International Pop Overthrow at Paycheck's Lounge

According to Wikipedia: Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are usually kept to a minimum, and blues elements are largely downplayed. Recordings tend to display production values that lean toward compression and a forceful drum beat. Instruments usually include one or more electric guitars, an electric bass guitar, a drum kit, and sometimes electric keyboards or synthesizers. While its cultural impact has waxed and waned over the decades, power pop is among rock's most enduring subgenres.

There, I have just gone and SUCKED the life right out of this blog with a textbook definition which sounds like the professorial music journalists who wrote about "Aeloian Cadences" in the music of the Beatles! (To which John Lennon famously responded: "They sound like exotic birds.").

The music on display at the three day festival last night was by no means dry and academic. It was high energy and rockin' with lots of melody, harmony and "jangle" thrown in for good measure. If you love this music, which has it's roots in the Beatle's sound circa 1965, but encompasses bands like the Raspberries, Badfinger, Cheap Trick, Material Issue (a band whose classic "International Pop Overthrow" album lent it's name to the festival) and many too numerous to mention than you gotta catch one of these festivals. This was the fourth Detroit "IPO" as it is known, and the second I had attended. 19 bands in 3 days rocked the stage at Hamtramck's Paycheck's Lounge, supporters of great local music since.....well, they were booking great bands when I was in law school and that was 20 mumble mumble years ago!

The IPO festival has played in cities around the world with the previous IPO being held in Phoenix and the next to be held in Chicago. Here again, courtesy of Wikipedia, is a partial list of acts that have played previous IPO's: Walter Egan, Harmony Grass, Shoes, Off Broadway, John Wicks & The Records, The Rubinoos, The Cowsills, and Enuff Z'Nuff, as well as recent and current stars, such as Kara's Flowers (now known as Maroon 5), Phantom Planet, The Click Five, Jason Falkner, Seth Swirsky and The 88.Great stuff! IPO's focuses  mainly on bringing exposure to unsigned bands by providing a forum where fans of this great music can gather and hear this sometimes unappreciated genre, meet other fans, purchase cds, and probably do a little musical networking. I am sure many bands have formed over chance meetings at prior IPOs.

The man behind IPO is David Bash and if you love to read about music like I do, then I am sure that you have come across his writings in numerous music publications. David tirelessly works to promote this music. It is obviously a labor of love for David. His heart is so clearly in the right place when it comes to this music and these musicians that I can even forgive his love of the New York Yankees or as we refer to them in Detroit "The Evil Empire." At least he comes by his Yankee love honestly having spent his formative years in Yankee Land. It's not good for the spirit to champion too many underdogs!

Due to other musical obligations I was able to attend only one night of IPO, last night's show. But I did catch the most excellent Chris Richards and the Subtractions, led, of course, by my old Repeat The Beat buddy Chris Richards. They rocked the crowd with fiery melodies. A shout out to drummer Larry Grodsky and bassist Todd Holmes who provide muscular backup to Chris's guitar and vocal chores.  Here's a sample from last year's IPO! And a track from Chris' great Mystery Spot release of a few years back.

Firekings was up next, a Boston band with it's roots in Detroit as two of it's members where in "Figures On A Beach" a local band that put out, I think, one album. And charted a couple of tracks in the 80's. They also rocked the joint. The various acts are given about an hour and Fireking's set left the crowd wanting more. Here's a track they played at the Cavern Club at the IPO in Liverpool.

Finally a special shout out to The Starfire Band which features the talents of my boyhood friend Gary Niemenski as well as Phil Corsi, Matt Klein and Bob Manzitti. The Starfire Band has it's roots in the Warrendale neighborhood of Detroit. Would have loved to have caught their set on Friday but I was busy with the Cowboy Junkies. Here is a track from their second cd "Livin' In The City" called "Love Is Real."
By the way, lots of The Starfire Band and Chris Richards music is available on the Spotify. I have thrown some tracks up on the Chadwick Listening Room playlist.

Listen,  you owe it to yourself to catch this fine collection of talented artists and bands. Like they used to say on the ABC Afterschool Specials or after a very special "Blosssom" if you'd like to learn more......well, check out these websites!

International Pop Overthrow
David Bash
Chris Richards and the Subtractions
Fireking
The Starfire Band
Paycheck's Lounge