Oh, my.
All day, I thought about things to write about in my entry, but tonight just blew it all away. I've been waiting to see October Project for a couple of years now. They've been my absolute favorite band since I first heard their first, self-titled album, and I haven't looked back since.
October Project hasn't had an easy road. They had a deal with Epic Records which produced two lovely albums, October Project in 1993 and Falling Further In in 1995. It was after the relase of the first album that I saw my first October Project concert, as they opened for the Crash Test Dummies in Northampton, MA. Mary Fahl's voice was haunting and gothic, and their sound was quite amazing; one of the few bands who sounded better live than they did recorded.
Though they enjoyed moderate success commercially, they never caught on with radio stations (who really didn't know what to do with their type of music), and the band was dropped from their label. The group split up, with lead singer Mary Fahl and backup singer Marina Belica going on to try solo projects.
The group made a "comeback" of sorts a few years later as "November Project," an interesting name for what could be considered "October Project 2.0" They released an EP called "A Thousand Days" in 1999. The lead vocalist was a youngster named MaryAnne Marino who had a terrific voice, but didn't seem to fit songwriters Julie Flanders and Emil Adler's music and lyrics. Her voice was too slick, too pop-sounding, too...well, young.
I saw November Project at Johnny D's in Somverville, MA. While the show was good, it wasn't astonishing, as was my first experience with October Project. MaryAnne looked terrified to be onstage, and Julie, while doing the best she could, didn't really work as a backup singer. MaryAnne faltered considerably whenever she tried to cover Mary Fahl's renditions of songs from the first two albums; trying to generate the "sound" of Mary Fahl, which is quite impossible, as her voice was truly unique.
November Project went their separate ways, and I thought that I would be left with nothing but the two albums and one EP by this group of talented musicians. Then, in 2003, I (being on their mailing list) got word that three of the original band were going to try to come back to their roots, with Marina Belica, the former keyboardist and backup singer. I always wondered what October Project would sound like with Marina in the lead, but they had up until then never recorded a song with her in that role.
"Different Eyes" was the EP, and it contained a number of good songs ("The Mind's Eye" being my favorite), but the production values weren't terribly good (it sounded like it was recorded in a garage, and not in a good way), though the more I listened to the CD, the more it grew on me.
When I heard that this new October Project, or "OP3," as they were calling themselves for awhile, was going to be making a stop in Cambridge, I had to get tickets. I asked Laurie and Mark Z. if they wanted to come along, and both said yes. We've been playing October Project and November Project albums in the office since I started there, and we've all been big fans.
The show was at Club Passim, a tiny venue that sports overcrowded tables, a vegetarian menu, and a smoke- and alcohol-free environment. They're a nonprofit organization, which I'm all for, though I wish they had a larger space in which to work. The bands have to walk through the crowd sideways to get to the stage, and you are seated literally elbow-to-elbow with the folks at the table next to you.
Also a problem was the fact that each table seats four, and there were five of us attending (myself, Laurie, Mike Z., Mike Z.'s girlfriend Cassandra, and Suzanne, who was a last-minute addition to our group after Jan told us she couldn't make it. Suzanne was in town for a science fiction convention, but had attended the first OP show in Northampton those many years ago with us, and has liked the band ever since. We felt very crowded, but I decided to treat it as a cheap airplane ride and just get used to the fact that my feet weren't going anywhere for the next two hours.
The opening act was Gregory Douglass, who has a terrific voice and some great songs, but could stand a few lessons in just singing and not emoting so much. He has a bunch of head-shaking, eye-closing ticks that distracted me from his voice, which was a real shame. And he made the mistake of covering a Sarah McLachlan song acapella at the end of his set, in which he pulled out the vocal gymnastics. It sounded far too much like an American Idol audition for my tastes. The man has four albums to his name, and a fifth coming out; has a fantastic sense of humor and is as cute as all get-out; he just needs a little bit of polish and maturity, and he'll be someone to watch.
There was a bit of a delay between his set and October Project's arrival, so we all chatted a bit. It was nice to be out and not at the movies or at someone's house watching TV. I've missed going to concerts.
The lights dimmed once again, and October Project took the stage. I was expecting to hear nothing but songs from their EP and upcoming album, but they surprised me by going back into the catalogue and covering older tunes, those sung by both Mary Fahl and MaryAnne Marino.
And you know what? Marina Belica, the former backup singer? Knocked them both out of the park. While Mary Fahl's voice was etherial and gothic, it dominated the band, making it seem almost like a soloist with a really good backup group. MaryAnne Marino tried her best, but she was such a newcomer that though the songwriting was top-notch, it was difficult to watch her onstage. She just didn't know what to do with herself, and when she covered old OP songs, she only managed to pull off a watered-down version of Mary Fahl's voice.
Not at all the case with Marina Belica. Her voice is crystal-clear. She doesn't go for the standard female pop "stylings" of those who are popular nowadays; those who confuse "singing" with "traveling up and down a range of notes, never settling on one for even a second" (I'm looking at you, Christina Aguilera).
Though completely different in tone, Marina's voice reminds me of Patsy Cline or k.d. lang, though much lighter and airier. When she sings, the intention of the words come out; the band falls together as a cohesive whole, and I was swept away by just the beauty of the music.
They went through the entire OP/NP/OP3 repertoire, from the first album to unreleased songs. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of "Under the Rainbow" (or whatever it's going to be titled), because it's one of the most haunting, beautifully-written songs I think I've ever heard. As Julie explained, the song is about a woman seeking her birth mother, only to realize that the people who choose to be in your life are the ones who are your true family. Gorgeous, and suited perfectly for Marina's voice.
That's not to say that the rest of the show was unsuited to Marina's talent. Every song sounded like it was written expressly for her. Some songs that sounded haunting and gothic under Mary Fahl's vocal stylings were re-worked a bit and came out sounding like musical diamonds. It was just fantastic, listening to that voice, watching these folks who have struggled for so long (and are still struggling today, as their work isn't deemed "radio worthy" by the multinational corporations running radio today...hopefully satellite radio will give them the break they so deeply deserve) come together to put together what can only be considered a perfect show.
Perfect in its imperfections, as well. Marina started "Under the Rainbow" with the second verse and burst into laughter when they had to restart. Julie told a story about how Marina, upon having one too many at a corporate event, forgot the words to a song. "You rise," whispered Julie to Marina, indicating the first two words to "Return to Me." "I rise like what?" was Marina's response.
The crowd ate it up, from the patter to the explanations of what the songs each meant to the music itself. I didn't once notice the time; I was too wrapped up in listening to what I had thought was the perfect band go beyond what they had achieved up until now.
On the way out the door (after buying a CD and a t-shirt...I'll do anything to support these folks), Laurie said to me, "I wish they'd go back through their entire back catalogue and re-record with Marina in the lead." I have to agree. While Mary dominated and MaryAnne tried too hard, Marina swept through every song without hesitation, without self-consciousness and with a voice that has far too long been in the background.
The only quibble I have with this current iteration of the band has to be Julie Flanders' backup vocals. She knows enough to sing quietly and let Marina's voice take center-stage, but she's just not strong enough of a singer for her own material. Emil has the perfect harmonizing voice, and should probably be the primary backup; if another female voice is needed, they should find someone with a pretty, not-overwhelming sound to simply back up Marina.
If you like contemporary adult music (in the best sense of the word...think Sarah McLachlan or Grey Eye Glances), check them out. Buy Decembergirl by Marina, to hear what she can do solo.
If you like some other type of music, check out who is doing that style who hasn't been picked up by a major label. I love Ani DiFranco, and have several of her self-released albums. Diego introduced me to his friend Susan Levine, who is making a big splash in the folk scene. She comes from Medford, MA, and is about my age, and I swear I've met her before in high school, through band or theater or something.
At any rate, go support your local or unsigned artists. Buy a magazine in which your favorite struggling author has been published. Go see a community theater or small-venue Equity show. Visit a gallery that features emerging artists. Do something to support those whom the corporate machine hasn't gobbled up just yet. The world has gotten so much smaller, and it is so much easier to find artists you like nowadays.
As for my own art, I got a rejection letter from Strange Horizons today. Lest you think they're that quick, I made a mistake when I submitted to them, and sent a story I had submitted back in 2003. It must have been a lark, because I haven't submitted much fiction anywhere, and I certainly didn't think that I had sent anything at all to Strange Horizons. It was a long-shot; basically a piece of "flash fiction" (only 350 words or so) with a silly premise.
Not to worry, though. I re-worked a monologue I had written and sent that right off to them, to see if it'll work for their publication. It may not be close enough to fantasy as they'd like, so if that doesn't go forward, I'll submit both stories elsewhere.
On that note, I have to inform y'all that the archives have temporarily been taken down (or more accurately, are in the process of being taken down). I am culling past entries for stories, article ideas, and essays that I can send out to publishers, and if they're on the web, they're not going to be accepted. I've already put in a request for all spies.com links of mine to be deleted from google's cache, and will see if they show up on any other search engines right now.
If you worry that the entries won't be coming back, don't fret too much. I'd say that 99% of what I originally wrote will be back up in one form or another within the month. If there's a particular entry you're dying to read, let me know and I'll e-mail the text to you.
Finally, in the spirit of supporting emerging artists, I just read that Tim Pratt's story "Hart and Boot" will be included in the anthology Best American Short Stories. This is an amazing accomplishment, and I suggest that if you don't read his site already, now is the time to start, because I believe he's the next great f/sf writer, and it's good to get in on the ground floor with such people. Congratulations, Tim! And thank you for encouraging me throughout the years to pursue my own dreams.
The club was very dark, which is why all my pictures are so blurry. However, I do have clips from the show (which I'm not going to post here, because it's copywritten music that's not mine), but if you're interested in them, you can contact me and I'll see what I can do about getting them to you.
|
Patrick's Daily Journal
