Words by Sarah Frazier.

Joining the IndieCon lineup this year is Lawrence Welks and Our Bears to Cross, playing Friday, November 11^th alongside Caring Babies and Shawn Grady at the BCA Center  (135 Church Street, Burlington). What sets the band apart from their counterparts? The influence of God and Christian undertones that really sets them apart from some of the other acts to follow. When I got some feedback from the group, I was surprised by some of their answers.

With some sarcastic twists, I knew that any stereotypes that I may have innocently planted in my head about this Christian singing band were false from the get go. Getting involved with IndieCon through their friend Nick, LWBC were uncertain what the event actually was. However, even that being the case once the venue was announced they jumped right on, “We definitely wanted to play at BCA because it’s the classiest venue in town.”

Involved with the local Vermont music scene I was curious on their take of how, as a Christian band of sorts, they fit into the mix. What I got was the general idea that Burlington itself always allows almost any band to flourish creatively, or as they put it, “…cause no one gives a fuck.  It’s a good place to start a cult following of devotees, also heard that we can carry concealed so that’s cool.” Whoa, not what I expected, but then again most of their answers ended up being counter to previous notions or stereotypes.

To be honest, most of what I received was a mix of sarcastic and somewhat intense answers to an array of questions concerning their own sound, and their thoughts on what most people conceive when first hearing about them. On that note, I asked the band about their own views on their individual sound and lyrical inspiration. In regards to their sound, they kept the comedic side alive: “Christian, generic, light rock, little pop, acoustic electric guitars are crucial.  Definitely inspirational. Keyboard drummer, Brickhouse Jackson. Any psalm that we have online would be a good place to start.” Once again, not taking themselves too seriously, the band plays into the idea of this genre, but also adds their own tone throughout.

Jumping back on the sarcasm wagon, we got onto the topic of lyrical inspiration, and whether or not a collaborative effort was involved. The answers I got had me laughing for a good two minutes out loud while people eating around me probably thought I looked like a crazy person. Concerning ideas of lyrical inspiration and collaboration the band tells, “God, through his servant David, the poet-king. No, not so collaborative because it’s straight out of the book, except that we use a bunch a translations so it’s sort of a group effort by the editors.” Well David the poet-king seems to be serving the band well.

However, despite what externally might seem comedic the band makes it clear their message is to stay true to God. I followed up with questions concerning the trials and tribulations that being part of a band can have. Their answer was compelling because I saw a raw honesty to it that made me feel that I was talking to some people of passion, but kept me laughing at the same time. Their response:

“Most liberals in Burlington are really afraid of God and anyone that wants to bring up non-eastern religion unless it can be mixed with yoga or environmentalism. People can’t take God seriously so they think we’re joking, that’s an issue, or making fun of God, which is  downright wrong. Really, if we had sorted through those obstacles we would be pretty famous and this interview would not be happening,  but glad it is because we’re not so famous yet.  Oh yeah, forgot a huge obstacle which is WRUV so **** them.”

Like I said, there is a combination of passion and comedic sensibility that sort of draws you to this band’s personality. With that in mind, IndieCon is sure to have its hands full. If you want to see more of Lawrence Welks and Our Bear to Cross, come join the fun at the BCA center on Church St., November 11.

Words by Sarah Frazier.

November 5^th at the Bristol Hub in Bristol, VT, is UNRESTRAINED’S last show! Join us at 7pm, for a high power, high energy show. Entry is $10-15 at the door, but if that seems too steep, the event page on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=225079434211723) urges you to contact Ryan to work something out. Come see Unrestrained along with other great bands for a hardcore experience that should leave you sweating and panting for more. I got the opportunity to talk to Ryan Krushenick of Unrestrained, and get fans pumped for the event.

Getting in contact Ryan at first wasn’t an easy task. The problem wasn’t Ryan himself of course, who was more than generous in his answers, the problem came when I found out Ryan had just boarded a plane to South/Central America. Woops! After a few weeks of back and forth, this and that, I was finally able to get in contact with Ryan.  As Ryan tells me, the show was initiated as the final goodbye the band wanted to give their friends and fans. It was a mutual understanding between the members that, ultimately, the time had come. In Ryan’s words, “Unrestrained realized about 8 months ago that our time as a band had come, and we really needed to wrap everything up. We set up some minor goals before we did, like tour Europe to say goodbye to our friends, which led to Central America next. We wanted the show to be in October initially because Vermont is so beautiful than but we didn’t have enough time. We agreed on a date and a place and decided to stick with that.” Busy guys living busy lives. You have to show respect to a band that had enough respect for each other and fans to make this last show a tribute to what music is all about: universality.

Through the hurried rush to get the event jumpstarted, Unrestrained didn’t want to hog the stage for themselves, because this was really a farewell party for the band. With that in mind, Unrestrained called on other bands to take part in the finale. As Ryan tells me, “The bands we chose to play are all bands we like and respect, with people that either used to be in Unrestrained, or have been friends along the way. It was sort of hard, a lot of bands we grew close to don’t exist anymore, and there are a million more that we wish could play, in the end we got a solid five.”

With friends all over the world to see the show along with other fans, a huge chapter of Ryan’s as well as the other members of the band’s lives are coming to a close. “It will be a parting of ways between five individuals,” Ryan says, “that created something that took them around the world, right up until the end.” Writing to me from a hostel in Guatemala, Ryan reminisces about how close he and the band has become over time, while looking forward to the times of his life ahead. Listening to Ryan’s comments, I can see the love he had for the band, but the excitement in what is coming to happen. The band, along with Ryan have had a plethora of influences shape them not only in their own music but in their lives as well. In the end as Ryan describes, the band is ultimately a punk band at heart. The band found influences in Trial to Kid Dynamite, to 7 Seconds. It is the forming together with the musical and personal influences that collective the band found its heart.

So, what can fans and friends expect for this finale, last show? If what Ryan tell me is true: a hell of a good time.“I expect a healthy amount of adrenaline, anger, smiles and tears,” Ryan tells me, “When a train finally leaves the rails it never does it quietly.” With that punk rock sentiment, the show this November 5^th at the Bristol Hub, will be a jam-packed burst of energy not to be missed. As for the band members’ futures, Ryan tells me there is a lot to look forward to. As it goes, “We all have other bands and big dreams, I guess it never matters where you see yourself, but where you go. Five years ago I didn’t see myself here, but I did it, rather, we did it. The future is unwritten, and for me more uncertain than ever, so I better get writing.” With that in mind, Unrestrained’s last show is to be a final hardcore punk show to send off the band to what lies ahead. With so much to look forward to, especially with such talent, who knows what will happen? Come join Unrestrained for their last show, this November 5^th on Saturday at the Bristol Hub in Bristol, VT, and be part of the send-off.

Alan Berg at the world premier of 'Outside Industry.'

Words by Sarah Frazier.

Filmmaker Alan Berg joins Big Heavy World at IndieCon for a screening of ‘Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW,’ November 11th, at the BCA center on Church Street. Often called one of the biggest music festivals to date, the documentary explores the early evolution of the festival itself, performances that brought the crowds, and the controversy over its rapid growth. Along with this we will see how, “…it follows the four founders as they navigate through the successes, backlash, criticism and even arson to become the biggest music industry event in the world.” I got to interview Alan this week about the film and his success over the years.

Even before speaking with Alan, I learned of his background. What I found was a man who has been dedicated to his field in film and the arts. Alan tells me, “I began my career as a political reporter, and had the good fortune of working in good shops with good mentors. So that was important because they taught me the tools of the trade. One other advantage, although I didn’t realize it at the time, was that working against the deadlines of daily news gave me a lot of reps — every day I was editing and writing, so it’s sorta like minor league ball. The largest hurdle was the transition from fact-driven storytelling to character-driven storytelling.”

Coming from the mindset of a writer, it’s easy to appreciate how hard getting proper footing in the business can be. Mentorship was the groundwork for much of what Alan would later accomplish. Getting this type of field work was an obvious blessing for Alan in the long run because it helped initiate the eventual development of his Arts and Labor collaboration. When speaking about Arts and Labor, Alan tells me that it has been a blessing, “I think part of the reason is that we seek to attract and develop new talent. I was taught early to always focus on the narrative. Nice photography, fancy editing, slick graphics, all help tell a story, but if there’s no underlying plot it’s like frosting without the cake. When you step out creatively and take risk, there will be no shortage of people enumerating in vivid detail the number of ways in which you’re gonna fail.”

I think there is a vital point to be made here, and Big Heavy World can be said to hold a lot of that idea of collaborative effort in hand. However, getting back to the IndieCon aspect of the interview, I ask Alan specifically what made him want to explore the nuts and bolts of the SXSW music festival. Alan’s relationship to the SXSW festival circles all the way back to 1987.

“I was a covering politics in Austin when the festival launched in 1987, and it just looked like a lot of fun. My wife and I went to the shows and we just thought it was so cool that this was happening in our city. Fast forward to 1994. I’m working for the ABC affiliate in Dallas, and I convinced my boss to let me do a half-hour on SXSW as a break from covering politics. That went on to win an Emmy, and then the founder of SXSW, Roland Swenson, called and asked if I was interested in helping them document the festival. So for the next five years I’d take time off, go down to Austin, and coordinate taping of SXSW. We started to make a documentary back then, but the whole music license thing was a gordian knot. So I asked Roland what we should do, and he said “you know, last night I was watching a doc on the Newport Jazz Festival that was made from film they shot in the ’60s. So maybe we just sit on this a while.” I said, “Damn Roland, I’ll be an old man.” Well, a decade later we dusted off the footage, added some new and old and made the documentary. It was important to me to close the circle.”

It seems for Alan this endeavor was somewhat of a lifelong one in his own relationship with music itself. Coming from a small Baptist town in Texas, much of the ideals that came with the community were those of a conservative nature. It was in the spirit of rock n’ roll that Alan would find his sense of freedom. One of the first artists Alan truly connected with was during his 6th grade years. It was then that he was introduced to the over-the-top rock performer Alice Cooper. My mom went bat-shit when I put up the album’s pull-out poster of him hanging himself. I saw it as his way of giving the finger to a world where everyone’s trying to tell people what to do. She saw it as a sign that I was headed straight to heroin. Later on, seeing the midnight showing of ‘The Song Remains the Same’ at the old downtown cinema was a window into somewhere else. As far as influence, music showed me how creative expression can feed the soul.”

The 'Outside Industry' production crew.

It is always nice to have that generational gap where one side is calling you crazy and the other is urging you towards revolution. Isn’t it strange how history seems to work out that way.

Ultimately, we veer back to Alan’s own documentary that pays homage to the music he so loves. What Alan truly wants people to gain out his documentary is what he has been practicing all his life, whether he is conscious of it or not. It comes down to doing what you love for Alan, and the change the can be seen in the transition of the music industry. “The film documents how a group of creative folks built something that’s valuable and enduring without any real blueprint. I love the fact that the starting point was their shared love of the arts as opposed to a business plan. Which means that at the end of the day, it should be about creating a great sound, because that’s the only thing over which a musician really has any control.” I believe the content of what this film explores is appealing to both the music and movie enthusiast. The message that rings true is that we should give our respects to the people who are able to share what they love with others, and when opportunity knocks, we should get off our lazy asses and answer it. Come to the BCA center on November 11th, to see Alan Berg’s new documentary film, ‘Outside Industry: The Story of SXSW,’ supporting a collaborative cinematic and musical effort!

For more information about IndieCon, Big Heavy World’s two-day grassroots music festival, Nov. 11 & 12: http://bigheavyworld.com/tunk/?p=4724.