-Posted with permission from Laura Wilkinson, Editor-in-Chief of The Technician
Get Your Vote On!Free Concert To Urge Voter Registration and Participation
By: Josh Eure
September 25, 2004
It’s that time again; when tension fills the halls and many students are stressed in anticipation of their first grades of the semester. Though this period of academic settling is distracting to say the least, another source of tension is converging on campuses across the nation--the upcoming election.
Much like our nation at the present time, our campus is fairly well divided and everyone seems to have an opinion. Still, for those who haven’t had the opportunity to inform themselves, a free concert is being held in Chapel Hill tonight to aid in their political education. The event, aptly named “Get Your Vote On!” will be held from 7 pm to 11 pm on the outdoor plaza atop the Rosemary St. parking deck, behind the Franklin St. Post Office and Amber Alley.
Four bands will grace the stage in an effort to urge voter registration and participation, especially among new voters. The local acts sponsoring the event and performing will be Big Fat Gap, Saludos Compay, The Old Ceremony (featuring Django Haskins) and Red Skeleton. Also, Vanguard Publications’ press release stated that “[between] music sets, political and activist leaders from the community will address the audience on the subject of voting inflections.” Orange County Commissioner Moses Carey will be speaking along with many others like Carrboro Alderman John Herrera, North Carolina State Senator Ellie Kinnaird, Mayor of Carrboro Mike Nelson, CHCCS Board of Education member and Orange County Commissioner Democratic nominee Valerie Foushee and civil rights lawyer and Chapel Hill-Carrboro branch NAACP Executive Committee member Al McSurely, just to name a few.
While these auspicious personalities are obviously enough to lend the event some weight, it is the music that will likely bring the flocks. In an interview last week, Chris Heaney, mandolin player for the Big Fat Gap outlined the group’s agenda in playing such an important political event. “What we as a group stand for…is openness and inclusion. We want to support freedom of choice, awareness about the importance of this election and what [it] represents for students.” The Big Fat Gap is a principled bluegrass band and they take their music very seriously. Guitarist and vocalist Miles Andrews, mandolin player Chris Heaney, banjo player Andy Thorn, fiddler Bobby Britt, lead guitarist and backup vocalist Jon Stickley (also founder of the NCSU Bluegrass Club), and bassist Robert Mitchener have been playing together, with numerous lineup changes, for over three years and are steadily gaining steam. While the group is not planning to enter the studio, they are currently working on a live recording. Another live set is available on their website (www.bigfatgap.com). When asked about the reason for rejecting a studio-based album, Chris said, “I really feel like our live sound is what defines us.”
With influences ranging from Tony Williamson, local mandolin virtuoso and historian, to Bill Monroe, the undisputed father of bluegrass; this Triangle-based sextet is sure to please bluegrass enthusiasts and bring to the fore an intense appreciation for their genre. Amusingly, Chris felt it necessary to distance their music from an often obnoxious label. “We’re a traditional bluegrass band. Not a jam-band.”
Though the “Get Your Vote On!” concert will be fairly unilateral politically, the music promises to be diverse and original. Saludos Compay (meaning Greetings Friends) will be presenting their audience with an intense Latin and uniquely tribal sound. The core of the band is keyboardist Eric Lieth, conga player Chuck Nolan, and lead vocalist and guitarist Pablo Valencia. Their lyrics are composed in either Spanish or Portuguese, the sound shifting frequently from Latin to Bossanova. When questioned about their influences, Pablo was at a loss. “I couldn’t tell you a specific influence. I think it’s pretty much our background to listen to all kinds of music. You could probably say that our sound comes from everywhere.”
Saludos Compay plan to have an album for sale around Jan. ’05, but are still in the process of coming up with a time frame for the project. While the band’s primary focus is their music, they are greatly concerned about the forthcoming election and the lack of new voters. Defining Saludos Compay’s agenda in performing at tonight’s concert, Pablo said, “We do not sympathize with the direction the country is taking. We feel there is a lot that we can do to motivate folks to go to the polls and vote.” Pablo and his band are excited about the show and eager to aid in the fight against the current administration. Pablo proclaims, “Many of the Bush policies, especially those that affect our taxes, foreign affairs and the environment, benefit the very rich at the expense of everyone else.” This is an opinion that will find immeasurable support tonight and is important whether one agrees or not; but it is their sound that holds priority.
In keeping with the diversity of this event, The Old Ceremony will be heralding their own somber orchestration that will certainly inspire curiosity. Guitarist, vocalist and composer Django Haskins describes their sound as “pop noir” or “50’s murder mystery music. It’s like pop songs written for a Hitchcock film,” Haskins said. As if that were not enough to, Haskins added what seems to be the theme of tonight’s revelries. “And we want to make sure that everyone gets out and votes in November.” A noble agenda, and the primary purpose of this free concert.
With Haskins on guitar and vocals, Matt Brandau on bass, Mark Simpson on vibes and organ, Dan Hall on drums, James Wallace on piano and Gabriel Pelli on violin; one would be hard pressed to find a more distinct sound.
The band has posted three songs on their website (www.theoldceremony.com) for preview and are presently in the process of recording a twelve track disc on Pro-Tools. In light of the group’s eclectic sound, it isn’t surprising to find that their influences range from the dark compositions of Nick Cave, Tom Waitts and Astor Piazzolla to the soulful crooning of Frank Sinatra. The other band set to perform tonight (Red Skeleton) was unavailable for an interview, but will no doubt be enjoyable; and considering the differences between the aforementioned groups, one can only guess at their genre. Their political conviction? Well, don’t expect to see much variation there. The event, though vehemently one-sided, is guaranteed to be entertaining and a host to many high profile personalities. So if you’re undecided on the upcoming election, aren’t sure if you will vote, or just love good music, make Chapel Hill your stomping grounds this evening. I certainly will.
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-Posted with permission from Laura Wilkinson, Editor-in-Chief of The Technician
