Dan Deacon Tonight at Hailey’s

January 12, 2008 at 3:48 pm · Filed under Affairs, Denton Texas, Featured, Music, Pop Substance, Shows

Dan Deacon is playing tonight at Hailey’s, and if it anything like what I have seen in the past, it is going to be one of the best shows to hit Denton in a long time.
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Congratulations! It’s a Band!

January 7, 2008 at 8:02 pm · Filed under Featured, Music, Pop Substance, Shows

In the opinion of this reviewer, pop music is not what it was. Bands today often lack the talent of the popular bands of the seventies and instead go for looks, shock value, and statements. This being the case, many of the more talented musicians get lost in the underground. Congratulations is one of those bands.

To date, Congratulations has played 37 shows in the 15 months they have been together, and I have been privileged to attend 34. Even in the early days when the band was confined to a smaller catalogue, each show felt different and unique due to the ability of the members to jam off into a tangent whenever they felt one coming. One of the beautiful things about those tangents? Even after the jam went far enough that the audience forgot what song they had left, it was always returned to seamlessly.

This is one of the many things that makes it such a pleasure to see Congratulations. Each member of the band has studied his instrument, or music, in an academic setting and could easily be making it as a ringer for another band. In fact, every single member of the band plays with other groups and plays a vital role as a leader in those. Although their training and musical taste is varied, it all comes together to bring the audience a sound that is entirely their own. One can spot the general love that all members of the band share for Frank Zappa’s complicated rhythms and off beat sense of humor, the intricate counter melodies and musicality of prog bands like Yes, a tongue-in-cheek country feel that pop bands like Cake utilize well, the variety of genre only rivaled by something like Ween, and (if you listen carefully) a friendly, lyric driven love song that even Paul McCartney would want to sing along with. So basically, it’s a sound that can’t be put into words, even by a talented lady such as myself.

The backgrounds of the band members are as different as the influences. Both Gaah(n) (keys and vocals) and Mike Beall (bass and backing vocals) grew up in Little Rock, where they played together as young as 14. Through the years they started a few projects, but for the 6 years previous to Congratulations played separately and took time to “grow up musically.” Through those years Gaah(n) developed his solo music and played with the Denton jam supergroup, BAGG, while Mike worked with Thinking Room, an indie band in Dallas and also had several blues and funk projects going. Brian Felker (guitar and vocals) played with Gaah(n) in Sol Kitchen, which is a Denton gang of top musicians (mostly jazz musicians, all funky) who vow to never record, never play outside of Denton, and never rehearse, while working on his degree at UNT in Music. Brian and Gaah(n) both handle most of the songwriting for Congratulations. Eric Rogers (percussion) is also a member of Sol Kitchen who used to play with thrash-funk band, Parallel Realty. Eric never plays drumset, and instead prefers to play auxiliary percussion, filling in with everything from marching quads to a sample pad. He’s currently studying music at UNT. Congratulations also recently acquired drummer Alan Eckert from jam band $9 Word. Alan is a everything from a jazz drummer to a jingle writer. A side note, I recently saw Alan at his second rehearsal with Congratulations… this kid is good.

Of all the Congratulations shows I’ve been to, I’ve never seen it empty. Even when the band played recently at Mardi Gras in Dallas they managed to pull a good crowd up from Denton, no easy feat. Within seconds the crowd is split into two groups, those that have to dance, and those that want to stay seated and try to figure out the polyrhythms and enjoy the talent. The band will often open with something fun, like “Delicious Part One,” only to transition into the funkier “Jiffy Pope,” and then pull back into “Delicious Part Two,” which has a driving jam leading to a few slow, high notes trailing off. By the end of what the band calls “Delipopecious,” the crowd is ready for anything next. Sometimes it may be “Woke Up Dead,” which starts like death-rock, and has an adorable, Beatlesque chorus, or “Failed Bit,” which can only be described as tongue-in-cheek bluegrass. Some songs showcase the extreme talent of certain members of the band. In the case of “Mr. Funkknuckle,” Mike Beall gets to come out of the background and show off just how good he is with his 6-string bass. Occassionally if Denton’s most talented mc, Soul Relentless is at the show, they’ll have a bass/rap duel that gets so intricate it’s hard to pull your jaw off the floor. Gaah(n) and Brian often choose to showcase each other and while Gaah(n)’s “Riga” lets Brian shred some faces off, Brian’s “Going to the Moll” leaves space for Gaah(n) to rock socks off. The band almost always makes sure there’s a drum jam between Eric and Alan in “Crack of Now,” among others, and the two play together so well, it sounds more like there’s one drummer with four hands.

It’s a shame that often these talented bands go so overlooked by everyone except the indie rockers and the festival crowds. These five men have worked hard to master their instruments and to play well together and it would be nice for more people to have the opportunity to hear them. Of course, last time I spoke to the lads they were trying to put a tour together. You won’t find them on the radio, they are too good to be noticed by pop pundits, but maybe one of these summers they’ll be playing a festival that you’ll be attending. Check them out, won’t you?

http://www.myspace.com/congratsmusic

Band Members:
Mike Beall (Bass, Vocals)
Alan Eckert (Drums)
Brian Felker (Guitar, Vocals)
Gaah(n) (Keys, Vocals)
Eric Rogers (Percussion)

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The Loft in Dallas : Actually a Fantastic Venue; Blockhead, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Aesop Rock : Actually Amazing Bands

November 30, 2007 at 6:12 pm · Filed under Featured, Music, Pop Substance, Shows

It was the show of a lifetime, and we all knew it. It isn’t very often that you will see us braving the cold in line outside a club in Dallas, but inside that club one of our newest favorites and two classic acts would be rocking the house.
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Fatty Poindexter Rocks Riprocks Hard Tonight!

November 28, 2007 at 8:57 pm · Filed under Denton Texas, Featured, Music, Shows

Fatty Poindexter will be playing up at Riprocks in Denton, Texas tonight. Be there at 10pm and get a drink, enjoy the show, and dance your ass off.
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GAAH(N) Solo Show Tuesday Nite @ Cool Beans

November 20, 2007 at 2:56 am · Filed under Affairs, Denton Texas, Featured, Music, Shows

If you have yet to see the amazing, talented, and sexy sob that people call GAAH(N) you are missing out so bad. His solo show is like cream in your mouth. The best part is you can sit close enough, to get cream in your mouth.

From the Official GAAH(N) wire:

howdy there, stragglers…

GAAH(N) (Solo)
Tuesday, November 20
Cool Beans
1210 W. Hickory
Denton, TX
10pm-1am
21+/FREE

…because autumn’s coming on wednesday, and turkey on thursday…

mmm turkey,
gaah(n)

See you there.

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3 big shows this week…

October 22, 2007 at 5:22 pm · Filed under Music, Pop Substance, Shows

Support local music! Right now, write to your favorite band and tell them to play in Denton. See all three of these shows, and let the music forever stay in Denton. I mean, what the hell else are we going to do!

FATTY POINDEXTER Wednesday, October 24
Riprock’s 1211 W. Hickory Denton, TX
21+/FREE 10:30pm til last call

GAAH(N) (Solo Show) Friday, October 26
Boiler Room (Grand Opening) 101 W. Hickory Denton, TX
18+/FREE 10-11pm opening for The Blame

CONGRATULATIONS (w/The Logic) Saturday, October 27
Art Six 420 Bryan St. Denton, TX 18+/FREE $10 donation (free beer)
Costume Contest 9pm-1am (Congrats at 10pm, The Logic at 11:45pm)

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Black Mountain Hits Dan’s Silverleaf

October 18, 2007 at 3:48 pm · Filed under Featured, Music, Pop Substance, Shows

Tonight Black Mountain will be blessing Denton with a night of amazing music. It has been over two years since their last tour, so this is a big event, giving all their new fans a chance to finally see them.
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Fatty Poindexter Tonight at Riprocks

September 26, 2007 at 8:51 pm · Filed under Shows

If you are in Denton Texas, and want to party hard tonight with me and whoever I can get to come with me…then come to Riprocks, right now if you want to make it in time, and see Fatty Poindexter, get a few drinks, and come home with me and the crew for a hoppin after party.

It will be like it always is, fantastic and wonderful.

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Fatty Poindexter Breaks it Big

August 15, 2007 at 4:36 pm · Filed under Shows

With a brand new gig. Join the CricketSoda crew on that fabulous night and perhaps see your face in one of our videos. We will have cameras rolling, so expect great footage from the show. That is no excuse not to come out though, because you can’t drink on Cricketsoda. (yet)

Also check them out tonight!

wednesday, august 15
riprock’s…front patio
1211 w. hickory
denton, tx
10:something ’til last call
21 ‘n up/absolutely free

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Come to UR MOMS

July 20, 2007 at 2:35 pm · Filed under Denton Texas, Music, Shows

I have yet to go, but rumor has it they have three Stripper polls just waiting for the drunk college girls to use, and it is called UR MOMS. Plus, and this is the best part, this weekend Congratulations will be playing the Norml Summer Festival at UR MOMS. Gaah(n) said it best.
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