Pop Fest' 97

Pop Fest ‘97
Three days of pure listening satisfaction

by Mitchell L. Hillman, Jr.

pop (pop), n. [Of imitative origin] 1. A small, sharp explosive report. 2. A refreshing, often carbonated, beverage called soda in this stretch of the woods. 3. Categorical term which in the scheme of this article means a variety of music featuring: catchy hooks, a swinging rhythm, amusing lyricism and variations on some sort of wonderfully mesmerizing guitar line. Descended from a lineage of music that includes the Beatles, the Byrds, Big Star, Cheap Trick, Phil Spector, Badfinger, the Who, the Move, Buzzcocks, the Feelies, Husker Du, Jellyfish, Teenage Fanclub, Unrest, etc. See also: British Invasion, Power Pop, Mod, Paisley Underground, Indie Pop.

Zee’s Club House hosted a spectacular three night event last month entitled Pop Fest. Throughout the weekend the delicious sounds of indie pop, in as many styles as there were bands, resonated with affirmation from a delighted

Shazam

and loyal crowd. The festival which showcased an endless array of pop facets was organized by Vikki Walls and featured sixteen local and national bands.

The first annual Pop Fest seemed more like a gathering of friends and musicians seeking solace or sweet release in the effervescent flow of simple chord progressions than a weekend festival. Local musicians shared the smoky stage with national acts such as Wanderlust and Matt Keating, while fans got to munch on their flavorful cornucopia of aural confections. The atmosphere of summertime fun was in the air and the tunes were coupled with the widening grins of good times had by all.

The celebration began with the Polins and ended with the Jellybricks. Sandwiched between these two brilliant local acts was a weekend with high points, highlights and high notes that any true music lover could appreciate.

FRIDAY

Friday night’s show was a perfect high-energy beginning, propelling the crowd a little closer to the eternal groove. The Polins, never ones to disappoint, washed listeners in their textured nods using the styles and sounds that made post-modern BritPop so great. This reviewer admits a touch of shame for missing Mightyhead Friday night; word has it that they had some great tunes to twirl around. At least one person thought they were the best of the evening. However, later that evening Cherry Twister enlightened all. They were, perhaps, the purist pop sound around, approaching Unrest at their very best. They have my vote for the most infectious melodies of the weekend.

The Shazam hail from Nashville laid down heavy-handed pop with a furious fuzzbox fist. Like Cheap Trick on a distortion bender, The Shazam combine both talent and showmanship, which includes a fashion sense that revolves around 1976. Love distortion, love pop, love the Shazam. RCA recording artists Wanderlust and the D.C. band Dazyhaze finished out the first night of Pop Fest with a barrage of highlights that included Wanderlust’s tremendous rendition of the Who’s "Pinball Wizard."

SATURDAY

Saturday’s artists roared, rocked and rolled like a tidal wave from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. The night began with the extremely loud sounds of the Gefkens, a band from Hoboken, NJ. First, imagine the musical product of R.E.M., the Replacements and a Boeing 747 stuffed into a blender and set on puree—now imagine that sound covering Blondie’s, "One Way or Another."

After performing a short gig at Encore Books & Music, Alias recording artist

Matt Keating

And pop genius Matt Keating played an inspiring set of songs. Among these was "Emily," a song from Keating’s new album Killjoy.

It outshines anything I had ever heard by him before. Strangely enough, it vaguely reminded me of Creedence. Glad Hands, Big Deal recording artists from Chapel Hill, was up next with a set that ranged from brilliant head-bopping pop to 1970’s schmaltz.

Never letting up on either energy or endurance, Pop Fest wound down its second night with local favorites, Underground Cartoons, delivering one of their finest sets. Saturday’s final band was Splitsville, from Big Deal records, which powered through their set with songs such as "Here Come the Bastards." Also, Splitsville either unconsciously rewrote Mason William’s "Classical Gas" or simply revamped it with lyrics. Either way, Splitsville ended the evening on a perfect reverberating note.

SUNDAY

By the third night of Pop Fest the crowd had thinned, but the music certainly had not. Starting off with local songwriter and Big Deal recording artist Dan Kibler, there could not have been a better choice for opening the last night of this great event. Kibler’s melodic pop runs in the ethereal vein of the Church, the Chills, and others who subscribe to an ethic of deeply textured jangle rock.

Between two powerful bookends of local talent, three very different bands from across the country cranked out a chaotic wave of ringing rocking vibes filling in whatever empty spaces were left after such a talent-filled celebration.

Hutchinsons

The first of these was Cleveland’s Paranoid Lovesick, who presented high-octane power pop with Big Staresque harmonies. Recalling all that can be raw and rough in light of an unsinkable melody, Paranoid Lovesick’s rave-ups make the listener accept that they’ve got a fuzzbox and they are going to use it. The Hutchinsons, a power trio from Los Angeles with a lead singer who could pass for the ghost of Stiv Bators, brought a little bit of the West Coast to Zee’s. With songs like "Morbid Again," and "1-800-MESSIAH," the Hutchinsons exploded with a definitive L.A. sound. Hoarse, a power trio on RCA Records that contains former members of Paw and Sponge, finished the lineup of outside acts for the first annual Pop Fest. Unfortunately, their set was cut short, ironically because the lead singer was losing his voice. During the short time they played, however, there was enough edge to shave with.

Pop Fest came to an end with the Jellybricks—a band that embodies everything that power pop should be in an ideal world. Their music was so powerful that it forced me to stop drinking and start chewing gum. This is a band that roars on a level that must resonate through the pop heavens. The Jellybricks were an upbeat and appropriate end to both the evening and the entire Pop Fest. They were the icing on the cake, decorating it with a nearly flawless performance.

Who could really ask for much more than three days of blissful aural damage? This is exactly the kind of event that Harrisburg needs more of, more often. It is also the kind of event that makes one wonder why people so often complain that there is nothing to do in Central Pennsylvania. A geographical area is only

Hoarse

as cool as its population will let it be. Many people tend to overlook, or completely ignore, the truly great things that happen in this area. Truly this is a shame, because many wonderful, (and lately, experimental) events happen here throughout the year. The first annual Pop Fest was a great example of an unusual and brave concept that could and should be fantastically successful. Thanks to Vikki Walls, the bands involved, and all of the people who attended, Pop Fest ’97 splashed a dash of color and excitement across the mid-state, if only for a weekend.