Tag Archives: Wild Ones

Arts & Entertainment, Music

MusicFest NW 2014 Preview

I love to visit Portland because Portland is different (don’t use the word weird). MusicFest NW was (keyword: was) unconventionally…Portland. Fourteen years was a good run, but MFNW has now condensed itself into a two-day, waterfront festival like the rest of ‘em. No – this isn’t the Bro/Blues Festival, but it sure sounds like it. Locals aren’t all that stoked, and can you blame them?

…Personally I’m stoked I get to drink in one location without feeling guilty for that third whiskey soda I just had (which in turn leads to missing many, many good bands), but I understand. What made MusicFest NW so great is the unlisted shows, after hours parties and booze-sponsored events that only the real locals knew about. And maybe your friend who worked at the Doug Fir could skip you past the line.

Alas, the show must go on. And while there is some Block Party overlap (Spoon, EMA, Wild Ones, Shy Girls), it’s still a worthwhile trip for Seattleites. Here’s why —

There are two stages (Moda Stage at Morrison and Hawthorne Stage) this year, and no two bands play at the same time. Rejoice!

Remember when I deemed the sisters of HAIM as Biggest Disappointment this year at Sasquatch? Well now they have a chance to redeem themselves. There’s no doubt these girls can rip, and Este’s bassface is one of the most entertaining things you’ll ever see.

Future Islands has been selling out shows left and right. I heard that their Doug Fir and Neumos’ shows were incredible, so with a 10,000-person daily capacity venue you are at least guaranteed a spot.

Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter of Phantogram are as beautiful as they are talented. Go just to see what Sarah’s wearing – girl always brings it. My prediction? A midriff baring tank and high waisted black denim.

I saw Brooklyn’s The Antlers a few weeks ago at a sold-out Neumos. It was so damn hot inside I felt like I was going to pass out, and I still stayed for the entire hour and half plus long set. It’s Rhye-ish, Deerhunter-esque, but better. Shimmering horns, floating atmospheric melodies…you get the idea.

Shy Girls just released a new song titled “All for Show” produced my Jawgwar Ma’s Jono Ma. He also played some new tracks at CHBP that (at least for me) took him way beyond the R&B category and into something sultry and ridiculously sexy/unexpected. Stop comparing him to How To Dress Well because Dan Vidmar is somethin’ else.

I think I’m the only person alive who hasn’t seen Girl Talk perform. Even my friends who hate “that type of music” say he puts on a great show.

So while the multi-venue MusicFest NW may be a thing of the past, there’s no doubt that Portland will still bring the personality. (Spoiler alert: even when the bros from Branx somehow end up next to you during Wild Ones, there’s 99.99999% chance you’re still going to have a good time.)

There will still be night shows, great food carts and after parties. Just less drunk, bridge/venue hopping – which everyone should be grateful for.

This cynical Oregonian is going, so you should too.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

An Interview with Wild Ones, MFNW 2013

Nick Vicario
Seve Sheldon
Thomas Himes
Max Stein

Wild Ones (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Danielle Sullivan (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Nick Vicario (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Seve Sheldon (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Thomas Himes (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Max Stein (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

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Wild Ones is a democracy. No single individual holds all the power. While this can sometimes lead to inefficiency — a year to write their LP Keep it Safe and another nine to record it — it can also lead to a complete, perfectly lucid and luminous, pop album.

Technically, there are six people who make up Wild Ones. Danielle Sullivan, Thomas Himes, Nick Vicario, Seve Sheldon and Max Stein perform live. The sixth member, Clayton Knapp, developed hyperacusis and could no longer be on stage. But even after this typically band-ending misfortune, Wild Ones edged forward. And drank some schnapps along the way.

Wild Ones sound like the best video game you’ve ever played. Listen to “Curse Over More” or “It’s Real” while playing Super Mario and you’ll understand what I mean. Danielle’s voice is Princess Peach and the other five are carrying her to safety in Mushroom Kingdom. Keep it Safe is a dream you don’t want to wake up from.

I had a beer with the five before their MusicFest NW performance at the Star Theater to discuss their latest album and what it’s like being a band in Portland.

On creating meaningful, bold pop music:

Seve: We all have different backgrounds. I’m probably least qualified to answer this, but since we have had this lineup of people I feel like we’ve all drawn from different influences than before. We are all realizing that he brings that to the table; he brings this to the table… We’re trying to use those instead of mask them.

Thomas: We just ended up making pop music. At the beginning, we tried to make music that we could all democratically contribute to and play whatever came out naturally — and that happened to be really poppy and upbeat. It was a very normal, organic. It’s not very put on or showy pop music.

The phrase and album title Keep It Safe:

Danielle: I often get self-conscious when it comes to being in this band and being at the front of this band and standing on stage. Also, hearing people’s reactions and what they think about us, good or bad. The phrase Keep it Safe is me trying to remember why we started this band in the first place and having that be a statement that will be with us forever. Keeping the purity, making music that I really truly love with these people that I really like spending time with.

When they knew these six members were “it”:

Thomas: It definitely took a while. It was probably New Years last year when we knew.

Max: We played our first show with this lineup at a sold-out show at Mississippi Studios. We killed it and it just felt right. It felt good. Everyone was really excited, and we were like “alright, this is a good thing. This is working.”

Danielle: I think that’s the most nervous I’ve felt for any show. Ever. We were playing some new songs and we hadn’t played for a long time because one of our band members had issues with his hearing. A couple of months before that show he told us he couldn’t play. So we looked around and asked ourselves, “do you we really want to add a new member and teach them all of our songs?” And then we decided to go for it.

Seve: We put our heads down for a few weeks prior and had a lot of drunken nights at the practice space. Also, a lot of schnapps.

Max: I was like a boot camp. It whipped us into shape.

On being control freaks:

Max: In this band, people are control freaks about different things. Someone is really good at running rehearsal. Someone is really good at scheduling tours. Someone is really good at writing lyrics. We’ve been lucky in that regard. It’s given us a lot of momentum.

The positives and negatives of PDX:

Seve: It’s good and bad to have support in your own town. There’s the immediate satisfaction, but then you take a step anywhere outside of this place and we’re like “oh — you haven’t heard of us? Willamette Week said we’re a good band.”

Max: In Portland, people are excited when a band does well. You can be more vulnerable here. It can be tough sometimes to get good criticism, but that’s when you really need to find good people and good friends who can talk to you and help you create work. It is the most exciting place I’ve ever lived to create work because there’s nothing stopping you. Rent is cheap. People are nice. There’s endless venues, endless festivals, endless cool stuff going on. You can get everywhere on your bike. The only thing stopping you in Portland is you.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Musicfest NW, Now Available in Convenient Recap Form

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Dan Vidmar
Danielle Sullivan
PDX

Katie Stelmanis of Austra performing for KEXP (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

John Vanderslice at the Doug Fir (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Dan Vidmar of Shy Girls for the Red Bull Sound Select showcase at Mississippi Studios (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Danielle Sullivan of Wild Ones at Bunk Bar (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

Only in Portland. (Photo: Kelsey Kaufman)

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As a born-and-raised Oregonian living in Seattle for the past year, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Portland. Most of my friends live there, and most probably won’t ever leave there. But who could blame ‘em? Portland is a utopia, rich with good-looking people, excellent coffee, and drool-worthy food. It’s Seattle without the “freeze.”

A mere three days after Bumbershoot, I drove down to Portland for Musicfest NW. The festival started on a Tuesday, but the recovery period post-Bumbershoot is at minimum of 48 hours. So here’s what I learned:

What to do:

  • VIP, baby. The lines are ridiculously long at nearly every venue. A press pass won’t do you any good, either, so be prepared to wait. Get there at least 45 minutes early.
  • The best shows aren’t on the MFNW “official” schedule.  Marmoset put on a killer Hott Summer Nights Party on Thursday with Radiation City, Surfer Blood, Shy Girls, and more. They also had Salt & Straw ice cream and an open bar – so it was impossible to have a bad time. Bunk Bar’s CD Baby Day Party on Saturday afternoon with Aan and Wild Ones was also a hit. Then there was a Blouse “secret” show in a warehouse somewhere that same night.
  • See Portland bands. There’s so much good music coming out of PDX lately. MFNW is the perfect opportunity to mainline it directly into your system. Indulge guilt-free.

What not to do:

  • Get stuck on the Westside. You could see Charles Bradley at the Crystal Ballroom or Animal Collective in Pioneer Courthouse Square, but do you really want to be downtown? The best venues are on the Eastside, anyways. If you can handle missing some of the headliners, you’ll save yourself the massive headache of parking and dodging tourists with those pink donut boxes.
  • Drive. Pick a spot and stay there. Unless you’re already playing DD, sit down, have a shot of whiskey, and enjoy yourself. Remember, we’re not in Kansas (i.e., Seattle) any more. Strangers will talk to you and you will make new friends. Don’t be scared.
  • Miss a Red Bull Sound Select showcase. I’m partial because Mississippi Studios is one of my favorite venues, but Red Bull curated some of the — if not THE — best lineups of the entire festival. A mix of local and national artists plus a (time-limited) open bar and free barbecue made it dually enticing. See where I’m going with this? Follow the free booze!

What I probably should have done:

  • Attend more KEXP sets. Austra and The Dodos were the only two I caught. The sets are short and sweet, intimate, and also have excellent sound. Doug Fir also pours their drinks strong, so it’s a good place to get an early afternoon buzz going.
  • More. Brunch. Pass on Pine State Biscuits. I wish it were 10 a.m.–2 p.m. all day, every day, in Portland. Brunch should never end in this city, so don’t let it pass you by. It’s also completely necessary if you plan on listening to music until the wee hours of the night. Broder, Jam on Hawthorne, and Interurban are three of my favorites that I’m kicking myself for not going to.

Overall, MFNW is yet another opportunity to show pride for this incredible place we live in called the Pacific Northwest. It’s the neatly-tied, perfectly-placed bow to wrap up summer. Until next year.