PREVIEW: The Avett Brothers at Hill Auditorium

The Avett Brothers are looking to conquer a college town, where folk music thrives just as well as hip-hop, and avid music fans search actively for gorgeous storytelling via guitars, pianos, and graceful lyrics.

So, it’s fitting that Hill Auditorium will showcase the four-piece band on February 12.

With brothers Scott and Seth Avett fronting the band holding a banjo and guitar, the passion for genuine, heartfelt music lies very visibly in its band make-up. A band of siblings hasn’t seemed particularly cool since the Jackson 5 or the Kinks, and the Avett Brothers present themselves with a similar sincerity and grassroots wholesomeness. Their songs are particularly hopeful and earnest, typically casting a balladic piano at the forefront, and guitar, banjo, cello, and drums accompanying vocals.

Leaving an outstanding 2012 including a Grammy nomination and a top-10 album, the band is touring until July 2013, playing alongside bands like Matt and Kim, Old Crow Medicine Show, Portugal. The Man, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Their show at Hill Auditorium will beautifully highlight the band’s sound described by the San Francisco Chronicle as having the “heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt, the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles, the raw energy of the Ramones.” This is the Avett Brother’s third time performing in Ann Arbor after headlining the Ann Arbor Folk Festival last year and playing at the Michigan Theater in 2010.

The Avett Brothers will play at 7:30pm at Hill Auditorium on February 12, 2013. Tickets start at $33.

REVIEW: Mock Rock 2012

Oh my goodness. I had such a blast at Mock Rock last night. For those that don’t know, Mock Rock is an annual fundraiser to raise money for several awesome organizations, like student athletes volunteering for social change, Mott’s Children’s Hospital, and a few others I don’t quite remember. The actual event is a variety show, put on by the student athletes, which includes dance numbers, skits, and even a little bit of singing. It was, in a word, amazing.

I’m really bummed because I was so engrossed in what was happening on stage, I completely forgot to take notes on my favorite acts! I do of course remember the men’s swim team – in all their Speedo and fabulous abbed-glory, stripping for all the drooling ladies in the audience. I remember the marching band did an adorable rendition of several Justin Bieber songs while the storyline of the music video was supposed to be how this guy, the actual drum major, couldn’t fit in anywhere at UM, so he decides to try marching band. It was sooo precious (and our drum major is pretty much the cutest thing ever, so that definitely contributed to their overall performance).

Remembering a few others, I know the football/volleyball duo skit was very sweet, the football players being nerds and the volleyball players the pretty, popular crowd all the poor nerds wanted to get with. The cheerleading team…yikes. I don’t know if it was because the lighting was so good on the stage of Hill auditorium and/or because I am used to seeing them from a distance at football games, but it was a little more than brutal to watch. As the girls were hoisted on the shoulders of their stud-ly gentlemen, they shook and swayed until at the last final pose, the music stopped, but their momentum didn’t as the two end-girls actually toppled over. I think I shrieked a little, but was relieved to see the mat beneath them caught their falls – or, at least softened it a smidge. And women’s golf was painful too, unfortunately. They did a sort of- cutesy version of Legally Blonde’s “Bend and Snap” scene; however, the nasty recording and bad acting left a lot to be desired. Thank goodness they’re so good at golf because acting is quite honestly not a good option for any of them.

All in all, a fabulous job and I was so proud to be a wolverine last night, seeing all the dedication the athletes put in to this fundraiser and to their jobs as representatives of the university. It was an amazingly fun night, and I’m so glad I went. I’ll be sure to be there again next year!

REVIEW: Ann Arbor Folk Festival Ryan Adams

Friday, January 27th was the first night of the 35th annual Ann Arbor Folk Festival. The Hill Auditorium was sold out, but many people didn’t arrive until about half-way through the night, as there were 7 performers total, not including Heywood Banks, the MC who entertained the crowd in-between bands with comical songs and cheesy jokes. My favorite was the “Toast” song, where he banged on a toaster like a drum and sang about how great toast it! Sometimes really silly humor is fun and refreshing.

The first performer to take the stage was Sunny War, a beautiful African American woman with incredible skills in her clawhammer, banjo playing style of playing the guitar. Her sound was delicate and airy, with a bluesy tone. Her voice was very girly and pretty, with an element of old-hollywood simplicity and elegance. Her songs were very calming, and I really enjoyed listening to her.

Second to perform was the band Elephant Revival, who reminded me a bit of the contemporary bluegrass group Nickel Creek. They had a very full-sounding band, and often sounded very rustic and traditional. I loved the strings, and that their songs often built in intensity over time. The vocals were beautiful and breathy, a nice contrast to the full-sounding band. They performed an a capella song as the last in their set, about a raven, that was absolutely beautiful and breath-taking.

The David Wax Museum was next to perform. The band members wore much more modern dress than Elephant Revival, and had a much tinnier, less full sound. The band has a Mexican-folk sound, and they used a unique addition, a saxophone, in some of their songs, unusual in my conception of folk music. I felt that some of their songs were a bit too loud–not one of my favorite bands being showcased that night. But one of the great benefits of attending the folk festival is having the opportunity to be exposed to artists that you are unfamiliar with, so nonetheless I enjoyed experiencing their music for the first time.

Next to take the stage was a band called Carbon Leaf, a group of older men who reminded me a bit of a folk barbershop quartet, as they all stood in a tight circle throughout their performance, beginning their set with an a capella piece, in which their voices were beautifully in unison. Aside from the beautiful opening piece, however, I can’t say their music was my cup of tea.

A band called Dawes was next to perform, the last band to perform before the intermission. They were a bit too rock n’ roll for the folk fest, in my opinion. They had a full band with electric guitars, drums, and a piano. Their songs were quite repetitive and the droning drum beat made me sleepy!

After the intermission, Devotchka took the stage, a Denver band with a Russian name. This band was very unique, with each song having a much different sound. At times it reminded me of Fiddler on the Roof, others I felt like I was being serenaded by a Mexican band–I also wrote down that their sound sometimes reminded me of a Jewish wedding, that song, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, and sometimes even of bands like The Boxer Rebellion or Coldplay. Despite the variety that caused a bit of confusion for me, their sound really began to grow on me and I found myself looking up their music online after the concert. The band did seem to play for a bit too long, however. The other bands that were not headlining only played for about 30 minutes each, while Devotchka played for over an hour, which seemed to be a bit unfair. By the time RyanAdams, the headliner for the evening, took the stage, I was pretty worn out.

Finally, Ryan Adams ended the evening with an incredible acoustic performance. He was not what I expected–his songs are so beautiful and sensitive, but in person he dressed like a rocker with medium-length dark hair that falls in front of his face, hiding his face throughout the performance, and skinny jeans with Converse shoes… Not what I expected. His humor was also a bit different and weird at times–he joked about dinosaurs and smoking weed. But his music was beautiful! He played a lot of his hits, switching between acoustic guitar and piano on several occasions. He sounds just perfect live–I was very impressed. His performance was far too short–it seemed that most of the crowd was there to see him, but we all had to sit through four hours of other bands’ sets in anticipation. By the time Ryan Adams took the stage, unfortunately I felt quite restless and tired from sitting for so long.

This was my first folk festival experience, and I have to admit I’m not sure that I would go again… I would certainly recommend that you go and experience it once, because it really is a unique opportunity to see a lot of great bands in one night, and it is the biggest music event of the year here in Ann Arbor. But the Hill Auditorium was not the most conducive setting for something like a folk festival. I imagined the festival being a very laid-back event where you come and go as you please, and it’s loud, and exciting, and people get up and dance and enjoy the music, take pictures and sing along. But none of this happened. The Hill imposed a lot of rules on the event, like no getting up to come or go during a song, no photography, no standing in the aisles… We were forced to sit in our incredibly cramped seats for five hours. No one took pictures, (except quickly and secretly so no one notices!) no one sang along or got up to dance the entire time. And in the end, the audience clapped and cheered for an encore to no avail. Then we all went home. It really was much too quiet and boring, really stuffy for a music festival. I would love to see the folk festival move to a different location that is freer, possibly even outdoors during the summer. I think the atmosphere would have made a big difference in improving my overall experience of the festival.

REVIEW: Handel’s Messiah

Saturday night I experienced Handel’s Messiah for the very first time. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but I knew it was a Christmas tradition, so in the spirit of Christmas I got all dressed-up and went to the Hill, my first time there, to see Messiah. First I must say, the Hill Auditorium is absolutely breathtaking. We sat near the top (with quite a few other students who could only afford the $10 tickets!)–the bulb lights circling the ceiling, and arching down in rows framing the stage, created a beautiful optical illusion that was almost dizzying. It was so nice to have the opportunity to get dressed-up and go out to such a beautiful venue for a change of pace on a Saturday night.

I’m not a musician, so I can’t intelligibly describe how spot-on the performers were, except to say the performance sounded beautiful. The singers were incredibly talented, confidently hitting the highs and lows with precision and ease. The orchestra played perfectly well together, and when the chorale chimed in, belting out praises in unison, it sent chills down my spine.

What I loved most about this performance is that it was a simple, traditional expression of Christmas. From the bare, natural decor, consisting of beautiful poinsettia flowers and a gigantic wreath hanging from the organ pipes, to the simple but elegant dress of the performers, the performance felt historical and classy, with the focus left on the music and the message, with no distractions.  There are many events one can attend during the holiday season that celebrate Santa Claus and gift-giving, snow and decorations, and all of these are loads of fun, but it was refreshing that Messiah got to the heart of Christmas, celebrating the ultimate gift of God’s Son. It was an exquisite reminder of what I’m really celebrating at Christmas.

**Merry (early) Christmas everyone!!**

Take time to celebrate and enjoy the holiday season, amidst the craziness of final exams! 🙂

REVIEW: Band-O-Rama Displays Talent and Versatility

On Friday, October 28, at Hill Auditorium, an amazing performance made many people realize how much talent and tradition exist at the University of Michigan. If you have not yet made your way to Hill Auditorium, I would suggest doing so because it is historic, beautiful and a bit famous.

The beautiful and resonant Hill Auditorium.
The beautiful and resonant Hill Auditorium.

Band-O-Rama featured U of M’s Concert Band, Symphony Band, and Marching Band. The Concert Band began the concert with both fast and slow pieces that got the crowd excited and made us want to hear more. The acoustics of Hill Auditorium added to the quality of the already brilliant sound of the band. The Symphony Band played tribute to America, U of M and Russian culture by playing all different types of medleys. Carol Jantsch, a U of M alum, was featured on the tuba for a pice called “Czardas.” She was proof of the fine teaching and learning that happens at Michigan because she is the principal tubist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. After a brief intermission, the Michigan Marching Band got the crowd on their feet with tunes reflecting the spirit of U of M and also popular hits from artists like, Ah-Ha, the Beatles, Nirvana, Madonna, Daft Punk, Eminem and many more. It was interesting seeing and hearing the Marching Band in an actual auditorium rather than in the huge Big House stadium because the sound was captured much better and the movements that were planned so thoughtfully were much more visible. The drumline was featured during the show as they often are during the Michigan football games and their choreography as well as percussion technique was incredible. If you would like to see a bit of what they do you can go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eYZlDeNhto&feature=related

The Marching  Band also paid tribute to the Michigan Symphony Band’s expedition to Russia in the 1960s with classic Russian pieces such as the Great Gate of Kiev by Mussorgsky and Russian Sailors’ Dance. Overall, each of the three bands brought something different to the stage and they all featured immense skill and a great presence. If you would like to see any of the Michigan Bands perform, which I highly recommend, you can go to www.music.umich.edu for a complete listing of events and performances.

Review: Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán

I was waiting for this show for a long time and what a lovely evening it turned out to be!

First we were greeted with an excellent rendition of  “El pastor” by the cute and gifted Sebastian de la Cruz, (all of eight years old!), who was selected to be the best in his category in 2009 Mariachi Vargas Extravaganza Competition. My goodness, his yoddling was so awesome! If at eight, he can sing so well, just imagine what wonders he will do in the musical world when he grows up! The winner of the best female voice in the competition, Karenn Lazo dazzled next! She was all grace and her voice was so powerful!

Sebastien and Karenn performing

Next came the much awaited mariachi band, all spectacular in their costumes and the extravaganza began! What powerful voices & what energy!  What grace, what awesome stage presence! It was really something to be watching that! The songs kept coming one after the other and the strumming of the guitars, the exceptional violin playing, the awesome trumpets, the joking, the dancing  and the most beautiful combination of voices- it was just mindblowing!

I was so happy and grinning from ear to ear the whole time as the music was simply superb. There was so much of variety and so much going on. What clarity in their voices!  The energy and enthusiasm was so infectious- the band played non-stop for almost two and a half hours and it was a big party!

Some of my favorites in the show were “POR AMOR” (POR AMOR– watch this!),Vaqueros, hermoso cariño, Cielito Lindo Son Juasteco and this one- Por ti volare (you really must must see this!).

I was amazed at the multi-tasking of the members. One would come sing (do a lil jig too), and then go play the guitar or the violin and be a part of the chorus! My god- what stamina they must have! It was really a treat to watch them and at the end of the show, the performance had moved me to tears as the music touched me so deeply. I LOVE them!

The Mariachi Vargas band, courtesy UMS
The Mariachi Vargas band, courtesy UMS

The audience was amazing, singing along to most of the songs. In fact, many knew almost all the songs and the band gave a chance to a gentleman in the audience who did a great job (with José ‘Pepe’ Martinez jokingly trying to get the mike away as the singer sang the whole song!)

I was really very very happy after the show, one of the best I have ever seen in the Hill auditorium. This performance of Mariachi Vargas ranks really high in my all-time favorites! I hope I can watch another live performance of them sometime as this is definitely my kind of music! 🙂