Matt Hopper, The Devil Whale, Cameron McGill & What Army:  Live @ Kryptonite, Rockford, IL  |  08.25.2010

by Andrew Whorehall

Matt Hopper & The Devil Whale | Kryptonite, Rockford, IL 08.25.2010 | Photo provided by Chris Wachowiak at Krypto

Matt Hopper (& The Roman Candles) is a singer-songwriter from Hatcher Pass, Alaska (at least that’s what he’ll tell ya).  He’s lived everywhere it seems in the last 10 years, documenting his tales, characters from places he’s been to, places he’s from and places he’s going to next.  He’s released a few records on his own, as well as under the band name, The Roman Candles earlier in the last 10 years.

Brinton Jones is the lead singer songwriter of The Devil Whale; home base, Salt Lake City, Utah.  The band has self released a full length and their newest e.p. while opening for the likes of respectable artists like;  Cold War Kids, the Autumn Defense, Glen Phillips, Richard Buckner, Damien Jurado, the Band of Annuals, Mike Doughty, Rocky Votolato, Richard Swift, David Dondero and many more.

They recently passed through Rockford, IL, on, August 25th, a Wednesday night.  Usually a ‘staying in night’ for most, they arrived opening for a few of their midwestern friends;  Chicago’s, Cameron McGill & What Army.  3 great bands from all over the U.S. on one night, in Rockford, IL.  The amount of talent in the room may have been the most overwhelming aspect of the night for an informed witness/listener.

"Young Wives" E.P. – The Devil Whale

The Devil Whale opened first, convincing a small crowd unaware of their music to turn to their friends and ask, “Who are these guys?  They’re great.”  The Devil Whale played songs off their newest e.p. “Young Wives” and a few selections off their full length, “Like Paraders.” Rock, folk, harmonies slippin’ in and under classic pop arrangements with the right amount of feedback when needed, Kryptonite via Salt Lake City.  Jones’ songs, the band, on record are subdued, well crafted and produced- live, they explode.  The band supports Jones’ lead like a rock machine should.  There’s something going on in Utah;  there would be no surprise to see the ‘Whale’ sign with a respective indie label in the near future and accidentally open for the likes of indie giants while forging their own path to headline.  Catch them now;  an amazing, live band, great players in control of beautiful pop-folk arrangements that explode with color.

Hopper joined the Whale for the 2nd set performing his own set of tunes rooted in ‘Crazy Horse’ delivery and Americana stories of the road, people.  The first thing you’ll notice is Hopper’s voice, a commanding wail from a tiny frame that can hit some bar room falsettos and yelps from deep below.  A great story teller / band leader took control of the room with his own catalogue of songs, many from his recently released beauty of a record, “Jersey Finger.”  The  Devil Whale served as his, ‘Roman Candles,’  following Hopper’s emotional delivery and dressing up standard rock songs with Americana inflections and punk instincts.

Cameron McGill & What Army | Kryptonite, Rockford, IL 08.25.2010 | Photo provided by Chris Wachowiak at Krypto

Cameron McGill & What Army had to close the night after all that;  and they did mightily.  The Army this time around featured Adam Plamann (The Wandering Sons / Miles Nielsen) on keys and sax, and newly hired touring bassist / songwriter, Miles Nielsen (Harmony Riley / The Wandering Sons / Miles Nielsen & The Rusted Hearts).

What’s most ironic about this night of  great talent is that it could have been billed as “Cameron McGill & The Wandering Sons.”  Luckily the midwest irony only went as deep as the eye would allow incestuous, midwest, musical thoughts & connections.  Cam’s songs are musically monstrous regardless of presentation, trampling such thoughts.  The Army and their Rookies took the bar that Hopper and the Whale raised and dismantled it, playing songs from their newest, e.p., “Deserters” and previewing songs from their  finished full-length, record, “Is A Beast” (Due in 2011).

"Deserters." E.P. - Cameron McGill & What Army

Older cuts from “Hold on Beauty” and “Warm Songs for Cold Shoulders” fleshed out a majority, electric set.  Cameron’s voice was in majestic, vicious form and the Army with their newbies in toll proved why they are one of the midwest’s finest going right now;  giving character and weight to McGill’s fragile, honest, emotional songs while playing their own hearts out.  The band is oiling up for a fall tour with Margot & The Nuclear So & So’s where McGill will be doing double duties, keys and what nots for Margot’s gang and then leading his own mates through the east coast and back.  Do what you can to catch this band.

The amount of talent in that room that night has left a mark on me for days. Each band brought their A+ game to an F+ city in the middle of nowhere.  Just another night in Rockford, IL, that I, and many others who were lucky enough to be there to listen, won’t forget soon.

Thank you to Chris & Kryptonite for another great, irregular night of music by 3 of  America’s great bands in one spot.

aw  |  andywhorehall.com

A many months later monologue-critique-intro to Chicago, IL’s, finest, Cameron McGill & What Army. Inspired by a performance @ Kryptonite, Rockford, IL, 11.25.2009, Thanksgiving Eve. {by Dave DeCastris, 05.14.2010}

Part I
This is a bit late.  You know the saying? Better late than never or as I like to say, patience & a glass of water are a sniper’s most treasured weapons.  Cameron McGill has been making records for the better part of the last decade via Chicago, IL.  The past couple of years with an experienced traveling band , What Army.  Cameron’s got all the goods with this shotgun model band and all the bullets needed ready to fire, his songs.

On records, the sniper occasionally takes a seat for the poet.  Cameron is a great writer, character studies on Old America transported through personal experiences. Detailed, dark explorations of the human soul, relationships and narratives delivered with bite, bitter and honest.  The players on record have changed over the years but Cam seems to have found a creative stride with the current ‘What Army’  lineup.  Daniel J. McMahon, the midwest’s own everyman any band becomes better with, punches nasty guitar tones up against Darren Garvey‘s Kotche-esque killer percussion patterns vs. Rodrigo Palma‘s grammy worthy bass lines balancing out Cameron’s captain of a fragile ship delivery.  What mood is the captain in?  Piano or guitar?  Either way, you’re in for a treat or a trainwreck when you catch the What Army live.  Even when Graham Burris (Matthew Santos/Lupe Fiasco) has to step in for Rod, you still get a grammy worthy bassist, seriously.  You get a great band regardless of the outcome despite what they tell you about their defeated performance afterwards. An honorable midwestern trait.

Cameron & the boys have been through Rockford, IL, a few times.  I often wonder why (and knowing why), they’re bigger than this town but the road travels where the road must go to pay the bills in any way possible.  They’re bigger in talent alone than the joints they play but for now, I’ll take it.  Lucky even, catch them while you can because you see, 2010 brings many changes to the What Army and Cameron McGill.  Their new record is done.  It will wait.   I will offer one phrase;  Van Gogh’s brown boots and the Chicago skyline has a soundtrack finally.

2010 brings many great shoestrings for the Army to dangle and skip through with a finished record on standby.  Cameron also plays keys in another great, midwestern indie band called, Margot and The Nuclear So and So’s.  They have their own record coming out later this year, “Buzzard.”  Rodrigo, tours with Saves the Day.  Darren, with the Andreas Kapsalis Trio/Cory Chisel/Ernie Hendrickson and many more. Plus he just released his own wonderful solo record, “Under a Common Ceiling.” Daniel plays with the entire states of Wisconsin and Illinois, furr real.  He deserves his own Constitutional scroll.

The amount of talent in this band is beyond heart failure levels.  For them to be overlooked any further would be an artistic tragedy on it’s own.  Something has to give in 2010.  This is a career band, this is a career artist.  Hint, hint, America, listen.

“You see, this is a little too wordy for me, he’s too wordy, I like my rock to rock, he’s too whiny.” A man, Don, said that to me at Swilligan’s Pub one night the Army came through to play Rockford in late 08/early 09.  Don likes his rock to rock, no wordy stuff, no thinking, to each their own. Cam & The boys played their hearts out that night to a majority of undeserving, typically drunk, annoying people. A standard Rockford audience for a bar band.  Like anywhere, maybe, but sorry Don, I respect your opinion, I like wordy.  Classic rock radio is always a car ride away.    Weapons are words too my friend.  They closed with “Human Revolution” that night which has yet to see the light of day on record.  The song encapsulates all that is good in rock n’ roll when modern influences meet within one song.  Those being Radiohead/Wilco/Smiths hangin out near a Rufus Wainwright sea side and then, dragged through the midwestern corn fields to settle somewhere in, near, outside an ugly, selfish, hipster hut.  A dare to be different or get me out of here monster, Chicago.  A perfect encore closer for this Army.  Their music deserves to be anywhere and everywhere else besides the midwest.  Keep in mind, the midwest with all respect, is practice grounds for the best.

Part II
11.25.2009  |  Kryptonite |  Rockford, IL
Kryptonite is a great little unknown rock bar in a deserted, downtown located in Rockford, IL.  It’s one of 2-3 reasons to go downtown in Rockford on the west side of the bridge.  Chris Wachowiak, the owner, is a good guy, cares about downtown, cares about it’s health and about music.  Grab a meal or a drink at Octane beforehand, always great.  Talk to Dan the owner if you can catch him- he has other jobs, like many of us do in Rockford to survive. After your meal, stand still in the middle of the newly constructed street that will lead you a half-block to Krypto. A walking mall was once there, the America I miss.  Grilled cheese and 45s, Woolworths with mom in the 70s is my downtown to hold onto. Times change, stand there, close your eyes in the middle of the street and wait for a bird to sh*t on you. Why?  There’s a greater chance of a bird taking a dump on your head  than a car passing through and hitting you.  I mean this, I did it with my thespian friend and we waited, she laughed at me, I didn’t.  No car, no birds, no sh*ts, just a few laughs.  Our generation’s America in a nutshell.  My grandparents, from where they sit and watch down from space, are not proud of the Rockford they built.

11.25.2009 was a special night however.  Many birthdays, Thanksgiving Eve and Cameron McGill & What Army at Krypto.  What you also need to know is that every college kid is home from school.  Every family member transplanted to better jobs elsewhere are here too.  All waiting to get their drink on while ruining a music lover’s main course.  Cameron McGill & What Army are the main course this night.  Those mother f*ckers home for the holidays had no idea, no respect, towards what was gonna hit them.  At some point, I politely told a friend to stop touching my sister & shut up or go to the back of the bar so I could listen to the band.  There are some things, rules, principals, one should practice to enjoy a band.  Gettin’ loaded and high is not one of them, that’s just retarded.   Hiding from the crowd and telling people out of line to shut the f*ck up is acceptable, yes.  It is.

The Army this night is on top of their game.  I do not have video from this night (see bottom), however, I shot horrid video in April of 2009 at Krypto, take a moment to listen to all the hillbillies  talking:

Cameron McGill & What Army
04.10.2009
Live @ Kryptonite, Rockford, IL

Ghosts of New York from Dave DeCastris on Vimeo.

Unacceptable. People, this is socially unforgivable when going to see, listen to a band. Shut up or head on over to the Chuck E. Cheese.  They have skiball there, I love it, and you can talk and laugh and hang out with the other kids making noises and sneezing, spreading their bacteria.  I hope you get sick too.  Chuck E. Cheese is a guaranteed flu blast everytime I have to attend a family’s child party there.  Bring some sanitizer, you’ll thank me later.

On Thanksgiving eve, 2009, Cameron McGill & What Army played their hearts out.  Rockford reunited under a punk-folk rock green lit glow.  The kids yelped and belched about that one time in high school they got high and the home team won as the ‘Army played “Low Ways”, “Madeline”, “She’s a Killer” and many more with a sniper’s slow, calculated attack.  The moment I remember the most watching this great band snip away at the crowd was during “Dead Rose”, a song to be released.  You see, Rockford’s finest, reunited, hillbillies tried to win all night but ultimately failed when Captain McGill and Corporal McMahon busted out the dirtiest double rhythm guitar solo I’ve heard this side of the womb, 1973.  Crazy horse, panthers, dead roses took over the distance between the crowd talking and the brain thinking.  Rod and Darren bringing up the rear with dirty canon ball sized rhythm and release.  This is all I’ve got leftover from that night, what a sh*tty live review right? Man, a birthday gift that solo was.  Happy Thanksgiving, yes.

Part III
Some final thoughts about the night, Rockford and when the saints came marching through to play Kryptonite.

From the piano, the captain declared:
“I wrote this song a long, long, long time ago.
About a girl, so mean.
She was a sssssssssssss- Snake.”

To that  I conclude.

“The Gardener”
cuts a flower from the weeds.
Poking the snakes with their pitchforks now.
In the field a saint’s heard singing,
“I wrote this song a long, long, long time ago–
about a girl so mean.  She was a sssssnake!”
Blinded bystanders called out,
“Man, stop being so subversive! You’re too wordy.”
Foiled by fools, it’s not their fault they can’t read cursive.
Taking cold comfort in the shadow of a tree,
he waits, laughs, sighs and thinks.
Snipers, bullets, shotgun, check;
there’s no urgent need or reasons to attack.
(Having said that, your apologies are due but after the facts.)
Boom, pop, hiss went their balloons.
The gard’ner breathes, the saint still swoons;
Don’t dare call me friend, nor enemy, nor man.
We’re not family, nor anything on deception’s behalf– or I will write you down.
With regards, whatevers and what nots, all of you have lost.
There’s nothing to win but this dead rose and a sniper’s grin.
The gardner.

(For Cameron McGill & What Army)
dD  | andywhorehall.com
_________________

Part IV
Buy CMWA @ iTunes.

Last year’s mellow, “Warm Songs for Cold Shoulders” and its tour e.p,, “Two Hits and a Miss.“ Also check out “Hold On Beauty“ and many more.  {Click here for the others, the  iTunes store is a mess but search around and treat yourself, please.}

ALSO, and finally, a treat.
The best performance that night took place in an alley across from Krypto.
Pablo Korona with Zach Staas, filmed this beauty in the rundown streets of Rockford, IL,
Thanksgiving Eve, 11.25.2009.

In the alleyway next to the Sullivan Center in Rockford, IL — November 2009

For me, the excitement happens at 2:30 after some stranger danger walks out the side door interrupting us. Sirens! Crank it up Danno says!

Ghost of New York — Cameron McGill from Pablo Korona on Vimeo.

We reach a “milestone” as Miles Nielsen finally makes it to the studio to record an episode of Sock Monkey Sound. He pops by with a special guest as well – Chris Wachowiak Continue Reading