~Meniscus Archives~

Summer 2004
Issue #4

May - August 2004
 
           

Visual Art and Spiritual Evolution
Andy Gmür
Biological evolution has advanced to the point that a 'spiritual evolution' is taking place. This natural process is happening, no matter if we are aware of it or not.

The Dehydration Epidemic
Jaime Larese
Our first step to improving a myriad of health problems is understanding dehydration and how much water we need to be drinking daily to maintain our fragile health.

What's Endangering Our Earth?
Jeff Hernandez
The everyday items that are meant to facilitate our lives, in fact may be harming us more than we bargained for. Organic chemicals are extremely cheap to produce and are very effective in their job functions.

Looking Forward to Clean Energy
Jon Heinrich
Fortunately, solutions exist and if we are able to raise awareness and convince our policy makers to consider it a priority, we can all look forward to a bright, energy-rich future instead of one marked by environmental, political, and social disaster.
Sustainability
Aaron Ades
You don't need to save for a rainy day if you create a system that is in harmony with the needs of the human animal. Create what you need and eliminate the reliance on things you cannot create.
Ten Things You Can Do to Help Your Earth
Chrystie Hopkins
Whether you live in New York City or Big Fork, Montana, everyday decisions that you make can impact the environment. The revolution starts at home. Here are ten things that you can do to help save YOUR world.
Gaia
Derek Gumuchian
We are all one. In this article we explore the idea of the Earth as an entire entitiy and as our mother.
The Fabulous Sylvan Sisters
Dan Berthiaume
An hour later, Donna was lazily reclining in the passenger seat of Melinda's cherry red Volkswagen New Beetle, consuming a brunch consisting of a can of Diet Pepsi and a low-tar cigarette...
è bella Designs in Peru
Michael Weintrob
Photographer Michael Weintrob travels to Peru with è bella Designs, to capture how è bella has helped to revive the art of weaving and the Peruvuian economy.
Rough Around the Edges
Jonathan Alsop
Invinoveritas.com

Technically, first thing in the morning is the very best time to taste wine since your palate is fresh and unviolated. But I don't do it: the sight of daddy in his bathrobe on a Sunday morning slogging down a half-dozen bottles of wine could stay with a child.

Show Review:
Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda—Six Years of friends, funk and crack horns.
Jon Heinrich
Pete Pidgeon & Arcoda celebrate six years as a band by playing at Boston's Harpers Ferry. Opening up for Arcoda was Color and Talea and Caveman. 4/4/04.


CD Reviews:


Empty Food
Kerry Rumore
Fish Pond &
The Little Prince Discovers a Rose
Katie Molnar

Selections by Brian Gagné:

  • [It Fails to Pass]
  • Fever/Lever
  • Grief
  • Smallness annihilated in the scope of puzzlement
  • Untitled A

Events:
Spring Issue Launch
Club Europa,
Feb. 19, 2004

State of the Art,
Oct. 23, 2003

MetroSaturdays
Portland, Maine
Aug. 30, 2003

Premier Launch,
Zeitgeist Gallery,
Aug. 14, 2003

 

~Sixth Anniversary~
Pete Pidgeon
and Arcoda
Friends, Funk and Crack Horns.
So where are all the groupies?

4/4/4

Harper's Ferry, Boston, MA

Published 5/15/04

Despite the fact that it was Sunday night, people were out to see Pete’s new Duane Allman anti-goatee ‘stash in force. Pete Pidgeon and Arcoda played Boston’s Harpers Ferry to commemorate their sixth anniversary as a band with friends and family showing their respect for the band through the good times. The setlist featured a healthy repertorie of Arcoda classics, including lots of songs about making love—but who doesn’t like to make love? The brass backing from the Two Dolla Crack Horns capitalizes the progress the band has made over the last six years. Their simple presence commanded respect from the audience.

 

The hyper fusion jazz of Color and Talea opened the show, but not with a lot of melodies. Instead, lots of self imposed chaos among sax effects, driving drum beats, and six-string bass lines. Picture in your mind, a sax like Skerik over a chaotic drum kit ranging from techno to skat-jazzy. Relative insanity!

 

During “Testorone Zone” sax player Anthony Buonpane, jumped around and spun his body to the floor in a violent explosion of human flailing.

Covering unusual songs like 9 Inch Nails’ “Closer”, their rehearsed insanity was tight and precise.

 

Caveman came on the stage next with their floating, story-telling jams. Every player of this quintet is adept in their distinctive improvisational form.

 

The energetic instrumental set started with slow, trippy world sounds that swelled brilliantly onto consciousness opening stories and fusion-esque craziness.

It is obvious that passion drives the beats of this perpetual groove. The loose rootsy, dream music was in stark contrast to Color and Talea’s hyper fusion jazz set and Arcoda’s melodic song-oriented set to come.

As the Caveman set concluded and Arcoda began to set up, a noticeable change occurred in the crowd. The sparse Sunday crowd suddenly swelled to a group you’d expect to see on a Thursday or Friday night. Doubling in size, the crowd took on new life. The previous two performances more closely resembled a recital you’d see at Berklee School of Music, where people stood around concentrating wholly on the music, saying nothing to their neighbors. Everyone held a stoic glance, quietly examining the new music in front of them.

 

When Arcoda took the stage however, people seemed to stream in out of nowhere as if there was a party in another room that had just been unleashed on the venue. Not only did the numbers pickup, there was suddenly a loud distinctive party noise echoing throughout. Whereas not many people were dancing before, by the time Pete Pidgeon took the first strum on his guitar, the dance floor was packed.


Pictured here, the Two Dollar Crack Horns consist of
Sam Kininger on alto sax, Brian Thomas on trombone,
and Chris "C Money" Welter on trumpet. Johnny Trauma, guitar,
also joined the band several times throughout the evening.

Warming the crowd up nicely, the four core members of the band, Adam Beamer on keys, Ben Hoadley on bass, and Aaron Jackson on drums opened with "The Way." By the time the Two Dolla Crack Horns took the stage on "You’re My Girl" to kick it up a notch, the crowd was hoppin’. It turned from a listening party to a dancing party! Over the past six years, Arcoda’s lineup has seen many faces come and go. With Pete Pidgeon as the common denominator, the band has had impressive members pass through it, all contributing to today’s sound.

 

Perhaps the most influential addition to the band in recent years is Adam Beamer. Bringing continuity, complementary vocals and much of his own material. The band hasn’t been the same since.

 

While Arcoda breaches the jamband category, they retain their own niche with emphasis placed melodically in the song writing. They pull influence from jazz, jam, and 80s culture to produce an elegant energetic folk sound.

 

In their third year in Boston, the band stays busy touring around the Northeast and promoting their recent album, ...at first sight. While the album is a gentle collection of easy going folk rhythms, the shows are anything but mellow.

Freedom and love flow about the crowd of beautiful people that are latched to the driving inspiration of live music. Deep folk roots and elegant simplicity comes through every note Arcoda plays. Pete, we wish you the best for your next six years! Keep on rockin’!

 

Jon Heinrich

 

Meniscus Magazine © 2004. All material is property of respective artists.