free energy- from "erijams" in July 2010
Free Energy that will warm your body0
July 30, 2010
by Brittany A. Kemp (contributing writer) – appeared this week (July 27 2010)
Free Energy sounds like a great concept to warm your home. But, this Free Energy is a band that will warm your heart. And make you, kind of, want to dance.
Their music embodies the music of generations that came before today’s hipsters, who eagerly embrace them. ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy, even traces of ELO are detectable in their sound. I call this music “Dad” music- it’s not hard to imagine a younger version of my father, with a long drooping mustache and a cut-off t-shirt, rocking out to this music, all full of youthful swagger. In fact, that just about sums up the lead singer, who played budding rock god to the audience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on July 21, where they (and Cleveland-based band Founding Fathers) put on a free show for the public.
The show was part of the series the famed landmark is hosting this summer, entitled fittingly “Summer in the City” which has also featured the likes of folksters Deer Tick and jam band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Each one of the said performers has given a free concert in front of the eponymous pyramid-shaped building.
Basically, imagine an amped-up version of Erie’s Eight Great Tuesdays.
For the considerable, eclectic crowd that gathered for this particular event, it was a chance to gain a good shot at seeing some serious up-and-comers, who are gathering momentum even as I type. Rolling Stone named them a “band to watch” and their debut album Stuck On Nothing was produced by noneother than Mr. “North American Scum” himself, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
The opportunity to see them live (and for free! I’m sorry, I still can’t get over it) was something that had to be capitalized upon. And with the backdrop of the Cleveland skyline, the Lake Erie blue and the pyramid shape of the Rock Hall (which houses, among other things, a Johnny Cash tourbus and an inciting letter from a young, brash Madonna), I could think of no better setting.
The band hasn’t let good ratings from Pitchfork or glowing words from Spin go to their head, either. Before they took to the stage, I saw the lead singer and guitarist, standing in front of me In the spread-out crowd, sipping beer and exchanging words. Can’t imagine you’d ever see that at an Arcade Fire show now!
Then, like it was no big deal, they simply hopped on the stage as Founding Fathers made their exit and started readying the equipment and instruments themselves. James Murphy must have schooled these Philadelphia boys well.
They played the strongest tracks from Stuck on Nothing, such as “C’mon Let’s Dance,” the irresistible “Bang Pop,” “Hope Child” and, um, “Free Energy.” Despite the “ass-shaking” (their words, not mine) vibe of such songs, the attendees remained rather immobile. Bobbing of the heads and some polite toe-stomping followed, like we were at a Lawrence Welk recording and not the kind of rock show Blink-182 sang about. Except for one Chris Farley lookalike who played air guitar and thrashed about shamelessly, people were sedate.
A week before I saw Free Energy, I witnessed M.I.A.’s favorite band, Sleigh Bells in the flesh. While this show was NOT free, it was also in Cleveland and the crowd was 10000 more times energetic (despite their moniker, Free Energy could not stir this!) The crowd was so energetic I was almost crushed by a behemoth dancer next to me that had the body of a linebacker. That, my friends, is the prototypical, sweat-flicked rock show.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though, despite the serving of alcohol (it is Ohio, after all) wants to retain a family-friendly atmosphere. So perhaps that explains the crowd’s reluctance to move along with the singer, Paul Spranger’s, gyrations.
Despite this, though, it was hard to be in a bad mood. The music Free Energy makes is an honest and upbeat throwback to the days of pre-last.fm, pre-MTV classic rock nostalgia. And the happiness this sort of no-think music compels is like when you used to pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and eat nothing but the marshmallows. Except Free Energy won’t leave that corrosive taste in your mouth.
That sort of sensation is all over Stuck on Nothing, an album that cannot be passed up.
My only complaint about the concert was the shortness of the set, but what can you expect with a free show? I try to count my blessings.
“I’ve got the keys to the ZZ Top car!” bragged Spranger, stretching over the microphone one final time, dangling said keys from his hand. And with that, the sun setting behind them, they concluded their set.
Depressed you missed your chance to see Free Energy? Fret not- the Rock Hall will be offering more free concerts from other gifted performers. Deer Tick will play Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. with support from Modern Electric and Trans Am will play with Megachurch on Aug. 18.
And to hear more from Free Energy – who are touring with Titus Andronicus this fall – go to www.freeenergymusic.com. Be sure to give Stuck on Nothing a listen; it’s worth it. And hopefully, in the privacy of your own room, you won’t be afraid to dance!
Free Energy sounds like a great concept to warm your home. But, this Free Energy is a band that will warm your heart. And make you, kind of, want to dance.www.freeenergymusic.com. Be sure to give Stuck on Nothing a listen; it’s worth it. And hopefully, in the privacy of your own room, you won’t be afraid to dance!
Their music embodies the music of generations that came before today’s hipsters, who eagerly embrace them. ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy, even traces of ELO are detectable in their sound. I call this music “Dad” music- it’s not hard to imagine a younger version of my father, with a long drooping mustache and a cut-off t-shirt, rocking out to this music, all full of youthful swagger. In fact, that just about sums up the lead singer, who played budding rock god to the audience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on July 21, where they (and Cleveland-based band Founding Fathers) put on a free show for the public.
The show was part of the series the famed landmark is hosting this summer, entitled fittingly “Summer in the City” which has also featured the likes of folksters Deer Tick and jam band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Each one of the said performers has given a free concert in front of the eponymous pyramid-shaped building.
Basically, imagine an amped-up version of Erie’s Eight Great Tuesdays.
For the considerable, eclectic crowd that gathered for this particular event, it was a chance to gain a good shot at seeing some serious up-and-comers, who are gathering momentum even as I type. Rolling Stone named them a “band to watch” and their debut album Stuck On Nothing was produced by noneother than Mr. “North American Scum” himself, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
The opportunity to see them live (and for free! I’m sorry, I still can’t get over it) was something that had to be capitalized upon. And with the backdrop of the Cleveland skyline, the Lake Erie blue and the pyramid shape of the Rock Hall (which houses, among other things, a Johnny Cash tourbus and an inciting letter from a young, brash Madonna), I could think of no better setting.
The band hasn’t let good ratings from Pitchfork or glowing words from Spin go to their head, either. Before they took to the stage, I saw the lead singer and guitarist, standing in front of me In the spread-out crowd, sipping beer and exchanging words. Can’t imagine you’d ever see that at an Arcade Fire show now!
Then, like it was no big deal, they simply hopped on the stage as Founding Fathers made their exit and started readying the equipment and instruments themselves. James Murphy must have schooled these Philadelphia boys well.
They played the strongest tracks from Stuck on Nothing, such as “C’mon Let’s Dance,” the irresistible “Bang Pop,” “Hope Child” and, um, “Free Energy.” Despite the “ass-shaking” (their words, not mine) vibe of such songs, the attendees remained rather immobile. Bobbing of the heads and some polite toe-stomping followed, like we were at a Lawrence Welk recording and not the kind of rock show Blink-182 sang about. Except for one Chris Farley lookalike who played air guitar and thrashed about shamelessly, people were sedate.
A week before I saw Free Energy, I witnessed M.I.A.’s favorite band, Sleigh Bells in the flesh. While this show was NOT free, it was also in Cleveland and the crowd was 10000 more times energetic (despite their moniker, Free Energy could not stir this!) The crowd was so energetic I was almost crushed by a behemoth dancer next to me that had the body of a linebacker. That, my friends, is the prototypical, sweat-flicked rock show.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though, despite the serving of alcohol (it is Ohio, after all) wants to retain a family-friendly atmosphere. So perhaps that explains the crowd’s reluctance to move along with the singer, Paul Spranger’s, gyrations.
Despite this, though, it was hard to be in a bad mood. The music Free Energy makes is an honest and upbeat throwback to the days of pre-last.fm, pre-MTV classic rock nostalgia. And the happiness this sort of no-think music compels is like when you used to pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and eat nothing but the marshmallows. Except Free Energy won’t leave that corrosive taste in your mouth.
That sort of sensation is all over Stuck on Nothing, an album that cannot be passed up.
My only complaint about the concert was the shortness of the set, but what can you expect with a free show? I try to count my blessings.
“I’ve got the keys to the ZZ Top car!” bragged Spranger, stretching over the microphone one final time, dangling said keys from his hand. And with that, the sun setting behind them, they concluded their set.
Depressed you missed your chance to see Free Energy? Fret not- the Rock Hall will be offering more free concerts from other gifted performers. Deer Tick will play Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. with support from Modern Electric and Trans Am will play with Megachurch on Aug. 18.
July 30, 2010
by Brittany A. Kemp (contributing writer) – appeared this week (July 27 2010)
Free Energy sounds like a great concept to warm your home. But, this Free Energy is a band that will warm your heart. And make you, kind of, want to dance.
Their music embodies the music of generations that came before today’s hipsters, who eagerly embrace them. ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy, even traces of ELO are detectable in their sound. I call this music “Dad” music- it’s not hard to imagine a younger version of my father, with a long drooping mustache and a cut-off t-shirt, rocking out to this music, all full of youthful swagger. In fact, that just about sums up the lead singer, who played budding rock god to the audience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on July 21, where they (and Cleveland-based band Founding Fathers) put on a free show for the public.
The show was part of the series the famed landmark is hosting this summer, entitled fittingly “Summer in the City” which has also featured the likes of folksters Deer Tick and jam band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Each one of the said performers has given a free concert in front of the eponymous pyramid-shaped building.
Basically, imagine an amped-up version of Erie’s Eight Great Tuesdays.
For the considerable, eclectic crowd that gathered for this particular event, it was a chance to gain a good shot at seeing some serious up-and-comers, who are gathering momentum even as I type. Rolling Stone named them a “band to watch” and their debut album Stuck On Nothing was produced by noneother than Mr. “North American Scum” himself, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
The opportunity to see them live (and for free! I’m sorry, I still can’t get over it) was something that had to be capitalized upon. And with the backdrop of the Cleveland skyline, the Lake Erie blue and the pyramid shape of the Rock Hall (which houses, among other things, a Johnny Cash tourbus and an inciting letter from a young, brash Madonna), I could think of no better setting.
The band hasn’t let good ratings from Pitchfork or glowing words from Spin go to their head, either. Before they took to the stage, I saw the lead singer and guitarist, standing in front of me In the spread-out crowd, sipping beer and exchanging words. Can’t imagine you’d ever see that at an Arcade Fire show now!
Then, like it was no big deal, they simply hopped on the stage as Founding Fathers made their exit and started readying the equipment and instruments themselves. James Murphy must have schooled these Philadelphia boys well.
They played the strongest tracks from Stuck on Nothing, such as “C’mon Let’s Dance,” the irresistible “Bang Pop,” “Hope Child” and, um, “Free Energy.” Despite the “ass-shaking” (their words, not mine) vibe of such songs, the attendees remained rather immobile. Bobbing of the heads and some polite toe-stomping followed, like we were at a Lawrence Welk recording and not the kind of rock show Blink-182 sang about. Except for one Chris Farley lookalike who played air guitar and thrashed about shamelessly, people were sedate.
A week before I saw Free Energy, I witnessed M.I.A.’s favorite band, Sleigh Bells in the flesh. While this show was NOT free, it was also in Cleveland and the crowd was 10000 more times energetic (despite their moniker, Free Energy could not stir this!) The crowd was so energetic I was almost crushed by a behemoth dancer next to me that had the body of a linebacker. That, my friends, is the prototypical, sweat-flicked rock show.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though, despite the serving of alcohol (it is Ohio, after all) wants to retain a family-friendly atmosphere. So perhaps that explains the crowd’s reluctance to move along with the singer, Paul Spranger’s, gyrations.
Despite this, though, it was hard to be in a bad mood. The music Free Energy makes is an honest and upbeat throwback to the days of pre-last.fm, pre-MTV classic rock nostalgia. And the happiness this sort of no-think music compels is like when you used to pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and eat nothing but the marshmallows. Except Free Energy won’t leave that corrosive taste in your mouth.
That sort of sensation is all over Stuck on Nothing, an album that cannot be passed up.
My only complaint about the concert was the shortness of the set, but what can you expect with a free show? I try to count my blessings.
“I’ve got the keys to the ZZ Top car!” bragged Spranger, stretching over the microphone one final time, dangling said keys from his hand. And with that, the sun setting behind them, they concluded their set.
Depressed you missed your chance to see Free Energy? Fret not- the Rock Hall will be offering more free concerts from other gifted performers. Deer Tick will play Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. with support from Modern Electric and Trans Am will play with Megachurch on Aug. 18.
And to hear more from Free Energy – who are touring with Titus Andronicus this fall – go to www.freeenergymusic.com. Be sure to give Stuck on Nothing a listen; it’s worth it. And hopefully, in the privacy of your own room, you won’t be afraid to dance!
Free Energy sounds like a great concept to warm your home. But, this Free Energy is a band that will warm your heart. And make you, kind of, want to dance.www.freeenergymusic.com. Be sure to give Stuck on Nothing a listen; it’s worth it. And hopefully, in the privacy of your own room, you won’t be afraid to dance!
Their music embodies the music of generations that came before today’s hipsters, who eagerly embrace them. ZZ Top, Thin Lizzy, even traces of ELO are detectable in their sound. I call this music “Dad” music- it’s not hard to imagine a younger version of my father, with a long drooping mustache and a cut-off t-shirt, rocking out to this music, all full of youthful swagger. In fact, that just about sums up the lead singer, who played budding rock god to the audience at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on July 21, where they (and Cleveland-based band Founding Fathers) put on a free show for the public.
The show was part of the series the famed landmark is hosting this summer, entitled fittingly “Summer in the City” which has also featured the likes of folksters Deer Tick and jam band Carolina Chocolate Drops. Each one of the said performers has given a free concert in front of the eponymous pyramid-shaped building.
Basically, imagine an amped-up version of Erie’s Eight Great Tuesdays.
For the considerable, eclectic crowd that gathered for this particular event, it was a chance to gain a good shot at seeing some serious up-and-comers, who are gathering momentum even as I type. Rolling Stone named them a “band to watch” and their debut album Stuck On Nothing was produced by noneother than Mr. “North American Scum” himself, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy.
The opportunity to see them live (and for free! I’m sorry, I still can’t get over it) was something that had to be capitalized upon. And with the backdrop of the Cleveland skyline, the Lake Erie blue and the pyramid shape of the Rock Hall (which houses, among other things, a Johnny Cash tourbus and an inciting letter from a young, brash Madonna), I could think of no better setting.
The band hasn’t let good ratings from Pitchfork or glowing words from Spin go to their head, either. Before they took to the stage, I saw the lead singer and guitarist, standing in front of me In the spread-out crowd, sipping beer and exchanging words. Can’t imagine you’d ever see that at an Arcade Fire show now!
Then, like it was no big deal, they simply hopped on the stage as Founding Fathers made their exit and started readying the equipment and instruments themselves. James Murphy must have schooled these Philadelphia boys well.
They played the strongest tracks from Stuck on Nothing, such as “C’mon Let’s Dance,” the irresistible “Bang Pop,” “Hope Child” and, um, “Free Energy.” Despite the “ass-shaking” (their words, not mine) vibe of such songs, the attendees remained rather immobile. Bobbing of the heads and some polite toe-stomping followed, like we were at a Lawrence Welk recording and not the kind of rock show Blink-182 sang about. Except for one Chris Farley lookalike who played air guitar and thrashed about shamelessly, people were sedate.
A week before I saw Free Energy, I witnessed M.I.A.’s favorite band, Sleigh Bells in the flesh. While this show was NOT free, it was also in Cleveland and the crowd was 10000 more times energetic (despite their moniker, Free Energy could not stir this!) The crowd was so energetic I was almost crushed by a behemoth dancer next to me that had the body of a linebacker. That, my friends, is the prototypical, sweat-flicked rock show.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, though, despite the serving of alcohol (it is Ohio, after all) wants to retain a family-friendly atmosphere. So perhaps that explains the crowd’s reluctance to move along with the singer, Paul Spranger’s, gyrations.
Despite this, though, it was hard to be in a bad mood. The music Free Energy makes is an honest and upbeat throwback to the days of pre-last.fm, pre-MTV classic rock nostalgia. And the happiness this sort of no-think music compels is like when you used to pour yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and eat nothing but the marshmallows. Except Free Energy won’t leave that corrosive taste in your mouth.
That sort of sensation is all over Stuck on Nothing, an album that cannot be passed up.
My only complaint about the concert was the shortness of the set, but what can you expect with a free show? I try to count my blessings.
“I’ve got the keys to the ZZ Top car!” bragged Spranger, stretching over the microphone one final time, dangling said keys from his hand. And with that, the sun setting behind them, they concluded their set.
Depressed you missed your chance to see Free Energy? Fret not- the Rock Hall will be offering more free concerts from other gifted performers. Deer Tick will play Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. with support from Modern Electric and Trans Am will play with Megachurch on Aug. 18.
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