FIVE QUESTIONS WITH... DEREK LAMBERT

"My suggestion for improving the music scene around here: Go to more shows!!!"

Before I arrived in Des Moines, a little more than a week ago now, I asked a few people involved in the local music scene "five questions" just to find out what I should expect. Derek Lambert makes indie folk music influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and Elliott Smith, and he has an EP out on Barely Bias Records called The Forest Floor. He's also a sound engineer at the Vaudeville Mews, which is where I managed to catch his set opening for the Poison Control Center. In fact, you just might be able to catch a glimpse of him jumping onstage in this great video of the PCC rocking out with Pavement's Bob Nastanovich to finish the night.



Anyway, I forgot to post my e-mail conversation with Derek until now. A transcript follows. Hope to see you at the Mews tonight for Josh Ritter!

1. I've been listening to your MySpace, and it sounds like you have a nice little lo-fi folk thing going on-- I notice you mention people like Iron & Wine and Leonard Cohen as influences. What have you been up to lately musically? Anything new we should be looking forward to? (Sorry, I guess that's two questions.)

DL: Currently, I've just been playing and recording by myself (I recorded my first 8 song EP on a four-track tape recorder in my basement), but I have plans to possibly get a band together for some shows and maybe some recording, hopefully by the end of the summer/fall. Right now, I've been messing around with a few new songs, so hopefully I can gain some momentum soon and get another album's worth written.

2. More generally, what's the Des Moines music scene like?

DL: The Des Moines music scene... it's all over the place. Working at the Vaudeville Mews, I see a ton of different styles of music every night, and some do better than others, but overall, there is a pretty decent energy building around music in Des Moines. At times in the past, I've definitely thought that the music scene was lacking around here, but there are some really great bands and people contributing a lot right now, in all styles of music.... and since I am the type of person that appreciates good music in any form, I think that Des Moines is a pretty great place for music.

3. What are your favorite shows coming up this summer?

DL: Gogol Bordello, July 22nd @ Peoples
Gaiden Gadema's CD Release, July 24th @ Vaudeville Mews
Theodore, July 30th @ Vaudeville Mews
The Daredevil Christopher Wright, August 13th @ Vaudeville Mews

4. Any other local bands we should be watching?

DL: Oh man, there are a ton of local bands to watch. The Poison Control Center, Tyborn Jig, Druids, Gabe Cordova, Maxilla Blue... just a few favorites that immediately come to mind.

5. What would you change or improve about what's going on musically in Des Moines?

DL: My suggestion for improving the music scene around here: Go to more shows!!! Some of the best bands that I've ever seen have been playing to some of the smallest crowds. If you are a music fan in Des Moines, go to the website of one of the local venues (Vaudeville Mews, Peoples, House of Bricks) and just click around and listen to some of the bands that are coming through in the near future. I GUARANTEE that no matter what kind of music you are into, you will find something good. Then, whatever you find that you like, show up and support it so that these places can continue to bring in quality acts. Okay, one more suggestion, this one is for local bands... promote your shows! A lot of bands around here are great at promoting shows and getting people to come out and have fun, but there are also a large number of bands that are lacking in this area. If you are a local band opening a show for a touring band that doesn't have a huge draw, it is YOUR job to bring out your friends, family, whoever you can convince to show up and shell out 5 bucks to see some music. This will also strengthen the overall music scene around here and keep great music coming back to our city.

80/35 WRAP-UP: LET US BE FREE LET US SING

It finally feels like summer today. Too bad it's the day after not only Independence Day, but also Des Moines' biggest independent-minded music festival: the 2nd annual 80/35. I left Brooklyn to move to Des Moines exactly one week ago, so I missed Iowa's heat waves earlier this season-- I was too busy enjoying gray day after gray day en route to what meteorologists at Penn. State have called New York City's second-wettest June on record. Nobody I've met is more weather-minded than Iowans, however: Just ask my wife to read the Doppler radar for you sometime. Despite two unseasonably damp, chilly days this Fourth of July weekend, Des Moines music lovers joined with national acts ranging from Public Enemy and Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks to Broken Social Scene and Ben Harper to help make what I managed to see of 80/35 a success in almost every way.

Every way, I'm nervous we'll find out, except one. The Des Moines Music Coalition estimated Friday night's attendance at 4,500, Juice writer Joe Lawler reports in the Des Moines Register. The festival needs paid attendance of no fewer than 12,000 for both days to avoid losing money, Lawler notes. I haven't seen definitive totals yet, but organizers estimated Saturday's paid and unpaid attendance (there were two free stages) at 12,000, as Kyle Munson reports in this morning's Register. Does that mean Friday night's figure included unpaid attendees, too? I don't know yet whether the festival hit the magic number it needed to break even, but it will have been sort of miraculous even if it did-- this is only the second installment of an indie-oriented music festival, after all, in a recession year and on a rain-soaked weekend. UPDATE: Lawler reports total estimated paid attendance of 12,000, apparently meeting the break-even point, although beer sales declined.

Already, one Register commenter is complaining, "Am I the only one peeved that the city that is supposed to be in a budget crisis has putting money towards this event?" Probably not. But let me be the first to argue-- loudly, repeatedly, from every rooftop from the Ruan Building to Principal Park-- that a festival of this kind is worth it for Des Moines. I'm new here, and I realize it's up to you to decide whether more young opinionated dudes like me are even what you want in Des Moines, but I gotta say I would've been a lot less likely to up and buy a place here-- my wife's roots in the area (and my own ties) notwithstanding-- if not for 80/35 and the resurgence of downtown culture, dining, and nightlife it represents. I can't imagine I'll be the only person who feels that way. That's good for real estate prices and for local businesses. If Iowa wants to fight "brain drain," fun and well-run events like 80/35 are a great step toward doing it.

80/35 can be good for Des Moines' image in a different way, as well. Here's Public Enemy's Chuck D talking to Cityview's Michael Swanger: "I tell people all the time Iowa has always been one of the progressive states." Lest you think he's just kissing up to the hometown crowd, D adds: “When you tell the other 49 states, they’re like ‘huh?’ But they took notice last year [with President Barack Obama winning the Iowa Caucus].” The rap legend gave the city another sort of boost upon his arrival, delivering inspirational messages to local youths at Des Moines social-service agency Urban Dreams: "Y'all don't know how good you've got it here," the Register's Daniel P. Finney quotes him saying. Sure, D also still seems to think people are listening to "gangsta rap," and there's the whole confusing story of Flavor Flav's non-appearance. But the point remains: Des Moines doesn't have the major-league sports franchises of a Kansas City or a St. Louis. What it does have is a remarkable history on civil rights, from the landmark 1948 civil rights victory at Katz Drug Store that presaged the broader Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s, to the mind-blowing heroics of shoulda-been first African-American Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Bright in 1951, right on through to being the first state to establish an African-American as a valid presidential candidate and one of only a few states to recognize the right of homosexual couples to be legally wed. In other words, Iowa gets it. A music festival is one way to showcase the state's open and accepting culture for the rest of the nation.

Last year I spent the Fourth of July in Denmark. I was lucky enough to get to cover the Roskilde music festival for Pitchfork. Roskilde is the biggest festival in Northern Europe, and the third-biggest in all of Europe; last year the performers included the likes of Radiohead, Jay-Z, My Bloody Valentine, the Chemical Brothers, the Streets, Band of Horses, Girl Talk, Cat Power, No Age, Judas Priest, Robyn, Lykke Li, Santigold, Slayer, and many many more. The festival was an amazing experience I'll never forget, characterized by a very Midwestern slogan: "Take care of each other." Of course, some differences between Scandinavia and the Midwest can never be bridged-- the drinking age, for example. But if a dedicated arts-focused community can bring so much talent such a great distance, transforming a historic little town of about 46,000 into a musical hub, then with time and hard work, there's no reason 80/35 can't go on to see its own large-scale successes. All it takes is time and hard work: Look at Bonnaroo. I'm not sure Des Moines is the right place for an event exactly like that one, but if Manchester, Tenn., can do it, I have no doubt Iowa can come up with a musical tradition of its own, in its own way.

So, 80/35. I can only really write about what I saw: For our first weekend back in Mrs. Des Noise's hometown, we had family priorities, too, as I hope you'll understand. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks were laconic but commanding on Friday night, shouting-out local boy Bob Nastanovich and alternating woolly guitar solos from latest album Real Emotional Trash with taut indie-rock crowd pleasers like Face the Truth's "Pencil Rot".... Great drumming from Janet Weiss, formerly of Sleater-Kinney and Quasi.... And on a personal note, it was just fun finally to see Malkmus play live... Still not Pavement, but what is? Philly's Man Man were another highlight-- this is the second time I've just barely not actually seen them, but their carnie-rock freakouts caused dancing even outside the pay gates (Metromix Des Moines tweeted that lead singer Honus Honus was wearing "near daisy dukes"). On one of the free stages, New York up-and-comers Cymbals Eat Guitars made their retro 1990s indie-rock sound more gnarled and aggressive than I expected, which should be a good sign for this month's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. Omaha-based Tilly and the Wall's multicolored indie-pop performance was another favorite, inciting plenty of crowd participation despite an early set time, their powerfully cavernous drum sounds almost making up for their heavy reverb's tendency to muffle the songs. I was into Hasidic reggae guy Matisyahu when he was settling into heavy sci-fi dub grooves; less so when he was parroting "No Woman No Cry" for a song from his forthcoming album. A previously unheard discovery was Athens, Ga.-based Modern Skirts, who opened with three drummers and went on to sketch out rhythmically uptight rock terrain that reminded me of times of Spoon, Pavement (from whom their name derives), and even the harmony-laden keyboard-pop of the Zombies. As with bigger music festivals like CMJ or South by Southwest, 80/35 also sparked concerts outside the official grounds, though try as I might I couldn't catch the name of my favorite among the handful of bands I heard playing at Des Moines Social Club's Sideshow Lounge-- think it sounded like "Robert Allen Hawg"? UPDATE: It's Adam Robert Haug, notes helpful commenter Chris Ford, whose precariously perched keyboard-pop with Christopher the Conquered I also enjoyed.

I was bummed enough by the lateness of Public Enemy's rain-marred appearance (um, Heet Mob? Not on the schedule) that, having seen them last year and not wanting to be responsible for everybody else there with me getting drenched on my account, I left early. (I hate that one of my favorite Iowans can now say he's been to two hip-hop shows, and yet because of performer tardiness he still hasn't actually seen one. You expect that from Mike Jones, but Chuck D?) Either way, by all accounts on Twitter it sounds like Public Enemy put on as good a show as I caught last year at Pitchfork, despite the absence of Flavor Flav. I'm not too into G. Love or Ben Harper, so I used the fact that I'm just writing about this for fun as an excuse to skip out on them. (Excuse for missing Broken Social Scene: I was hungry! Plus, if I really wanted to see them, I would have seen them before.) And I probably shouldn't write about Poison Control Center anymore, but if their noon Saturday set was anything like their free Thursday night show, it was among the festival's highlights-- like 'em live better than Cymbals Eat Guitars, that's for sure.

Final thought: Why should Omaha have a better music scene than Des Moines? (...Zoo, maybe, even airport, but actual culture? They're Cornhuskers fans, for crying out loud!!!) At this rate, pretty soon, maybe they won't.

(Photos, from top to bottom: Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Adam Robert Haug, waiting for Public Enemy.)

You can read/watch plenty more (probably much more informative) 80/35 coverage over at the official website.

IT BEATS NEW YORK IT BEATS SEATTLE

I am not a photographer... (Bob Nastanovich with the Poison Control Center)

This whole local-music-blogging thing is going to be a lot harder than I thought. In Des Moines, I want to be friends with the bands. What's happening to me?

Ames, Iowa's own the Poison Control Center pushed, cajoled, and surfed the hometown crowd into arms-splayed fun-having with exuberantly gimmicky stagecraft (a good thing!) and some super impressive indie rock singalongs during last night's free pre-80/35 party at Vaudeville Mews. I had listened to their MySpace a bit before, I have the CD, and PCC guy Pat Fleming was kind enough to do a quick interview with Des Noise last month, but I still had no idea what awaited me at the Mews. A set of new material as well as songs from the band's 2007 debut album was melodic, energetic, and uniformly strong, with lyrical themes often addressed to the audience (touring/coming-of-age song "Driving", darkly optimistic help-us-sing song "Magic Circle Symphony"). They had the propulsive squall of early Pavement with the chops to pull it off: vocals ranging from Wayne Coyne beatific to Conor Oberst cathartic, and an overall presence that would fit in easily alongside late-2000s indie rock disciples Titus Andronicus or Los Campesinos! (and would blow Tapes 'N Tapes out of the water of 10,000 lakes). Oh, plus Fleming was a genial lunatic of a showman, clambering all over stage and the crowd. Doing the splits while playing guitar in the audience. No wonder we both like Super Furry Animals.

I'm totally biased now, though, because Fleming is also a really nice dude. Ryan Foley recently tweeted a quote from UK critic Nick Kent: "If these people turned up on your doorstep, would you invite them in? If not, why are you listening to their music?" In this case, the answer to the first question is a resounding yes. So much for being a cranky old rock critic.

Local singer/songwriter Derek Lambert opened with a solid solo acoustic set of whispery and introspective lo-fi folk-- occasionally drowned out by the crowd, but I'm looking forward to seeing him play again sometime. He was also among the most awesomely amped people in a crowd full of awesomely amped people during PCC's set. I came here hoping for audiences that wouldn't be the usual arms-folded Brooklyn variety, and I wasn't disappointed. I also met Kelly from the Besties, a sadly overlooked New York indie-pop band-- she just moved from Greenpoint to North Carolina, so I guess I'm not the only one looking for a change of scenery.

Pavement's Bob Nastanovich? Repeatedly mentioned from the stage as someone who will end up in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? He was there, too, as promised. Between sets by Lambert and PCC, Nastanovich sat upstairs spinning records, including New Order's "Ceremony" and Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone". At the end of the night, he joined PCC for a Pavement cover-- I think it was "Conduit for Sale"? "Two States". Sounded like the Fall. Ridiculous.

After the song, Nastanovich declared, "This is the only fucking proper city in the United States of America." I obviously hope he's right. Too early for me to tell. But I can say this: I had a really, really great time last night, and so did a lot of other people.

...Anybody catch Toots and the Maytals? How was it? Also missed the fireworks over the Capitol building, though we did see the end of the ones from Principal Park. See you at 80/35 tonight!!