Moving the Earth Festival

The Windup Space
Baltimore, Maryland USA
March 22, 2014

Last weekend the second annual Moving the Earth Festival took place at The Windup Space in Baltimore, Maryland.  Heavy Planet was on hand for night one of this two day affair, and we got to soak in the grooves and get sloppy with some of the finest riff slingers the East coast has to offer.  In the words of festival organizer, Sixty Watt Shaman/Foghound drummer, and all around cool guy Chuck Dukehart III, the event was created to be a "celebration of all things heavy."  Based on the ringing in my ears, the pounding in my temples, and the puddle of drool on my pillow the following morning, I'm fairly certain his vision was realized.  

Passage Between

Moving their set from the scheduled start time of 8:00 to 7:15 in order to make room in the lineup for fellow Baltimore locals Asthma Castle (who were originally scheduled to play on Sunday), didn't seem to bother Passage Between…other than maybe they just screamed a little louder.  Brewing with sheer intensity, the trio served as a mighty appetizer for the early arrivers as they wrapped sludgy rhythms in raw throated roars that were certain to turn the heads of a few innocent passersby strolling down Baltimore's North Avenue.  Throat shredding duties were shared by guitarist Cole Crick and bassist Cameron Smith as drummer Joseph Bradshaw worked over the drum kit, which was to be used by all of the evening's performers.  A brief, yet brutal introduction of what was yet to come; Passage Between did their goddamned best to make the festival's namesake a reality.
 

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Asthma Castle

The stage at The Windup Space is not a large one, and after witnessing a three piece lay waste to it, the five members of Asthma Castle looked rather…err…cozy.  Sludgy fuzz emanated from the dual guitar attack of Justin Ethem and Cameron Smith (pulling double duty after having played bass with Passage Between), as bassist Jeff Davis and drummer Adam Jarvis (also Misery Index and Pig Destroyer) held down a rhythm that was as solid as a brick shithouse.  Vocalist Matthew Yukna pleaded to the heavens with a hoarse howl as the band segued in and out of stoner rock grooves, suffocating doom and relentless hardcore passages.  Safe to say that necks in the crowd were beginning to noodle and Moving the Earth was hitting its stride.

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Supervoid

I'm a big fan of Pittsburgh's Supervoid, having placed their recent LP Filaments at number two on my "best of 2013" list, so I was plenty fired up to catch their set at Moving the Earth.  The cosmic fuzz found on that album carried over perfectly to the stage of The Windup Space on songs like "Ladders," "War Elephant," and "Ride the Snake" and the band even took this opportunity to introduce a couple of new tracks which fit right in alongside the old ones.  The first of these, "Gallows" was a showcase for guitarists Dave Warren and Joe Madia, who manage to interweave their riffs, solos and other such elements with prog-like proficiency throughout Supervoid's textural soundscapes.  Between generous pulls of PBR, vocalist Brian Urban explained that the second new one, titled "Against Sunrise," is "about zombies and shit" before flaunting his impressive vocal range, which manages to evoke everything from Mike Patton to Randy Blythe.  Bassist John Braymer navigated a pedal board every bit as impressive as any of those used by the multitude of guitarists on the evening's bill while drummer Greg Kemper kept the backbone of this intricate beast intact.  Supervoid are a band who are stretching the boundaries of what "stoner rock" can be and that was evident during their set at Moving the Earth.  If you get the opportunity to check them out, you'd do well to take advantage.

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Black Manta

This festival had been billed as “the return of Sixty Watt Shaman,” but to be fair, they weren’t the only reunited legends on tap for the evening.  Carrying the “Doom Capital” flag from the genre’s halcyon days, it was evident as soon as Black Manta took the stage that these dudes have like…seen things, man.  Lead vocalist Skull stalked the front of the stage as he glared at the Moving the Earth crowd, his eyes wide with crazy, one fist thrust high in the air, and the other strangling his microphone.  Meanwhile bassist Walter White stood his ground at stage right, thumping away at the fuzzed out tones of the band’s self-described “bomb rock” while guitarist Hillel Halloway grooved out to the left.  Drummer Tommy Carr flailed away at the community drum kit, seemingly doing his part to make sure there would be nothing left of the thing by festival’s end.  For those old enough to remember when Black Manta stood alongside the likes of Earthride, Unorthodox, and Internal Void atop the underground doom scene of the mid-Atlantic, nostalgia reigned supreme during “Days of Yore” from the band’s now classic EP Fuck Them All but Six.  But it was the nodding approval and cheers from the younger contingent that proved the timelessness of these tunes.  Welcome back Black Manta…it’s been too long.

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Wasted Theory

The American flag draped over one of Wasted Theory’s amplifiers just seemed to enhance the dirty, southern swagger buried in the Delaware band’s heavy grooves.  Vocalist/guitarist Larry Jackson Jr. strained every vein in his neck as he pushed his gravelly voice right to the edge.  Meanwhile, he and guitarist Dave McMahon, who just joined the band a few months back, traded licks like sparring partners as Wasted Theory plowed through a set of all new material from their upcoming full length Death and Taxes (due May 2014).  Not to be outdone, Jonathan Charles rumbled the guts of everyone in attendance with his four string, while drummer Brendan Burns twirled his sticks, held them over his head in an upside down cross, and generally beat the shit out of the skins for the entirety of the band’s 40 minute set.  I caught Wasted Theory just under a year ago when they came through Washington DC and to take nothing away from that performance, I am amazed at how much they’ve grown.  After what I saw in Baltimore last weekend, I can’t wait to get my hands on that new record. 
  

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Kingsnake

Quite simply, Philadelphia’s Kingsnake get better every time I see them.  With one foot planted firmly in rhythm and blues and the other resting on a stratum of stoner rock, the band displays a smooth confidence onstage and if it weren’t for the reunion of the legendary Sixty Watt Shaman to follow, they would have made worthy headliners for the Moving the Earth Festival.  The dual guitars of Brian Merritt and Bill Jenkins combined heaviness with improvisation, and when Jenkins added his gruff, whiskey drenched vocals, songs like “Fang of the Cobra” from the band’s excellent 2013 LP One Eyed King of the Blind sounded both monumental and boogielicious.  The rhythm section of Matt Kahn on bass and Matt Farnan on drums was fluid…almost jazz-like…and when the band broke into the sing-a-long chorus of “Mountain Girl” it felt like The Windup Space had been magically transformed into a 1970’s arena rock show.  It’s obvious at this point that Kingsnake are on their way up.
    

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Sixty Watt Shaman  

Finally, after so much buildup and anticipation, it was time to put any rumors, expectations, and past memories to rest…it was time to revive the legendary Sixty Watt Shaman.  After more than a decade apart, vocalist/guitarist Dan Soren, bassist Reverend Jim Forrester and drummer Chuck Dukehart III were joined by new guitarist Todd Ingram as they brought their southern fried, stoner rock back to the stage.  The band collectively disposed of any lingering anxieties by diving right into “Cactus Mexicali” from their 1998 debut Ultra Electric and as they transitioned into “Southern Gentleman” (also from Ultra Electric), you could almost see the rust fall away and the confidence begin to grow.

Reverend Jim Forrester seemed to enjoy every second of the band’s set as he roamed the stage like a raving maniac, thumping out the rhythm to a suite of songs from Sixty Watt’s classic Seed of Decades album.  By contrast, Todd Ingram stoically stood his ground as he seemingly concentrated on winning over the Sixty Watt faithful by nailing each and every lead, riff, and rhythm.  Right behind them, Chuck Dukehart III gave the Moving the Earth drum kit its final bout of punishment for the evening, occasionally looking over his shoulder to sing backing vocals on songs like “Fear Death by Water,” or to crack jokes about the band’s fog machine…”hey look, I’m on fire.”  And when he wasn’t playing rhythm guitar, Dan Soren occasionally picked up a tambourine as he wailed into his microphone, or mined the depths of his signature baritone.  The band was tight, the crowd was electric, and by the time Sixty Watt closed out their set with the epic “Red Colony,” it was pretty damn evident that this revival was complete.

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Sixty Watt Shaman Setlist:

Cactus Mexicali

Southern Gentleman

Seed of Decades

Fear Death by Water

Poor Robert Henry

New Trip

Stone’s Throw Away

Whiskey Neck

Pull the Strings

Red Colony

Check out more pictures from the show below:

Passage Between:

Asthma Castle:

Supervoid:

Black Manta:

Wasted Theory: 

Kingsnake:

Sixty Watt Shaman:

Karma to Burn with Borracho

Rock & Roll Hotel
Washington DC
September 21, 2011

Karma to Burn blew through the nation's capital last night, laying waste to the Rock & Roll Hotel on their way through town. Fortunately, Heavy Planet was on hand to witness this aural onslaught in all its sonic glory. But before the instrumental trio took the stage, local boys Borracho plowed through an epic set of stoner rock grooves that had the early arrivers moving and sweating by the time they were finished.

The band wasted no time settling into their rhythm as Steve Fisher picked up his guitar and immediately tore into the opening notes of "All In Play". Noah Greenburg followed suit as he seemingly choked the song's riff out of his guitar while simultaneously introducing the Hotel crowd to his gruff, vocal chord straining bark as he demanded…"get your boots on!". Borracho proceeded to run through three fourths of their debut album Splitting Sky during their 45 minute set which was highlighted by the frenetically paced "Concentric Circles" and the doom laden "Bloodsucker". The latter of which featured perhaps the strangest sing-along ever as bassist Tim Martin joined Fisher and Greenburg in pleading "why don't you take off your clothes?"


But nothing compared to the band's closing number, the epic "Grab the Reins". The song required drummer Mario Trubiano to keep the groove firmly in the pocket as Borracho journeyed through multiple tempo shifts and stylistic alterations. The finale easily spanned a quarter of the band's overall set time and showcased their uncommon ability for laying down complex grooves that meander in and out of stoner, doom and classic rock territory all within the span of the same song. This is their signature…this is their knack. And so by the time Fisher, Greenburg and Trubiano waved to the crowd and casually walked offstage, leaving Martin alone as he finished plucking out the song's funky ass bass line, it was as if to say…our job is done here…you people have been thoroughly rocked.


After a quick equipment swap out and sound check, Karma to Burn took the stage and with nary a word…proceeded to rock the fuck out for the next sixty minutes. Being no stranger to instrumental bands…I was left awestruck by how thoroughly entertained I was by this one. The trio didn't just get onstage and jam…they had something else…presence…emotion…they were electric onstage. Not once did I think to myself…"man these guys are good, but they could really use a singer."

Guitarist William Mecum stalked stage left throughout the band's set, at times staring off into the crowd, at others with his back to us as he jammed to his own amplifier. He even left the stage altogether at one point, setting up shop right in front of the folks down front. Rich Mullins camped out on the other side of the stage in a stance very much akin to nearly doing the splits as he ran up and down the frets of his bass, never losing the smile that was plastered on his grill all night long. You think he loves this shit? You're damn right he does.


And that brings us to drummer Rob Oswald, who was a sweaty mess of hair and appendages all flailing around simultaneously. The man played like an absolute maniac beating the shit out of his kit so severely that the band took breaks after every other song to allow him to re-tighten his snare drum. In fact at one point as I held down my spot up front, I thought I felt something dripping on me from the ceiling…turns out it was wood shavings from Rob's drum sticks flying across the stage as he bashed his overhead cymbals…seriously.


With their pummeling riffs and obvious love of their craft, Karma to Burn left quite an impression on the DC crowd. It was evident by the chants of "K to B" that echoed through the Rock & Roll Hotel long after the band had left the stage. But there would be no encore. Karma to Burn had said all they needed to say without actually saying a word at all. And with that, a very kick ass evening of rock and roll in Washington DC came to a very satisfying conclusion.

Concert Review - King Giant with The Resurrection Sorrow and The Crimson Electric

The Red and the Black

Washington, DC

March 13th, 2010

The Crimson Electric

The opener for tonight’s stoner rock extravaganza at The Red and the Black was Virginia Beach’s The Crimson Electric who blasted the early arrivers with a fuzzed out wall of noise that sounded an awful lot like the desert rock perpetrated by Kyuss back in the early 90’s. With guitarists Will Sprague and Brett Mathews, bassist Dan Luper and drummer Brian Malbone cramming the tiny stage, vocalist Josh Nelson was forced to get up close and personal with the audience, literally performing from the venue’s floor. The singer wailed into a 50’s style microphone that could have been fit for Elvis, but somehow seemed perfect for The Crimson Electric’s driving, riff heavy tunes. Standing so close that I nearly caught a stray elbow from Nelson as he whirled around with his eyes closed, obviously feeling the energy from the gut-rattling riff-rock blasting behind him, I couldn’t help but crack a smile as my head began to nod uncontrollably. This was beginning to feel more like a stoner rock community gathering rather than a concert. And when Todd from King Giant walked up with a handful of shots for the guys onstage, that feeling was confirmed. If the opener was any indication, I was in for quite an evening.

The Resurrection Sorrow

Continuing in the doom and gloom department, The Resurrection Sorrow (great name) upped the ante by bringing a little New York City swagger to the stage with them on Saturday night. With a lineup consisting of Alex Dementia on vocals, Zak Gross on guitar, Alex Coelho on bass and Louie Gasparro (formerly of legendary NYC bands Murphy’s Law and Blitzspeer) on drums, the band picked up where The Crimson Electric left off, pummeling the crowd with riff upon riff of pure heaviness. Touring in support of their latest release "Hour of the Wolf", The Resurrection Sorrow’s music was every bit as impressive as the other bands on the bill, but unfortunately Dementia’s vocals suffered from technical difficulties with his cordless microphone.

This of course led me to question the need for a cordless mic in a venue the size of your average living room. And it was that aura of "rock star" posturing that held me back from truly enjoying The Resurrection Sorrow. With Dementia dramatically falling to his knees, spinning around in circles and relentlessly antagonizing the sound tech about the problems with his mic, I got the impression that the band, or at least their singer, was trying to play an arena, not a club. That notion wasn’t lost on Brett Mathews, The Crimson Electric’s guitar player, who could be heard heckling The Resurrection Sorrow between songs with comedic one-liners like "pure vocal sex" aimed at Dementia and "string mayhem" meant for Gross. Don’t get me wrong, Mathew’s barbs were purely fun in nature and really leant more to that aforementioned "community" feel than to anything antagonistic, but regardless, his comments were dead on and the ensuing laughter from the audience was proof that he wasn’t the only one thinking it.

Dementia and company were good sports about it though and by the end of their set they seemed to settle down and get comfortable in the tight quarters of The Red and the Black. The vocalist even offered an apology for his incessant complaining, saying that he "isn’t trying to be a bitch" about the feedback issues with his mic, but by this point his frustration had become painfully obvious. No matter, the crowd seemed willing enough to forgive and forget, and they showed their solidarity with raised fists and banging heads throughout the remainder of The Resurrection Sorrow’s set.

King Giant

When it came time for King Giant to hit the stage, the crowd had swelled to maximum capacity and literally filled the room from wall to wall. Guitarist David Kowalski, bassist Floyd Walters III and drummer Brooks set up shop onstage while guitarist Todd Ingram and vocalist Dave Hammerly made space down front. Hailing from the DC suburb of Pimmit Hills, Virginia, an "old, white trash, pagan neighborhood…full of bikers…and a great place to live" as described by Walters, King Giant appeared prepped and ready to put a cherry on top of this sludge rock sundae.

If there was any doubt whether King Giant could recreate the sound of their stellar "Southern Darkness" album in a live setting, they were laid to rest as soon as the first chords of "Lady Whiskey" chugged forth from their amplifiers. The band was tight, their sound was dead on and when Hammerly crooned the song’s opening manifesto, "does he have any idea what he’s getting into…maybe I should buy him a bottle or two" into his microphone, the stage was set (pardon the pun) for an onslaught of pure, blue collar, booze soaked, doom rock served up Southern style.

Speaking of Hammerly, the vocalist spent as much time singing to the drum set, a la Jim Morrison, as he did to the audience. Make no mistake, this is no criticism, the standoffish attitude actually works quite well with King Giant’s style and sound. In fact, you get the impression these dudes don’t give a shit if there’s anyone in the audience or not, they’re here to jam and dammit…that’s just what they’re gonna do.

Another highlight of the set came around the midway point when the band launched into "Mississippi River", a creepy little number that Floyd explained was originally written by his old band Blue Balls Deluxe (seriously, how can you not love these guys). The song finds Hammerly rasping "I gave her a lesson someone needed to give her, now they’re dragging for her bones in the Mississippi River" and features a sinister, bluesy riff that matches the evil tone of the lyrics to perfection. By the time King Giant wrapped up their set with the one, two punch of "Machine Gun Mantra" followed by "Solace", the place was a sweat soaked cesspool and every ear drum in the room had been beaten to a bloody pulp…mission accomplished.

After the show, when asked what’s next for King Giant, Ingram mentioned a new album in the works with plans to eventually play Philadelphia…New York…then maybe make their way down South to Raleigh and Atlanta…slow and steady. That plan of attack seems like a perfect summation of their sound as well…slow and steady. I for one have absolutely no problem with that. Wherever King Giant goes from here, count me in as being along for the ride.

If you live in or around the mid-Atlantic region of the US, be sure to check out King Giant at one of their upcoming shows:
June 19, 2010 - Woodbridge, VA at L&B's
June 26, 2010 - Frederick, MD at Krugs
July 17, 2010 - Washington, DC at The Red and the Black
August 13, 2010 - Manassas, VA at Mackey's
August 23, 2010 - Washington, DC at DC9
August 26, 2010 - Hoboken, NJ at Maxwells

And you can catch The Resurrection Sorrow on the following dates:
June 11th, 2010 - State College, PA at State College VFW
June 12th, 2010 - Clifton Heights, PA at Lotsa Metal Club
June 18th, 2010 - Gales Ferry, CT at Legends Rock Bar
June 19th, 2010 - Utica, NY at The Electric Company
June 25th, 2010 - Seaford, DE at Crazy 8's!
June 26th, 2010 - Frederick, MD at Krugs Place (w/ King Giant)

The Crimson Electric will be playing here:
July 9th, 2010 - Virginia Beach, VA at Jax Place
July 10th, 2010 - Frederick, MD at Krugs Place