rsfmotoman wrote:

I know all about trying to get my own surf band off the ground...tried for years and it never happened. I had to wait for someone to quit here in Cincinnati. Good luck in Texas!!!

Stacy, you're now in the Ampfibians??? Wow! I just watched the video, and, man, you're a GREAT bass player! You seem a complete natural in that band. I'm very happy for you all!

Ivan
Lords of Atlantis on Facebook
The Madeira Official Website
The Madeira on Facebook
The Blair-Pongracic Band on Facebook
The Space Cossacks on Facebook
The Madeira Channel on YouTube

A request of sorts:

I'm on the prowl for any photos from this year's Summit that either feature the Pabst logo, or have people drinking PBR in them. Rob Reilly, our Pabst rep, wants as many as he can get his hands on, although he made it tough for us this year by donating a keg rather than cans or bottles. If anyone has photos that are PBR heavy, let me know.

--Crispy

CrispyGoodness wrote:

A request of sorts:

I'm on the prowl for any photos from this year's Summit that either feature the Pabst logo, or have people drinking PBR in them. Rob Reilly, our Pabst rep, wants as many as he can get his hands on, although he made it tough for us this year by donating a keg rather than cans or bottles. If anyone has photos that are PBR heavy, let me know.

--Crispy

When did the Keg get there? Josh was buying beer all weekend without a clue that Pabst came through.

THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary.

www.thekbk.com
http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/
www.reverbnation.com/thekbk
www.facebook.com/thekbkal

When did the Keg get there? Josh was buying beer all weekend without a clue that Pabst came through.

The keg was always there--but it was also much less beer than we normally got, hence everyone got those friggin' "one helping" drink tickets. PBR's new marketing director here still seems to be figuring things out. At least he's still interested in sponsoring us next year (If the Daikaiju incident doesn't do us in).

--Crispy

PS--I'm about a third of the way done with my recap--hope to have it ready by Monday.

UUGGHHH...the internet and my computer have conspired against me this week.

Saturday pics are up
Saturday Highlights.
Weisstronauts
Phatlynx
The Surge!
9th Wave
Crazy Aces
Atomic Mosquitos
SPF-4
Insect Surfers
Intoxicators
Daikaiju

Stacy

Last edited: May 25, 2014 20:02:58

Noels's new band!

Stacy

Thanks so much, Stacy! Wow!

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

rsfmotoman wrote:

I do want to add that as soon as I get all the pics up from the weekend on my website and Facebook. I am going to upload full-res images with no watermarks for the bands and everyone else to use.

That's very kind, Stacy! Thank you.

This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.

Great photos from all three nights Stacy !!!! Who does that guy with the cowboy hat think he is ??? Oh , that's me ....

Johnny Rocket
The Monterreys !
http://www.youtube.com/user/THEMONTERREYS?feature=mhum

Highlights and Lowlights of Instro Summit 2014

1. An unusual calm before the storm. No last-minute cancellations, or major snafus at the club, or even bad weather. True, we had some last-minute assembling of the video rig, and DJ Bumpadelic arrived a hair late, but everything was pretty much ready for action by the time the first band finished. Kudos to the Stancils, Savannah Ford, Deb Noble and Ted Theodore for helping get things assembled so smoothly.

2. The Trabants getting things off to fine start. Our first bi-coastal band played wonderfully, and endured my mocking of their clothes (untucked dress shirts w/ties) that made them dead ringers for the waitstaff at the nearby Geer St. Diner. One of the few bands with an active touring schedule that weekend, the Trabbi would head off to other gigs, but always returned to the Summit once things were done. They knew where the party was.

3. Snafus with our beer supply and a last-minute change by the club meant a lot of bands pretty much paid full price for their beer, which for many was a downer, but not a total disaster. At everyone got food half price–and it was worth it, too.

4. Atlanta’s Gemini 13 playing surf music in their full Gilligan’s Island getups. These folks had some great songs on their set, and even had a genuine Gilligan moment when the bass player kept unsuccessfully trying to start a song. You kept waiting for the guy dressed as the Skipper to come over and whack him with his hat.

5. Noting that Gemini 13 had only fifty-cent stickers to sell in our merch area, I insisted that everybody buy one, and was later able to proudly announce that a 12 dollar merch check would soon be heading their way.

6. Ashville, NC’s Krektones returning to our Summit, and bringing on the raunch and swagger that makes them great. Their complete cover of “A Fist Full of Dollars” nearly brought down the house.

7. Dom Casual making their first all-instrumental debut. Normally a singing band with a few choice instrumentals, The Summit gave them the first time to showcase their lyric-free material by itself, which caused some interesting reactions from the crowd. The Instrumental folks were surprised to hear they also sang, and the Dom Casual fans didn’t realize how many instrumental songs they actually played until they were put in the spotlight. Either way, everybody was happy.

8. The first hint that the Crazy Aces might be the big deal band of the weekend: I attempt to give out a copy of their new CD, and a huge crowd of folks rush after it like a bunch of hungry bride’s maids after the bouquet. I never saw Instro Summit people move so fast

9. The Aqualads present their new lineup. Jeremy Aqualad went into semi-retirement recently, and the ‘Lads have reorganized, with bassist Jimmy King taking over guitar duties. They also bravely presented a set of almost entirely new material, and all of it was played with the usual grace and effortlessness that sets the Aqualads apart. People clearly the respected the move, as applause for the band was loud and enthusiastic.

10. The Mystery Men? No, that should be The Mystery Men! As I have said after every Summit, these boys just get better and better every year, going to good to better to great and beyond. This year, they finally reached WWE Smackdown territory, ripping out a wicked set of instrumentals that left many an audience member shouting, “Oh HELL yeah!”. The crowd couldn’t be happier, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys.

11. Mystery Man Jamie Galatas’s happy face when I presented him with his very own stage fan, which no doubt helped him with his ass-kicking performance. Anything for a fellow fat brother.

12. Kill, Baby...Kill! knocking out yet another wickedly furious performance, in spite of several equipment issues that tried (and failed) to slow the pace. Although they were bummed they couldn’t use the Motorco’s video screen (it comes out in front of the stage, blocking the entire band from view) The crowd didn’t mind one bit.

13. The Vivisectors closing out Friday with a lively set, much less dark and metallic than last year, and no doubt helped by the Vivs getting a well-deserved nap after making a hell drive from Brooklyn NY that day. Mike Vivisector is one of the few people I know that can really make a baritone guitar work for him ( in his monstrous hands, it looks like a 3/4-sized guitar!), and this night he played beautifully. I also noted that he’s an excellent hugger, but I can’t recall if anyone but me took him up on the opportunity.

14. Arriving the next morning at 11 to discover the club was still locked. Manager and soundman Scotty Sandwich had taken ill overnight, and forgot to tell anyone else that we started up Saturday at noon (I guess no one read the flyer...)! Thankfully, James, our soundman from the night before, was able to save the day, pulling a massive 12-hour shift for us. He proved to be more than up for the job, tweaking certain bands to perfection, taming highs and rolling back lows, and enjoying himself just about the whole time.

15. A great Lunch Jam, in which nearly all songs were group efforts between fans and professionals, which made for good fun for everybody. Fans Noel Squitieri and Carol Busbey led us through rendition of the Intoxicator’s ‘Phantom Surfer” which Bob “The Surf King” Walk let the Intoxicators know about via text. This would have repercussions later in the evening.

16. A beautiful closing of the Lunch Jam, with a massive amount of guitar players on stage joining in a cover of “Endless Summer” a special tribute to the late George Boccanfuso. Sandy Oceana from 9th Wave came on stage towards the end and belted out a lovely flute solo, which made the song seem all that more heavenly.

17. Speaking of Lunch, the food at Motorco’s Parts & Labor restaurant proved to be a big hit with nearly everybody, providing a wide variety of spicy, multi-cultured chow that was served up quick and was easy on the pocketbook. I was quite fond of the Vietnamese-style “Moto-Bahn” sandwich, but the big hit seemed to be the “Chicken in a Waffle” which was fried chicken chunks drizzled with a maple-syrup/thai chili sauce, and served in a waffle cone–I kid you not. It was not only damn tasty, it even got a few vegetarians off the wagon.

18. El Capitain and the Band w/No Name firing up our matinee period with a fun set of sometimes surfy sometimes spaghetti-flavored material. Some folks dug the songs, others dug the great cheese log guitars James Freeman played (a Silvertone, and a Harmony Bobcat), while other dug the backing band, which was members of the Mystery Men? playing instruments they normally don’t play (Jamie Galatas on bass, and Mr. JaWa on guitar).

19. Freebies galore at our merch tables. Not only did we have our usual supply of free Vintage Guitar magazines, we also gave away bags of Utz Chips, (which would be eaten with enthusiasm all weekend long) Instro Summit guitar picks, and the occasional T-shirt or two from D’Addario. The big, big hit though, was free sets of D’Addario flatwound strings, which disappeared off the table faster than I could put them down. Want to make a guitarist (or bassist) your friend for life? Give ‘em free strings!

20. Our only “substitution” band this year (taking the place of an imploded Meteor IV) Greenville, NC’s The Out of Limits played a fine first show at their Summit debut, in spite of it being only their fourth show ever. Insect Dave of the Insect Surfers was nice enough to point out which songs they played he thought were top-notch, which no doubt made them feel good. Band members Christopher Jackson and Kevin Mills would end up staying nearly all weekend, wide-eyed and grinning from ear to ear.

21. Out of Limits bass player Christopher Jackson buying up CD’s from practically every band that weekend, clearly a new and hardcore convert to the instrumental scene. With every purchase, he would announce, “My wife is gonna kill me!”

22. The Weisstronauts Chinese fire drill set. Always a fun and talented band, to have them switch instruments every couple of songs and not only sound great, but still sound like the Weisstronauts...well, geez–just rub it in, why doncha’?

23. Genuine competition between guitarist during the “Can You Play as Wack’d as Link Wray?” contest. Everybody put out a badass solo, but Insect Dave’s kinetic warble whilst playing the guitar with his face clearly blew out the Wacko-O-Meter. I would later receive protest emails complaining of me allowing a “celebrity” to take part in the contest, which shows that not only our status as a festival is growing, but that people are finally taking our little contest seriously.

24. Nice words from folks after Phatlynx’s set (whom I should mention once again provided nearly all the house gear this year, with Killer Filler’s Greg Bower providing the remainder). A large number of compliments were that we are the first band they’ve seen that “Get Link Wray”, which left me quite flattered. Of course, when you’ve got Rick Miller of SCOTS as your teacher, it’s hard not to get Link! I only wish I could’ve focused a little more on my guitar playing instead getting distracted by all the people bringing wacky guitars up to the stage in advance of the Rumble Jam. (“What is that thing? A Galanti? EKO? Oh wait–I should be playing right now, shouldn’t I?”)

25. Yet another record broken-22 guitar players blasting out “Rumble” during the Rumble Jam. The sound was like the horns of a dozen ocean liners–Loud, Massive, and Thick as a Ton of Bricks. It was a Rumble Jam that actually rumbled! Good work, everybody!

26. The incredibly rapid changeover between the Rumble Jam and the Surge! set. Somehow, those fellers got all 22 guitar players and amps cleared out, and got their blonde piggyback set up and on stage a solid ten minutes before they had to go on Just goes to show you, if you want something done, and done right, get a bunch of old guys to do it And of course, they also kicked ass musically as well, even playing a special song they wrote for the Crazy Aces.

27. Learning that Mike Rosado, who had suffered a major injury last year, was playing with no less than two major injuries this year, yet still managed to kick ass with 9th Wave as usual, even throwing in some droll stage banter. I love Mike, and wish to heck that whoever put the Whammy on that man would cut it out.

28. A downright giddy set from Crazy Aces. One of the most anticipated groups of the weekend, the Aces did not disappoint. Worn out by jaded Nashville scenesters, they were delighted to have an audience that appreciated what they did, and seemed to be even more gleeful than the crowd, which was already pretty darned happy.

29. Sandy Oceana and Insect Dave leading a front row of dancers all doing the Monkey during the Crazy Aces set. “No one ever dances at our shows!” said a delighted Jeff Senn. Some fests have headbangers; we gots a wall-a-go-go.

30. A fabulous set as usual by the Atomic Mosquitos, which featured bass player Sean Rush poking his ‘Skeeter nose into my ear repeatedly. After they were done, he told me “you’re going to have my baby,”. Also appreciated was Paul Carson’s paying me a dollar after I gave the band a high-praise introduction. I meant everything I said, and now I’m a buck richer! Hoo Yeah!

31. SPF-4, whom I’ve been trying to get down here for years, playing a perfect set of beautiful, thoughtful surf music. They admitted to me they felt a little out of place among the more riotous acts of the evening, but at the Instro Summit good music is good music, and these guys deliver in spades. They also get special kudos for playing a Fender Starcaster during their set, which is certainly an Instro Summit first.

32. The Insect Surfers! Finally, we convince a band from California that our wacky lil’ East coast surf thing has some merit, and they ought to check it out. To their credit, Jon Paul Balak and Insect Dave came for the entire weekend, and enjoyed pretty much every dam’ band they saw, dancing up a storm or buying up their swag. Their own set, augmented by Moonbases’ Chad Shivers and the Intoxicator’s Brian Crum, was a delight, (and, many wold argue, too darned short), and they charmed our crowd almost as much as the crowd’s southern hospitality charmed them. They vow to return, which made everybody happy.

33. The Intoxicators taking a break from their usual raucous swagger, and inviting Noel Squitieri (who had led the lunch jam version of Phantom Mustang) to come up and play with the band on the ‘real’ version of Phantom Mustang. Noel was spot-on in his rhythm guitar duties, and I have to say I beamed like a proud father the whole time he played.

34. Daikaiju? Umm, where to begin? I figured that the Kabuki-clad madmen from Huntsville would try something wild, (and should’ve had a clue when Santanu whispered to me he was “a little nervous about our set” but I honestly had no idea what was going to happen (in fact, I actually went into the dressing room and took a power nap during the first part of their show!). From dragging the audience on to the stage, to playing on the dance floor, to setting their drums on fire (!), to dragging their outside to play more songs (at 1:30 in the morning!!) To Santanu climbing on the Motorco’s awning and rocking out whilst the audience held their drummer (and his drums) up above their heads–Holy Flaming Cow! It was truly Epic, the stuff of legends, and it’s a wonder we didn’t all get arrested. If I had a dollar for each time somebody said “Wow–that was amazing,” after their set, I’d be a millionaire. While there was some worry from a few members of the Motorco staff about damage that had been done to awning, nearly everybody was flat out ecstatic, and it was agreed that this may have been the most rocking thing to hit Motorco, The Instro Summit, and perhaps even the great Durham area. Any way you slice it, we’d seen something special.

35. Talking with Groves Willer after the Daikaiju set. Groves many years ago was witness to an extraordinary set by the Flat Duo Jets in which guitarist Dex Romweber played his guitar on the roof of Sadlack’s–in the rain, during a thunderstorm. I mentioned to him that now, after seeing Daikaiju’s madness, he was now one of the few people to witness TWO crazy guitar players rocking out on the roof of a bar, he nodded, and said, “Yep–I’ve got that going for me!”

36. Getting read the riot act by Jeremy, co-owner of the Motorco, over the damage to his club the next afternoon. In my defense, I admitted I had no idea what Daikaiju was up to, and Santanu not only agreed to pay for any damages, but also climbed up there himself and put the whole thing back together. But Jeremy was not impressed, and we’re all awaiting an estimate for any additional repairs. Stay Tuned, I guess. Meanwhile, everybody on the Instro Summit and Motorco staff were all feeling like a bunch of scolded children, caught bearing witness to the coolest thing we’d ever seen up to that point, wondering why our parents don’t get it.

37. The AmpFibians returning things back to normal, playing a fine first-time set . As I mentioned to AmpFibians bass man Stacy Fenner after the show, “you bring something different to the instrumental party, and that’s why you’re here,” Which could really be said for every band at the Instro Summit, hence its’ reason for being.

38. The first appearance of Bob Walk, the Surf King, and his wares at the Instro Summit. Bob has been pestering me for years to be a part of our wing ding, and he made a good call, as the man sold a mess of clothes all weekend. He was also regularly mistaken for Elvisfest/Heavy Rebel Weekender regular Daniel Short, who’d come down from Virginia to see what this Instro Summit business was all about. To be fair, there is a resemblance.

39. Arrows Out returning to the Summit after a much-loved debut last year. Technical and emotional issues kept the band to a shorter than planned set, but one thing they remembered to do this year was bring CD’s, and they sold a ton of ‘em. Even other bands that night cited them as “a band to watch”, which must have done Sterling, Noah, and the rest of the band proud.

40. The Monterreys ruling the stage as usual. True to form, guitarist Johnny Stewart owned that room, taking special delight in using other peoples’ gear (another Monterreys Instro Summit tradition), this time a Dick Dale Strat and a tiny-but thunderous Quilter Amp, both borrowed from Noel. The Monts also proved to be the most photogenic band of the evening, as R.Stacy Fenner’s photos prove.

41. Instro Summit Deejay DJ Bumpadelic’s turntable going bonkers after two and a half days of non-stop vynil spins. Bump had a great time this year, delighted I invited a lot of new bands to participate this time, and also had fun going through my tiny but somewhat unique collection of instrumental 45's, some of which he made a note of to put on his “buy” list. The turntable meltdown didn’t stop the man, he just slickly swapped one platter for another after that, turning into (as he put it) the human jukebox.

42. The X-Rayons returning to the Instro Summit stage after a four-year break. This band from Pittsboro has always brought something different to Instrumental Music, and I’m glad a bigger and more diverse crowd was able to the see them this time around. Bass player Mike Nicholson proved to be a funnier emcee than myself, and the crowd loved him for it.

43. One of the best bands of the evening, 16 Tons just flat-out rocked the Motorco stage, and made our smaller Sunday crowd sound like it was a packed Saturday night. The triple-guitar and Bass VI ensemble played everything from the Ventures to the Hollies to the Yardbirds to Henry Mancini, and all of it wanted to make you cheer. Pity they have nothing to sell–for now...

44. Noting the appreciation every time I gave away a MuSick Recordings CD on stage. When I presented a Fathoms CD, the crowd cheered, a Phantom Frank CD drew a mess of “ooooooo’s”. Clearly the Summit folks appreciate what ol’ Art is making out thar in Califurny.

45. Moonbase finally playing the Instro Summit stage after a last-minute cancellation last year. Although their early stuff reminded one of the “Iron Maiden meets Surf” sound of Vermont’s Concrete Rivals, the songs presented to us Sunday night were nothing of the sort, instead being melodic, multi-harmonied, poly-rhythmic hunks o’ gorgeous that made you smile with wide-eyed wonder. I love Chad Shivers in the Mystery Men?, but here he’s in a whole nuther ballpark, and hitting a mess of home runs.

46. Chad Shivers–who so far is the only band to play in three different Instro Summit bands over three different nights (The Mystery Men?, Insect Surfers and Moonbase) getting presented to him the first ever Instro Summit “Iron Horse” award, which was bag of D’Addario guitar accessories, and my old Southern Culture on the Skids crew shirt. I think I stunned him with the latter–he hugged me REAL hard after that.

47. Alleged gunplay at the Pit Restaurant next door, that led many people out of that building and into the Motorco, where it was thought to be safer. It also may have helped our merch sales, as several curious folks seemed to be impressed with the concert they were suddenly forced into.

48. A perfect moment: Chris “13" Pope, onstage with his band Blood Red River and waiting for us to finish drawing winners for the Instro Summit raffle, gets his name drawn as the winner of the year’s supply of Utz Potato Chips, the prize he has longed for since we started the raffle in the first place. Yes friends–at the Instro Summit dreams really can come true.

49. Saving the day right at the beginning of Blood Red River’s closing set; Our house bass amp conked out, but amp owner Groves Willer told me this might happen, and all it would need is a changing of its’ fuse. I replaced the fuse (all the while the crowd chanting “Utz! Utz! Utz!) And BRR’s beer-soaked Fuzz and Go-go powered madness was allowed to continue, the crowd now thinking I’m some kind of mechanical genius. Huzzah!

50. Realizing at the very end of the night, we had forgotten that most sacred of Instro Summit rituals: The Invocation of our Patron Saint, Bea Arthur. I once again read aloud the lyrics from the TV theme song to “Maude”, and sent everyone home with a smile on their faces, feeling downright triumphant. Except for the awning and the beer, this had really been a good fest, hadn’t it?

51. Non-stop praise all weekend from Instro Summit regulars and newbies for the fantastic lineup we put together this year. I won’t lie: The Instro Summit is an massive, time-consuming drain on me every year, but good words from everyone always seem to give me the strength to knock out just one more. Thanks everyone.

52. Cramming everything leftover into my car at the end of the night. I had brought two carloads to the Summit, and I hoped to leave with one. I almost pulled it off. Thank goodness Robby Poore was still there to take a few things home for me.

53. A fine moment of surreal hilarity: at 2:30 in the morning, the Motorco about to shut down, Robby Poore, Bumpadelic, Bill Lynch and myself all start singing the Armour Hot Dogs theme as tired old men. Only in the delirium of a post 3-day festival does this make any sense.

54. My fiancé’ Savannah Ford and I thinking it would be romantic to spend the night in our new but not yet moved into house after the Summit. On another night, this might have been a fine concept, but after three days of dehydration, exhaustion and soreness, sleeping on the floor of a cold, empty house with your significant other is a bad, bad idea. Thank goodness the marriage is still on.

–Crispy

Last edited: May 26, 2014 21:22:19