Nearfest

[jjmannford]

I went to NF last weekend basically just to see IQ (they were great as always). Enchant related....when I parked my car in the garage I saw two guys head banging in the car next to me. I was laughing to myself at first, but when I got out of my car, I heard the familiar Under Fire riff. I started talking to the guys, b/c to be honest most of the NF Lurps arent exactly the typical Enchant fans ('it doesnt have harpsichord solo in 25/16'), and they just bought Live at Last. They told me they were really digging it a lot. Later on, I bought some stuff from Laser's Edge, and I checked out the Enchant selection just for kicks. They had every CD except for Live at Last. I asked the LE guy why he did not LaL out, and he told me that they were sold out, and they brought a bunch of copies. Enchant's hot (in my best Paris Hilton imitation)

 

[mgirishfan]

I went to NF last weekend basically just to see IQ (they were great as always). Enchant related....when I parked my car in the garage I saw two guys head banging in the car next to me. I was laughing to myself at first, but when I got out of my car, I heard the familiar Under Fire riff. I started talking to the guys, b/c to be honest most of the NF Lurps arent exactly the typical Enchant fans ('it doesnt have harpsichord solo in 25/16'), and they just bought Live at Last. They told me they were really digging it a lot. Later on, I bought some stuff from Laser's Edge, and I checked out the Enchant selection just for kicks. They had every CD except for Live at Last. I asked the LE guy why he did not LaL out, and he told me that they were sold out, and they brought a bunch of copies. Enchant's hot (in my best Paris Hilton imitation)

So, Jim, what did you think? I didn't see you at all - we were there all weekend. Did you hang for anyone other than IQ or were you just there Saturday night?

I plan to post a more long-winded dissertation over at PE.com, but suffice it to say it was a good NEARFest overall. I LOVED Kenso - they totally rocked and they were the highlight of the weekend --- amazing talents! :Spin:

#2 was IQ - I have seen most of the IQ guys in other bands but I've never seen IQ per se - and I loved it! Their set was great and the new drummer really did a top notch job after he got over a few 'willies' at the top of the set. I do hope Jowitt is feeling better, though....that was a painful set for him, literally....OUCH!

#3 for me was Knight Area - I thought they were just great, and I don't care how many times the singer changed his shirt!!! :hotjump: We got their CD a while back from Ken at LE and I thoroughly enjoyed their set.

#4 was Matthew Parmenter. I didn't know anything about him either (I didn't know anything about Kenso except they were Japanese) and he was fantastic - and very funny to boot. I could have listened to him all afternoon.

#5 for me was Proto-Kaw -- I thought Kerry and co did a great job! I really enjoyed thier music and we bought their CD the next day.

After that, I didn't really care for anyone else. I guess I would have to say the remaining order would be:

6 - The Muffins
7 - Steve Roach
8 - The Present

We didn't see PFM on Friday or Le Orme on Sunday as neither of us like Italian Prog. As a friend of mine said over the weekend, it is 'an acquired taste' - and evidently I haven't acquired it yet - and probably won't, ever.

For the record, I really abhored The Present. Noise Noise Noise. The drummer was a wild man and was mildly entertaining, but no way could he hold up this band for me. We left after four grating pieces, and would have left after the third had I gotten my camera packed up earlier. The funnier dude, though, was the cat sitting in the middle of the third row who CLIMBED OVER two rows of seats to 'escape' after the 4th song as well. Good on ya, dude!

The Muffins did a jazz set, which would have been fine at a jazz festival, but felt terribly out of place at a prog fest. We knew we were in trouble when the lights came up and there was not a single guitar in sight, but there were, as Dave humorously pointed out, enought wind instruments to fill a marching band. It was rather comical, but it didn't work for me.

Steve Roach did a mercifully short set - only about half an hour, and that was about all I could take. Keyboards, but all experimental sounds and stuff, not any real songs - all with a screen show that started with shots of the desert/red rocks/canyons but then morphed into just weird graphic images - the kind of stuff you see on a Windows screen saver. Not for me.

I wore my Enchant DVD Oakland shirt on Friday and got nary a glance. We did run into the dude that sits next to us at ROSFest, which was pretty funny, though!

I still like NEARFest though - usually Ilike half of the bands, and it is fun to 'torture' the progsnobs by saying how much I like Iron Maiden and wearing an Edguy shirt, LOL!

It was fun to catch up with Rob Aubrey too - IO sound guy extraordinaire!!

Cheers!!!

 

[ebass]

Jimmy, great story man thanks for sharing that one with us. Love it! Sorry you had to endure the amazingly judgemental clueless progsnob lurps. I would have loved to have seen the reaction last year when Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Planet X blew a wall of sound at them. That had to be good. But too each him own Mellotron and Harpsichord right?

Hey Ken Golden from LE is a cool guy, I spoke with him a while ago when I ordered some great stuff from him. He said we were one of his biggest sellers if not the biggest. He has some great stuff.

I went to NF last weekend basically just to see IQ (they were great as always). Enchant related....when I parked my car in the garage I saw two guys head banging in the car next to me. I was laughing to myself at first, but when I got out of my car, I heard the familiar Under Fire riff. I started talking to the guys, b/c to be honest most of the NF Lurps arent exactly the typical Enchant fans ('it doesnt have harpsichord solo in 25/16'), and they just bought Live at Last. They told me they were really digging it a lot. Later on, I bought some stuff from Laser's Edge, and I checked out the Enchant selection just for kicks. They had every CD except for Live at Last. I asked the LE guy why he did not LaL out, and he told me that they were sold out, and they brought a bunch of copies. Enchant's hot (in my best Paris Hilton imitation)

 

[ebass]

Mare

Thanks for the detailed update and sharing your thought s with us. Very Cool.

Hmmmmmmm What on earth happened during IQ,s set? I hope no one was injured what did they do

Never heard of Kenso I will have to check tham out. It is amazing how Jeckell and Hyde this festival is, there are great bands and total CR@#pola. How does one aquire a taste far that ?? luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurps.

Too bad Riverside could not be there, they would have been the highlight for sure.

Oh yes by the way, IO our label just sighned them and thats a big deal! along with Kings X!

Inside Out rules!

PS Rob Aubrey is the man! and you are too cool for sporting our shirt! and subjecting the lurps to Maiden!

You Rock

So, Jim, what did you think? I didn't see you at all - we were there all weekend. Did you hang for anyone other than IQ or were you just there Saturday night?

I plan to post a more long-winded dissertation over at PE.com, but suffice it to say it was a good NEARFest overall. I LOVED Kenso - they totally rocked and they were the highlight of the weekend --- amazing talents! :Spin:

#2 was IQ - I have seen most of the IQ guys in other bands but I've never seen IQ per se - and I loved it! Their set was great and the new drummer really did a top notch job after he got over a few 'willies' at the top of the set. I do hope Jowitt is feeling better, though....that was a painful set for him, literally....OUCH!

#3 for me was Knight Area - I thought they were just great, and I don't care how many times the singer changed his shirt!!! :hotjump: We got their CD a while back from Ken at LE and I thoroughly enjoyed their set.

#4 was Matthew Parmenter. I didn't know anything about him either (I didn't know anything about Kenso except they were Japanese) and he was fantastic - and very funny to boot. I could have listened to him all afternoon.

#5 for me was Proto-Kaw -- I thought Kerry and co did a great job! I really enjoyed thier music and we bought their CD the next day.

After that, I didn't really care for anyone else. I guess I would have to say the remaining order would be:

6 - The Muffins
7 - Steve Roach
8 - The Present

We didn't see PFM on Friday or Le Orme on Sunday as neither of us like Italian Prog. As a friend of mine said over the weekend, it is 'an acquired taste' - and evidently I haven't acquired it yet - and probably won't, ever.

For the record, I really abhored The Present. Noise Noise Noise. The drummer was a wild man and was mildly entertaining, but no way could he hold up this band for me. We left after four grating pieces, and would have left after the third had I gotten my camera packed up earlier. The funnier dude, though, was the cat sitting in the middle of the third row who CLIMBED OVER two rows of seats to 'escape' after the 4th song as well. Good on ya, dude!

The Muffins did a jazz set, which would have been fine at a jazz festival, but felt terribly out of place at a prog fest. We knew we were in trouble when the lights came up and there was not a single guitar in sight, but there were, as Dave humorously pointed out, enought wind instruments to fill a marching band. It was rather comical, but it didn't work for me.

Steve Roach did a mercifully short set - only about half an hour, and that was about all I could take. Keyboards, but all experimental sounds and stuff, not any real songs - all with a screen show that started with shots of the desert/red rocks/canyons but then morphed into just weird graphic images - the kind of stuff you see on a Windows screen saver. Not for me.

I wore my Enchant DVD Oakland shirt on Friday and got nary a glance. We did run into the dude that sits next to us at ROSFest, which was pretty funny, though!

I still like NEARFest though - usually Ilike half of the bands, and it is fun to 'torture' the progsnobs by saying how much I like Iron Maiden and wearing an Edguy shirt, LOL!

It was fun to catch up with Rob Aubrey too - IO sound guy extraordinaire!!

Cheers!!!

 

[ProgMetalFan]

That's great that IO signed Riverside... their album is already one of my all-time favorites.

 

[The Stormbringer]

I would have loved to have seen the reaction last year when Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and Planet X blew a wall of sound at them.

I like whacky music as much as everyone else (probably a lot more, actually ), but Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is some of the most craptastic stuff I've ever heard. Much like Planet X.

 

[yyzmoose]

Planet X and Sleepytime Gorilla Museum mentioned in the same sentence? They both play music, the only similarity. That would be like mentioning Jessica Alba and Hillary Clinton in the same breath.

 

[yyzmoose]

I was at Nearfest just like every year. Maybe one of the best ones yet. I'm far from a prog-snob, but I happen to LOVE italian prog. PFM is one of the all-time great prog bands, right up there with Yes, Genesis and ELP, IMHO. Knight Area did nothing for me. Hated the vocals, and the second keyboardist hardly did a thing. I usually like Laser's Edge bands, but not them. IQ surprised me, as I don't like them much. Peter Nichols was off key a lot, not that being on key would help much. But the guitarist was fantastic, and the new drummer a vast improvement over the old one. Strong set.
Kenso is not a guy, its the band name. They blew the roof off with one of the most amazing performances I have ever witnessed. Every player was out of his mind, they were so good. Its symphonic fusion, meaning fusion that is heavy on the keys (still a lot of guitar too) and more structured. But they play it agressive and fast. Very intense stuff.
Proto-Kaw? Nice, tight band, very surprising show. If you like Kansas, they are certainly worth checking out. But they have a different take, thanks to the sax player.
Steve Roach? Very cool. I imagine being familiar with this type of music helps. I love that kind of thing, having been a longtime Tangerine Dream fan.
Present? One the most awful sounding bands I have ever heard. Hated them. Good players, just dreadful music.
Muffins? Very good jazz, of the experimental variety, but still quite melodic. Who says all bands need a guitarist? Besides, their bass player made all kinds of wild sounds.

 

[mpj1]

My favorite bands at this year's NEARFest were Kenso, Knight Area, and Present.
Good stuff. My favorite thing about NEARFest is discovering bands I've never heard of (or simply never heard). So much music, so little time...

Anyway, I saw Enchant at NF 2002. I was really looking forward to seeing them, and they certainly didn't disappoint. I was disappointed, however, by the lukewarm (IMO) reception they got. The set was nothing short of fantastic, and yet, there was more polite applause than I expected. Ah well, to each his own.

Guys, any plans for an east coast tour any time in the near future? [EDIT: ignore this question... just read your update, Ed). ] 3 years since my last live Enchant experience is far too long.

One more thing... I see Doug wearing a Blink of an Eye shirt in the SPC ball park photo, but I've yet to see any recent Enchant merchandise for sale anywhere (I was very disappointed there was none at NF 2002 ). What's the scoop?

Cheers,
-Matt

 

[mpj1]

I was surprised to see no answers to my last question above, so I'm bumping this... Does anyone know where I can find recent Enchant merchandise via mail-order (preferably the web)?

Thanks in advance.

-Matt

 

[ebass]

Hey Matt

Thanks much for the compliments and support from NF 2002. That was a really tough gig, and everything that could have went wrong did that trip. I think a lot of the really clueless and judgemental snob types were and still are negative towards us after that. I still see coments posted on boards from time to time. I have to believe they are in the minority though.

We did get to see so many great people back there and all in all it was fine because of great support from the people who matter, the real ones who understnad where we come from. The heart and soul not the other stuff.

Sorry I have not been able to get in here and answer this one yet, Hey we do have a bunch of merch in Europe still. We are trying to figure out how to get it over here and get set up for sales through the site. Both Doug and Myself are waiting on word from our friends at Inside Out about the best way to do this? We were not able to get all the hear back over with us on the return flight from Europe. We have been needing to get the Merch section update for some time now. We are trying to get it set up though ASAP.

You did see a Blink shirt on Doug at game. That is one of my favorites.
We also have a Tug, the Live at Last DVD @imusicast and now the European Live at Last Tour shirt as well. We need to get all of these avaliable on the site. We had ladies tanks also they are really nice from the Live at Last show but sold them all. We have newer stickers with the same logis, each disc represented, and the most recent tour provided some really nice posters used for PR that rocked! I tried to bring a bunch back with me on the plane but just did not have enough room. I think we might have those as well in Germany?

Hey also none of our merch arrived at NF 2002, it all ended up in Nashville or Memphis on accident. We lost a bunch of money in sales because of that. It was kind of a an all around nightmare trip. It would be nice to go back again someday and be able to do it with the full working band that has actually been totagther a few years as well.

We hope to get back east next year as now we have to book out a bit. ROSfest could be really helpful in enabling that to happen. We are still hopeful to make the trip next year.

Thanks again Matt

I was surprised to see no answers to my last question above, so I'm bumping this... Does anyone know where I can find recent Enchant merchandise via mail-order (preferably the web)?

Thanks in advance.

-Matt