Earlier this week, Riverfront Times music editor Annie Zaleski, saw the Roman Numerals play a new club in St. Louis. Here's her report:
Us St. Louis residents had the pleasure of seeing ex-Get Up Kid Ryan Pope’s debut appearance as the drummer of Roman Numerals on Tuesday night. The band was kind enough to grace us with its presence at the town’s newest club, the Bluebird. (Take note, KC bands: The venue is looking to book good, quality acts there. Get more info at the MySpace page or at this bloglink.)
What struck me first during the performance – besides the fact that Pope is a dead-ringer for Ben Folds -- was how happy the Nooms looked. Not that they usually look or act particularly dour, but a looser, light-hearted atmosphere permeated the set, moreso than any of the multiple times I’ve seen them. The band’s music also seemed much more flexible – both in scope and arrangement-wise -- with Pope behind the kit.
More specifically, the spacey songs felt spacier, the rock-centric songs felt more, uh, rocking – and the band seemed to vacillate between styles with more ease than ever before. Which makes sense: Later Get Up Kids music – I’m specifically thinking about the quasi-shoegazing “Sick in Her Skin,” my favorite song from The Guilt Show – deviated and dovetailed from the hyperactive emo-pop of its early years; Pope can handle various genres quite well.
Granted, a few of the songs were a bit slower; “Msr. Control” in particular, perhaps owing to first-gig kinks. And also unsurprisingly, “The Rule of V” was by far the best song of the set, perhaps because the Captivity gem is closest to the compact rock Pope bashed out for years with GUK. But “Induce” was much more ferocious, if not Afghan Whigs-like; and “Can We Trust Your Architect?” was reliably peppy.
Billy Smith told me after the show that the band is planning on releasing a remix album – correct me if this is old news, or if I misinterpreted – on a sort of USB flashdrive, a.k.a. the type of device NIN’s Trent Reznor used to leak songs from Year Zero in a Portuguese bathroom. And then write new Nooms songs. I for one can’t wait.
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"hostile wankery"?
That hostile wankery seems to have stimulated more dialogue about your blog and Kansas City's music scene than your writing about middle of the road, often times dated acts like, hmmm, lets see, Travis, Jimmy Eat World, Lucinda Williams, and REO Speedwagon.
Is it hard for the music critics to swallow criticism? I find it fascinating how many people seem to agree with said "hostile wankery". I didn't "flip out" about your boring coverage, I called it what it is...boring. Every boring story is taking up real estate that could be used for illuminating people about music they haven't yet heard (local or otherwise). Does Roman Numeral's "momentum" warrant a boring story? That's not up to me. As long as there's an open forum to discuss these articles though, Jason Harper needs to grow some thicker skin, and realize that "hostile wankery" might be a more interesting (not to mention stimulating) read than banal articles about bands that make boring music.
I really appreciate all the comments and suggestions and insight, except for the hostile wankery. That's not cool.
In striving for as much blog content as possible we do end up posting multiple entries about the same band, especially when that band has a lot of momentum. For this post, a writer in St. Louis had the chance to see a relevant Kansas City band play with its new drummer (from a late, relevant local band) at a brand new venue in St. Louis that touring KC bands might be interested in knowing about. But since we posted a couple of entries on that band already this month, people flip out.
At the same time, yes, absolutely -- we're always looking for good new bands. I just finished editing a music section that includes these local bands, some of which you've heard of from years ago, some of which you haven't: Red Line Chemistry, the ACB's, Roanoke, the Elders, the Pomonas and a DJ named Murderbot. By extension, a lot of other local bands are getting some coverage because they're playing shows this week with the featured bands.
The idea that we're friends with the musicians we choose to write about is hilarious. We have no friends. This is a job, people. I feel good about supporting a scene that I believe in -- a scene whose human component, by the way, like that of most music scenes, comprises mostly a bunch of vain, immature ingrates. Where's my card and cupcakes, goddamit!?
the first time i read a comment/letter that accused the pitch writers of giving too much love to roman numerals, architects, life and times or whomever...it kind of stuck with me that, "hey maybe these bands do get an inordinate amount of coverage in the pitch".
But now several months later, there just seems to be an angry clique of people watching and waiting for the next news item to drop about one of the aforementioned bands so that they can throw some shit at the pitch again.
Consider the following:
1. it's a blog. just a fucking blog.
2. bands pissed about not getting the coverage that thier talent entitles them to can always try letting writers know where and when they are playing...you know like generating interest? I suspect few of the slighted parties have bothered.
3. your shit might just be fucking corny.
4. no one who is "in the scene" was born into it. They all worked hard to get shows, meet people, make friends, make fans, etc.
5. the pitch an new times inc are probably part of a huge conspiracy to keep your friends from ever getting famous enough to have a tour bus for you to ride in.
I don't see what is soooo hostile about any of these post on here at all. Music is subject and people are entitled to their own opinion, they're also entitled to speak and document their opinions.
Also, I think the point was missed, at least concerning my previous post.
I think Chronic had the right idea of what I was getting at by suggesting some new bands� As a matter of fact Chronic turned me onto �Five Star Crush� who I dig the shit out of� thus expanding my point even more. It�s not so much that I don�t like the Roman Numerals, It�s more about the fact that I don�t like the PITCH writers (meaning more than one) bias towards bands like Roman Numerals and Life and Times� it�s usually obvious that the writers are probably connected to these guys through a circle of friends, and judging by the people that took offense to the post I think I�m probably right.
I don�t think I�ve ever heard a single write up on a band like �Five Star Crush� (feel free to post link if I�m incorrect)� who in my opinion deserve the credit, but get tossed to the wayside for yet another ROMAN NUMERALS, SHINER, LIFE AND TIMES article. It�s the same damn guys all over again, all switched around yet again into another musical concoction� although I will say that the more I listen to this Roman Numerals the more I like it, the more it really grows on me.
I can only speak for myself and when I said �dig deeper� I should have said �expand your horizons a bit�� I think anyone who is sane understand what I am getting at. I�m tired of watching friends scratch each others backs, I want some good legit shit I�ve never heard of before turned onto me� something fresh, exciting� Shit do a write up of Five Star Crush and some of the other upcoming bands. I really appreciate it when you go off on bands like namelessnumberheadmen and stuff like that! Stuff that is more obscure and not always in our face.
Wow.
You want us to dig deeper, KC? Roman Numerals are a pretty compelling reason for us to do that. I could give a fuck whether or not they (or any other band) are media darlings because, being from St. Louis, I don't read the Pitch, and the same goes for your scene cred, simply because it's not my scene. Life and Times are another example; they're awesome, but I wouldn't know anything about them if they didn't play here. Seeing bands of that caliber from your town makes me a lot more likely to check out the rest.
Here's a simple illustration: when Roman Numerals played, I went to buy a copy of Oxblood Records' First Blood compilation from Shawn Sherrill to get the Numes track, and all he had to say were great things about the other bands on the comp, many of whom are magnificent. You guys ought to appreciate the fact that whether or not KC is proud of them, they're proud of KC, and out there spreading the word.
If bands in Kansas City or anywhere else are sitting around waiting for the local press to notice them before they get on the road and hit other markets, they're missing the point- and the point of the links to the club in the original post. Send us your best and brightest, we'll take 'em.
Thanks, Chronic, for providing a voice of reason. You too, Annie, for the original post and for taking time to respond to the amazingly rude and hostile feedback.
Everyone whose posted here needs to graduate from High School. Or hurry up and drop out.
Wow... some harsh comments here.
While I'm not a big Roman Numerals fan myself, they're definitely one of KC's great bands, and it is newsworthy (definitely at least blogworthy) when they play their first show with a new drummer... even more-so when the new drummer is Ryan Pope. (so get off the author's ass)
I do have to agree with the comment about digging deeper though. There's a lot more to the KC music scene than the self-described "cool kids" in The Crossroads or at The Record Bar.
You want some bands to check out?
Select 5 (been around for less than a year I think... will give the last of the v8s a run for their money in your best live act category next year)
Adamant Eve (diverse mix, heavy on the 90s grunge feel with some juvenile punk rock mixed in)
Shudder (a kc band that's been around for like a decade... diverse sound that embraces everything from folk to hard rock... great energy, and Dustin's lyrics are awesome!)
Rockesh (best high school band I've ever heard.. I think the front-man will be a Senior this year)
Five Star Crush (have played with all the local big acts and are even in the "cool kids" clique but haven't gotten attention from the pitch in spite of winning popfreeradio.com's temple of new and being the featured artist on the Buzz's homegrown buzz liners)
Then there are a metric fuckton of underground hip-hop artists in KC who get no love.
...maybe if more local bands got some attention from the local press they too could go play STL and other cities. Not to take away from The Roman Numerals, The Life and Times or The Architects (my personal favorite local band) because they're all definitely GREAT artists and deserving of any coverage they get, but it would be really rad if some of the other local talent that's "not cool enough" to play the scenester bars got some coverage too.
Hilarious. You guys should post your favorite local bands so we can see what you dig. Double dog dare your fuggin' asses. I don't love but I don't hate either.
say what you will about roman numerals, but they're one of the few KC/lawrence-area bands -- along with the life and times, appleseed cast, and (to a lesser extent) architects and in the pines -- that actually play st. louis. i'd be happy to dig deeper and report for jason on other KC bands here -- but i can't do that unless bands hop on I-70 and come on over. we have 6 or 7 new venues opening up -- including this one -- and i thought perhaps people in other cities would care, so maybe they could send their good, solid bands our way. and, you know, spread KC pride and the talent of the scene beyond the city limits.
perhaps i was wrong.
I also have to agree! Sure these guys have the cred of being around the scene for years, but I am getting a little tired of all the rehashed bands in KC. Keep digging....
I agree with this users comment, although I'm less harsh. These guys have been a part of the KC music scene for a long time and most will jump the bandwagon for that reason alone. To any fan who has followed these guys over the years, this is exciting new shit for you. BUT, for those outside KC, they are nothing more than a mediocre band. No one cares that Ryan Pope is playing drums, nor do most people pass him off as a drum god the way we do here in the Midwest (where Ryan is one of the people who actually did something so we�re all proud of him). The Numerals are a decent band, but I refuse to jump that bandwagon as if they are a gracing presence of rock gods, their music doesn�t really back it up. Sorry. I agree, Dig Deeper.
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