We’ve known Babe for years. And yet none of us have ever met.
They’ve been around a couple of years longer than we have; over the years, a few Dromedary bands have shared the stage with them, and I think we first exchanged letters – actual LETTERS because we’re fucking old as dirt – in the 90s when we put out the Mommyheads’ Flying Suit LP. Over the years, Tim and I have exchanged periodic emails – sometimes years apart. Whenever I got an email from Tim, it always made me happy to know that Babe were still out there, making ridiculous, crazy, experimental, unique music.
They’ve got a new album out called What About Today? (all of Babe’s albums are named after Barbra Streisand albums, this one after the 1969 LP that was, up until that point, her poorest performance on the charts). News of the album caused us to reconnect, another of our periodic exchanges of hellos, and this one led to a quick discussion of DromFest, the discovery that their new album was actually recorded in Catskill (where DromFest is being held), and an agreement to add the mighty Babe the Blue OX to the DromFest lineup.
The band will be playing Sunday afternoon, and you should absolutely make it a point to be there.
As Drom30 came to a close last year, a few people reflected on the weekend, and said “You know, you should make this an annual thing.”
We don’t know about that, but we definitely had it in us to reprise last year’s party and give it another try. And as we started asking other bands, we discovered people were enthusiastic about it.
So we’re thrilled to announce the second annual DromFest, a weekend-long celebration of independent rock in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley, on August 30, 31 and September 1, 2024. The event will take place in and around the Avalon Lounge, one of the most creative and supportive spaces for adventurous music in the area.
This year’s lineup includes a number of musical luminaries, standout DJs, and some of our favorite figures in indie rock. The lineup looks like this:
FRIDAY The Figgs The Chris Brokaw Rock Band The Royal Arctic Institute
SATURDAY King Missile (Dog Fly Religion) Scrawl Antietam The Thalia Zedek Band Poem Rocket Moviola Karyn Kuhl & the Gang Dew Claw Readings by Bela Koe-Krompecher, Karen Schoemer and John S. Hall
SUNDAY Aeon Station Cell Cathedral Ceilings Sleepyhead TuscaderoBabe the Blue OX The Human Hearts Matt Hunter & the Dusty Fates Screening of “Couldn’t You Wait – The Story of Silkworm”
We’ve got all kinds of other stuff in the works, including outdoor vendors, and another custom Dromedary beer, craft brewed right in the Hudson Valley in conjunction with another local brewer.
Friday night tickets and Saturday/Sunday Weekend passes are on sale NOW. Buy them here.
We’re celebrating the release of Reindeer Soul, the debut LP by Matt Hunter & the Dusty Fates. We first heard Matt’s band – which included lots of old friends and members of bands we’ve admired for years – when we booked a show at the Avalon in Catskill with our pals in Savak. Matt is Savak’s bass player, and the Dusty Fates came up and played as well.
We fell instantly in love with the quality of the songwriting and the creative musicianship, with a three-guitar lineup featuring Matt, Evans Wohlforth (Glenn Branca) and Jim Santo (The Sharp Things), with Gerard Smith (Phantom Tollbooth) handling bass duties and Jeff Gensterblum (Savak) on drums. And when the opportunity arose to put out their debut, we couldn’t have jumped at the chance faster. We’re big fans of long-timers who are still making interesting, relevant music, and Matt surrounds himself with such people.
Glide magazine calls Reindeer Soul an “expansive and atmospheric stunner,” and we agree. Check it out in our webstore today!
We can’t tell you how excited we are to be once again working with Karyn Kuhl.
Karyn is a Hoboken, NJ legend, dating back to her time with the influential bands Gutbank and Sexpod. She has continued writing music and inspiring her peers with her outstanding guitar work, her spectacular voice, and most importantly, her sense of community. She’s one of the kindest, most supportive people I know.
Back in November of 2020 we both felt compelled to celebrate, and so we released a lathe cut single of her cover of Donna Summer’s classic “I Feel Love.” It was so much fun to be involved, and when she asked if we’d be interested in releasing her new single, we jumped at the chance.
“No Traces” is her latest, and it’s the first actual vinyl 7″ we’ve released in 10 years. It tells a story, and it sticks in your soul, like so many of Karyn’s songs, it’ll rattle around in your head for days. It’s available in our Bandcamp store or wherever Karyn is playing, with digital downloads in all the regular spots and streaming everywhere.
After a long lead-in with lots of really short singles, we’re thrilled to release Frater Set, the latest EP by Vancouver, BC’s Night Court.
We do love this band.
FraterSet is a five-song EP that rings in at just over seven minutes in total, yet each song is a song, with a start, middle and end, fully-formed and chock full of hooks. The EP has a Halloween theme, but each spooky song also stands alone on its own.
If you like Marked Men, the Steve Adamyk Band, Connections, Exploding Hearts, or Sonic Avenues, then Marked Men will be up your alley. If you don’t, well, the record is short.
Available on limited-edition lathe-cut 7″ or high-resolution digital download. Visit our store to grab your copy before it’s too late – as is the case with all our lathe-cut releases, they are available only on our site or through the band, and once we run out, that’s it – no re-presses.
A few weeks into the rearview mirror, I thought I’d take some time to reflect on the amazing experience Drom30 turned out to be.
The vibes were amazing, and each and every performance was special. The venues were great, the weather was perfect, and the smiles – I’ve never seen people so happy, for so long. Years of watching jaded indie folks standing still with their arms folded at shows really left me unprepared for the joy I saw – dancing, laughing, people with their eyes filled with tears as they watched bands they thought they might never see again, mingling with bands that are putting out vital, relevant music today.
There were so many highlights, I know I’m going to miss some, but I’ll try and note some of my favorites:
• Original Speed the Plough guitarist Marc Francia leading off the band’s set with a few songs. We’ve been friends with STP for more than a decade, but I’ve never seen Marc perform live with the band. It was the perfect way to kick off a weekend of reunions.
Marc Francia of Speed the Plough (all photos on this page by Jessica Giacobbe
• Yung Wu playing Neil Young’s “Powderfinger,” a staple in their set. In 2011 at our first Camelfest show at Maxwell’s, Yung Wu played the song, and it was fitting to hear these Maxwell’s veterans ripping into the song at Tubby’s, the venue that’s come the closest to capturing the Maxwell’s vibe that I know.
Glenn Mercer (Yung Wu, The Feelies)
• Civic Mimic, originally a pandemic project of Glazer’s Jeff Hersch, erupting into a fully-formed band, young guys bashing out punk with shades of Superchunk, their new guitar player (who’s name I missed) blasting out one melodic lead after another.
• The joy on the face of our pal Jack Rabid of The Big Takeover as French began their set – the first time he’d seen them in decades.
• Dancing to ’70s disco spun by DJ JC of the death metal band Rigorous and the punk-pop band King Mike Entertainment System. JC also happens to be my son.
• Flower, playing “Beauty, Pt. II,” the song that introduced me to their music so long ago.
Flower
• Guy Capecelatro III and Carrie Bradley performing together. We were introduced to both of their music by Ron of Sunburned Hand of the Man almost 30 years ago (long before Sunburned was a thing), and have been in love with their songwriting ever since. What a treat to see them perform together.
• Meeting Sleepyhead, and watching Rachael and Chris perform with their son Flynn on guitar for a few songs. Also, hearing their new material! Wait til you hear it!
Rachel from Sleepyhead
• Tara Key. Jesus. Antietam have always been a great band, and Tara is one of our favorite guitar players, but she was on FIRE.
Tim and Tara from Antietam
• Tommy from Cathedral Ceilings’ bass strap pops off mid-song. Completely. Sean from Stuyvesant jumps onstage, grabs the strap, and reattaches it while Tommy keeps playing. Tommy doesn’t miss a note. Crowd goes wild.
• Das Damen ripping into their cover of the Pretenders’ “The Wait,” as they performed on the Tannis Root compilation “Freedom of Choice” way back in 1992.
Das Damen – first performances in more than 30 years!
• Mark Shue of Guided by Voices and Betsy Wright of Ex-Hex spinning late 70s power pop records at the afterparty
Betsy Wright (Ex-Hex) & Mark Shue (Guided by Voices) DJ the afterparty
• DJ Metal Mark of Worldsucks with a metal DJ set, waking us all up on Sunday morning.
• Jenny Toomey, Jean Cook and Franklin Bruno, playing a stunning set. Franklin went so far above and beyond the call of duty by playing this show, it’s not possible to describe how thrilled we were. EVERYONE was.
Jenny Toomey, Jean Cook & Franklin Bruno
• The crowd reaction to Kingston, New York’s Overheard. We can’t wait to play you more music from Overheard (hint, hint).
• Brian Musikoff joining Stuyvesant on bass for a few songs. Last time Brian played with Stuyvesant was in 2016.
• Madder Rose. MADDER ROSE! So much dancing!
• Lotion. First show in 11 years, and it seemed like in that time, they’d gotten BETTER. What an amazing, amazing performance. People were CRYING. And they played “A Quick One While He’s Away!”
Lotion
Thanks to everyone who joined us, everyone who tuned into the simulcast on WGXC, all the venues, the staff who kept us comfortable, fed, well-lubricated and happy for three days, and of course every band who traveled to the Hudson Valley – some of which hadn’t played together in years and years – for next to no money, just to have a big party and a lot of fun.
See you next year? Maybe!
MORE PHOTOS!
The crowd at Tubby’s for Yung Wu FridayOutside Left Bank Ciders Saturday afternoonGlenn Mercer, Stan Demeski and Dave Weckerman of Yung WuSaturday afternoon at the AvalonAntietamRalphie and Tommy of Cathedral CeilingsMC “Hoboken Jack” Silbert introduces Civic Mimic to kick off SaturdayJim of Das DamenDiego Ramirez of Das DamenStill rock starsIan James of FlowerRichard Baluyut of FlowerAndrew Bordwin of FrenchCarrie Bradley (The Breeders, Ed’s Redeeming Qualities)Guy Capecelatro III and Carrie BradleyJoy Cleaner at Left Bank CidersLysa (Aeon Station) and Nick (Cathedral Ceilings) with a DJ set that paid homage to the jukeboxes at Maxwell’s and the Court TavernDJ JC spinning discoChris of SleepyheadSleepyheadMatt Ford of Dippers, all the way from AustraliaInnez Tulloch of DippersDJ Metal MarkEven the dogs dug itJean Cook, Jenny Toomey, Franklin BrunoJean CookTony and Bill of LotionRob Youngberg of LotionTony of LotionJim of LotionMadder RoseMary Lorson of Madder RoseErin Barth-Dwyer of OverheardOverheardStuyvesantStuyvesantAdam Elk of the MommyheadsThe MommyheadsEven rockers need to eat – outside the AvalonDJ Jeff Economy spinning records Friday nightSwagMC Jack Silbert at Tubby’s Friday nightToni Baumgartner (Speed the Plough)Dan Francia (Speed the Plough)
OLD, CRANKY AND LOUD – Noisy pop music for weirdos like you.
