Katie Toupin: “I don’t need that tagline anymore ... It’s time to move on and just be the person that I am.”

This clever video was released five days ago. Very effective, and of course her album this year is quite good. I wish the best in musical futures both to Katie Toupin and Houndmouth. We need more good music, not less.

Artists Unfiltered: Musicians Take Control of Identity in 2019, by Eric R. Danton (Paste Magazine)

Katie Toupin is ending the year with a breakup, which she caught on video.

After spending much of 2019 immersed in her solo debut, Magnetic Moves, Toupin is ready to start 2020 without the tagline that seemed to always accompany her over the preceding months: “formerly of Houndmouth.” In the video, which she posted this week, a piece of poster board that reads “Katie Toupin (formerly of Houndmouth)” goes with her everywhere—the grocery store, the tub, while doing kettlebell swings at the gym—as her song “Someone to You” plays. Finally, Toupin has had enough, and she rids herself of the unwanted appellation. By the end of the clip, the singer is beaming while she uses paint and glitter to decorate a much smaller sign that reads, simply, “Katie Toupin.”


“I don’t need that tagline anymore. At this point, it doesn’t have any value,” says Toupin, who left Houndmouth in 2016. “It’s not going to move any more tickets. The fans that wanted to stay with me are already with me. It’s time to move on and just be the person that I am.”

Toupin’s video is a fitting capper to a year when plenty of artists sought to take more active control over how they are viewed by audiences, critics and whoever else comes across them. Sometimes, like Toupin, musicians shaped their public identities in creative ways that entertained—or helped create—fans. Others lashed out on social media when they weren’t perceived as they wanted to be. Either way, pop musicians vocally defining how they want to interact with the world is a fairly new development, and one that runs contrary to the way things have worked in the past. It used to be that musicians made records, went on tour and did press to promote the record or tour. Though some of them had specific images—or reputations, in some cases—to maintain, they rarely engaged directly in a back-and-forth with their audience, or with critics. That sort of thing fell to publicists and managers until the rise of social media. When the president of the United States fulminates on Twitter all day, why shouldn’t musicians talk about what’s important to them?

“We get to have a voice that isn’t filtered, if we decide to,” says Toupin, who teased her video in advance as a “major announcement.”

Madonna sidestepped any filters in June when she objected to a lengthy profile of her in the New York Times Magazine that she felt focused on the wrong things, including her age. She wrote on Instagram that she felt “raped” by the result. And Lana Del Rey didn’t stifle herself in August when she clapped back on Twitter to a largely positive NPR review of her new album Norman Fucking Rockwell!. Writer Ann Powers made reference to “Del Rey’s persona as a bad girl to whom bad things are done,” and at one point called her lyrics “uncooked” when compared with Joni Mitchell’s. Neither observation conformed to the way Del Rey wants to be seen (or, maybe, sees herself), which she made clear in a response: “There’s nothing uncooked about me,” she wrote in part. “To write about me is nothing like it is to be with me. Never had a persona. Never needed one. Never will.”

That’s a bold claim, considering Del Rey made it under the cover of a stage name (she was still going by her given name, Lizzy Grant, on her first album in 2010). In a way, though, it’s all a persona. In a probing 2018 interview with Esquire, Bruce Springsteen talked about how depression can sometimes make him lose track of his sense of identity. From a fan’s perspective, the interviewer replied, “You’re Bruce fucking Springsteen! How do you not know who you are?” Springsteen laughed, and revealed a secret most entertainers don’t talk about: “Bruce fucking Springsteen is a creation” ...

It's the July/August edition of tunes, or the bimonthly roundup of the music playing in my head.

Welcome to the music playing inside my head. It won't necessarily play to everyone's taste, and that's as it should be. It's my damned blog, and I'll do with it as I please.

In 2018, I've resolved to offer a musical recap every two months. For those just tuning in, note that I no longer can carry a tune across the street without breaking both legs, but music's still playing in my head every waking moment.

I'm completely convinced that when the music stops playing, death will be near.

In addition, I'm the old fogey's stogie when it comes to music; no iTunes or playlists for me. Perversely, no vinyl, either; my albums are stacked over at the Public House, and I don't own a turntable.

As with books, each year I research and buy those CDs that seem best suited to my tastes. They're usually augmented with impulse buys and random excursions, and of course I listen to snippets of radio, YouTube and the like.

Before proceeding, here is a vicious and deadly accurate assessment of my deteriorating condition. Still talkin' 'bout my generation? That's nice, but my generation is utterly irrelevant.

Bland on Blonde: why the old rock music canon is finished, by Michael Hann (The Guardian)

 ... Music has changed irrevocably. You can see that by looking at festival bills, where hip-hop and R&B artists sit alongside rock bands, the never-the-twain tribal divisions of the past dissolved. You can see it in the fact that online distribution of music has created a generation gap in music again, by creating an audience of teenagers who consume everything online, who listen to music that has bypassed the traditional gatekeepers of press, radio and labels. And you can see it in the fact that music journalists – the people who traditionally define the canon – are no longer overwhelmingly men. That more women and people of colour are now creating the narrative around pop is surely a good thing, even if it sometimes feels uncomfortable for those of us brought up on the certainties of Led Zeppelin and a narrative that begins with Robert Johnson and traces a line through the Beatles and the Smiths.

I suspect we may be at the end of the age of the canon, for now at least.

Nolo contendere. 

Hann's right, and I support his conclusion: "It won’t be a list that reflects my tastes, and I’m fine with that. My canon is dead. Long live the new canon, whatever it might be."

Obviously, I remain a pop-rocker. For me, classical music is WUOL-FM and my CD collection, and the latter suffices for jazz listening and world music (internet radio helps). I've nothing bad to say about hip hop or country; they're just not my taste.

In 2018, live music has been restricted to the Louisville Orchestra at the Ogle Center (see list below). I'd like to be more supportive of local music, and concede that this is the 800-lb chink in my armor. It's a constant struggle, but the fact is that I don't indulge in nightlife any longer, and when dining and drinking out, our preferences run to conversation, which tends to be precluded by loud music. So it goes. It's all about me, and what I like.

Following are CD purchases from July and August, 2018, randomly listed. I've spent my money wisely these past two months.

Houndmouth … Golden Age

Houndmouth's stylistic reboot has been a summer's highlight. There'll be dissenters, but I love the new sound. Our local favorites have spent the past few years re-contextualizing themselves in the aftermath of Katie Toupin's departure; they couldn't have possibly remained the same, and have evolved accordingly by reaching inside. These are my favorite sort of life lessons from music, and let's hope the progression continues.

James … Living in Extraordinary Times

I was barely aware of James' existence prior to the band's 2014 release, La Petite Mort. This is the band's second album since then, and serves as an overt and often angry riposte to Brexit, Trump and the numbing stupidity of our contemporary world. This fact duly noted, it's the music and not the lyrics commanding my attention. Repeated listens are highly rewarding. You'll hear new, good things each time.

Gaz Coombes … World’s Strongest Man

Gareth Michael Coombes was the genius behind Supergrass, for my money the most criminally overlooked of late 90s-era British bands. His newest solo release begins eccentrically with self-directed cynicism and a dramatic falsetto, then gradually yields to a pleasing blend of old traits and new flourishes, as with this song's piano intro. It might be refashioned from "Imagine" by John Lennon, or closer still, The Who's "Gettin' in Tune," and overall, it's very solid pop from a gifted performer.

Florence and the Machine … High as Hope

On her latest, Florence Welch sings autobiographically, and the lyrics appropriately fascinate, alternately visceral and nostalgic. Arrangements are nuanced; the music creeps through more so than bursts out. There have been no ear worms for me, just a greater appreciation for her craft after multiple immersions.

Peace … Kindness Is the New Rock and Roll

It transpired by sheer coincidence that the very period of this album's heaviest rotation in my cranium coincided with Matt Brewer's tragic death.

Overnight, the tone of a largely upbeat, sassy pop-rock album became elegiac. Phenomenons like this probably can't be helped. Your brain experiences a dialectic, as opposing emotions clash -- in this instance, sadness and exhilaration -- and must somehow be resolved.

Listen to this song, and then I'll continue.

For anyone who knew Matt, the ultimate resolution is obvious. Matt's whole life was about kindness and the sheer exhilaration of living, and while his premature departure from this planet is sad and tragic, we're left with a legacy of joy and love.

Simply stated, I'll never be able to listen to this album without thinking about Matt, and so to close this musical rumination, here's a song dedicated both to Matt and his wife Brook.

Following are links to music-related articles from the past two months.

Rhiannon Giddens: "The musician reveals all about her mission to put the black back into bluegrass – and Shakespeare."

New Albany has a Klingon composer.

4 shows for only 65 bucks: The Louisville Orchestra's 2018-2019 Neighborhood Series at the Ogle Center.

Three reminders of rock music's role in defeating the Communist bogey man.

Just in case you're wondering what Katie Toupin's been doing.

Jeeebus, that voice.

She's in LA, and you can find her here:

Twitter
Facebook

Growing up in southern Indiana, Katie Toupin wasn't exposed to a lot of music early on outside of her father playing blues guitar. He had quit the bar band scene when she was young, but the pentatonic scale often rang through the house. But at 18, she fell in love with making music, playing guitar snd singing and writing songs. When she was 21, she formed the band Houndmouth with some friends. Houndmouth was noticed internationally and things moved quickly. Houndmouth signed with Rough Trade Records and Katie found herself playing notable festivals such as Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits Festival, Lollapalooza as well as playing late night slots on David Letterman and Conan. Houndmouth's song Sedona reached number 1 on Billboards AAA chart. Katie released two records with Houndmouth and toured internationally up until her departure from the band in March 2016. Upon moving to Los Angeles in February 2017, she found clarity and honesty after many rigorous years on the road. After a year and half of writing, she now embarks on her solo career, finding more soulfulness and freedom in her music than ever before.

"Katie Toupin is parting ways with Houndmouth."

This news was released on social media late Friday afternoon.

---

Important update from Houndmouth:

This is not the easiest news to share, but Katie Toupin is parting ways with Houndmouth. This is an amicable split, and Katie plans to pursue other opportunities.

We (Matt, Shane, and Zak) wish Katie the absolute best in all her future endeavors and want to thank her for the years we spent together as bandmates and, more importantly, friends. When we all first met as teenagers, we never dreamed that music would bring the four of us together and take us as far as it has. It’s been a long journey, and the time has come for our paths to split. We encourage everyone reading this to continue to support her.

FROM KATIE: I am incredibly thankful for all of our fans. Your relentless support has meant the world. We have been through so much together as a band, and none of it would have happened without the fans. I want to wish Houndmouth continued success. I would also like to ask the fans to continue to support me, along with the boys, as we go our separate ways.

ADDITION: This is effective immediately. She will not be at any future shows, including the upcoming tour. While this is our last message as the original four members, all shows will continue on as planned, with various musicians joining the Matt, Shane, and Zak on stage.

Roger's Year in Music 2015 (Part 6): Five musical news items not classifiable by album release.

I can be such a fan boy, though first, something about furniture.

My CD Collection.

It is huge, numbering in the thousands, and like an invasive species of plant life, it threatened to take over all of my book shelves -- leaving no room for hundreds of books. Something had to happen, and so of course I continued to procrastinate, until finally the missus evicted my home office (that's me) from the home library. It (I) was moved to empty space in the rear of the house, and the CDs followed. Now there is proper shelving for them, and an ongoing wintertime project to label, file and shelve all the discs, whether in vinyl sleeves, paper envelopes or jewel cases.

I have become a research librarian, by turns dating and filing ... and listening to music I didn't remember even having. Tactile. Very tactile.

Houndmouth and some love from "World Cafe's" David Dye.

I'll continue to "sing" the praises of our hometown musicians made good, but you needn't take it from me.

Houndmouth named in David Dye’s Top 10 Albums of 2015, by Sara Havens (IL)

“What gets me with Houndmouth is how well this band looks back in time musically. But ‘Little Neon Limelight’ isn’t just about a retro sound; it’s also about songs, two amazing lead voices and equally impressive harmonies.”

Give me just a little more time, and I'll have Houndmouth fully politicized. It's always been my goal, you know.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2016.

As I wrote on Facebook upon reading the news:

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a piece of crap, and unworthy of my time to comment ... and 2016 inductees Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Chicago are three of my favorite bands ever. Today I'll observe a moratorium on RRHOF vilification, then it's back to the usual derision. 

Arguably, given N.W.A.'s pervasive cultural and musical influences, the group's recognition dwarfs all the rest of it, but lest we forget, the RRHOF is a marketing tool. It isn't supposed to make sense, and the most interesting aspect of the induction of my three personal favorites is whether their legendary personnel issues will play any part in the festivities.

N.W.A, Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple & Steve Miller Are 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees, by Gary Graff (Billboard)

... The original quartet and septet lineups, respectively, of Cheap Trick and Chicago are being inducted, while the Deep Purple roster will encompass the group's first three lineups, including three teams of singers and bass players. Some of the intriguing reunion possibilities for the ceremony include Chicago with singer/bassist Peter Cetera for the first time since 1985 and with drummer Danny Seraphine since 1990, Cheap Trick with estranged drummer Bun E. Carlos, and Deep Purple with guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, who's been gone since 1993.

The Chicago camp already has contradicted itself on Cetera's possible return (and ignored Seraphine). The singer is playing cute. Bun E. told Rolling Stone that he'd been invited and would behave, although financial squabbles have been friendship killers for him. The finest observation of all was made by drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple, the group's only remaining original member.

"If some people are inducted together, it could end in a punch-up."

RIP, Jon Lord ...

... and Terry Kath. What's not to love about a guy who writes a song about his dog?

Gary Richrath’s death.

Never once before REO Speedwagon's 1977 live album You Get What You Play For was I a fan of the band, and my interest lasted only a short time afterward. This said, it was the preferred soundtrack to my debauchery the summer preceding my senior year in high school.

At some point around this time, my gang saw the band at an LRS $1.02 concert in Louisville, performing the set list as recorded on the live album. It was only months before REO's next release made them superstars.

The dollar-two show was noteworthy for my varsity baseball jersey getting stained with flying blood when a fight broke out up front, but what floored me completely was Gary Richrath, for not only was he extraordinarily skilled at playing his instrument. In addition, he simply had the guitar superstar look down to a science. Richrath was an Adonis. He had the hair, the moves and the swagger. He could choke that neck, too.

I was tall, gangly, socially inept, prone to self-loathing and not at all the air guitar hero type. Here was this short, handsome, curly-haired dude commanding the auditorium. Surely Richrath got the girls. Whatever the vagaries of timing, it hit me hard and was tantamount to a man crush.

Time passed. Lots of time. REO became a huge 1980s-era arena band specializing in power ballads, and I lost interest. Apparently so did Richrath, who departed before the decade's end and disappeared. He returned for the obligatory "Behind the Music" interviews, then vanished again.

REO was a distant memory, and then my friend Jay burned a copy of the live album for me. I hadn't heard it in decades, and the memories stirred. In late 2014, I took to the Internet in search of Richrath. It had been 20 years since the VH1 documentary. Where was he now?

Granted, we're all subject to the ravages of the decades ... and yet what I saw on YouTube was unfathomable. Richrath wasn't recognizable in recent videos, as performing with bar bands in Peoria (he'd returned home to help care for his mother) and in a first-time-in-ages onstage reunion with REO. Bloated and all jowls, he also seemed to have lost his chops.

He died suddenly in September, and the news plunged me into mourning -- not for a fellow I never met, but for my own lost youth. That's the way it always plays out, doesn't it? The notion of rock stardom is nonsensical in the main. At the same time, I appreciate the rock star helping me through a difficult summer.

The Dubliners.

My father liked big bands and the music of the swing era, and I was introduced to the genre very early. When I began exploring music on my own, thanks to the LPs at the public library, my search took me far beyond Glenn Miller, to the roots of jazz (New Orleans, Chicago and Harlem), and later outward in all directions.

During the 6th grade, my friends began pulling me away from the music heard at home. Early favorites were the Beatles, Steppenwolf and Black Sabbath. Ever since then, when the topic of "favorite bands) arises, the default reply has been phrased in the pop/rock idiom: The Who, Manic Street Preachers, Def Leppard, et al.

Finally at the belated age of 55, it occurs to me how ridiculously narrow a viewpoint this is.

When all is spun and done, surely Duke Ellington ranks up there with Oasis, U2 and the Smiths. So does Bix Beiderbecke.

And so does the Irish “folk” group called The Dubliners (1962-2012). In fact, I need not preface my preference for Ellington, Beiderbecke and The Dubliners with “jazz” or “folk” or any other specific modifiers. Each represents an aggregate musical output through working careers. Each has brought me great pleasure. They're all part of a huge, wonderful melting pot.

My parents took me to see Duke Ellington perform in Louisville in 1971, but I never once caught The Dubliners playing live. The band constantly toured Europe, and on several occasions our paths were a few weeks from crossing, but a show never came to pass. The earliest and probably best Dubliners lineup was finished before my first trip to Europe started, and yet I’ve always enjoyed the many different configurations that followed.

Moreover, the band’s ethos of a half-century is one worth emulating. Players came and went, and all of the living former members remained family, and performed together from time to time.

Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Chicago: Take note of this refreshing, mature attitude. Meanwhile, here are The Dubliners in their rare old times, with the classic lineup and Luke Kelly on vocals:

Maybe in 2016, I'll actually venture to a show.


Roger's Year in Music 2015 (Part 6): Five musical news items not classifiable by album release.

Roger's Year in Music 2015 (Part 7): The band Lynched, and New Albany's perpetual drone.

Roger’s Year in Music 2015 (Part 8): How did I die? A WWI lamentation.

Roger’s Year in Music 2015 (Part 9): Kamasi Washington and his Epic.

Roger’s Year in Music 2015 (Part 10): But first, some 2014 leftovers.

Houndmouth is from New Albany; the band is on the verge; and it has a beer named after it.

Photo credit: USA Today.

A quick recommendation to Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who likes to claim Houndmouth as his city's own: Read the paragraph below.

NA was there first, chum. Get over it.

Shane, if you're reading: Thanks for mentioning Houndmouth Ale.

As you were.

On the Verge: Houndmouth

This week in On the Verge, USA TODAY's spotlight on breakthrough artists, Brian Mansfield talks to Indiana band Houndmouth.

From New Albany to Sedona. Back before Houndmouth had a hit record, or even a name, the group recorded demos at a band member's house under less than ideal circumstances. "There were these two dogs that were always too loud, and they would bleed into the mics," says drummer Shane Cody. When one member complained of hearing "too much hound mouth," they knew they had a name. Now, the rootsy indie-rock group from New Albany, Ind., also has a hit record: Sedona recently topped USA TODAY's airplay chart and is now making an impact on Alternative stations.

"Meet Houndmouth, the Best Little Indy Rock Band in Americana."

Me and the ale.

But seriously -- did this guy really use the word "Indianans"? It's "Hoosier," national journalist. H-O-O-S-I-E-R.

Apart from this one small hair-puller, Matt Myers is interviewed, and the Houndmouth foursome get some ink.

By the way, the renewal of the Boomtown Ball is this coming Sunday. Houndmouth won't be closing with a show in 2015, but it should be a fun day nonetheless.

Meet Houndmouth, the Best Little Indy Rock Band in Americana, by Michael Bialas (Huffington Post)

When Houndmouth was ready to start its sophomore album, the fearless foursome went for broke and reached out to Dave Cobb to see if the Nashville producer would take on the project.

Cobb, right now one of the hottest names in the roots hierarchy, already has pushed artists such as Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson toward the next level and is on the verge of propelling promising acts such as honeyhoney and Anderson East into the Americana stratosphere with their 2015 records.

Cobb had other ideas for Houndmouth after he was approached by Matt Myers, the Indiana group's unassuming frontman and guitarist who shares vocal and songwriting duties with his three former high school acquaintances.

Hangout 2015 text"We called him and said, 'Do you want to do our next record?" Myers related over the phone last week as Houndmouth was heading to its next tour stop -- the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, North Carolina. "He said, 'Yeah, but I don't want to make another fucking Americana record.' "

ON THE AVENUES REWOUND: Complexities and simplicities in Boomtown.

ON THE AVENUES REWOUND: Complexities and simplicities in Boomtown.

A weekly web column by Roger A. Baylor.

Yesterday we learned there will be a sophomore edition of the Boomtown Ball & Festival, to be held on Sunday, May 24. As reported by the News and Tribune, City Hall's press release leaves a few details unreported, but the broad overview is complete.

BAND BUZZ: Houndmouth to present encore Boomtown Ball & Festival in New Albany

NEW ALBANY — A band with New Albany roots making waves on the national music scene is presenting the second annual Boomtown Ball & Festival, and is curating the event’s music lineup.

Houndmouth, along with New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan and WFPK, are staging the Sunday, May 24 event, which serves as the kickoff for New Albany’s Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series, according to a news release from Production Simple.

The release does not state whether Houndmouth will perform at the event.

As for the band, Houndmouth's tour schedule shows the group with the weekend off, and it is as yet unclear whether the newspaper's reporter Daniel Suddeath will await their arrival with subpoena in hand.

As for NABC's beer of the same name, of which somewhere between 15 and 20 kegs were vended to eager fest goers in 2014, readers from Timbuktu know exactly as much as I do. Really.

The same consideration applies to speculation about the fest's difficult and intricate layout, which (I'm guessing) will change owing to construction under way at the farmers market. Without a trace of irony, permit me to wish the best to whomever works out the "drinks enclosure" details this year.

It won't be me. After all, I'm on leave of absence. Following is last year's Boomtown preview.

---

Complexities and simplicities in Boomtown.

(original 2014 text)

Friday is a very important day. That’s because I’m getting a haircut. Personally, it is slated to be a timely and symbolic act, considering that my year to date has constituted a journey from complexity to simplicity – and for me, taking care of foot-long hair has become far too complicated.

This hirsute situation, which has taken several years to create, will be rectified in short order with the generous assistance of Strandz & Threadz, which will be staging its annual Cuts for a Cure. My original aim was to solicit donors for the occasion, but unfortunately the daily grind has been a bit too … well, complicated, so instead, I’ll make a donation on behalf of those friends who would have been subjected to the hard sell. It’s simpler that way.

---

By all rights, Tuesday should have been a day for New Albanians to triumphantly remind the world that while Jeffersonville’s connecting ramp to the Big Four Bridge finally was open, those many months of barred, inaccessible ineptitude could not possibly be forgotten – and, by comparison, New Albany still had its act together as the Brooklyn/Hoboken/Boomtown/Not Jeffersonville of the Falls Cities.

In fact, one can conceive of only a handful of ways for us to flush such a commanding lead in the waning seconds, among them photos of a Democratic grandee in bed with a sheep, a Padgett truck wedged into two Spring Street buildings while trying to make a turn, or 387 Little Leaguers forming a human chain across the Plan Commission.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and somewhere in the world an elderly Franco Harris donned a Red Devils uniform, grinning broadly in approval as we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, yielding the usual media spin:

Reporting from Jeffersonville: Look at these delighted folks crowding the Big Four in their spandex with Bibles, ice cream cones and homespun drooling.

Reporting from New Albany: POLICE SCANDAL! NEWS AT 11!

Two days later, it has gotten even more Byzantine. Sifting through the usual stenography from the same Jimmy Olsens:

First, a police officer registered a complaint over alleged incidents some years back, and threatened a lawsuit.

Next, the chief of police suddenly quit for “family” reasons, followed by her second in command, albeit of a different family.

Then, a grand jury made a report on a recent alleged episode involving a police officer, but declined to issue an indictment.

An agoraphobic City Hall seemingly shaken to its core by the grudging necessity of appearing in public to address any issue other than “quality of life” in EDIT-funded parks gradually rushed forward to reassure the citizenry that each of these policing occurrences took place in a hermetically sealed vacuum similar to that surrounding municipal parks construction decision-making.

Now our choices are to ignore these protests of non-linkage and retreat to our favorite watering holes to formulate conspiracy theories, a habit sometimes referred to by cultural anthropologists as the “old lady Internet troll with dangling cigarette” theorem, or to go even deeper by pondering which is worse, multiple acts of weirdness taken together or separately?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s Rosenbarger’s fault, and nothing a few bump-outs wouldn’t cure.

But seriously: At this precise moment, the only thing crystal clear about any of it is that we’ll have a new police chief. Beyond that, it’s all innuendo and murk. I’m not jumping to conclusions.

When we’re finished gossiping, might someone – City Hall, police department, Democratic central committee, Kim Jung-un – take an interest in the escalating speeds on our almost entirely unenforced one-way arterial streets?

---

This brings me to Sunday, when there’ll be a new event downtown called the Boomtown Ball and Festival. Boomtown is the brainchild of Houndmouth, a Southern Indiana musical group with strong ties to New Albany. The city has played a leading role in this celebration, as with the Bicentennial Park Concert Series, which begins on Friday, May 30.

On Sunday evening, the band will play a sold-out indoor show at The Grand. During the afternoon preceding Houndmouth’s performance, other bands will play on an outdoor stage at Market and Third, as selected and booked by Houndmouth and Production Simple, while in the farmers market space and on Bank Street, there will be vendors of all varieties as organized and arranged in the loose aggregation known as the Flea Off Market. It’s an all-ages, all-interests event.

A consortium of downtown food and drink businesses will operate the Boomtown Tavern, located within the confines of the farmers market pavilion. Owing to Indiana state law, the entire Boomtown festival will be located within a fence and enclosures, but of course, the full range of downtown’s independent businesses are a short walk away. Many of them will observe special Sunday opening hours for the occasion.

In a conceptual sense, if the Boomtown festival were to declare its relationship status, the likely choice would be “It’s Complicated.” Nothing about it has been simple, and yet the day slowly is coming together. By Sunday, we’ll be ready to muddle through it, and I’m sure everything will work out acceptably.

It’s worth remembering that when it comes to serving the cause of simplicity, communication goes a very long way toward reducing complexity to manageable levels, if not eliminating it outright. During the course of my involvement with Boomtown, I’ve tried to make decisions and urge solutions on the basis of more communication, not less, and in the simple recognition that downtown stakeholders already have issues with unanswered questions pertaining to pre-existing impositions (read: Harvest Homecoming) without needing any more of them.

I’m hoping that in spite of the many rough spots experienced while planning and executing this complicated first-time event, all those working so hard to make it happen will learn from the input offered by those doing business downtown, every day of the year. I can’t speak for everyone, but it has been revealing for me.

Downtown has changed, and we just can’t persist in top-down planning without seeking some measure of consensus first, from those who stand to be affected by the actions being considered.

Granted, the Boomtown Ball will bring commerce downtown on a Sunday, and of course, that’s a good thing, but it must be grasped by those in positions of authority that starting the Ball rolling by emphasizing the importance of a Louisville-based flea market – a fine and reputable institution in its own right – sent an immediate and frankly insulting signal to local merchants, which sounded like this: “We’re not good enough here, so we’ll bring in someone else’s panache.”

No, this was not the city’s intent. However, it was ill-considered just the same, and it has complicated every step of the process since.

Simplicity? Please, and here’s an example.

“Do you mind if we use your space?”

Houndmouth revels in its Nawbany roots: "We’ve always liked the darker side of America."

Click through to view the video. The band ascendent seems in excellent form, and the hoppy ale named in the group's honor was tasting mighty fine on Friday.

Houndmouth: We’ve always liked the darker side of America (Weekly Feed with Kyle Meredith, via Salon)

The alternative country band talk Otis Redding, their newest album and distancing themselves from the folk scene.

Damned outsiders conspiring against NA's peculiar one-way institution as mayor blissfully snores.

When John Smith first divulged his status as an outsider in Stay Inside City, he was greeted with the predictable pleasantry from a New Albany lifer (paraphrasing):

Why don't ya go back to Lanesville if you don't like our indigenous neighborhood interstates?

At least there were no obscenities. That's progress.

Meanwhile, there'll be a Two Way Streets Now planning meeting on Wednesday, because owing to persistent public expressions of quaking fear and non-committal indifference on the part of city officials who can't be seen supporting a study they (supposedly) instigated, proponents of the Speck proposals are going to have to do every bit of the heavy lifting, and they might as well get started.

One influential vote already has been cast: The band Houndmouth posted this on Facebook:

Fellow New Albanians and Southern Indiana folks, what do you guys say about getting some Two Way Streets downtown? Needs to happen. This Jeff Speck guy nailed it.

Here's the News and Tribune piece.

Notice how Gahan consistently cannot bring himself to publicly reference any other aspect of Speck's study beyond what is needed to cope with tolling pass-throughs.

Do we even trust them for just that?

The word on the street is, New Albany group to hold meeting, by Daniel Suddeath

 ... “I want to emphasize this is just a study,” Gahan said. “(Speck) brings up some really good points. Our job now is to make sure we’re prepared so that the tolling doesn’t have a negative impact on our downtown.”

Proponents of the study believe converting streets to two-way traffic will make downtown safer and help businesses.

With city elections to be held this year, Smith stressed the issue isn’t partisan, but added there’s support from many in the community for a candidate who would back changes to the street grid.

“Quite frankly if Republicans are intent on using their momentum from last election to challenge in the city election, this is an issue they should jump on,” he said.

Listen to Houndmouth's new song.

Follow the link, read the words, and listen to the new song.

Houndmouth, 'For No One' (Ann Powers at NPR)

Immediacy is a quality in music that's difficult to define. It's not the same as originality, but it does involve surprise: the happy shock of someone saying something that registers, waking up the senses, even if the sentiment's familiar. The Indiana band Houndmouth showed a gift for immediacy from the first; its live show, with all four members singing and main songwriters Matt Myers and Katie Toupin balancing each other like two bouncing electrons, is so fun and full of life that it easily wins over the most distracted beer drinkers in the back of the club.

Boomtown Ball today, Houndmouth tonight ... and Flea Off, bands, beer and things.

Houndmouth says: Come out all day to Boomtown Ball and pick up one of these amazing Madpixel Art and Design prints. Only 200 available."

If you haven't already heard, Houndmouth's evening show at The Grand tonight is sold out. But there will be eight hours of merriment before that, free of cover charge.

Houndmouth curated the musical lineup, and Production Simple did the rest. The Flea Off Market will run inside the enlarged all-ages "beer garden" area, within which there'll be food and ...

The Boomtown Tavern is a cooperative venture between NABC, JR's Pub, Irish Exit, Feast BBQ and 502 Winery, with a percentage of proceeds helping to start our New Albany food and drink non-profit. Outside the fenced-in festival area, many downtown shops and eateries will be open, some of them observing special hours.

At Bank Street Brewhouse, we've scheduled an unveiling.

Houndmouth bombers are the first bottling of what is projected to be regular 22-oz availability for NABC's Session Series (also Beak's Best Bitter, Community Dark and Tafelbier) of low-gravity beers. These will be sold exclusively at our two locations, so look for them later this summer.

Don't forget that in less than a week, on Friday, May 30, this summer's concert series (staged by Production Simple) begins at Bicentennial Park. NABC will be vending at the park, along with River City Winery, Irish Exit and JR's Pub.

Meanwhile, a block away ...

Big Four Burgers joins forces with NABC for Friday evening food at Bank Street Brewhouse

Beginning on Friday, May 30, Big Four Burgers will have its new mobile burger trailer parked outside Bank Street Brewhouse on the very same Fridays as the concert series. Burger hours will be from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., allowing music lovers to have a Big Four burger and NABC progressive pint before or after the musical performances just down the street.

Houndmouth: Shane Cody speaks.

And Kevin Gibson is right there.

Houndmouth brings it on home for the Boomtown Ball, by Kevin Gibson (LEO Weekly)

Houndmouth performs Sunday in a triumphant homecoming at the city’s Boomtown Ball & Festival, a daylong downtown celebration. We caught up with drummer/vocalist Shane Cody on the road a couple of weeks ago. He greeted us by saying, “It’s good to see a 502 area code.”

ON THE AVENUES: Complexities and simplicities in Boomtown.

ON THE AVENUES: Complexities and simplicities in Boomtown.

A weekly web column by Roger A. Baylor.

Friday is a very important day. That’s because I’m getting a haircut. Personally, it is slated to be a timely and symbolic act, considering that my year to date has constituted a journey from complexity to simplicity – and for me, taking care of foot-long hair has become far too complicated.

This hirsute situation, which has taken several years to create, will be rectified in short order with the generous assistance of Strandz & Threadz, which will be staging its annual Cuts for a Cure. My original aim was to solicit donors for the occasion, but unfortunately the daily grind has been a bit too … well, complicated, so instead, I’ll make a donation on behalf of those friends who would have been subjected to the hard sell. It’s simpler that way.

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By all rights, Tuesday should have been a day for New Albanians to triumphantly remind the world that while Jeffersonville’s connecting ramp to the Big Four Bridge finally was open, those many months of barred, inaccessible ineptitude could not possibly be forgotten – and, by comparison, New Albany still had its act together as the Brooklyn/Hoboken/Boomtown/Not Jeffersonville of the Falls Cities.

In fact, one can conceive of only a handful of ways for us to flush such a commanding lead in the waning seconds, among them photos of a Democratic grandee in bed with a sheep, a Padgett truck wedged into two Spring Street buildings while trying to make a turn, or 387 Little Leaguers forming a human chain across the Plan Commission.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and somewhere in the world an elderly Franco Harris donned a Red Devils uniform, grinning broadly in approval as we snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, yielding the usual media spin:

Reporting from Jeffersonville:
Look at these delighted folks crowding the Big Four in their spandex with Bibles, ice cream cones and homespun drooling.

Reporting from New Albany:
POLICE SCANDAL! NEWS AT 11!

Two days later, it has gotten even more Byzantine. Sifting through the usual stenography from the same Jimmy Olsens:

First, a police officer registered a complaint over alleged incidents some years back, and threatened a lawsuit.

Next, the chief of police suddenly quit for “family” reasons, followed by her second in command, albeit of a different family.

Then, a grand jury made a report on a recent alleged episode involving a police officer, but declined to issue an indictment.

An agoraphobic City Hall seemingly shaken to its core by the grudging necessity of appearing in public to address any issue other than “quality of life” in EDIT-funded parks gradually rushed forward to reassure the citizenry that each of these policing occurrences took place in a hermetically sealed vacuum similar to that surrounding municipal parks construction decision-making.

Now our choices are to ignore these protests of non-linkage and retreat to our favorite watering holes to formulate conspiracy theories, a habit sometimes referred to by cultural anthropologists as the “old lady Internet troll with dangling cigarette” theorem, or to go even deeper by pondering which is worse, multiple acts of weirdness taken together or separately?

As far as I’m concerned, it’s Rosenbarger’s fault, and nothing a few bump-outs wouldn’t cure.

But seriously: At this precise moment, the only thing crystal clear about any of it is that we’ll have a new police chief. Beyond that, it’s all innuendo and murk. I’m not jumping to conclusions.

When we’re finished gossiping, might someone – City Hall, police department, Democratic central committee, Kim Jung-un – take an interest in the escalating speeds on our almost entirely unenforced one-way arterial streets?

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This brings me to Sunday, when there’ll be a new event downtown called the Boomtown Ball and Festival. Boomtown is the brainchild of Houndmouth, a Southern Indiana musical group with strong ties to New Albany. The city has played a leading role in this celebration, as with the Bicentennial Park Concert Series, which begins on Friday, May 30.

On Sunday evening, the band will play a sold-out indoor show at The Grand. During the afternoon preceding Houndmouth’s performance, other bands will play on an outdoor stage at Market and Third, as selected and booked by Houndmouth and Production Simple, while in the farmers market space and on Bank Street, there will be vendors of all varieties as organized and arranged in the loose aggregation known as the Flea Off Market. It’s an all-ages, all-interests event.

A consortium of downtown food and drink businesses will operate the Boomtown Tavern, located within the confines of the farmers market pavilion. Owing to Indiana state law, the entire Boomtown festival will be located within a fence and enclosures, but of course, the full range of downtown’s independent businesses are a short walk away. Many of them will observe special Sunday opening hours for the occasion.

In a conceptual sense, if the Boomtown festival were to declare its relationship status, the likely choice would be “It’s Complicated.” Nothing about it has been simple, and yet the day slowly is coming together. By Sunday, we’ll be ready to muddle through it, and I’m sure everything will work out acceptably.

It’s worth remembering that when it comes to serving the cause of simplicity, communication goes a very long way toward reducing complexity to manageable levels, if not eliminating it outright. During the course of my involvement with Boomtown, I’ve tried to make decisions and urge solutions on the basis of more communication, not less, and in the simple recognition that downtown stakeholders already have issues with unanswered questions pertaining to pre-existing impositions (read: Harvest Homecoming) without needing any more of them.

I’m hoping that in spite of the many rough spots experienced while planning and executing this complicated first-time event, all those working so hard to make it happen will learn from the input offered by those doing business downtown, every day of the year. I can’t speak for everyone, but it has been revealing for me.

Downtown has changed, and we just can’t persist in top-down planning without seeking some measure of consensus first, from those who stand to be affected by the actions being considered. Granted, the Boomtown Ball will bring commerce downtown on a Sunday, and of course, that’s a good thing, but it must be grasped by those in positions of authority that starting the Ball rolling by emphasizing the importance of a Louisville-based flea market – a fine and reputable institution in its own right – sent an immediate and frankly insulting signal to local merchants, which sounded like this: “We’re not good enough here, so we’ll bring in someone else’s panache.”

No, this was not the city’s intent. However, it was ill-considered just the same, and it has complicated every step of the process since.

Simplicity? Please, and here’s an example.

“Do you mind if we use your space?”

News and Tribune blasts Boomtown, Houndmouth for non-localism as Bill Hanson cowers during phone call to 'Bama HQ for further instructions.

There are times when the phrase "penal servitude" takes on a whole new coloring. Was the whole thing just a dream?

I ran into one of NABC's twenty-something customers while out for my walk, proving that today's youth can be up early on the morning after Derby, just like the old man.

The conversation turned to the forthcoming Boomtown Ball and Houndmouth show. He was excited, and since we've chatted in the past about like topics, I broadened the scope and reminded him that not everyone feels the same way.

He appeared puzzled, so I elaborated.

You see, there's this fellow at the News and Tribune, and he was tweeting last night about how the Boomtown event wasn't local enough, and as a localism advocate, I was being a hypocrite by participating, and NABC was just in it for the money, and that Houndmouth itself is populated by "some dudes who ripped off a Dylan backup band." We got into this big Twitter dust-up, and I concluded by suggesting  -- nay, pleading -- that if he felt so strongly about it, maybe he should be a man, lead the crusade, and publish an editorial or some such -- you know, take the whole thing public and let the people decide, which is fine by me, because I'm serene about it.

My twenty-something customer looked at me with a very strange, solemn expression.

"What's the News and Tribune?"

All about the bands on the outdoor stage at Boomtown Ball on May 25.

Production Simple fills in the blanks and tells us about the music slated to be performed on the outdoor stage at the Boomtown Ball and Festival on May 25. Houndmouth is playing a sold-out show at The Grand the same evening. No worries; it is Menorial Day weekend, so you won't have to work on Monday.

NABC is delighted to license the Boomtown event for adult libations, and to work with other downtown drinks vendors to curate a lineup of beer, wine and cocktails for the occasion. We'll be meeting tomorrow to discuss details. Our collective aim from the start has been to provide genuinely local flavor to Boomtown, and to showcase the 365-days-a-year efforts of local business, whether bar or boutique. Just so you know ...

And now, the music.

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The line-up for the outdoor stage curated by Houndmouth; music begins at 1:30 p.m.

The River City Blues Band 
Hailing from Louisville, KY, the River City Blues Band plays a variety of Blues - West Coast, Delta, Chicago. Members Denny Thornbury, Jimmy Gaetano, Hank Dobson and Tom Murray play straight up BLUES, man!

The Kernal & His New Strangers
Based in Jackson, TN, The Kernal & His New Strangers call the Downtown Tavern home and from that halfway point between two Tennessee music mecca’s, tour the country with their home-grown brand of Southern mystique. Tied deeply to the legacy of the wandering musician and the historic Grand Ole Opry, the Kernal, a southern gentleman with an old soul and youthful ambition, found his sound and showmanship in the greats of the classic Country music scene like Del Reeves.

Ranger
Members Adam Faris, Michael Homan, Yuto Kanii and Alfonso Ramos were jamming out in an abandoned candy factory on Floyd Street in Louisville, in order to let loose and nail down some new songs. Now, after a trip to Kevin Ratterman’s La La Land, the New Albany band has a new album entitled The Bard. “We kinda stumbled upon the album title while reflecting on our demos at Ratterman’s. The inspiration was found through the storytelling aspects of the album,” says Alfonso Ramos, lead singer of Ranger.

Daniel Martin Moore is a singer and songwriter (and a great many other things arguably less relevant to this particular piece of text) from Cold Spring, Kentucky. On the strength of an unsolicited demo he sent in January of 2007, Sub Pop released Stray Age in October of 2008, a quietly striking album and Daniel’s debut full-length. And, in February of 2010, Sub Pop released Dear Companion, an album written and performed by Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore together, and produced by Jim James from My Morning Jacket and Monsters of Folk.

The Pass
Louisville, KY’s The Pass tout a “neverending quest for a balanced perfection of synthesizer pop and dance-floor psychedelia.” The music is compulsively listenable, danceable and playable. Their momentous sound and infectious onstage energy keep the crowd moving.

Discount Guns is the brainchild of John Ford & Edward Vincent. The two grew up in Central Ill. and met in 2006 working at a farm machinery store. The men both ended up in Louisville, Kentucky and Discount Guns was born. In the summer of 2010, they started writing music together. After failed attempts of finding a drummer, the two decided to learn to play the drums and become a 2-piece, switching off on guitar and drums.

Fly Golden Eagle is currently touting their latest, psych-funk release, "Swagger", wherever they go and are done with their follow-up, "Quartz", to be released soon. In the past year the band has toured with Alabama Shakes, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Dr Dog, Arctic Monkeys, Clear Plastic Masks and Chrome Pony. See them outside and in the sun.

San Fermin is the work of Brooklyn composer and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. After finishing his musical studies at Yale, Ludwig-Leone wrote the album in six weeks while holed up in a studio on the mountainous border between Alberta and British Columbia. He focused on lifeʼs top-shelf issues – youth, nostalgia, anxiety, unrequited love – and tied these vast themes to different characters through vocal contributions from longtime friend Allen Tate, as well as Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius.

This event is produced by Louisville based buyers Production Simple, Concerts & Events and radio sponsorship is being provided by 91.9 WFPK.

Here is a rough sketch of the Boomtown Ball site plan for May 25, with explanation.

(April 29 update: All about the bands slated to perform on the outdoor stage)

To understand how the Boomtown Ball on May 25 is to be done, it helps to be acquainted with Indiana's Alcohol & Tobacco Commission.

The ATC licenses and regulates any business that serves beverage alcohol. Integral to the ATC's operational philosophy is the concept of a floor or site plan -- basically, a map showing the ATC one's everyday bricks and mortar business layout.

The very same idea applies to temporary serving permits for temporary events, and so when the idea of the Boomtown Ball was being minted this winter, and the decision was made to include alcoholic beverages as part of the plan, the range of possibilities immediately narrowed. If alcoholic beverages are to be vended, in this case with NABC acting as master caterer and procurer of the requisite supplemental catering permit, certain fundamentals must be observed.

As the entity applying for the permit, it is NABC's (read: my) job to follow the ATC rules and be sure the pertinent legalities are observed, and it's something we take seriously. Hence, the site plan pictured above, which was submitted with the standard application. The beverage vending will be done by NABC and a team of downtown ATC permit holders; stay tuned for further information.

An event like this must be enclosed, generally by being fenced, with the familiar orange or green plastic utility fencing being the ATC's preference. There can be various points of entry and exit, but alcoholic beverages can not be carried in or out, meaning there usually must be personnel manning these points (as city police do during the Bicentennial Park concert series). If the greater expanse of the fenced grounds is to be occupied by all ages, then the bar area itself must be enclosed and allow only persons 21 and over to enter. Those of legal age can purchase beverages at the bar, and carry them into the all-ages area.

From the inception of Boomtown Ball, Houndmouth (the band), Production Simple (the music agent) and the city conceived of a Sunday street festival with music, the Flea Off Market's diverse booths, and both food and beverages. The original idea was to locate it on Market and Pearl Streets, but this proved to be too difficult a fit, for two reasons: First, from the standpoint of the ATC's licensing needs, and second, because it would have blocked access to existing independent businesses located on these two streets, which needed to have the opportunity to participate if desired.

It was suggested that the event be moved to the vicinity of the farmers market, and as the diagram shows, this radically simplifies the required layout, as well as impacting far fewer local businesses; in fact, the shops on the ground floor of the Odd Fellows building and near them on Bank Street will not be blocked by booths within the adjacent enclosure, will have full access near the event entry portals, and should nicely benefit from the patronage of the event's attendees, should they choose to open.

Meanwhile, current ATC permit holders (Habana Blues, the Frenchman, Toast and maybe La Bocca, if it's up and running again) on The Grand's short block of Market Street can conduct their business normally while drawing increased trade from the Boomtown Ball attendees, especially as ticket holders for the Houndmouth indoor show at The Grand begin arriving. Pearl Street remains open, not shut off and with businesses blocked, as it would have been at first.

I'm explaining these things in this forum for a variety of reasons.

To help spread the word.

To familiarize readers with some of the esoteric factors that lie behind the plans for events like the Boomtown Ball.

To reiterate that New Albany's indie business community downtown is "cool" of its own merit.

To note that on the 25th, there'll be ample opportunity for these downtown businesses to shine for what should be good crowds.

To ask for better overall communication between the various downtown stakeholders, all of the time.

As observed previously, there are two meetings scheduled this coming week: Sons and daughters of the former Merchant Mixer on Tuesday, and drinks purveyors on Wednesday (if you are among the latter and wish to attend, please let me know).

At both of these gatherings, a prime topic of discussion will be how to make localism as much a part of the Boomtown Ball event as humanly possible, both on the day of the show itself and the week preceding it, which we're calling Houndmouth Week as a working title, or some such.

Please stay tuned, and I'll tell you what I know, as I know it.

Boomtown Ball & Festival details: Of bands, businesses and beers.

For those who've been asking about the music at Boomtown Ball, this graphic released by the city provides a list of performers.

Among the details implied by "more" will be adult libations (beer, wine drinks) with NABC and other downtown drinks purveyors, as well as something quite important that keeps getting lost: By moving the original site plan to the farmers market (remember, temporary alcohol serving areas must be fenced in) and keeping Pearl and the block of Market (by The Grand) open, those year-round local businesses occupying these prime addresses have the choice of being open for business on the 25th, and being part of the fun.

There are two meetings scheduled this coming week: Merchants confab on Tuesday, and drinks purveyors on Wednesday. At both of these gatherings, a prime topic of discussion will be how to make localism as much a part of the Boomtown event as humanly possible, both on the day of the show itself and the week preceding it (Houndmouth Week, or some such).

Boomtown concept originators Houndmouth (the band) and the city of New Albany are correct in imagining that it will be a well-attended festival. It took a bit of tweaking to bring the concept into focus, and all parties involved deserve credit for listening and adapting along the way. As such, Sunday the 25th of May is the ideal opportunity to show off what we have to offer all of the time, in addition to the Boomtown-only program, and any such effort simply must be led by the merchants and food and drink purveyors themselves.

I believe it is going to be a good event, and the run-up starts now.

UPDATE: Boomtown Ball and Houndmouth in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25.

See also: Houndmouth and the Boomtown Ball in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25.

In New Albany, where we’re all here because we’re not all there, the cat herding has been more difficult than usual lately. However, the crazed critters just may be getting the hang of some recommended synchronicity. Faust took six months of my life in exchange for the bargain, but who's counting lifespans, anyway? We can always acquire another through Amazon.

On Sunday, May 25 (Memorial Day weekend), there is a big musical event planned for New Albany. A downtown festival called Boomtown Ball will run from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and then at 8:00 p.m., the band Houndmouth will play a sold-out “homecoming” show at The Grand.

The Boomtown Ball/Cats in Single File portion of the day has been occupying much of my time. As originally envisioned by the organizers, the plan was deceptively simple. The city would close certain streets, Production Simple would book musical acts to perform on a temporary stage, Louisville's Flea Off market would set up shop, and voila – fest time, with adult libations throughout.

But the devil remains ensconced in the details, and the last part proved to be the first red flag, necessitating the parsing of various Indiana state alcoholic beverage laws and the disposition of permits, while consulting with lawyers and insurance agents, and commensurate, delicate calculations of who, where, when, what, why and how. Not everyone understands how the world works, and the process of rectification has been exhausting, but in the end, fervent negotiations have yielded quantifiable results.

The easiest way to characterize it is this: Insofar as NABC's involvement in the alcoholic beverage catering portion of Boomtown Ball is concerned, we have endeavored throughout the process to point Boomtown Ball in the direction of maximum local participation, whether inside the state mandated (fenced) floor plan, and outside it; moreover, the same objective has been true of food and drink purveyors and other businesses alike. Ultimately, I believe the Boomtown day will make perfect sense, and the cause of localism in beverage vending, pre-existing local independent business operation and consumer satisfaction will be advanced; imperfectly, perhaps, but as well as could be hoped, with potentially valuable lessons learned for the future. For a first-time event, it's all one can expect.

Please mark these dates on your calendars:

"Houndmouth Week" (to be conclusively tagged later) in New Albany, circa the week of May 19-25. Downtown bars and restaurants will be planning their own special promotions and events to whet appetites for the Boomtown Ball on May 25th.

The Boomtown Ball itself, taking place downtown on Bank and Market Streets on Sunday the 25th, as described above.

Houndmouth at The Grand at 8:00 p.m. on the 25th. As noted, it is sold out, but I’ll hazard a guess that the party will proceed much later into the evening after the show at those late-night establishments operating nearby, i.e., the Irish Exit, Wick’s and Liquidz. You have all day Monday to recover.

Houndmouth and the Boomtown Ball in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25.

Verbatim, as forwarded by the city of New Albany. NABC will be involved on the beer vending side of the street festival, in a yet-to-be-determined format. For now: Mark your calendars and hope there's no snow in May.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Mayor Jeff M. Gahan and the City of New Albany, along with 91.9 WFPK and Houndmouth, are proud to present the The Boomtown Ball & Festival.

Houndmouth will be headlining the festival with a concert at The Grand Sunday, May 25th. Tickets for the 18 and over concert go on sale Friday March 7th at 10am.

"The Boomtown Ball & Festival will serve as the kick-off for the Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series," stated Mayor Jeff M. Gahan. "The festival will consist of a free outdoor music stage curated with the help of Houndmouth and an open air flea market/bazaar, all contained right in our downtown."

This event will be held on Market St. in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25th. The City of New Albany has enlisted the support of Flea Off Market, a unique Louisville-based outdoor bazaar that will feature tons of regional and local vendors offering records, books, antiques, vintage items, fine arts & crafts, esoterica, and more.

Gates for this free family friendly event open at 1pm. Stay tuned for a full line-up of music on the outdoor stage curated by Houndmouth.

The Boomtown Ball & Festival will culminate with a ticketed show at the Grand with New Albany’s own Houndmouth as the headliner.

That first November 2011 night, when Houndmouth all fell together at the Green House in New Albany, was nothing more complicated than four friends playing music, armed with a curiosity about what might happen. Matt Myers (guitar), Shane Cody (drums), Katie Toupin (keyboard/organ), and Zak Appleby (bass) all hail from the Indiana side of the river, where they knew each other from…around.

It all happened in a tumble. After playing locally in Louisville and Indiana for three months, Houndmouth made the pilgrimage to South By Southwest in Austin, Texas with just their homemade EP in hand. A little buzz convinced Rough Trade Record's Geoff Travis to come have a listen. Of such things are dreams made. Months of conversation and a proper studio later, their debut album, From the Hills Below the City, was released by Rough Trade in June of 2013.

The band have been on the road for over a year — opening for the Drive-By Truckers, the Lumineers, the Alabama Shakes, Lucero, and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals — as well as headlining on their own. The band is more than excited to finally play their first proper hometown show in New Albany: "It's been a crazy ride since we started as a band, and one thing we've always wanted to do is play a special New Albany show. All of the amazing local fans, from both sides of the Ohio, have become an extended family to us. So much of our music and our success are directly influenced by our hometown, and we couldn't be more grateful. We look forward to celebrating with everyone on May 25th.”

This event is produced by Louisville based buyers Production Simple, Concerts & Events and
radio sponsorship is being provided by 91.9 WFPK.

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For full, up-to-date event information, including on sale and ticket info, please visit:
City of New Albany and Production Simple

For band information please visit:
www.houndmouth.com

For Flea Off Market information:
Flea Off Market on Facebook or call 502-552-0061

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For more local information, please contact:

Lizi Hagan
Production Simple
lizi@productionsimple.com