Tag Archives: Tom Eddy

20 Questions with Beat Connection, MFNW 2013

Tom Eddy
Reed Juenger
Tom, Beat Connection

Beat Connection (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Beat Connection (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Tom Eddy (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Reed Juenger (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Credit: beat_connection via Instagram

If you’ve followed Beat Connection since their debut EP, Surf Noir, you’ll notice that someone is missing from the bunch. Jordan Koplowitz, one of two of the founding members, left for San Francisco in December. However, if you watch Reed, Tom, and Jarred’s fervor on stage, you’d think it had been these three all along.

Beat Connection has always excelled at making music that moves bodies. Their interplay, accompanied by the Honey Nut Horns, on tracks like “Saola” is mesmerizing to watch. Their reconstructions of the songs are like a live variety show, always on the edge of losing control. They aren’t afraid of making balls-out fun music, rather they revel in the shimmering synths and tropical percussions.

A few weeks before the first day of fall, Beat Connection crystalized the carefree pleasures of summertime. And, in the bass-thumping basement of Branx, I played a Heineken-fueled game of 20 questions with the trio.

1.   What did you eat for breakfast?

Tom: Ken’s Artisan Bakery. We got a baguette, some cheese and prosciutto.
Reed: I had a Bloody Mary for breakfast. It had bacon and shrimp in it.

2.  Favorite beach in Seattle?

Jarred: Madison Park.

3.  Mickey’s or Old English?

Jarred: Old English.

4.  Guilty pleasure music?

Tom: Bluegrass. Old Crow Medicine Show. I could be a Dave Matthews guy, too… Maybe Sade.
Reed: Did you just say Sade is a guilty pleasure? Sade is a pleasure! Sade tattooed on my chest.
Jarred: Phil Collins.

5.  Worst tattoo?

Reed: I have a Lady Gaga tattoo…
Me: Really?
Reed: NO! (Laughs)
Tom: We’re tat-less. Tatless in Seattle.

6.  Favorite LCD Soundsystem song?

Reed: “All My Friends.”

7.  Favorite bagel schmear?

Tom: I’m partial to sundried tomato. But realistically, I’m a plain schmear guy. And I like the Philadelphia non-whipped version. I like that old school shit.

8.  Which foreign county would you retire in?

Tom: France.
Reed: Bermuda.
Jarred: South Africa. Let’s get weird.

9.  Mullet or mohawk? 

photo by beat_connection via Instagram

Reed: Mohawk. Or a reverse emo-mullet thing.
Tom: I think I have somewhat of a mullet going on right now.
Reed: Actually, Tom doesn’t have a mullet. What Tom has is this picture exactly. (Shows me picture of Ryan Adams circa 2001) Total heartbreaker.

 10. Strangest Snapchat you’ve ever received?

Reed: When I get a picture of Tom’s hair like that later from Jarred, that will be it. (see picture, right)

11. What band would you most like to open for?

Tom: Toots and the Maytals.
Jarred: Tame Impala.
Reed: [Tame Impala at Sasquatch] was the best festival show I’ve ever seen .

12. If you had to choose between Clay and Harrison of ODESZA to be on your team for The Hunger Games, who would you pick?

Reed: I think Clay would do some despicable, evil shit.
Tom: He would be the strong arm. But Harrison would, like, plot against you and do some sort of political situation.

Clay walks in the room…

Reed: Hey Clay — we decided if we had to choose between you and Harrison to be on our Hunger Games team, that you would do the really evil shit and Harrison would plot against us. You would be like, “alright I got this,” and just end it.
Clay: Uhhh….

13. Childhood fear?

Reed: My parents said I was afraid of clowns. But I don’t really remember that.
Jarred: I was really afraid of dogs. I had a bad experience. I was small and I thought these dogs were chasing me… But they weren’t. (Laughs) They were just running with me.

14. Dream collaboration?

Tom: Andre 3000.
Reed: Kendrick. Or… Well, Kanye. But I couldn’t even talk with Kanye. I would just be like “oh my god, uh uh uh”…and that would be it.

15. Besides the Boards of Canada thing,  what’s the 2nd worst April Fool’s  joke you’ve ever played?

Reed: Well yesterday — I’m the super uptight one in the band, by far — we did a KEXP session and we were supposed to be there at 1:30. I was already in Portland and these guys were coming down. I sent them a very excited text message about Kanye and Kendrick [going on tour], and two hours later — no response. I was like, “wow, that’s weird. I thought they would be excited and they should be up by now.” I fell asleep again and then Tom texted me, “oh shit! Your text just woke me up.” Then Jarred said, “oh fuck! I’m leaving right now!” It was like 11:30am. There was no way they were going to make it to Portland in time. First I thought they were joking, and then I thought they were serious. I was like, “God…I gotta call KEXP… We’re going to have to cancel…” And then I realized they were totally fucking with me.

16. Best souvenir from the road?

Tom: Chlamydia. (Laughs) No, no…
Reed: That’s where I got it then, huh, Tom? (Laughs)

17. First thing that came to mind when watching Miley’s VMA performance?

Reed: It was just a sigh; it wasn’t even a word. It was just syllables of dissatisfaction.

18. Most expensive thing you’ve bought for a girl?

Reed: Tom’s girlfriend is right there, so I’ll let him answer.
Tom: I tend to block those things out and just buy it. So, I’m not sure.
Reed: There’s no price tag to our love.

19. Strangest class you ever took in college?

Reed: Evan (horns) essentially taught a class with this dude who just wanted to play jazz music and smile and stand next to the speaker. Evan wanted to do that too, but he was a little bit more professional.

20. Where do you see yourself in 3 years? Is there any specific goal you want to achieve?

Tom: Touring.
Jarred: Happiness.
Reed: Playing a show on a yacht.
Tom: We want to have a roast pig come through the crowd during a show.
Reed: Maybe one day we’ll have the whole fucking pig Tom. One day.

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Your Live Music Bets for the Weekend of July 19 through the 21st

Dude York play Cairo on Saturday. (photo by Tony Kay)

We’re one weekend away from two big local music festivals, but this humble weekend’s no slouch in the live music department, either.

Tonight (Friday, July 19):

Black Flag, Good for You, Piggy @ El Corazon. 21+. $30 at the door. Show at 8 p.m.

If you’re not one of the 40,000-odd sentient beings packing Safeco Field tonight to see a certain reasonably-well-known singer-songwriter ply his venerated wares, Two smaller venues are offering nostalgia trips of their own for a fraction of the price.

California born-and-bred punk legends Black Flag are probably best known today as post-modern raconteur Henry Rollins‘ old punk band, but back in the day (the late 1970s through the mid-’80s) they exerted a massive influence on American hardcore by ladling on heavy metal crunch along with the usual ripsaw power chords. You won’t get Rollins at the mic tonight, but vocalist Ron Reyes is back after a 30-year-plus absence, and original guitarist Greg Ginn can still shred with the best of ‘em.

Peter Murphy celebrates 35 Years of Bauhaus, Ours @ Showbox Market. 21+. $40 at the door. Show at 8 p.m.

Then again, if hanging in the lovably grotty El Corazon with some grizzled old punks doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to jaunt over to the Showbox Market — and don’t forget the jet-black eyeliner. Peter Murphy, lead crooner for quintessential gother-than-Goths Bauhaus, jumps into the wayback machine for a set comprised of 100-percent classic Bauhaus tunes. It’s hard to imagine Murphy’s backing musicians possessing the chemistry of his old Bauhaus-mates, and it’s a little bit of a bummer that he won’t be playing any of the songs from his most recent (and pretty great) solo release Ninth. But Bauhaus’ songs remain some of the most durable in the Goth canon, and Murphy still sounds like David Bowie’s ravishingly sinister twin brother.

The Torn ACLs, Tom Eddy, The Wild Ones, My Body @ Neumos. 21+. $10 at the door. Show at 8 p.m.

The Torn ACLs provide a damn near perfect soundtrack for summer’s dog days — unashamedly wide-eyed, insidiously catchy guitar pop sung and played with the kind of youthful freshness that thaws jaded hipsters at fifty paces. Get there early for a solo set of wonderfully buoyant kitchen-sink tunes from Beat Connection lead singer Tom Eddy, sprightly Cranberries-style shenanigans from Portland’s The Wild Ones, and electronic-tinged pop from My Body.

Saturday, July 20:

Wimps, Satan Wriders, Dude York, The Narx,  @ Cairo. All Ages. Show at 9 p.m.

WIth their braying, bratty vocals, primitive guitars, and call-and-response chanting, Wimps sound like the really funny bastard children of Superchunk and Sleater-Kinney. They’re reputedly a kick live, too. Endearingly lo-fi combo Satan Wriders sounds like some lost K Records band, Dude York sport galloping art-punk tunes good enough to make you forget that damned goofy name, and The Narx are straight-up crude/funny punk. Your guess is as good as mine as to a cover charge (if any).

Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Down North @ The Tractor Tavern. 21+. $20 advance. Show at 9 p.m.

Ivan Neville, son of legendary New Orleans singer Aaron and nephew to the Neville Brothers, recorded one of the great overlooked psychedelic soul songs of the last twenty-odd years, “Why Can’t I Fall in Love.” His assured and powerful soul singing rivals that of any of his rock-royalty relatives, and if his backing band Dumpstaphunkleans a little towards over-slickness sometimes, they’re also ineffably in-the-pocket tight and should provide a sound dance party for the evening. Local funketeers Down North, however, could well steal the show with an amazing rhythm section and Anthony Briscoe’s show-stopping singing.

Sunday, July 21:

Hamilton Loomis @ Jazzbones. $15 advance. Show at 6 p.m.

Blues guitarist/singer Hamilton Loomis is one of those absurdly-skilled axe-slinging prodigies that inspires slack-jawed awe from anyone who sees him live. No less a luminary than the late, great Bo Diddley recorded and played live with Loomis a few years back, and the guy’s fired off licks live at multiple jazz and blues festivals throughout the US and Europe. Sunday’s gig serves as a CD release party for Loomis’s newest long-player Give it Back, a slick modern-day blues record with flashes of mainstream pop and funk. It’s a capable showcase for the young Texan’s singing and playing, but like any absurdly-skilled axe-slinging prodigy, Loomis and his songs will shine brightest in a live setting.

Benefit for Keith Bailey: The New Originals, Load Levelers, LD and her Pretty Pretties @ Chop Suey. $10 suggested donation. Show at 3 p.m.

Beloved Anvil Tattoo artist Keith Bailey had his shinbones crushed in a nasty motorcycle accident, and the medical bills are doing him a number in a major way. This benefit at Chop Suey serves up no less than three terrific local bands. Sloppy-as-fuck-and-proud-of-it metal cover-band collective The New Originals barrel through vintage hard-rock classics like a woozy bull in a china shop, the venerable Load Levelers‘ rip-snorting brand of country-punk should be can’t-miss live , and you can’t dream of better summertime party music than the recently-reunited LD and Her Pretty Pretties’ potent brand of Runaways/Donnas-style power-pop .

Gigs4Good Decks the Halls of the Crocodile for Wintersong (Photo Gallery)

Kevin Long.
Naomi Wachira.
Naomi Wachira.
Tony Kevin Jr.
Ben Fisher.
Ben Fisher and Shelby Earl.
Tom Eddy.
Tea Cozies.
Tea Cozies.
Shelby Earl.
Shelby Earl.
Ivan and Alyosha.
Ivan and Alyosha.

Kevin Long. (photo by Tony Kay)

Naomi Wachira sneaks some elegant soulfulness into the Wintersong Egg Nog. (photo by Tony Kay)

Naomi Wachira. (photo by Tony Kay)

Tony Kevin Jr., back from a long winter's nap. (photo by Tony Kay)

Ben Fisher rocks his dad's holiday sweater. (photo by Tony Kay)

Ben Fisher and Shelby Earl cover the Pogues in perfect whiskey and honey harmony. (photo by Tony Kay)

Tom Eddy sings his non-holiday-themed (but still great) original song, "Sunday Market." (photo by Tony Kay)

Brady Harvey of Tea Cozies takes out Chuck Berry with some well-chosen chords. (photo by Tony Kay)

Tea Cozies' Jessi Reed sings a happy Waitresses tune. (photo by Tony Kay)

Shelby Earl in action. (photo by Tony Kay)

Shelby Earl: Thawing cold hearts since 2007. (photo by Tony Kay)

Ivan and Alyosha's Tim Wilson, wearer of one of Seattle's finest pompadours. (photo by Tony Kay)

Tim and Pete Wilson of Ivan and Alyosha belt out "Auld Lang Syne." (photo by Tony Kay)

Kevin Long. thumbnail
Naomi Wachira. thumbnail
Naomi Wachira. thumbnail
Tony Kevin Jr. thumbnail
Ben Fisher. thumbnail
Ben Fisher and Shelby Earl. thumbnail
Tom Eddy. thumbnail
Tea Cozies. thumbnail
Tea Cozies. thumbnail
Shelby Earl. thumbnail
Shelby Earl. thumbnail
Ivan and Alyosha. thumbnail
Ivan and Alyosha. thumbnail

‘Tis the season for holiday-themed live shows, and Wintersong, Gigs4Good’s final fundraising concert of the season, was a toasty-warm way for the organization to send off 2012. Proceeds for last night’s show benefited Team Up for Non-Profits, the local organization devoted to helping other non-profits put on their own fundraising shows.

A stellar line-up of mostly acoustic artists took to the winter-themed format with the festive warmth of a mug of Christmas cocoa. Covers were sung, sweaters were worn, funds were raised for a good cause, and the proverbial good time was had by all.

Wintersong proved to be a well-stuffed musical stocking, but in keeping with the coming holidays, a Christmas List of the show’s highlights only seemed right.

The Ten Best Things About Gigs4Good’s Wintersong Concert:

10) Kevin Long’s wonderfully forlorn cover of “Blue Christmas.”

9) Hearing folk troubadour Tony Kevin Jr. sing live again after a year-long hiatus.

8) Getting out of an eight-artist live show before midnight on a weeknight. 

7) Ivan and Alyosha perfecting their union of  Beatles-influenced songcraft, acoustic earthiness, and jumping energy with their set. 

6) Tom Eddy and band’s swinging rendition of one of Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas tracks.

5) Ben Fisher’s and Shelby Earl’s wonderful whiskey-and-honey cover of that Pogues chestnut, “Fairytale of New York.”

4) Naomi Wachira’s plaintive and soulful vocalizing.

3) Shelby Earl using the Christmas/Christmas tree/conifer continuum as an excuse to deliver a goosebump-inducing rendition of her gorgeous Patsy-Cline-gone-Brill-Building original, “Under Evergreen.” 

2) Tea Cozies kicking the party into high gear with perfect-fitting covers of Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” and the Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping“.  

1) Ben Fisher’s magnificent Christmas sweater, pilfered from his dad’s collection. Seriously.