Jacki Becker founded Eleven Productions a decade ago, and in that time has brought us some of Lawrence and KC’s most memorable shows. The Arcade Fire stopped at the Jackpot just after the release of
Funeral, and Sufjan Stevens hit the Bottleneck on the release of
Illinoise. We’ve also seen Of Montreal, Deerhoof, and the Dismemberment Plan, just to name a few. Perhaps a handful of these acts would have come here anyway, but without Eleven Productions, certainly we wouldn’t have gotten it all. People probably should be throwing a party for her. Instead, on Friday, she threw a local music-centered festival for us.
I started the night off at the Jackpot (sorta selfishly, it was early and they were also showing the KU basketball game) and first up was Kansas City’s
Runaway Sons. Initially there were more photographers than there were people in the audience, but soon enough the rowdy, spitty, solo-heavy punks earned a healthy crowd. I’m not sure how I feel about spitting water all over the crowd, but I guess it looks kind of tough. Tougher would be if it were done with beer. Or for maximum toughness, whiskey.
Ponyboy is a distorted bass-and-drum combo whose music has recently been featured in Buck Angel’s new porno, “Sexing the Transman." Allllright. All I can say is that their take on Peaches’ “Fuck the Pain Away” was the greatest cover I’ve heard in a long time.
Thunder Eagle (or whatever they happen to call themselves on any particular night) was a sight for townie eyes. Isaac Diehl (formerly of Archetype) and Dalin Horner (Black Christmas, Santo Gold) are an unlikely pair, based on their past endeavors. Rather than rapping, Diehl is singing, and Horner was, as always, unmatchable on guitar.
Maps for Travelers is a local supergroup in its own right, featuring members of Flee the Seen and Pixel Panda. The vocals have a hint of Steve Bays from Hot Hot Heat, and the band’s energy was similarly high, with smart bass lines and tight drumming.
Back at the Jackpot, the energy exploded onstage with the
University. The metal band had just finished a set over at Love Garden, which made the Oklahoma City transplants’ loud, headbanging efforts all the more impressive. The linear, long solos and the sludgy denseness definitely pleased the crowd, which had swelled greatly. The overflow out onto the sidewalk continued throughout the night.
I walked down to the Taproom, hoping to lighten it up with Suzannah Johannes, who apparently had switched set times with Minden to accommodate a band member’s schedule. Missing Suzannah’s set was disappointing, but Minden’s lovely atmospherics, especially when played under the moody, red lights of the Taproom’s basement, proved to be the much-needed cool-down.
Back over at the Replay, it was time for Drop a Grand, the rare Steve Tulipana band which doesn’t involve the recently departed Billy Smith. During the masked/costumed punk duo’s set, I ran into Jacki Becker, who thankfully seemed to be enjoying the night’s success. “I think Lawrence deserves something like this,” she said, grinning big.
Before calling it a night, I decided to close it out across the street with a song from Spirit of the Stairs (sets at the Jackpot were on time all night … quite unusual). The band’s gorgeous, double-drums instrumentals were a sweet way to cap a six-hour walking tour of local acts. And I didn’t even see the half of it.
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