Day-To-Day Coverage on the ANTI*POP Music Festival in Downtown Orlando-Day 3

November 23, 2:14 AMOrlando Music ExaminerWestley Valentin

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Hear The Elms at myspace.com/theelms

Day-To-Day Coverage on the ANTI*POP Music Festival in Downtown Orlando

Chapter Three: 11/15/08 – The Social, BACKBOOTH, and Tanquerays - (Saturday)

Performers: The Elms, Rachel Goodrich and Ben Prestage…

As the third day of the festival rolled around, the weather turned cold.  But I didn’t see anybody complain, and I for one wasn’t going to whine about the beautiful weather.  A harvest moon shined bright as the Orlando sidewalks illuminated with a glow from the satellite above.  I was in for a busy night.  I had three venues to cover and had a very narrow frame of time to do so.  I first went back to the BACKBOOTH venue to see a band from Seymour, Indiana named The Elms.

Hear Rachel's Music at myspace.com/rachelgoodrich

I met with Owen Thomas, the lead singer for the band, and spoke with him for a while before the show.  I asked him how they liked Orlando in the short time that they spent here, if they liked it at all.  What I got was an honest answer.  He told me that he and the band liked Orlando fine; he just wasn’t sure if Orlando felt the same way about them.  He felt like it would be hard to get recognition around “The City Beautiful” and was concerned that the culture of the top-forty clubs in the area would drown out their sound (not in a literal sense), but in the sense of not getting any acknowledgment with ticket sales.  I understood what he was saying, but I somewhat disagreed. 

Blues Master Ben Prestage Playing His Cigar Box Guitar!

After listening to them and seeing them perform, I instantaneously became a fan.  Without being melodramatic, I felt like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers were before my eyes.  Their classic American chords harmonized with the relatable lyrics that seemed to be inspired by the working class.  Their style was placid on the eyes and ears, which is most definitely refreshing amongst the trendy Emo and Screamo focuses of today.  Their showmanship radiated through the crowds with a finesse that didn’t include head banging, which seems to be the generic ‘move’ of today’s rockers.  

I sincerely hope that they come back to Orlando (seeing as how they love the town itself), and that Orlando proves them wrong and supports them.  They truly have a style that is honest, and although somewhat retrospective of acts like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, is truly a breath of fresh air in today’s music. 

After The Elms show, I quickly walked over to the Social, just in time to see Rachel Goodrich.  (Okay, just so you know, the next two acts that I will be talking about tied for best performances of the whole festival).  First:  Rachel Goodrich…As soon as she took the Social’s stage, she commanded the crowd like a snake charmer.  We were the snakes.  Her band of colorful beatniks played creative music that blew the whole crowd away with a colorful rainbow.  Her performance was almost like a reverie of a small, lonely child playing music in her head as imaginary friends followed along with instruments not recognized by professors at Berkley.  Kazoos and toy instruments grasped the audience just as well as Metallica grasped their generation of metal heads.  After the show, a massive encore was called for.  One man shouted “Rachel, please come back and play!”  He repeated this for at least five minutes.  Unfortunately, she couldn’t out of respect for the other artists.  But of the whole fest, her act was the only one that had an encore asked for. 

I approached her after the show to ask her questions.  She was the type of person that I perceived to be a free spirit who only took commands from the wind that guided her through life.  The crowd in Orlando completely fell in love with her, and she most definitely has a future following here in O-Town.  I asked her for a quote; she looked at me plainly and said, “Shake-a-Billy!”

After her show, I went to the underground (literally, not socially underground) bar of Tanquerays.  At this point in the night, I was extremely tired, working a little over six hours with no break.  So I decided that maybe I should just call it a night and go have a P.B.R at Tanquerays.  Right when I walked in, a young man by the name of Ben Prestage took the stage.  As I sat down with my beer, a style of blues blasted over the speakers that I’ve only heard in my antique vinyl record collection.  My brain flipped, and a realization of true talent came over me like an epiphany.  “This guy is amazing!” I thought to myself.  At this point I was in the back of the venue and could not get a good look at the musician.  Once I did see him, I found out that this musician was a kid like me although he played the blues like an old man from the swamps.  He played way beyond his years, mature and soulful.  What was also amazing was that Prestage played a type of guitar that I have never seen before.  Now when you think of the Blues and guitars, the first thing that comes to most musicians’ minds is Telecaster, Stratocaster or an old acoustic guitar, right?  No, Ben played a guitar called the ‘cigar box guitar.’  This instrument was invented by John Lowe and consisted of the body of an actual cigar box, two broom handles for the neck, and three strings (one being a bass string and the other two being guitar stings).  It’s played with a slide and has the most unique sound that I have ever heard.

As I sat with my beer just enjoying and soaking in the music, I started to notice the crowd.  Trendy kids, older couples, and the professional types were all on the floor dancing to this ancient American music.  His blues conjured a rhythmicity that possessed the most introvert to dance.  After his set, when he tried to sell his albums, a girl came up to him and said, “Your music has changed my life.”  Ben, being a humble and gentle man, smiled bashfully and thanked the young woman for purchasing his album.  And this is why I also crown him, along with Rachel Goodrich, as having the best performance of the whole festival.  Don’t worry, I’ll be in contact with Prestage and plan to do an exclusive interview so that you all will get to know him better.

By the time I got home that night, it was 5 o’clock in the morning.  As I was driving home, I was content.  Content in the fact that if Orlando and promotion companies like Foundation Presents book shows like these in the future, us Orlandonians will never have to worry about a stagnate performance scene.

Make sure to check out all of the venues that I’m writing about and support them.  All of them have great drink prices and great lineups for future months, and on a quick note to all you guys out there, Tanquerays waitresses aren’t bad to look at.  Well, that’s me; make up your own mind, peace…    

MAKE SURE TO READ ABOUT THE FOURTH AND FINAL DAY!!!!

Article Guide:  Main Article Guide to the whole Anti*Pop Music Festival!

                         Day One To the Anti*Music Festival-The Backbooth Show!

                         Day Two To the Anti*Pop Music Festival-The AKA Lounge Show!

                         You are at The Article for Day Three of The Anti*Pop Music Festival!

                        Day Four for The Anti*Pop Music Festival 2008-The Felice Brothers and Matt Butcher!