JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

In a summer loaded with great music, Jackson got yet another treat Saturday with the outdoor Caldera Festival.

Andrew Bird wowed the crowd on the lawn outside Center for the Arts with his singing, guitar playing, fiddling and whistling. The show — part of a two-day event built around art — was an indie-lover’s dream. And with Bird wide-eyed at the beauty of Jackson Hole, the feeling appeared to be mutual.

“No one had to coerce me to come here,” he said, in a nod to the surroundings. “There was no twisting of arms.”

Bird shuffled between instruments, often looping the sound of one as he began playing another. He and opening artist Sharon Van Etten also used a rotating device called a “warbler” for distortion and other effects.

The festival, which began with a fashion show by Abbie Miller, marked a small triumph for Teton Artlab, which has hosted art-themed gatherings in recent years but had been seeking to put on a larger public event. If the enthusiastic response was any indication, there will be more like this to come.

Posted under Art, Music

Tags: center for the arts, hipsters

Travis Walker of Teton Artlab took to Facebook earlier this week to announce that Factory Studios will be closing at the end of the month.

Situated in the old Huckleberry Mountain Candy factory on Gregory Lane, the artists’ enclave had become a hive of creative activity and occasional social hub. The run-down, industrial feel and labyrinthine layout were part of the charm but also caught the attention of the fire marshal, who flagged the building for numerous violations, including lack of fire exit signs.

The space housed the Artlab, painters Wendell Field and Peggy Prugh, designer Abbie Miller, The Deadlocks band and Dedicate clothing, among others.

Photographer David Stubbs made this short video when Factory Studios celebrated its first birthday last month. In a town still dominated by traditional Western art (read: animal portraits, cowboys and Indians) Stubbs was drawn to a contemporary scene tucked out of sight, reminiscent of New York City warehouses in the 1980s, he said.

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Posted under Art, Economy, Music

Tags: david stubbs, hipsters, Media, photography

(Ed. note: With Wyoming snowboard star Travis Rice bringing big air to the Big Apple this week, we asked former Jackson resident/DJ/shredder turned NYU grad student/hipster Brad Desmond for a report. Besides studying the music biz, Brad writes about music and other topics on his blog, My Sunday Sweater.)

When I first watched Brain Farm’s That’s It That’s All at its Jackson Hole premiere in 2008, I was blown away. And not just because I won the raffle twice (Quiksilver coat and belt), but because it was clear that Brain Farm was breaking new ground in the world of ski porn. As my chest vibrated with the soundtrack’s bass and pupils dilated to take in the scope of IMAX/Planet Earth-quality cinematography, I was surprised to feel something other than the usual image-induced stoke. That desire to run to the nearest chairlift was there, however matched by a sense of awe and wonder that I had yet to experience from an action sports film.

Naturally my excitement for Brain Farm’s follow-up built as The Art of Flight began to garner media hype last winter. I was even more excited when I found out the film’s world premiere would take place in New York City, a place I recently migrated to from Jackson. But this excitement fizzled when the show quickly sold out (I guess I took the Jackson habit of last-minute ticket buying with me). A quick look on Craigslist revealed tickets selling between $50 and $100 (retail was $20, plus Ticketmaster fees). It was clear that whatever marketing Brain Farm, Quiksilver and Red Bull were doing was paying off.

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Posted under Art, Entertainment, Media, Sports

Tags: films, hipsters, jackson hole community radio, new york, snowboarding, travis rice

After an uproarious week of music, the Knotty Pine perhaps has saved its best for last. And what better way to mark Presidents’ Day than with a marching band, especially if you prefer American holidays a little tweaked.

Part jazz orchestra and part circus, MarchFourth Marching Band marches into Victor tonight from Portland. We’re giving away two free tickets ($30 value). Again, to enter, in the comments say you’re in, and the winner will be chosen in a random drawing at 5 p.m. Be sure to check back here to see if you’ve won.

“Imagine Duke Ellington meets Sgt. Pepper in an international big-top Fantasia,” the band says on its website. “Imagine a 1920s speakeasy where Mr. Bungle meets the Shogun Warriors in a PG Clockwork Orange.”

I happened to catch MarchFourth at Voodoo Fest last fall, and the set turned out to be one of the highlights of the weekend. I don’t know how much of the trapeze swinging, stilt dancing and fire breathing the band will manage at the Knotty, but it’s sure to be a wild time.

Posted under Entertainment, Music

Tags: hipsters, knotty pine, teton valley

Among the headliners announced last night for the 42nd annual New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, April 29 to May 8:

Classics: Robert Plant and Band of Joy, Jeff Beck, Gregg Allman Blues Band, Radiators farewell, Willie Nelson, Tom Jones, Jimmy Buffett.

From the rotation at KHOL: Arcade Fire, Avett Brothers, Mumford and Sons, Jason Mraz, The Decemberists, The Strokes.

Wild cards: Kid Rock, Bon Jovi, Mystikal.

Another act of note is John Legend and The Roots, whose album of retro-soul protest songs, Wake Up!, was one of last year’s best.

Of course, this is only a fraction of the music that will be filling every corner of the Big Easy come spring. The New Orleans musicians — brass bands, the likes of the Neville Brothers, Galactic, Irma Thomas and Dr. John — are really the main event. If you go to Jazz Fest and don’t come back talking about a band you hadn’t heard of before, you didn’t try hard enough.

The full lineup is available here. Tickets start at $40 per day.

California’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival also announced its lineup yesterday, featuring some of the above (see KHOL playlist), The Black Keys, Kanye West and Duran Duran. Three-day passes start at $281.

Posted under Music

Tags: festivals, funk, hipsters, jazz fest, new orleans, travel