from organizers, attendees, and artists alike, has been that of an enjoyable experience, milestone and success. The objective of community outreach was met and the groundwork was paved for future soundDowntowns.
http://obeyclothing.com/news/?p=352
November 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
As the General Manager of Memphis and a downtown Santa Ana resident, I couldn’t be more pleased with the inaugural soundDowntwon festival.
I spoke to attendees that traveled from San Diego and San Francisco. I spoke to locals. I spoke to families. I spoke to band members. I spoke to first time Santa Ana visitors. The consensus was that it was a spectacular event.
Were there glitches….of course. With an almost completely volunteer production staff there of course will be glitches–especially on a first time event. Performers, production staff and attendees were unable to get through fire related traffic. Ben even mentions Venus Infers being a man down–he couldn’t get in from Riverside because the 91 and 57 were closed (and Venus Infers still rocked by the way to a crowd of about 70 by my count).
To the Downtown Santa Ana Business Council and the soundDowntown producers: Bravo!! Good Show!!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Leave it to the Orange County Register to criticize something independent and fun going on in our stale county. Maybe the author of the article should go hang out at the Irvine Spectrum for some organized, corporate fun.