Amy O – Audiofemme

Rarely a night goes by in Bloomington without locals filling the basements of show-houses, bobbing their heads to punk, garage, and grunge riffs. Once a month, Rebecca recounts some of the live music highlights from the previous four weeks. Read and listen below for a bevy of Bloomington bands that should be on your radar.

(8/3) Rich Boy Junkie, Her Again, Paradise, Brian Berger @ the Bishop

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It was an evening of farewells at the Bishop as locals Rich Boy Junkie and Her Again performed their final shows in Bloomington. I arrived at the Bishop in time for Her Again’s set, where a substantial audience showed up to catch the doo-wop infused surf punk sounds of Claudia Ferme (guitar), Jordan Gomes-Kuehner (drums), and Megan Searl (bass), who traded in their typically deadpan delivery for visible emotion as they graced the a Bloomington stage together for the last time. Rich Boy Junkie, the indie synthpop outfit featuring Collin Thomas, Brian Berger, Cole Stinson, Sam Winkhouse, and Nick Kinney, closed down the night. In between intimate lyrics sung with an earnest sincerity, frontman Collin Thomas took time to thank the band’s supporters and reflect on the special place that Bloomington will have in their memory.

<a href="http://richboyjunkie.bandcamp.com/album/neoteny-and-the-grand-gesture">Neoteny and The Grand Gesture by Rich Boy Junkie</a>

(8/5) Jeff Rosenstock and Laura Stevenson @ The Void

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Laura Stevenson (Photo credit: Jennie Williams)

*This review was written by Jennie Williams, a friend, colleague, musician, and fellow local music lover*

The Void, Bloomington’s all-ages collectively operated venue, sold out its largest show yet on Saturday, August 5th. This highly anticipated event featured Jeff Rosenstock and Laura Stevenson, old friends and bandmates from Bomb the Music Industry! (BtMI!). They had been touring all summer together with their own self-titled projects. Pre-sale tickets to this show were not available, which meant that even though I thought I showed up on time, I was already late and at the end of the line.

The first band to perform was a local punk group called Whelmed (an appropriate name to kick off the eagerly awaited and nearly overwhelming event). The lead vocalist welcomed the audience and introduced The Void and its mission to the crowd, which consisted of people from in and out of town. I even overheard that someone drove for over an hour and a half to see the show.

<a href="http://whelmedwhelmed.bandcamp.com/album/whelmed">Whelmed by Whelmed</a>

Laura Stevenson performed next, opening with “Out With A Whimper” from her 2015 album Cocksure. Stevenson was friendly, funny, attentive to the crowd, and played electric guitar with an effortless talent as she sang out devotedly over the sound of the loud speakers. For her last three songs, Jeff Rosenstock joined Stevenson on stage and played a shredding electric lead. The band closed with “Jellyfish” – an instant crowd favorite.

While the Jeff Rosenstock fans pushed forward, readying themselves for the headliner, I went over and introduced myself to Stevenson at her merch table. I bought a t-shirt and we talked about an Elliot Smith cover song she played two Christmases ago and our mutual love for Dolly Parton. Rosenstock fired up the crowd that became a chorus of voices singing every word to his songs. Rosenstock praised the audience for being respectful to one another and thanked the Void for hosting this successful and memorable night.

(8/7) Iron Cages with Beverly Bouncehouse, Laffing Gas, and Twinso @ Jan’s Rooms

The Jan’s Rooms crew stacked the lineup for the final show at one of Bloomington’s most popular house venues. Eager to catch the entire bill, I arrived in the basement in time for local punk band Laffing Gas’s opening set. Although I instantly regretted my oversight in not bringing earplugs along, the infectious energy that emanated from the frenzied instrumentals and fiery vocals made the minor physical discomfort worth it. The second act of the night was Twinso, an Evansville-based hardcore punk duo. Donning matching jumpsuits and orange hats, Twinso visually referenced a Devo aesthetic during their performance. The true surprise came when they began to play their instruments, juxtaposing a whimsical visual with heavy sounds: explosive bass lines and wildly accelerated drum fills.

<a href="http://turdwurld.bandcamp.com/album/laffing-gas">Laffing Gas by Laffing Gas</a>

DC-based hardcore punk quartet Iron Cages came through for the penultimate act of the night. During yet another heavy and energetic set, vocalist Laura danced in the crowd while instrumentalists Brendan, Joey, and Nate thrashed around onstage. Lastly, local DJ Beverly Bouncehouse facilitated a charming end to the night, singing an eclectic and hilariously curated playlist of covers (“Short People” by Randy Newman and “Sweat” by the Inner Circle were definitely set highlights) on top of the songs’ original backtracks. It seemed fitting to end the house’s final show with a reminder that above all, Jan’s Rooms was a venue for old and new friends to connect to each other and have a good time.

(8/10) Garrett Walters @ The Void

A couple of months back I picked up Garrett Walters’ debut album, I Call My Younger Sister Twice A Day. For some reason I was intrigued by the album art so I decided to take a risk. While you can’t always judge a book by its cover, you might be able to judge an album by its cover art because I Call My Younger Sister Twice a Day played on repeat in my car for a good month or so. Walters’ live show was just as intimate as the recording itself; as the audience formed a semicircle surrounding the singer, who stepped down from the stage to get a little closer to us all, we were treated with a smattering of personal folk punk songs about the good, the bad, and the ugly of life and love Bloomington.

<a href="http://garrettsucks.bandcamp.com/album/at-the-end-of-south-washington">At the End of South Washington by Garrett Walters</a>

(8/10) Amy O’s Elastic Release Party with Bugg and Jacky Boy @ The Bishop

After moseying over to the Bishop from the Void (thankfully Bloomington is relatively small and easy to get around fast), I made it to Amy O’s Elastic release show just in time for the last few songs of Jacky Boy’s set. The room was already packed for the best turnout for a local show that I’ve been to all summer. After grabbing a drink and worming my way through the crowd, I climbed up onto a booth to catch the sludgy yet melodic basslines and nonchalantly slacker vocals of the local grunge outfit Bugg, who was the second supporting act of the night.

The mood was high by the arrival of Amy O’s much-awaited set. She performed most of the songs off of Elastic, which was released earlier this month via local label Winspear. This was Amy O’s return home after a midwest and east coast tour and the tone felt celebratory. In between exchanges with the audience and smiles to fellow bandmembers Madeline Robinson (bass/vocals), Justin Vollmar (drums), Damion Schiralli (guitar), and Aaron Denton (keys/vocals), Amy O delivered a substantial set of tightly composed grungy basement pop.

<a href="http://amyo.bandcamp.com/album/elastic">Elastic by Amy O</a>

(8/15) Charlottesville Benefit feat. Eric Ayotte, Charlie Jones, Byrne Bridges, Fresh Kill @ Boxcar Books

Punks Give Back Bloomington hosted a last minute show at Boxcar Books, Bloomington’s local volunteer-run bookstore and activist center. The event, which featured Eric Ayotte and Charlie Jones, Byrne Bridges, and Fresh Kill, raised over $1000 to assist with medical expenses for the anti-fascist protesters who were attacked and injured by white supremacists in Charlottesville on August 12. While the atmosphere felt understandably somber, Boxcar’s comfortable and inclusive environment became a space for people to come together and begin to process their feelings.

Fresh Kill opened the night with an acoustic set once the audience settled down onto the floor. While I’ve seen these two perform quite a few times in the months since their debut, this more intimate and unplugged version of Fresh Kill provided the space for Jess (drums) and Emma (guitar) to showcase their poignant lyrics and tight vocal harmonies. The next act to perform was Byrne Bridges, a solo project that combines elements of glam and folk punk. Their set included collective moments of catharsis, including a song/social experiment where audience members were given the space to take the stage and offer things that they are sorry about while crowd sang along. Unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the final act, but reports back from people there confirm that Eric Ayotte and Charlie Jones are certainly worth keeping an eye out for more performances to come.

<a href="http://byrnebridges.bandcamp.com/album/solo-demos-2017">solo demos 2017 by Byrne Bridges</a>

(8/18) Ladycop and Tabah @ The Blockhouse

I walked into the basement of the Blockhouse just in time for the psychedelic dream pop stylings of LadyCop. LadyCop is an eight person project headed by Chelsea Sherman (vocals, keys, synth, percussion) and is comprised of Alex Arnold (guitar, bass, synth, percussion), Kenzie Main (vocals), Biz Strother (vocals), Jonathon Brunnes (bass), Josh Morrow (drums), Charles Roldan (drums) and Patrick Hitchings (violins). While not all eight member of the project were present at this live show, a fullness in sound was provided by the three-part vocal harmonies, one of the core identifying features of Ladycop’s sound.

<a href="http://ldycp.bandcamp.com/album/undercurrent-ep">Undercurrent EP by Ladycop</a>

Finishing the night was Tabah, a Minneapolis-based five piece comprised of Cecelia Erholtz (vocals/guitar), Charlie Bruber (bass), Murphy Janssen (drums), Jeff Ley (guitar), and Andrew Seitz (keys). While psychedelic undercurrents ran throughout the band’s set, Tabah draws from multiple sources. Utilizing elements of folk, country, soul, funk, and hard rock, their music is delightfully difficult to pinpoint in any one genre. One common strand that ran throughout their set, however, was each member’s proclivity towards their instruments. As these elements came together onstage, Erholtz’s soulful vocal timbre weaved into the sonic tapestry with apparent ease.

<a href="http://tabah.bandcamp.com/album/time-will-come">Time Will Come by Tabah</a>
(8/27) Big Huge, Casual Burn, The Bills, and Ghastly @ The Root Cellar

The Root Cellar opened up its doors on a Sunday night for a stacked lineup of local and touring punk music. Kicking off the night was the Bills, a brand new local group. A substantial crowd had accumulated to support this power punk trio, who played a short and sweet set of original tunes. New Orleans-based post punk four piece Casual Burn was the second act of the night. Hopping on the lineup last minute, the post-punk stylings of Monet Maloof (vocals), David Sabudowskly (guitar), Nathan Bluford (drums), and Carlos Knoop (bass) were a welcome surprise. The energy emanating from this group even prompted a small moshpit, a fairly uncommon occurance in Bloomington, where most punks prefer bobbing their head subtly to the beat over heaving their bodies in any which direction.

Touring band Big Huge performed next, delivering rock and roll vibes with a southwest aesthetic. Based out of New York, Big Huge is comprised of Sam Richer (guitar), Dan Reg (vocals) Hannah Nugent (bass), Dave Chase (drums), and Dan Gaetani (guitar). Local favorites Ghastly closed the night with jangley pop punk and emotional, fervently sung lyrics that are personally and politically motivated. Ghastly is A.T. (vocals, guitar), Martin (guitar), Eric (drums, back up vocals), and Kara (bass).

<a href="http://ghastlyindiana.bandcamp.com/album/won">won by Ghastly</a>[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Seventy low laps around the track
You’ll want to look back
From Ohio to the east onto the midwest
Time pools in the past

Amy Oelsner (otherwise known as Amy O) has been fine-tuning her brand of grunge-infused basement pop since 2004. Although some might know her as one-half of the Bloomington-based duo Brenda’s Friend (alongside Erin Tobey), Oelsner has been focusing on her solo career as of late. Over the years, Amy O has gradually shifted away from a folk minimalism and towards a heavier and fuller sound, yet her lyrics remain unabashedly personal and genuine. Oelsner (guitar, vocals), supported by her backing band of Madeline Robinson (bass/vocals), Justin Vollmar (drums), Damion Schiralli (guitar), and Aaron Denton (keys/vocals), has been busy performing in venues across town while preparing for her upcoming tour and album release.

Over the years, Amy O has worked hard to refine and develop her songwriting skills. In high school, she took up the guitar and began learning to write songs. Yet aside from playing in a few bands at college, much of the music that she created over the next eight years remained largely unshared. However, participating in a song a day project pushed Amy O to self-release four albums in 2012. As Amy O’s songwriting confidence grew with each release, she learned to push harder and become unapologetic about writing from her perspective.

Oelsner admitted that in her earlier songwriting, she was anxious about being labeled as “girlie.” Unfortunately, we still live in a heterosexist patriarchy that relies on the false notion that there is a natural, biologically rooted gender binary where men are associated with masculinity and females are associated with femininity (and the former is deemed superior to the latter). Things that are thought as having “feminine qualities” are therefore coded as being less substantial. “Girlie” becomes a subtle way to call something “frivolous,” or “infantile.” However, being read as “feminine” and making music that is perceived to be “girlie” is not better or worse than anything else. Amy O’s music breaks down these false dichotomies by demonstrating that good songwriting has more to do with practice and developing a skill than with whether music sounds “hard” or “soft,” “raw” or “polished.” Since moving to Bloomington, Amy O has been recording and performing regularly. Arrow was released in February 2016 via Bloomington’s Let’s Pretend Records.
<a href="http://amyo.bandcamp.com/album/arrow">Arrow by Amy O</a>Amy O’s upcoming album, Elastic, continues in the direction she has been moving towards for a while now. Even more stylized than Arrow, Elastic hones in on her basement pop aesthetic while establishing a fuller sound. Elastic will be released August 4th off of Winspear, a local record label in town.

When she isn’t busy performing at local venues such as the Bishop and Jan’s Rooms, Amy Oelsner has quite possibly the coolest day job ever, leading the Zine Making Program at Rhino’s Youth Center in Bloomington. As the Assistant Director and the Creative Writing Program Director, Oelsner has filled almost every position at Rhino’s; the Zine Making Program is her newest passion. This ongoing workshop puts out a quarterly zine, each focused on a different theme, which is voted on by the participating teens. Last quarter’s zine, Neurodivergence, focused on issues of self-care and mental health. A previous issue, LGBTQ+ Teen Resource Guide, concentrated on gender and sexuality.

When introducing them to the teens at Rhino’s, Amy Oelsner defines a zine as a “self-published little book that can have writing or drawing or really anything. It’s part of the D.I.Y. culture and is something that has been around for a really long time.” Oelsner has been reading zines since she was a teenager, growing up in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Doris and Cometbus are two of her favorites. When questioned about why the specific format and style of zines are so important for those who are trying to share their story, Oelsner added, “It’s inherently a safe space. There’s something about it that’s just like, this is my space to be myself, and share my views. A lot of people don’t feel like they have that in their life and I think that’s why it is so important to people.” According to Oelsner, zines provide a space for people who might otherwise be ignored or misrepresented by the mainstream media to share their own story and perspective. Teenagers, for instance, don’t often get the opportunity to share their own stories. Oelsner’s zine making workshop works to break down these discords.

In addition to being a safe space to tell one’s story, Oelsner also argues that zines are especially equipped to resonate with and connect subcultural “outsiders” because of their relatability. As pieces of material culture that embrace the D.I.Y. aesthetic, zines are purposefully rough around the edges. Because zines move directly from the producer to the reader without having to pass through gatekeepers (editors, publicists, journalists, etc.), the messages that they relay are raw, uncut, and genuine. Furthermore, this aesthetic encourages readers to participate actively in the scene. Readers are inspired to pick up the scissors and glue sticks, and share their own stories.

As zines circulate – often shared with friends and family members, sold at community centers, and distributed at shows – their stories have the ability to affect people outside of their immediate radius. LGBTQ+ Teen Resource Guide, for instance, somehow made its way to a school library in Ohio. Oelsner’s own upcoming zine, Yoko Oh Yes, which features female musicians, will be sold alongside her other merch on tour this summer. This zine will also include illustrations from Bethany Lumsdaine and Jessie Grub, local zinesters (and graduates of the Rhino’s zine workshop) who publish Shut up and Listen alongside their own radio show.

Amy O moved to Bloomington, Indiana in 2013, after living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Oberlin, Ohio, Northampton, Massachusetts, and, most recently, Brooklyn, New York. Understandably, she had a number of things to say about why the Bloomington punk scene stands out among the rest. While New York City, for instance, is an established hub for artists, it is notoriously difficult to live there as a musician. Rent is high, there is very little space to practice loud music, and music venues (especially D.I.Y. ones) are constantly closing due to corporate push-outs and rising rent in rapidly changing neighborhoods. The scene is fast-moving, and largely anonymous. In contrast, most Bloomington shows take place in the basements of houses, or in D.I.Y. venues that replicate a house show set up. Houses and venues become established and develop their own reputations and fan bases. The same faces can be seen from one show to the next. According to Oelsner, the scene almost purposefully maintains some old fashioned practices. For instance, people still tend to flyer for their shows. In short, the scene is smaller, more personal, and extremely supportive of local artists. This supportive environment fosters a number of collaborative projects. Amy O, for instance, collaborates with Erin Tobey, Nice Try, Vollmar, Spissy, and Laughing Gas.

Amy O’s upcoming full-length album, Elastic, will be out August 4th via Bloomington’s Winspear. Oelsner will be touring this summer to promote Elastic and her upcoming zine Yoko Oh Yes. Locals can catch her up in Indianapolis on June 17 at the Hi-Fi.

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PLAYING BLOOMINGTON: Live Music Highlights from August

PLAYING BLOOMINGTON: Amy O on Zine Culture and Basement Pop

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