Molly Gene One Whoaman Band. She’s worth a listen based solely on that name, in my opinion. She really is a one woman band. And quite a force. Catch her at Lucy’s in McBaine starting at 10:30 AM on Saturday.

The Ben Miller Band played on the Jamboree last year and were responsible for the traffic jam at Rocheport. It was hot, broiling, but no one wanted to move on. They have an interesting collection of…items that make music. It has to be seen to be believed, and the Jamboree is the perfect event to get up close and check them out. They will be playing on the stage at Kemper, at 6 PM on Saturday.

JD Wilkes & the Dirt Daubers play two hours later at 8 PM.  This is the band guaranteed to get everyone, even exhausted cyclists, up and dancing.  GUARANTEED.

The line up for the show Saturday night at the campground features Pokey LaFarge.  I caught them at Mojo’s once and could not take my eyes off the harmonica player; that man is a character.  Read the interview with Pokey here.  Other bands playing Saturday night:  JD Wilkes & the Dirt Daubers, Man in the Ring, The Ben Miller Band, and the Flood Brothers.  Burn Circus will perform at Kemper after dark.  If you haven’t seen fire spinners spin in the dark yet, you are in for a treat.  The crowd was mesmerized last year.

Off Track Events adds more and more bands each year.  There are sixteen bands playing on Saturday and Sunday, and four more playing on the extended tour.  Extended tour?  Yep.  More than one person asked for an extra day, and their wishes were granted.  There will be more cycling on the trail, this time to Hartsburg for another night of camping and music.

Check out this post to get all your questions answered about the Jamboree.  Some new additions this year:  tokens, yoga, a mustache competition, and showers at Kemper until 10 PM.  I am especially excited about the last one.  Ticket prices will go up on May 11th, and there will be a registration cap this year.

On the ride last year, I took some time to make new friends and interview them in order to get some different perspectives on the weekend.  If you meet these people on this year’s ride, be sure to ask for autographs.

Tracy and her daughter Ella travelled from Lawrence, Kansas, to join the Jamboree. Tracy is a spin instructor and has raced before. They camped in their VW bus.

Who had more fun–you or your child? I had more fun in the moment. A few days later, my daughter said it was awesome!

Did Ella have any trouble dealing with the length of the ride or the heat? Yes, the length was tough for her. She only made it eighteen of the thirty miles. I am still proud of her. She had only gone three miles before this event.

What did you think of the music? I loved the music. I really enjoyed Dirtfoot and the HipNecks.

What is one moment that stood out for you? The crew was very nice. I went to this event the very first year they had it. It has come a long way. I like all the vendors and options. However, what stands out the most: The music never stopped! I heard bands playing at 4 AM!

Aside from water and sunscreen, what was the most important item that you had with you? My family and friends.

Jeff is from Rolla and joined his friend Vida for his very first Jamboree in 2012.  He bikes for fun and for transportation. He camped overnight at Kemper.

Was the Pedaler’s Jamboree everything you thought it would be?  It was a lot bigger than I expected.  I don’t mean big crowds, but more music opportunities and a bigger show production than I expected.

What made you decide to ride this year?  I really love live music, especially really rootsy or blues music, so I wanted to see bands like The Ben Miller Band and Carrie Nation and the Speakeasy.  Catching two performances of Dirtfoot was a real treat too.  That was the biggest reason I wanted to do the ride.

Aside from water and sunscreen, what was the most important item you had with you?  Other than a bike, I’m glad I brought some cash to buy beverages and the really great local food.

What was one moment that really stood out for you?  There was a cute little doggy that went right up on the stage when Dirtfoot started playing at Katfish Katy’s.  He hung out on stage for a good part of the show.  That and just so many bikes, whole herds of them at times.

Bob and his dog Raven are from Republic, Missouri.  Bob bicycles for fun and discovered the Jamboree through a Meet Up group out of Springfield, Missouri.  They spent the night camping at Kemper Park.

What made you decide to take your dog?  I take my dog almost everywhere.  I didn’t want her to be left home all weekend.

How did she travel?  She travels in the cart I pull behind my mountain bike, though she would much rather run beside me.  On Sunday she ran on a leash for short distances, and we took many water breaks in the shade.  She is approximately 65 lbs and cart is 35 lbs with about 20 lbs of PowerAde/water/snacks.

What did you think of the music?  We both enjoyed the music once we finally made it there!  We found our friends and enjoyed the music front row.  Raven was pretty tired after Sunday, and it took her a couple of days to recover to her normal energetic self.

What is one moment that stood out for you?  What stood out for me was that most of the bikers wondered if everything was OK while we were walking on the trail.  We were thankful to have no flats, though I had extra tubes and tools with.  A big thanks goes to the volunteers supplying the water point at Pearson’s silo.  It was well needed for a lot of bicyclists, though we were all set.

Aside from water and sunscreen, what was the most important item that you had with you?  The most important items were my Camelbak and my cell phone (to keep track of time).

And I give you the Numbnutz.

What is this Numbnutz group?  We are salty, sweaty, yet intoxicating.  We’re a group of fun-loving Midwesterners who enjoy music, belly laughs, and cold beer.  Oh, yeah, and cycling.  And the beer doesn’t have to be cold.

Where are you all from?  Most are from the St Louis metropolitan area, but we’ve corrupted…errrr…recruited team members from the Chicago area as well.

How would you describe your biking (serious/racer; for exercise; for transportation; for fun)?  We seriously ride from tavern to tavern for exercise and fun, in training for RAGBRAI, and always in search of the perfect blogger to kiss on the cheek.

Have you done the Jamboree before?  Yes!  This was our second year.  You can actually see a segment of our group rolling by in the opening shot of the video used to advertise this year’s Jamboree.

Is it more fun as a group?  Isn’t everything?

How would you describe the Jamboree?  A rolling mambo line of smiles, flamboyantly weaving its way to the next thirst-quenching oasis of sonic grooviness.

What did you think of the music this year?  We think “they” are doing a great job of plucking out quality bands that put out quality music.  Excellent music this year and last year.  Did you know that the Numbnutz happen to be Ha Ha Tonka’s biggest fans?  All because of the Pedaler’s Jamboree.

What would you add to the Pedaler’s Jamboree to make it better next year?  We plan on adding about another dozen Numbnutzes, if their parole officers will allow it. Ha Ha Tonka again would be sweet…but keep doing what you’re doing and we’ll be back.

Somebody has to ask the questions, even if they are silly:

Tickets are still available. $20 until Wednesday when they increase to $25.

Prettyman’s new album is clearly about heartbreak and recovery, but not in a whiny, Taylor Swift-y way. It’s raw, deep, and adult, and Prettyman’s unique voice carries every song effortlessly.  I did not have time to interview her, so I let Billboard do it.

Saturday, April 20th at Mojo’s.  $15.

The new COMO Logo

To be honest, this doesn’t bother me all that much. Yes, the aping of the CMYK color model and is a bit played out at this point and it does remind me of a mall, but it’s at least better and a bit more modern than that awful curly-cue logo we had before this re-brand. It’s a little clean, sterile even and corporate, but it will do.

The Slogan: What You Unexpect

You read that right. A city that features three colleges/universities has a made-up word for a slogan. Instead of going with something more conventional like, say, “Not What You Expect”, some genius took the city’s money and made up a word. Shakespeare would have been proud. Of course, the irony is not just limited to poor grammar representing such an educated community. There’s further irony in the fact that Columbia, Missouri is pretty much what you expect from a Midwestern college town. I know that there are people who hate this limiting image for COMO, but the fact is that this town lives and dies by the University of Missouri. The downtown – which is the cornerstone of this ad campaign – is typical Midwestern college town. Columbia is exactly what we expect. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to re-brand the re-branding. below. What do you think?

COMO

One thing the re-branders did get right is the use of “COMO” as the official abbreviation. Those of us on Twitter have been using the #COMO hashtag for years and have advocated for its official use by the city for nearly as long. The COMO brand should grow from here. It’s short, to the point, easily identifiable, provides a nicely squared logo… It’s perfect!

The Ad

To fully understand the ad, I would like to break down the narrative a bit for you before you watch the entire video.

A guy and girl sit in some unidentifiable cafe or coffee shop downtown as all theseunexpected things take place as they are wrapped up in their digital media, completely oblivious to all the great things going on in COMO. This encapsulates COMO’s identity crisis. We want to be known for something, anything, but no one thinks anything goes on here unless they’re really paying attention.

Also of note: What’s wrong with the dude? He appears to either be texting or playing some sort of video game while holding back an overwhelming urge to use the bathroom. Just in case you were wondering, there are plenty of clean toilets in Columbia which he could use. There’s no need for the facial contortions or wiggling about like a three-year-old just out of diapers.

A person in a gorilla suit makes a first appearance. Funny enough, this is a rather regular occurrence in this town. This is either due to a high rate of gorilla costumes per capita or somebody who works for the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau (the re-branders responsible for all of this) regularly wears a gorilla costume because that’s “his thing.” Either way, this won’t be the last time you’ll see a gorilla in the ad and we don’t even have a zoo.

That gorilla continues to hog the screen as a large dog in a pink tutu and some ballet dancers walk by. I realize that we are home to the Missouri Contemporary Ballet Company, but are we also known for dog ballet?

It’s nice to see the COMO Derby Dames get some screen time. However, instead of spinning by, why couldn’t they have body-checked the gorilla?

A dude walks by with a growler from Flat Branch and acknowledges someone rolling by with a barrel. A BARREL!?! Where does one score a barrel of beer in this town? I need some of that!

A lady with shopping bags passes under a canoe. Pretty typical. Tots expected.

A chef accepts some produce from a farmer (presumably from the old west) as a guy in a banana suit passes by. I get the chef/farmer thing. A lot of our restaurants get their food from local farmers and our farmer’s markets are vast in a town surrounded by nothing but meth fields and farmland. However, the banana suit has me puzzled. Is this part of the gorilla narrative?

A busker playing guitar wanders past as the gorilla seems to have stolen the roller skates off the Derby Dames and is speeding away.

For some reason, a guy on a unicycle waves to a group of kids as one child in a fedora strolls by. Totally unexpected.

One of the kids who practices jousting every Wednesday evening in Peace Park makes an appearance. This is only unexpected in that it happened on a Thursday.

A car drives through the spot. Did they unexpect this?

The girl finishes her phone call and the guy is suddenly calm, even relieved. Whatever was causing him to dance around like a fool has suddenly been allayed.

And there’s the logo again, but this time it is next to Missouri’s own fancy logo. The use of rainbow colors in each threatens Midwestern values with its gay agenda. Nice.

Now that I’ve broken it down for you, watch the ad in its entirety.

What do you think of COMO’s re-branding? Do you like the logo, slogan, and commercial? Was it worth the money they spent? (We assume this amount to be slightly higher than the $45k spent the last time around.) Would you change any of it? Did you unexpect it? Would it have been more efficient to just do a flash mob or some sort of Harlem Shuffle on the other side of the glass in the video? Have I asked too many questions? Do you even care?

Share your feelings on the COMO re-branding in the comments or on Twitter using the hashtag #WhatYouUnexpect.

While there was a show previous to its widely considered opening date, the first show I remember was an afternoon show in August 2008 with Times New Viking and local band Dirtmotor (featuring a very young Jamie Davis on guitar – now of Hott Lunch). While there had been some ups and downs in terms of shows, I was introduced to a number of local bands there ranging from HC punk (Gran Mal) to 80s influenced thrash metal (Battlement) to more experimental thngs (the 48 Hur Bandathon in November 2010). Also, there were a number of touring bands I first saw there from the hardcore meets noise of Minneapolis band Serenghetto, to the poppy punk of Big Fiction. While admittedly the space wasn’t perfect, over time it did feel like home to some degree.

Which leads to this weekend shows, which can be seen as both a sad and celebratory occasion. It’s sad in that a local space to see bands that might not get a chance anywhere else in Columbia will soon be gone. However, for a DIY space to last roughly four and a half years is a pretty damn good run. Lots of similar spaces both in Columbia and elsewhere has come and gone in less time than that. The No Cast lasted about a year (2006-2007). The legendary What’s This lasted three years (1986-1989). Lots of others came and went in a flash. With this in mind, the run of the Hairhole is something to be proud of.

Eventually another space or two may open on the DIY level for bands to play and rehearse. While I have heard rumors already, I’ll err on the side of caution and believe it when I learn of a show.

So, in roughly 48 hours, the Hairhole will be history and exist only in people’s memories. A wide range of emotions will emerge in the people involved, but inevitably I think, for all the pros and cons that such a place can have, those who helped keep things going should be proud of what got accomplished in a space like that, a shoestring budget, and some desire to see something happens.

As for what’s up ahead, that’s anybody’s guess.

There are new things in store for COMO’s own New Tongues. Featuring the Collective’s own Shane Johnson, New Tongues is a relatively new band of veteran rockers scorching the Middle-Missouri landscape with… Well, let me quote their promotional materials for an accurate account:

New Tongues are from Columbia Missouri, United States of America. Their debut record is called We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For. They have been a band for a little over a year.

We Are… consists of 8 songs, clocking in at 40 minutes and was recorded after playing only 4 live shows. It was recorded with Daniel Ruder (Jack Buck, etc.) at Webster University in St. Louis and was mastered at Saff Mastering. The album will be available in both vinyl and digital formats and is scheduled for a release date of March 23, 2013.

Drenched in reverb, propulsive rhythms, and a 90′s midwestern aesthetic, New Tongues pays homage to their noise and post-hardcore ancestors.

New Tongues are Justin Nardy (Bass, Vocals, etc.), Mike Quinn (Drums), and Shane Johnson (Guitar, Vocals, etc.)

I bring up New Tongues album release because news has leaked that the band received a shipment of rather fetching vinyl in paper packaging, ready for that March 23rd release. Of course, if you (like me) were one of the lucky pre-order-ers, your copies will be delivered once Shane scores some gas money.

For those who can’t wait for March 23rd, check out New Tongues at their Bandcamp site, Tumblr, or Facebook. As of now, the band has no plans to launch a MySpace page.

For those who can wait, March 23rd is the date for the record’s official release. Join New Tongues, Coward, and Dark Blue Dark Green at Mojo’s for what should be a loud, raucous occasion. I’ll be there, spinning records between bands, if you’re into that kind of thing.

Either way, you should find a way to support this and other local bands. Hairhole has recently announced its closing, making it harder for bands like New Tongues to practice or even store their equipment. If you haven’t yet supported local music in COMO, start now by buying We Are The Ones We Have Been Waiting For and coming out in March for their record release shindig.

A close up Big Bang Bug by Morli.

My painting is called Big Bang Bug. This is no ordinary painting, but Morli will have to explain it herself. I can’t do it justice. Another painting I found online has a similar story.

Morli recently moved to a new studio in the North Village Art Studios building and is holding a grand opening on Friday, February 1, 8 PM to 2 AM.  I am looking forward to seeing more of her work and, hopefully, getting an interview.  First Friday Love Fest will also be going on from 6 to 9 PM…two events well worth braving the cold.

Burrows was supposed to play but got either snowed in or iced in after their show in KC the night before, making this an all local band show.

Mercer and Johnson navigating the bittersweet

Mercer and Johnson opened the night off with a mix of original songs and covers of some roots/country (real country) favorites. Beginning with just mandolin and bass, their songs of life, love, and longing had a bittersweet tinge to them. A switch to acoustic guitar a little over halfway through the set shifted the aural textures but the vibe remained. A mix of storytelling and longing permeated their set by this road tested local duo. Readers who are into more grittier roots music and country will definitely want to check this act out.

Eddie and Craig of Big Medicine

Big Medicine came on shortly after for their first show in over a year. Taking advantage of the vibe, they unleashed a set of roots rock full of driving beats and a vibe that’s almost equally rooted in honky-tonk country as in blues or early rock’n'roll. While the set was slightly sloppy (very understandable given the down time they had) there was a lot of energy here that got the crowd who braved the storm to make it here. Driving drums and blazing guitars were in full effect here until the end. Good to see Big Medicine playing again.

After the show, the crowd hung out, paid their tabs, and made small talk in an attempt to avoid the inevitable venture into the winter storm situation outside Mojo’s. As we ventured into the inevitable snow and what that entailed, many of us had wondered what would be ahead. In the next week students would return to town and life would slowly veer back to business as usual. For now, it was winter weather and hoping things weren’t too bad tomorrow.