There’s a soccer game coming to town tomorrow but there’s a dance party happening tonight! Blogger/promoter and DJ Matthew Altruda (from 107.1 FM) will be hosting a music festival in celebration of the International Champions Cup, a friendly association of soccer clubs (from England, Spain, Italy and Greece) playing matches on a tour around the country, essentially a preseason exhibition but a chance for us Yanks to see some international talent.
But soccer is a game of patience and that can wait until tomorrow (Manchester United and Real Madrid will play at Michigan Stadium, Saturday at 4pm). We’re here to rock, groove, shout, dance – all of the nowness that cannot be contained and can only be properly evoked by upstart neo-psychedelic folk-rockers Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers. Hertler leads his band for a headlining spot on Altruda’s outdoor Main Stage (around 10, between Main Street and Washington). Special guest DJs Ross Federman and Nick Ayers will supplement the between-band breakdown and set up with some tunes (and some of you might remember them from Tally Hall, a band near and dear to the Ann Arbor area throughout the 2000s).
But who else is on the bill?
Frontier Ruckus, for one. The Lansing/Detroit-based quintet made a name for themselves in Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor before becoming darlings of the NPR, Paste and Stereogum crowds. After last year’s 90-minute double album Eternity of Dimming, the Quite Scientific band thought they’d be going down the road-tripping-road of revved-up, riffy college rock, stoked with 3-4 minute jams scintillating with reverb and nostalgic/awkward/self-empowering poetic balladry. Well, that’s sort of where they’re headed with the latest single.
Listen: “Sad Modernity” by Frontier Ruckus
https://soundcloud.com/frontier-ruckus/sad-modernity-radio-edit
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Frontier Ruckus will deploy their synth-y rock to rouse the crowd just before The Rainbow Seekers take the stage.
Here’s the line up:
Main Stage (Main Street and Washington)
3pm – 11pm
The Euphorics
Chris Good Music
Bennett
The Fever Tongues
Max Frost
Flint Eastwood
Frontier Ruckus
Joe Hertler
w/s/g DJs Nick Ayers & Ross Federman of Tally Hall
Second Stage (Ashley and Liberty)
5:30pm – 11:30pm
Ross Federman
PAT in the HAT
Nightfall
Asher Perkins
DJ Holographic
While you’re here, this humble blogger would recommend sampling two other bands scheduled to perform. Just in time before I thought I was getting tired of the tight, vaulted riffs and bob-and-weave melodies of post-punk, Fever Tongues come along to reinvigorate me.
Listen: “Preachers/Politicians” by Fever Tongues
https://fevertongues.bandcamp.com/track/preachers-politicians-2
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If we still haven’t sold you on this International Champions Cup Street Festival yet – then…
A.) You could head over to Mr. Altruda’s site: https://treetownsound.com/ for further convincing
or
B.) You could listen to Detroit’s Flint Eastwood
Listen: “Secretary” by Flint Eastwood
https://flinteastwoodmusic.bandcamp.com/track/secretary-2
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Until next week…
Jeff covers music for Current, posting weekly show previews and highlighting new bands in the area.
