SARANAC LAKE — The Northern Present music competition is coming again to Riverside Park on Sunday, this time with six bands all fronted by girls on the mics.
TEKE::TEKE, The Massive Takeover, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Rose & The Bros, The Outcrops and Crackin’ Cunning are enjoying a free present the place the viewers might be inspired to bop, bop, vibe, groove and go all out to a wide range of genres.
“We attempt to carry out some ranges of range, principally culturally. Bringing in numerous languages, totally different types of music,” Eric Munley, one of many competition organizers who booked the bands, mentioned. “However reside music may also be a males’s membership in numerous conditions.”
He mentioned a buddy of his known as out a music competition quite a few years in the past for not having a single female-fronted band in its lineup. So, in reserving for Northern Present this yr, organizers thought they need to attempt to create a fully-female-fronted lineup, and it labored.
“After I draft the lineup I begin off with a ‘dream board’ in a way, and I really feel like this lineup is simply full of that dream board,” Munley mentioned.
It’s been 4 years because the Hobofest music competition ended after organizers Peter Seward and Todd Smith retired from their positions.
Munley mentioned Northern Present was created to maintain the spirit of Hobofest alive. At this level, he feels the non secular successor has gotten its legs and has a wholesome funding stream from native companies and organizations that permits them to maintain the occasion free.
“Eradicating the necessity to make a revenue from the ‘journey’ is an incredible factor,” he mentioned.
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TEKE::TEKE
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Munley watched a set TEKE::TEKE carried out for Seattle, Washington-based radio station KEPX on-line, and he was hooked.
“Inside a tune I used to be like, ‘That is going to be an ideal band for Northern Present,’” Munley mentioned.
He mentioned TEKE::TEKE’s sound will “blow folks’s minds.”
The Montreal-based Japanese psych-rock group weaves frenetic surf rock leads with dissonant tones, blaring horns with pulsing drums, and ambient moments with highly effective vocals.
“That is the results of having seven folks in a single band,” Guitarist Serge Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned.
Nakauchi Pelletier performs exact, clear riffs and rhythm guitarist Hidetaka Yoneyama is absolutely into experimental sounds, Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned — enjoying his guitar with pliers or electrical shavers to create whooshing, harsh noise.
“He’s the chaos supplier,” Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned.
The group began an all-instrumental Takeshi Terauchi tribute band in 2017. Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned he began enjoying Terauchi’s music — a mixture of surf, psych and storage rock from the Nineteen Sixties performed with conventional Japanese melodies and devices — as a problem.
“The way in which (Takeshi Terauchi) performs the guitar … it’s nearly like he’s enjoying Japanese string devices. It’s actually percussive,” Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned.
Initially, this was alleged to be a one-off present. Nonetheless, Nakauchi Pelletier practiced rather a lot, and developed tendonitis in his proper arm within the course of. Terauchi was recognized for his aggressive enjoying on the tremolo bar (also referred to as a vibrato or whammy bar).
Enjoying Terauchi’s music with a contemporary, heavier model obtained the band excited.
“We thought we have been onto one thing,” Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned.
They needed to write down extra in that vein.
Maya Kuroki was within the viewers at that first TEKE::TEKE live performance, got here in as a lead vocalist for his or her second present and has fronted the band ever since. All of them knew one another effectively. Montreal has a small Japanese neighborhood, Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned, they usually had all met at potlucks and gatherings earlier than.
Kuroki can be a visible artist and performer with a theater background. Her vocals drip with rigidity and emotion in a manner Nakauchi Pelletier calls “cinematic.”
“The way in which she writes the lyrics to the songs, it’s nearly like she turns into a special character for every tune,” Nakauchi Pelletier mentioned.
Northern Present might be TEKE::TEKE’s first present in New York. They take the stage from 6:35 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.
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Ghost Funk Orchestra
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Although Ghost Funk Orchestra is a gigantic 10-piece band now, it began as a solo recording venture for Seth Applebaum, writing and composing music in his basement. He introduced in additional musicians to play the densely layered songs, and now, he mentioned, “it’s like a touring household band.”
They create a “large sound” and Applebaum mentioned the three girls on the mics carry numerous vitality.
“They’re at all times getting within the crowd’s face,” Applebaum mentioned.
Applebaum mentioned there’s nothing flawed with enjoying in a 4/4 rhythm, however he tends to write down within the weirder facet of rhythm.
“It’s enjoyable to me to attempt to make one thing that feels danceable that could be in a very awkward time signature,” Applebaum mentioned.
Their tune “Seven Eight” is written in that point signature, a driving, bouncing and disorienting meter.
“People within the U.S. don’t have any actual cultural connection to that point signature,” Applebaum mentioned.
He enjoys difficult audiences and seeing their reactions. You don’t need to be a music concept professional to get pleasure from it. Anybody can inform one thing unusual is going on, he mentioned.
Applebaum mentioned he doesn’t got down to write in an odd time signature. He hums to himself with out fascinated with the time and writes round that. And the band is able to observe.
“They’re up for the problem and able to pulling it off gracefully,” he mentioned. “It takes a particular sort to essentially personal it once you’re enjoying in these bizarre occasions which are hurky-jerky.”
Reside reveals are totally different than their recordings, that includes further devices and authentic elements.
Munley mentioned he’s been attempting to pin down Ghost Funk Orchestra for a very long time.
“I fell head over heels for them when listening to their 2020 album ‘An Ode To Escapism,’” Northern Present co-organizer Kiki Sarko wrote in an e mail.
Ghost Funk Orchestra performs from 4:40 p.m. to five:55 p.m.
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The Massive Takeover
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The Massive Takeover are finest recognized in Saranac Lake for his or her wild Winter Carnival reveals on the Waterhole.
“Saranac Lake is aware of how you can occasion,” guitarist Guthrie Lord mentioned. “We’re excited.”
Jamaican-born singer and songwriter NeeNee Rushie leads with explosive vitality.
Rushie met bassist Rob Kissner and the band’s authentic drummer Sam Tritto at SUNY New Paltz they usually bonded over a shared love of the rocksteady, ska and reggae information from Rushie’s dwelling nation.
“Not simply Bob Marley and the pop stuff,” Lord mentioned. “We’re old-school. NeeNee likes music from the ’60s and ’70s. … I feel we’ll look again on that period … as one of the vital prolific intervals for music.”
Lord mentioned audiences can count on one factor from The Massive Takeover — “to bop.”
“We like to make folks dance. They’ll count on to see NeeNee give the efficiency of a lifetime each time she hits the stage. She’s essentially the most constant and superb member of the band. We simply love making her look good.”
Present your dance strikes, they wish to see them.
On stage, Lord mentioned, “I’m having the time of my life. I get to bop to the rhythms, too. I feel I’d dance a bit of an excessive amount of generally.”
The band’s been collectively for 15 years and been enjoying the Waterhole for a decade. In that point, Lord mentioned, the unique members have performed over 1,000 reveals.
The Massive Takeover will shut out the evening with a high-energy set beginning at 8:20 p.m.
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Rose & The Bros
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Rose & The Bros is a six-piece ensemble hailing from Ithaca, however their sound is rooted in Louisiana.
Munley mentioned he’s been attempting to e-book them since yr one of many competition.
Newton performed a sq. dance in Saranac Lake 15 years in the past however hasn’t been again since. However members of her band are aware of the world. Bass participant Angelo Peters had performed right here with Massive Imply Sound Machine earlier than.
“He spoke extremely of it and thought it could be a very enjoyable factor to do,” Newton mentioned.
Paul Martin writes their songs, together with love songs for Newton, whom he’s married to. Newton mentioned it’s nice enjoying along with her husband, and the entire band members love one another rather a lot.
She and Martin began the band with Steve Selin on fiddle, forming their sound out of a shared love of dancing to Cajun and Zydeco music. Then, they discovered “one of the best rhythm part round” and added nation and reggae influences, too.
In writing songs, Newton mentioned their purpose is at all times to be real.
“We at all times wish to be as real to the music as potential. Being from up north, we’ve got a love for music from Louisiana,” she mentioned. “Clearly, we’re not from there, so we sort of needed to make it our personal.”
With Sally Freund on the rubboard and triangle, and Newton on the accordion, their sound is exclusive.
“I really come from a protracted line of accordion gamers,” Newton mentioned.
She mentioned she’s excited to play for an viewers once more after a very long time away from the stage due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“The music itself is made to get folks to bop and really feel good. It’s not a really darkish style,” Newton mentioned. “They’ll count on to wish to dance and really feel good afterward in regards to the world.”
Rose & The Bros’ set begins at 3 p.m. and ends at 4 p.m.
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The Outcrops
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The Outcrops have been enjoying all around the Adirondacks for years. After they fashioned in 2016 and 2017, their first reveals on the street have been up right here, at 20 Fundamental in AuSable Forks. Mingo Lodge of the band Massive Boss Sausage introduced them from their shared dwelling within the woods of northern New Jersey to the woods of northern New York.
“It’s like our second dwelling up there,” Cassidy Rain mentioned.
Rain began enjoying along with her associate Bryan Schroeder at open mics and in a storage band model. Schroeder’s uncle had a traditional rock band and made them a proposition.
“They mentioned, ‘You’re going to open for us.’ We have been like, ‘Uhhh, I don’t know if we’re prepared,’” Rain mentioned.
However they jumped in and performed a half-hour set each week for months after that.
“Since then we’ve sort of had the bug for taking part in out,” she mentioned.
It wasn’t till months after they began enjoying that they really found out a reputation. Rain mentioned it was a pure transition for them leaping into the touring way of life.
She and Schroeder had a child final yr, and produce her on the street with them as they journey.
Rain mentioned every band member brings influences from music previous and new.
Schroeder mentioned Jerry Garcia is the explanation he picked up the guitar.
The Outcrops are scheduled to carry out beginning at 1:30 p.m.
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Crackin’ Cunning
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Sunday’s competition will mark native band Crackin’ Cunning’s twelfth birthday. Mark Hofschneider mentioned the band was fashioned for his or her first gig at Hobofest 2010. Within the years since, he mentioned the band and competition have each developed.
The ukulele-driven ensemble, enjoying jumpy jazz, swing, Hawaiian and French music got here from Hofschneider’s love of the acts he listened to when he lived in New York Metropolis.
“It’s enjoyable, it’s upbeat. It simply makes you are feeling good listening to it,” Hofschneider mentioned.
After he moved up right here, he needed to play that model, however no bands have been doing that type of music.
“I grew to become a bit of obsessive about it, like many issues I do,” he mentioned.
He assembled associates and musicians he performed with, immersed them within the “la pompe manouche” model and hit the Hobofest stage years in the past. The lineup of the band has modified. Himself and Sarah Curtis are the one originals members left, however within the band’s return after a hiatus, they’ve three-part-harmonies once more.
“We have now three singers, which is superb as a result of we haven’t had that because the first iteration, and we’ve got three actually stable singers,” Hofschneider mentioned. “You possibly can at all times discover three singers, however are they going to have that mixing? Are they going to go with one another?”
He mentioned the three singers — Sarah and Jenny Curtis and Redia Spata — play off one another effectively.
Crackin’ Cunning kick off the competition at midday.
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Northern Present
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Munley co-owns the Waterhole Music Lounge, so he books the bands. Reserving for the competition is totally different than reserving for Social gathering on the Patio, he mentioned. He tries to search out new acts and new sounds, particularly since he mentioned Northern Present can herald bands the Waterhole couldn’t afford to get, to introduce them to the world.
“I don’t assume there’s a single band within the nation that has Saranac Lake on their profession targets record,” Munley mentioned. “However as soon as a band comes right here and experiences the group, they haven’t any hassle coming again.”
The trick is getting them right here that first time and beginning connections.
As a music promoter, he’s attempting to construct a music scene within the small space of Saranac Lake by pulling from a wider area. He mentioned he feels fortunate to be a part of constructing that scene.
Years in the past, he was looking for the place his path would lead. He was developing within the music trade touring with the Paul Smith’s-based Blind Owl Band, however needed to make his dwelling in Saranac Lake. The trail to each of these targets may be very slim, he mentioned.
So when he had the chance to purchase the Waterhole in 2018, he discovered a route.
“Northern Present is a daylong neighborhood music competition that succeeded Hobofest when its organizers retired,” in accordance with a press launch from organizers. “The occasion is free, household pleasant, rain or shine. Native meals distributors and actions for kiddos might be out there.”
