We Know COMO
Well, complete might be a strong word, but here are some thoughts on the logo, slogan, use of COMO, and – of course – that commercial. All of which were officially released unleashed this week. After COMO’s last re-branding fiasco several years ago, it’s what we’ve come to unexpect… er… or should it be expect? I don’t know. Here’s the semi-complete breakdown promised.
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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.
The few times that I have had the opportunity to speak with an artist about her work while gazing at it, I have come away tremendously enriched. That was the case when I met with Morli Wilcox to learn about one of her paintings that I found hanging in the hallway of the catacombs. (I snatched it up before anyone else could see it.)
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.
A box of Russell Stover for V-Day? Come on, you can do better than that. Instead splurge on two tickets to the Chocolate Wine Trail in Hermann. You and your honey will spend the third weekend of February sampling luscious chocolate and wine pairings at seven stops along the beautiful Hermann Wine Trail.
The tasting menu at the 2013 Chocolate Wine Trail, February 16 and 17, will feature:
• Adam Puchta Winery — Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcake, paired with the newly released Cat’s Meow
• Bias Winery — Chocolate-Dipped Strawberry Surprise, paired with Strawberry Weisser Flieder
• Dierberg Star Lane Tasting Room — Blueberries in a Black Pepper Chocolate-Syrah Syrup, paired with Three Saints Syrah
• Hermannhof Winery — Chocolate Truffle Torte with Norton-Blackberry Ganache, paired with Norton
• OakGlenn Winery — Cincinnati Chili, paired with Chardonel
• Röbller Winery — Chocolate Whoopie Pie, paired with Villa Rouge
• Stone Hill Winery — White Chocolate Popcorn with Raspberry Drizzle, paired with Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine
The $30 per person ticket price includes a souvenir wine glass. Participants also may enter a drawing for a $30 gift certificate from each winery and a night’s stay at a Hermann B&B. Wine Trail tickets may be purchased online at Visit Hermann or from the Hermann Welcome Center, 800-932-8687. Advance purchase is required. (A word to the wise—tickets usually sell out early for this popular event.)
Information about the Hermann Wine Trail is available at Hermann Wine Trail.
The Chocolate Wine Trail is one of five annual events hosted by the Hermann Wine Trail, which hugs the Missouri River for 20 scenic miles between Hermann and New Haven.
Thinking ahead? Bacon will be the theme of this year’s Wild Card Wine Trail the first weekend of May; Berries & BBQ Wine Trail during the last full weekend of July celebrates the flavors of summer; and the Holiday Fare Wine Trail is the third weekend of November for a festive start to the holiday season. Say Cheese Wine Trail rounds out the year during the second weekend of December which is the same weekend as Hermann’s popular Kristkindl Markt.
Columbia Farmers Market will be open on Saturdays from 9 AM to 12 PM at its winter location at Parkade Center through March 30. I had a chance to visit a few weeks ago and loaded up on eggs, veggies and beef. And pumpkin seeds. It feels odd to me to go market shopping without the sun on my back and the wind in my hair, but I’m delighted to be able to get my fresh farm goods during the winter months.
On Saturday, we happened upon Miniature World, created by Patti Doyle and set up for a very short time in the basement of the Stephens College Assembly Hall. It is a perfect place to spend an hour with children, gazing into the miniature worlds of cavemen, knights, pilgrims, cowboys, miners, construction workers, farmers and more…and then traveling the world to see such sights as the pyramids, the Great Wall of China, the Rhine River and Stonehenge.
The Terracotta Army in China.
The scale varies: This free exhibit is more about fun than about accuracy. One of the added bonuses is being able to take the roofs off several buildings to see what is going on inside. The exhibit will be open for the last time this year on Wednesday, December 19th, from 1 to 5 PM. Ms Doyle, a delightful and entertaining hostess, will be on hand to answer questions and explain her creations.
The circus!
There is a horse show going on in this building, complete with organ music.
Stephens College Assembly Hall (sometimes called the Dorsey Street Auditorium or gym) is on Dorsey Street, south of Broadway. Walk down a short flight of steps in the center of the north side of the building and look for the Miniature World sign on the door.
I attended the opening reception of the latest show at the Perlow-Stevens Gallery with the intention of finding one exhibiting artist to highlight and interview. It immediately became obvious that I would not be able to choose just one. The current show is so varied–so abundant–that I have to share it all.*
I became intrigued with Ginny Herzog‘s architectural paintings months ago when I discovered two small pieces at the gallery. Her work is unusual: She uses oil and cold wax (a very interesting process that is new to me), piecing together diverse architectural elements into a new form. One of the unique aspects of her works is that they can be hung more than one way; there is no “right” perspective on most of them.
Kate Gray’s Bella Blue Unknown.
Kate Gray‘s watercolors show phenomenal talent. Rays of light break through here…shadows fall across there. These are gorgeous paintings, all inspired by a visit to Italy where the artist spent her days reconnecting to beauty and life. Each painting in this series (Bella Connections) is paired with a poem written by Gray. The poems give the works an added depth, allowing the viewer to dive deeper into the artist’s experience of rediscovering beauty (bella). Many will walk away inspired to do the same.
I usually find myself walking by ceramics after a quick look, but Dawson Morgan‘s pieces made me pause. It wasn’t color that stopped me; it was shape. The wispy edges, the folds, the curves, the draping…it feels organic and sensual at the same time. I was transported to other places while gazing at her work: an autumnal forest with dry and crispy leaves, a dress maker’s studio with yards of silk piled all over, a shallow stream with water gently moving around stones.
Joel Sager’s Rural Structure VI
Joel Sager is a prolific local artist, so chances are pretty good that you’ve already seen some of his work. I find it fascinating that he uses roofing tar in his paintings; there can’t be many artists out there doing that. His series of barn paintings elicits adjectives that aren’t usually used for depictions of the American countryside: deep, gloomy, hopeful, dreamy, intense. I feel like he’s showing me a world that isn’t our own, and I am eager to jump in and explore.
The exhibit (which runs through December) also includes work that isn’t covered here, including a thought-provoking series on books in art (art in books…art as books…book art…), with intallation pieces and items to handle and even take home. Ask the staff to explain these works; I got so much more out of it after I took a few minutes to ask questions.
*Note: I am not a photographer. Everything looks much better in person; you’ll have to see it for yourself.
It’s that time of year: the time for ugly sweater parties, ugly sweater dances, and even ugly sweater hikes. I’m all set with my new BowWowBeauty, modeled by Kate C. below. What’s on the back of my doggie sweater? The dogs’ rear ends poking out of little dog houses.
Locally, you can find a sweater at any of the thrift stores. Mine came from Leo’s Old Clothes, where I rooted through an awesome collection until I found the clear winner. Maude’s Vintage currently has a collection of dozens. The local options are far superior to the online options that I have viewed, so try the local stores first.
Kate D. modeling the MittenPocketStunner from the Walnut Street Salvation Army shop.
Bottom photo courtesy of Jonathan Asher Photography.
Cloud Dog in The Dome
Like any college town, Columbia is home to many music venues offering a wide array of cheap entertainment. Aside from the regulars (Blue Note, Mojo’s, Roxy’s Eastside, The Bridge, etc.), there are a few DIY venues featuring another side of the scene not often seen or heard by the masses. Most of these venues are living rooms just north or east of campus. Another is the hairhole, which we’ve told you about in the past. A newer-ish DIY venue is The Dome.
Joe Dame’s dome is also his home. (Sorry.) And by “dome”, I mean to say that it’s geodesic dome near Ashland at the end of a long, winding, gravel driveway. And by “home”, I mean to say that Joe is renovating the dome in the woods to not only house some cutting edge music but also to serve as his house.
Late last week, I ventured out to The Dome in order to take in one of the more interesting lineups I’ve seen in CoMo in a while. There was Ben Chlapek and Neatly Knotted project plus collaborator Steve Ruffin – or the pleasant projectionist at Ragtag who wears those glasses. The duo opened with a lot of ambient noise. Quite enjoyable for a warmup without a proper name (Iced Wine, anyone?). The echoes they produced filled the rickety dome in the woods and warmed me up proper.
Out of the cornfields arose Curtain Co. with some chill waves (or is it chillwaves?) for the Domers to groove on. Another duo, this time the two musicians worked closely, pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder in delivering movement-inducing beats, causing heads to bob and even a few kids to hit the splintered dance floor.
Local regulars Enemy Airship played third with heaps of Broken Social guitars and keyboards to fill the Dames Dome’s rafters with layers of guitar and synths. A long time ago, I wrote that this group (at the time known as Nonreturner) had found their sloppy, rock ‘n roll selves. Well, along with that old band name went the sloppiness. The band is tight and professional and they just sound like they know what their doing. The guy who accompanied me to The Dome proclaimed them his new favorite local band and I can’t really argue with that.
Finally, what made the night really stand out came in the form of three drummers from Lawrence, KS. Cloud Dog played with a fury I haven’t seen since Lightning Bolt, but maintained an aesthetic closer to Animal Collective. The threesome was quite engaging with drum sticks flying everywhere as some hypnotic Tron-like imagery projected behind them. Look for Cloud Dog in a club near you.
All that happened in one evening at The Dome. Joe has done a great thing in some woods just south of town. You owe it to yourself to find an invite and/or ride to one of the more unique and homey venues in and around CoMo. Joe Dames’ Dome cannot be missed.
Good Nature is holding its first annual Full Moon Psychic Fair tomorrow, September 29th, from 11 AM to 6 PM. Columbia has plenty of great events and activities going on all year round, but this is something out of the ordinary.
Services available at the fair include palmistry, tarot card reading, rune casting, astrology charting, reiki healing, chair massage, and aura photography.
I plan to be first in line to have a photograph taken of my aura. The aura is the electromagnetic field around the human body. Nicola Tesla is reported to have made the first aura photograph long, long ago. I’ve had plenty of people tell me what my aura looks like; now it’s time to find out if a camera sees it the same way.
There will be live music by Romani Blue, along with belly dancers and a drum circle at 4 PM. Folks are encouraged to bring their instruments. Books, tarot cards, runes, pendulums, and drums will all be discounted 15% during the fair. The pendulums are great fun to play with, and anyone can make beautiful sounds with Good Nature drums…even me.
Good Nature is hidden away in Alley A between 9th and 10th streets, just south of Broadway. It’s a perfect perfect place to hold a fair. It’s also the perfect place to buy an alcoholic beverage called Viking Blod. I have no idea if it is palatable. I don’t drink, so someone else is going to have to look into that.
***Awesome and inexpensive photography by Jon Asher.
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