I had high hopes going into this show after being talked up by a friend of mine about the band. To be honest, the name “Old Indian” didn’t really grab me. In addition, I’m very finicky when it comes to music, even though I tend to like a wide range of artists and genres, it usually takes something special for me to be wowed. I was most definitely wowed.

Old Indian blends old school southern rock with a modern grunge vibe. Featuring Cory Springirth on guitar and vocals, Mark Weeks on bass, and Evan Owens on drums, Old Indian manages to squeeze a ridiculous sound out of a traditional arrangement, and even though these guys are young, they play like old hats – which is a good thing because, well, that’s their sound.

To my surprise, Old Indian actually opened the show. These guys definitely deserve to be higher in the card, if not headlining it. The five-or-so songs that we were treated to had to be the biggest tease ever for as quickly as their set began, it had ended just as fast.

Unfortunately they don’t have any recordings that I can link to, but you should definitely follow Old Indian on Facebook if you’re into grungy indie rock. Springirth’s wailing vocals and the group’s messy style are something to behold.

In addition to these guys, I was lucky enough to see Thee Shut Downs, which were also a fantastic act. Just one more reason why I’m glad to be moving to Philly.

The All Mighty Senators are a five-piece rock and funk fusion group and have been kicking out the jams since 1988. Having released several albums, both independently and on various labels such as the now defunct Fowl Records, AMS has gone from being those guys you admire for being so good at such a young age to being those guys you can’t stand because even after 20+ years they still keep pumping out groove after groove after groove. The only way to describe their performance is energetic and jaw-dropping.

AMS features Landis Expandis on lead vocals and drums, Warrren Boes on guitars and backing vocals, Jack Denning on bass, synth programming and backing vocals, Dave Finnell on trumpet, keyboards, and backing vocals, and finally Craig Considine on horns and backing vocals.

Needless to say, this is a very diverse group of individuals. The major takeaway from this is all the cross-pollination that happens with Baltimore bands. Both Jack and Warren are also members of 4 Footer and Bastards of Reality, and Craig Considine lends his talents in Bastards as well. It’s the same thing with rioLinda and Ahab’s Revenge – we just can’t stay out of each other’s business.

This is why I love Smalltimore.

Getting back to the story at hand, I honestly couldn’t tell you the names of any of the songs I heard that night. It was way loud in Golden West Cafe, and Landis’ ramblings were sometimes nonsensical and often unintelligible – although entertaining. The songs themselves were upbeat and complex – something you’d expect from a band that’s been all around the United States and Canada on more tours than an American Marine. Here’s how I judge these guys – even with a knee that I hyperextended the night before, I was jumping around like an idiot. Damn skippy.

The All Mighty Senators can be found on iTunes, Amazon, and various other websites and stores. Check out their website for show dates if you’ll be in the area – you won’t be disappointed.

Ten minutes later, the room had finally settled down a bit and Evan Ziporyn, co-founder of the Bang on a Can All-Stars and a professor of music at MIT, took the stage. He welcomed everyone to Killian Hall and invited the dozen or so people still standing to simply take a seat up front on the ground. “Vicky said it was okay,” he added.

Vicky Chow is a Canadian pianist who has performed extensively as a classical and contemporary soloist, chamber musician, and ensemble members. She joined the Bang on a Can All-Stars in 2009, but has also performed with Wordless Music Orchestra, Opera Cabal, Wet Ink Ensemble, ai ensemble, and AXIOM, in addition to working with talented composers and musicians such as John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Bryce Dessner, Philip Glass, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and Lee Ranaldo.

Those unfamiliar with John Cage may have been surprised by the content of this solo piano concert. Cage is perhaps one of the most influential American composers of the 20th century, perhaps most famous for his 1952 composition 4’33”, the three movements of which are performed without playing a single note. His Sonatas and Interludes for the prepared piano is an hour-long set of twenty pieces, written in 1946-48, which are a wonderful example of Cage’s lifelong exploration of sound, according to MIT Music and Theater Arts News. MIT MTA also calls them “a landmark in the history of classical music and piano repertoire.”  In order to play this piece, Chow literally had to spend two to three hours earlier that day “preparing” forty-five notes by adding screws, bolts, various pieces of rubber, four pieces of plastics, several nuts, and one eraser to the inner workings of the piano.

Fortunately for any performer of Sonatas and Interludes, there’s hardly any way of determining if it was performed “correctly.” There is certainly structure to the piece, but it will sound different every time. Chow certainly did it justice. She brought her own intensity to the piece, putting on a spectacular performance for the overcrowded concert hall.

We should probably begin with the origins. “Free Bird” is a song written by Lynyrd Skynyrd from the album (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-’nérd ‘Skin-’nérd) released in 1973. The song is about a guy and a girl who fall in love – it’s as simple as that. One of the few love songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Free Bird” came in at number 193 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The signature ending guitar solo, which wasn’t originally meant to be in the song, has become iconic and looked upon with great reverence through generations.

According to Wikipedia, the tradition of shouting “Free Bird!” during concerts began with Skynyrd’s first live album, One More from the Road. On the album, for the second encore, the band asks the crowd which song they would like to hear and receive a resounding call for “Free Bird”. Another theory, although unsubstantiated, is the claim by Chicago DJ Kevin Matthews that he began the trend when he persuaded his listeners to yell “Free Bird!” at a Florence Henderson concert. Whatever it is, it has unfortunately become a cliché staple of nearly any show you may attend.

Here’s the thing, though, guys. It’s cute the first time you do it. Notice I didn’t say funny – that’s because it isn’t funny. It’s tired, cliché, and predictable. Much like the idiot who, while playing Monopoly, makes a remark about how much money they’d have if the pastel currency were real, your remark is both sad and boring.

That’s just the first time, though. The second time you do it, you reach a new level of unwavering foolishness. You become that guy. Let me tell you a little story about being that guy. You know how, when your friends are going out, they conveniently forget to tell you, or they “thought you were busy”? You know how they don’t seem to laugh at your jokes? That’s because you yell “Free Bird!” at shows. And you don’t just do it once. You do it thirty frickin’ times.

This is about the moment when a guy like me (you know, the one with the microphone), will tell you to shut your stupid pie hole unless you want to come up and sing the damn song yourself. We’ve got a show to put on, and you’re not a part of it. The only time it’s appropriate to shout out requests is if the band is taking them. If they’re not taking requests, you’re simply being an annoying distraction – not just for the band, but for the other people there to enjoy the music.

I was familiar this group’s music, but seeing them live is truly necessary to understand their musical skill. You can hear Victor Wooten taking charge on the bass, but it’s a whole new story when you can see his hands at work, flying up and down the bass guitar. It’s something you have to see to believe. When you hear these guys on an album, they don’t get much of a chance to just take a song on their own. In concert, each player gets a solo, during which the rest of the band is completely silent. You haven’t heard a real bass solo until you’ve heard one done by Victor Wooten. He practically invented solos on the bass guitar. He has his own album that features solo work on the bass, which was virtually unheard of. People swear he has six fingers on each hand.

Then, there’s Levy, on the harmonica and piano. You know he plays both, but it only hits you that he can play both at the same time when you actually see him do it. And what about Future Man and his Drumitar? It’s a unique experience to see a guy strumming away at something hanging around his neck, only to hear the sound of snare drums and cymbals erupting from the speakers. We know he can play real drums too; he would often play the Drumitar in his left hand, handle a bass drum with his foot, and add some genuine tom-toms with his “spare” hand.

I don’t generally like the banjo, but when the banjo’s in the hands of Fleck, it’s a whole new ballgame. My father whispered to me during the concert that he found the banjo player the least interesting of the bunch. That was just before Fleck had soloed. Ten minutes later he told me to forget about what he had just said.

You really have to see a live performance to gain full appreciation of what these guys can do. The Flecktones are truly remarkable musicians who put on a great show.

(Graphic: Flecktones.com)

The Baltimore Free Farm is a local nonprofit that is dedicated to community-building, recycling, ethical food, and patchouli. They also happen to run rock shows every now and then. On this day, I was there to see Neutron Bomb, Mercies, Ahab’s Revenge, and rioLinda. I’ve written about a few of these guys before, so I can probably spare you a few of the details. Here we go…

I strolled into the place, not quite knowing what to expect. It’s located in the hipster capitol of Baltimore, Hampden, so I had a fair notion of what I was in for. I’ve seen a lot of these guys play before, so the music wasn’t going to be a surprise. The venue, on the other hand, was something else entirely.

One word could be used to describe this place – sketch. There’s no real signage to speak of, save for some handmade stuff that didn’t really advertise the place as the Baltimore Free Farm as much as just some place where some kind of show was happening. The building itself was long, concrete and painted white. I parked on the street a little ways down from the building, right underneath a street light. Across the road from the Free Farm was a building/lot I would later find out is the Ash Street Garden. I imagine the inside of that building to be reminiscent of the house on Paper St. that the narrator from Fight Club lived in. Apparently, they do some good stuff there, so I can’t hate on it too much.

Wait… where was I? Oh yes, the show…

Unfortunately, I missed Ahab’s Revenge as we got to the place a bit late, but I heard they were good.

Up second was rioLinda, sporting a new bassist, Ajay Menius Junior. The group pelted the audience with their traditional grunge rock sound, utilizing the piercing sound of feedback whenever possible. “Locked and Loaded” easily remains my favorite song by the group.

The third group on stage that night was Mercies. A DC three-piece band, these guys know how to put on a fun show. The matching guitar and bass of John Russell and Justin Scott complement their very different vocal styles, as they play and sing in harmony to the beat of Ezra Finney’s very purposeful drum beats. One thing I’ve always found fascinating about Finney’s kit is that it’s so simple (hi-hat, bass, snare, floor tom, two cymbals), but he plays it so dynamically that you have to take notice. “Needlenose” gets the nod this time around as their best track.

Last, but not least, was Neutron Bomb, who I almost missed again as I had to head out after a few of their songs. At any rate, these guys are a five-piece with a strong set of talented musicians. From the keyboarding of Jeremy Conte, to the guitar of Jon Caplan, to the drums of Eubank Steele, and the vocals of Sara Kryscio and Christina McCarthy, this band is essentially the Baltimore-hippie equivalent of a very young Fleetwood Mac. Poppy and full of energy, the songs they play are complex and interesting. Thought their sound is not really my cup of tea, I can’t deny they have a plethora of talent.

All in all, this was a good show at a surprisingly enjoyable venue. There were couches to lounge on, a wood-burning heater, and plenty of Natty Boh at this bring-your-own joint.

Being the social kind of guy, I naturally strolled into the place with my usual entourage – just kidding, I brought my girl and a buddy of mine decided to meet us there. The venue was a sports bar in one of the nicer parts of Baltimore County, right off of interstate 83 – a fairly quick hop, skip, and jump away from my dwelling. We paid the five dollar cover and entered into the back bar, which was packed with every kind of bar patron; some there to drink, some to listen, and others to play several drunken rounds of pool. Luckily enough, we were able to score a seat at a high table just to the right of the stage.

These guys are tight. When I say that, I’m not referencing an old urban slang term used for cool, but rather the way they play their songs. The slick riffs from their guitarist Steve Wozniack (no relation to this guy), coupled with the sharp, plodding bass lines via Matt Battaglia, and the hammering percussion courtesy of drummer Ray Snyder made for an exciting and fun set that was consistent and full of energy. This, combined with the intensity and variation in vocal styles of lead singer Bruce Baldwin crafted a great show that I’d gladly pay five bucks for again. The real star of the night, however, had to be violinist Eugene Yun, who stole the show by playing an absolutely sick electric violin during “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

That last sentence may give you a hint as to the kind of tunes these guys play – damn near everything. From Alice in Chains to Metallica, from Cypress Hill to Journey, these guys were all over the place and back again. The only gripe I have against them is their rather unnecessary use of backing tracks. It occurred to me during several of their songs that there was a piano or a synthesizer playing, and yet no one was playing it. To me, and those who I’ve mentioned this to, the more it happened, the more it became less a of a show, and more of a sort of band karaoke.

All in all, a fun show. I’d spend a Lincoln to see them again.

The festivities were held at the DCR Memorial Hatch Shell on the Charles River Esplanade, which is best known for hosting the Boston Pops Orchestra annually for the Boston Fourth of July celebration. The Hatch Shell is often used for free concerts.

The original MIXFest was held on the Boston Common 18 years ago; it was free to the public. MIX 104.1 decided to “return to its roots” and thank its loyal listeners by providing the free concert this year. One might think that by holding a free concert, 104.1 might have a weaker line-up of artists this year, but there was no evidence of that whatsoever. In fact, CBS Radio was able to bring us quite the all-star line-up this year.

Gates opened at 12 P.M., allowing hundreds of listeners to make their claim on the grassy area in front of the shell. The first act, Javier Colon, winner of the first season of NBC’s The Voice, charmed the audience with his “acoustic soul” style. Next up was Michele Branch, whose cost-free appearance pleased many fans. Branch is most famous for her single “Everywhere,” and the Grammy award-winning single “The Game of Love,” a collaboration with Santana. And who was the “mystery guest” that followed? Sara Bareilles. Can you sing, “Love Song”?

The atmosphere on the Esplanade was great. Grace Potter (pictured)& The Nocturnals came onto the stage just as the sun was beginning to set, creating a red glow on the Cambridge side of the river.  The speakers were blasting as I relished every bite of a $5 sprinkle-covered, caramel apple purchased from one of the concession stands. Last but not least was the band that headlined the concert, Lifehouse. This band has a number of Top-40 hit singles including “Hanging by a Moment,” “You and Me,” and “Whatever It Takes.” You can bet that they were crowd pleasers. I can’t wait for MIXFest 2012 (but it probably won’t be free again)!

(Photo: U.S. Marines)

I really enjoy hole-in-the-wall bars like Holiday House. I enjoy the skeezy atmosphere, the dubious clientele and the even more dubious staff that work in these kinds of joints. My favorite thing about these places, however, is that I get to see little-known local rock bands tear it up in a venue that provides intimacy, and reasonably priced drinks. So my adventure began off exit 31A of the Baltimore beltway, where the city and county meet to form an area of town that I can only describe as “bleak.” I arrived at my destination weary from a long day at my 9-5, looking for a good pick-me-up from the two bands who were playing –- 4 Footer was opening for a really great Black Sabbath cover band called The Bastards of Reality — but I was mainly interested in the opening act.

I perched in a perfect spot to the left of the band, in between a stack and the bar and marveled for a moment at just how out of sorts the bar was; think of it like the basement bedroom of some unruly 17-year-old. This was just my kind of digs. I was feeling sort of drowsy, so I ordered a vodka and Red Bull to sip while I waited for 4 Footer to start their set.

The wait was well worth it. Throughout their set, there wasn’t a single misstep. All of their songs were expertly delivered, both while playing them and while introducing them. Singer/bassist Jack Denning’s dry delivery during the song introductions was a brilliant contrast to the smash mouth vocals he displayed while belting out songs like “Black Gold” and “Steamroller.” Guitarist Warren Boes tore up the strings with finesse and excellence, as did Frank Oldewurtle with his sexy guitar licks and his equally sexy mustache. Last, but certainly not least was drummer Eric Dixon, who lays down some of the sickest percussion I’ve had the pleasure of hearing.

These guys played an awesome set and you can tell they had a great time doing it. The Baltimore music scene is lucky to have a wild and refreshing group such as this.

When given the chance to see a “festival”-style show in a hotel on a Sunday night, my normal reaction would be no, but, with some convincing I said yes.  The whole deal started around 2:30 and went until 11, a lie, and I didn’t know any of the other bands playing.  This was just as well since my buddy and I grilled and hung out at Strangebrew to kill some time.  We got to the show a little early to see a few of other bands and I’m glad we missed the majority of them.  It astounds me still that people are still so devoted to the genre of ‘loud rock’, which is metal with training wheels, and how many bands still want to be Godsmack.  That said, many of the bands beforehand were sanitized versions of Alice in Chains/Godsmack/Disturbed and so on.  Ten years ago I would have loved this but in 2011, I was bored.

When Candlebox took the stage it was a breath of fresh air.  Opening with “Bitches Brewin” and plowing through album and fan favorites, you could see these guys sticking to their roots.  Candlebox has some slow burning tunes “Changes”, “Stand” and straightforward songs meant to rock “Arrow”,”You” along with some ballad type songs, “Cover Me” and of course “Far Behind”.  When they played a slower song, you expected it since it flows with everything else.   When the other groups played slower tunes, they sounded far out of place compared to their other material.

It was good to see a band in their element strutting on stage and the assembled crowd made them feel welcome.  My biggest complaint was they could have played much longer if their set started 20 minutes earlier but I’m glad I had a detour beforehand.  Well, time to lay low for a few months and recharge my batteries.