the show's top 10 most played artists are...
i was lucky enough to get a (free!) ticket to this show on 3.11.26 tickets sold out quickly, and i wasn’t fast enough to grab one at first. my sister notified me that her friend wouldn’t be able to attend, and i jumped at the opportunity. the ticket came with a copy of patti’s new memoir, bread of angels.
patti’s always been so special to me. i kind of relate to her, in funny ways. we are both poets, both had childhoods with overactive imaginations, dreams of sainthood. i admire when she talks about her early new york days, when she didn’t think of herself as particularly talented, just hungry for the pleasure of making art. i understand that feeling, of wanting to be a part of “it”.
i left work early that day, and as i was walking home, i noticed her seated at a popular lunch spot. i jolted, instinctively waving at her. she waved back, smiling a warm smile. patti smith! waved at me! me! i’ll hold that in my heart forever.
the show itself was lovely, with lots of perennial favorites – dancing barefoot, people have the power, and because the night, but also some deeper cuts in her catalog and some great covers, including isn’t it a pity, the music interspersed with her reading sections from “bread of angels”. i was really struck by how overtaken patti was during some segments, when she recounted her meeting with her late husband, fred “sonic” smith, at the lafayette coney island, she kept interjecting, rationalizing the story – how she didn’t like parties, and had to be coaxed with hot dogs to be social.
during the show, she called jimmy iovine (who produced easter) — patti, putting us on speaker phone, and we all sang him happy birthday. she was accompanied by her children, jackson on guitar, jesse on piano, and her longtime collaborator tony shanahan on bass and piano. the love she showed was palpable.
as for bread of angels, i devoured it in two days. what i appreciate about patti’s writing is how much reverence she has for life itself, how much she loves being here, how much she adores the wholeness of being human, in how she speaks of her beloveds, departed and in the here and now. i knew of her detroit connection, but didn’t know she lived in st. clair for so long…as a lifelong michigander. i want to claim her!
i was also lucky to go to the big pop show. i told myself i wasn't going to go crazy but i got a crisp $100 bill for eid so i listened to the demons...what a fun fun fun time. how lucky to be witnessing such earnest, real, true joy. i bought a bunch of stuff, including an artificial go cd, little chair tape, and kitship cd. i preordered the touch girl apple blossom vinyl - so decided
against it. there were a few things i wish i got physical copies of, including the memory card cd, but till next time.
some highlights from the fest
LONG LIVE CALVIN JOHNSON!
I got back from the big pop show just yesterday! My band played on Saturday, and Yumna came down to hang out with us which I am so glad about. I know already that this trip is going to be a dot on my timeline in life, but I am still digesting it. I feel like I have a lot to process so perhaps this concrete-if-consumerist blog post will be a good way to dip my toes into the beginning of that journey. I had just gotten a CD and tape player from my mom before I left, and for the first time in my life since my adolescent urban outfitters record player, I decided to make listening to physical music a practice. Big Pop show seemed like the perfect place to blow a budget!
Day One
My first purchase was the CD release of the Matilda’s Forever, My Talisman that was released by Duped – North Carolina zine/label put out by some of the Big Pop Organizers. The Matildas were the opener for the whole weekend and did a great job! They were super cute and awesome and had a full band on the stage which is different from the stripped back EP. We missed their first couple songs, so I’m glad I was able to snag a CD as they only made 22 (duplicated at the Carrboro Library earlier that day according to the singer). Very excited to play this in the mornings.
I did not buy anything else that day, at the main show or the afterparty afterwards – it was really overwhelming there! I regret it. I really enjoyed their sets and getting to know them throughout the weekend. However, I’m blessed to have access to my roommates tapes (Evan purchased the PARKiNG tape!) and we were pretty strategic about having a spread of all the
artists (still missing a Van Goth tape which stings).
Day Two
This was the longest day of music (I was there from 10:30 am to 1:30 am!!), and also the day that we played our set. I could say this about every single band on this list so I won’t – every artist I got to chat with was incredibly friendly and sweet and I had many great conversations. This day was when I really began on my “Michigan is heaven on Earth” campaign. Perhaps it was because Yumna arrived and we are South-East Michigan princesses.
Though the day was too whirlwind-y and the venue too hot for me to see the entire Sour Drops set (breaks are important!), I had already bought their tape before I saw them since I had really enjoyed the EP before we arrived. It’s just so fun!
I had gotten to talk to Superfan and hear their soundcheck before they had played their set, and I was already excited to hear them. Their set was easily the highlight for me that day – It’s rare to feel so overwhelmed by emotion during a live set for me! I purchased a shirt from them. My roommates are just as enamored as I am, and we all now have coordinating shirts from Superfan :)
I
April Magazine, all the way from San Francisco, stole my heart at the big pop show! Dreamy on stage, super awesome and funny off. I got to do my very first tape trade with them! I received a tape and their “zingle,” which is a collection of photos they found at a creative reuse store. The arrangement of the photos makes for some fascinating co-compositions. In addition to their set at the Big Pop Show, we were able to catch an ambient set they did in a public park the next morning.
Lizzie, the bassist from PARKiNG! has a zine called Test Patterns. There are a bunch of interviews of girl bassists, so I had to have one.
The last set of the night was Donkey Basketball, which was awesome. He had a crazy contraption that I could only describe as a suped-up-drum-machine-cdj. I danced like a madman – my Michigan pride got to me, and I felt the need to show (not tell) the people of Big Pop that Detroit still is the home of techno. Had a short conversation with him as I heard he is friends of Redux radio, and he gave me a CD! Very kind. Very cool. Very sore was my neck the next day.
I got a shirt from the big pop show as well, in my favorite color combo sky blue and Red. I had to keep pinching myself that we were invited to the show, and I got this sentimental feeling that I would want to pass memorabilia down from this show to the children I probably won’t have. Ha!
Day Three
Sunday was a nice and lazy day. The weather was not as hot as I thought it would be, and we got to go get ice cream with a huge troupe of people. My dream day.
I listened to Shep Treasure’s set right at the entrance into the coffee house, which meant that their already atmospheric music was just that much airier. I really appreciate the visual art on their CDs/shirts/stickers, and got a CD! I think that music such as theirs really needs me to listen in a dedicated fashion that I had at that point lost the stamina for. I am excited to listen–as I type my roommate has my copy so he can play it on his radio show.
Having already heard Kitship’s “Am I a Rock?” I was anticipating their set heavily. It was perfect! Musicians casually scattered on a small stage. Amaya invited some others to join just to the right of the stage to sing backing vocals as a “choir.” Amaya and I had previously talked about the West Coast Pop Explosion’s song “Help! I’m a Rock,” and apparently we both were introduced to the song by shazaming the soundtrack of Isle of Dogs in the movie theater in high school. Kismet. Yumna and I got matching shirts :)
Day Four
We had time for some fooling around on this day. Amaya of Kitship and A.J. of Instrument joined our crew to visit Gene Dillard’s Fantasy House, and we had a great time meeting him. I am a huge fan of grottos and all things outsider art so it was a dream to speak to him about his process!! We got up to lots of scheming and enjoyed the weather.
I listened to Sacred Heart Academy’s EP right when it came out, and I already came into this trip knowing I would return with it! So many bands (including us) released music right before the Big Pop Show, which just goes to show (heh) how special we all knew this gathering was going to be. Sacred Heart Academy is comprised of the most earnest and gregarious people, and were quite entertaining to watch.
Touch Girl Apple Blossom! Got their CD which I was shocked to see – the album isn’t out yet! Made me feel super cool to purchase that :p If I had seen them and GFB earlier in the week I probably would have purchased more but my wallet just could not stomach it.
This trip was extraordinary, and the Big Pop Show feels like a momentous occasion for the scene. I hope to make it back one day, and to see all these bands again.
This is my first time writing something for a blog of sorts! It was really fun to send myself on “assignment,” and hopefully I will write soon and better than this article heh ~