Orion Studios 20th anni show

True to form, Raff will do the show the justice the show deserves in her blog review but here is my off the cuff uncensored review of the show yesterday.

Baltimore's legendary Orion Studios celebrated 20 years this year and to celebrate some really sweet and dedicated people organized a day long festival of music.  4 bands were on the bill.  Two I knew of and had seen live, Discipline and Frog Cafe, and 2 I had never heard of or heard anything from; Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, and The Knells.  Raff knew Redfearn and the Eyesores from Cuniformfest last year and had told me I would enjoy it.  We immediately reserved tickets when they put up mainly to see Discipline again and also because going to the Orion is always a lot of fun and we see a lot of neat people there.

The show was supposed to start at 2pm so we left home here about 11:30 and made a pit stop by Total Beer and Wine. I snagged a 4 pack of that potent Kentucky Bourbon Ale and a 1 liter bottle of some Games of THrones Triple Ale they had there.  I figured it would be enough.  Hah...

We got to Baltimore quickly and quietly and enjoyed a beautiful drive up the BW Parkway with all the fall colors seemingly in peak conditions.  We stopped for pizza at Ledo's (a Baltimore tradition), checked in the hotel, and then made our way to the Orion which thankfully was only 5 or 10 minutes from the hotel.  WE arrived around 1:30 and there was already a large crowd there, so I immediately popped the top on the first Bourbon Ale! Liquid courage as even after all these years I am still painfully shy especially in large groups. Raff brought some goodies.  A couple of loaves of her home-made bread to add to the food spread people brought.  And what a spread that was. ummm UMMMM!  However some problem must have happened with the first bands soundcheck and we spent a good amount of time waiting.  Chalk up 2 more bourbon ales (oh oohh micky). Finally after a good long wait in line to get in we were finally let in. We were fortunate enough to get seats next to Ian and his lovely daughter. I know Raff had a lot of fun teasing him, who tastes are far more adventerous than ours, about his forthcoming Rosfest adventure. Good luck buddy! Drink 7 or 8 for me. Trust me it makes it more fun

Anyhow around a quarter to 3 the first band came on. The Knells Or actually one of the members of the Knells who did a couple of neat classic guitar pieces, and then hit us with some 15 minute electric guitar piece inspired by Hendrix's Are You Experienced. Ahh.  Neat but .. anyhow soon the full band came on and of course my attention was brought fully back to the stage.  Yowsers.  A really good choral chamber rock led by 3 wonderful females.  Angelic and powerful.  I loved it. Not for everyone I suppose perhaps even something that might not translate into a sterile home listening environment but live?  Whoa.  Fire, passion, talent AND beauty.  Dude I loved this.

After the Knells there was a substantial break for teardown, buildup and sound checks. So everyone went outside to hit the food and enjoy a picture perfect fall day from the scenic environs of industrial warehouse grounds haha.  A neat episode happened to me here and is probably example ONE of why I love this events. It is great to meet old friends, it is even better to meet new ones.  I was hanging 10 on  the back of my pickup watching people, listening to conversations and smoking a cigarette and deciding if I needed to hit that last bourbon ale when I overhead the name of a band I simply adore.. The Tea Club...  so naturally I decided to hop down and walk over and join the conversation. Something I never do in normal situations.  Well to my surprise it wasn't simply a fan I met but the newest member OF the band who happened to be there with his lovely and extremely friendly parents.  We had a great talk about the Tea Club, past present and future and I especially love the story of his audition with the group hahahha.  Dan and Patrick truly are Fripp'ing out. I can't wait to hear the new album. Cheers to Joe (a member here but don't remember his screen name). I enjoyed  the conversation and meeting the family.

Next up was Frog Cafe. By this time I was really into the music. The last of he bourbon ales and a bottle of red wine had their effect. My senses were fully engaged   Frog Cafe was a group I had often heard via Raff and she loved and had written a glowing review of the album.  However for the performance they did no have a guitar player but that void was  filled by electric mandolin/violin.  I really like the horn driven sound, with both Trombone and Trumpet dueling for supremacy. 

The third band was the winner of the day for me. Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores.  Never heard them or of them. Not surprisingly because it really is not my kind of thing. Then again that is why I so LOVE these kinds of shows. I enjoy seeing and discovering new stuff more than seeing stuff I already know or love.  Live is where bands should, and best do, shine.  Seeing on stage, a french horn, a drummer with a not a cymbal in sight, an accordion player AND the only thing more than beautiful than a beautiful woman. A lead guitar playing beautiful woman was just the kind of thing you can really only experience seeing on stage. Albums capture the music, live performance captures the passion ... the interaction.  Brilliant stuff man. Immediately headed off after the show to get some merch from them. Only to find myself talking the guitar player ( I forgot to ask her her name. But was a new recruit into the band of only a couple of weeks). I did a shirt, a CD, and a smile.  Ahhh..  life is good.

Unfortunately by the  time Discipline took the stage, around 11:30 both Raff and me were wiped out.  I think I did doze off in the middle of Discipline's set. Yes, even in front of the speakers, no more than 10ft away from Mathew.  It didn't help we had just seen the group a couple of weeks earlier and so we (and others I saw) started filitering out midset. I  think we left about 12:30 and suppose they played well past 1am.  In my youth.. in my youth.

So a long review to say we had a wonderful time. It was great to see everyone and spend time with friends and meet some new ones.  There was some really great music and I'd encourage everyone to get off your asses and support these bands.   See them live, that is really where it is at man

Edited by micky - November 09 2014 at 11:54

I hope to produce a review of the show (which will be posted on my blog) by the end of the week, though I have an album review in the works that will take precedence. In the meantime, let me just say that it was a thoroughly wonderful day and part of the night, and that my only regret is that it didn't last longer!

Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Nice review Micky Alec K Redfearn & The Eyesores were up next, I've been a huge fan since seeing them live in '11 at Cuneifest. This line up was a bit different with a new guitarist vocalist who had a lovely voice. Their set was terrific, trying out new songs (3 or 4) and material from Sister Death. Alec gets all sorts of effects from his accordion and peppered the performance with witty stories. Probably the highlight of the day for me. I already have all their albums so I just bought a wicked psychedelic cat t-shirt.

Thanks Ian!  I am the yin to Raff's yang.

 I really enjoyed seeing you again.

Yes... I LOVED that group and have played that album I got, Sister Death, at least 5 or 6 times since we got back. I think I am going to make that my next review.  However I am completely intriqued by this group. I read that you had all their albums. Which album should I next get? Knowing perhaps my tastes a bit. I love art and expression but at the end of the day it is still music, I want to enjoy the music and dig great riffs and melodies.

micky wrote: Nogbad_The_Bad wrote: Nice review Micky Alec K Redfearn & The Eyesores were up next, I've been a huge fan since seeing them live in '11 at Cuneifest. This line up was a bit different with a new guitarist vocalist who had a lovely voice. Their set was terrific, trying out new songs (3 or 4) and material from Sister Death. Alec gets all sorts of effects from his accordion and peppered the performance with witty stories. Probably the highlight of the day for me. I already have all their albums so I just bought a wicked psychedelic cat t-shirt.   Thanks Ian!  I am the yin to Raff's yang.  I really enjoyed seeing you again. Yes... I LOVED that group and have played that album I got, Sister Death, at least 5 or 6 times since we got back. I think I am going to make that my next review.  However I am completely intriqued by this group. I read that you had all their albums. Which album should I next get? Knowing perhaps my tastes a bit. I love art and expression but at the end of the day it is still music, I want to enjoy the music and dig great riffs and melodies.

Obviously personal tastes but my most played albums by them after Sister Death are The Quiet Room & The Blind Spot

progrockdeepcuts wrote: Great review, Michael! It was a nice surprise to see you and Raff there and Ian too! Taking a break from working on my own massive review of this thing as I type! In short, I loved it - loved just about every minute of every band that played. What a show. My more extensive review to come ...

thanks. Nothing compared to what you all (real writers/reviewers) do but I do enjoy painting the tongue in cheek seedy side of prog festivals. Hot prog chicks and mass consumption that you don't get from more 'respected' reviewers hahahha. Though I expect Raff to one up me about the prog hottie that got her hormones raging hahahhahah.

Definitely drop the link here when you finish that.  I'd love to read the review.

I have almost finished the first draft of my review, and hope to have it posted as soon as possible. Unfortunately, tomorrow's back to work for me, so time will once again be scarce.

Okay, here it is!

http://brutalprog.com/artrocktendencies/article/orion-studios-20th-anniversary-appreciation-festival

brutalprog.  I love it 

Checking it out Ian!

hah.  I love her Ian but I think Raff is not simply being modest. You smoked any and all with that.

Seriously that was a first class stellar review.  You put many of the things I felt into words in which I simply couldn't.

I did especially like 'This was not mere music, this was black magic!'  Goddamn right.

without inspiration we wouldn't have art.

You were dead on about the point you made about all 4 bands being on point and all providing incredible performance of their highly interesting, yet ALL completely DIFFERENT forms of music. From traditional prog to whatever the hell Redfearn was.  Unfortunately you were right, every festival has bands that don't connect to us individually. Not this one, not me for me, you, Raff or Ian K it seems.  It really was an incredible day of music, friends and CRAB DIP!! hahah

Really.  That was a helluva review.  You can read the passion YOU felt through the review. One thing I look MOST for in a review and reviewer.  Well done sir!!