The Buddha Den Presents: Jordan Hull/Perkasie @ South Park Tavern 8.17.09

...for the second time in less than a month, we at The Buddha Den have had the bittersweet opportunity to send off some of Dayton's finest young talent to other cities. While earlier in August we said goodbye to Hospital Garden [off to Chicago], last evening at South Park Tavern we said goodbye to Jordan Hull, who is heading off to find his fortunes in Nashville. With his departure close at hand, there was no shortage of souls eager to come out and see him perform in his hometown one last time. Combing through his brilliant catalog, Hull juxtaposed newer material ["My Better Judgment"] against his most popular material ["On to Me", "Rusty Bones"] and even his earliest fan favorites {the all-to-poignant closer, "Home"}. While Hull will likely return from time to time, not having him on the home team is certainly a loss that will be felt for some time. We certainly wish him well...



...arriving through countless construction delays on the byways of America, Philadelphia's Perkasie channeled whatever their collective traveling miseries into a set that the fortunate Daytonians in attendance will not soon forget. From the word go, Perkasie commanded the room in a way seldom seen in the Gem City, as the iconic Kate Foust veered between the posturing of Karen O and the flair of a traditional flamenco dance routine. Even better, Perkasie delivered songs of undeniable substance filled with impeccable musicianship [when was the last time you saw mandolin and washboard on-stage with an indie band?] and an unbridled passion for playing these songs together, recalling Arcade Fire on the cusp of their buzz. While many eyes certainly focused on Foust, pianist Alex Walsh and guitarist Ben Roth both delivered several tunes with equal conviction, and the way in which the whole lot chimed in on the singalong harmonies demonstrated the powerful connection that these seven musicians possess. Certainly, no one in attendance was left anything short of stunned at such a display on a Monday night in Dayton, Ohio...



For more photos from the evening, go here.

A Message from Hospital Garden

...if you were fortunate enough to have been part of last evening at South Park Tavern, you'll likely acknowledge that it was an incredible evening of music and that the audience rose to the occasion as well, feeding enthusiasm back to the bands. Openers Electric Banana and The Turkish Delights both turned in sets that had the crowds on their feet and wanting more. For one band, however, the evening served as a goodbye. Here are a few words from Lucas of Hospital Garden...

Hospital Garden is moving to Chicago. When I moved to Dayton two years ago, it was never with the intent of permanence. I hoped to complete graduate school, and, once again, move on. However, I did not anticipate making so many amazing friendships. I was lucky enough to have met Ian and Sarah, thus forming Hospital Garden. The shows we have played and the songs we have created have been far beyond my expectations, thus moving as a band makes sense right now. It's hard to leave the people and bands that we love here, but in Chicago there is a lot of opportunity in my field (Community Counseling), and a lot of new venues to play. Sarah and Ian are also going to be finding employment and continuing their educations there. We're still young and it's the right time to do something like this. We love Dayton and we love playing and hanging out here. We will be back regularly for as long as we are a band. Naturally, we will miss you all and can't wait to see you again in the near future. Thank you so much for coming to our shows, listening to our demos, and singing along to our songs. It means more to us than you know.

Love,
Hospital Garden.

...in addition to their migration north, Hospital Garden are gearing up to release their debut album. Stay tuned for more on that as details emerge...

The Buddha Den Presents: Hospital Garden/The Turkish Delights/Electric Banana-Tonight @ South Park Tavern

...in adhering to the sad and sickening status quo, one of Dayton's finest will soon be relocating. In the process of becoming one of our favorites over the past year or so, Hospital Garden emerged as one of the Gem City's leading contenders. Their scheduled departure to Chicago this fall saddens us greatly, but we're very excited for their future. Tonight we will say goodbye with a very special show at South Park Tavern, featuring the next wave of Dayton goodness, The Turkish Delights and Electric Banana. Come on out and help us say goodbye...

MP3: Hospital Garden "Ypsi"
MP3: The Turkish Delights "Dig Yourself"
MP3: Electric Banana "Denim on Denim"

The Buddha Den Showcase Presents: Hospital Garden @ South Park Tavern 3.28.09

...from the start, it was obvious that Hospital Garden planned on making this a special evening at South Park Tavern for The Buddha Den Showcase. Suits. Ties. Dresses. Fedoras. Yeah, they looked sharp. They also brought an avalanche of songs. Melodies that burrow into yr soul. The incessant rhythms that slowly get every head bobbing in unison. The guitar histrionics of Lucas Hollow elevating the visceral impact of this trio. More than anything, Hospital Garden is a band that obviously enjoys what they do. You can see the evidence in the ear-to-ear grin of drummer Ian Spencer, the twirling of bassist Sarah Carey and most certainly in the trumpet-weilding freakouts of Hollow. These kids love the game. They can kill a song in any number of ways: grinding punk meltdowns, fist-pumping anthems, machine-gun breaks, slacker-shred solos, soul-bearing slowjams. Even covering the War classic "Low Rider", Hospital Garden owned it, putting their imprint all over the song. By the end of their second set, the trio reveled in shared jubilation with their audience, bringing an incredible evening to a close with shared smiles all around...





For more photos from the evening, go here. Additional photos by Atomic Justin here.

The Buddha Den Showcase Presents: Hospital Garden-Tonight @ South Park Tavern

...in case you missed the notice earlier this week, tonight is our big show with one of our favorite locals, Hospital Garden over at South Park Tavern. If you haven't checked them out yet, tonight is a great opportunity since the show is FREE. Music starts at 9 PM sharp and the band will be doing two sets throughout the night. We'll see you there...

Hospital Garden

...pretty much since The Buddha Den first started hosting our free monthly shows at South Park Tavern, we've been trying to get one of our favorite Dayton bands, Hospital Garden, on board. Well, this Saturday we're finally making it happen as the boys and girl of HG will take to the stage for the entire evening...

...In case yr still in the dark on this outfit, Hospital Garden's self-titled/self-released EP was one of the best releases out of the Gem City in 2008. Clearly in love with indie rock giants like Pavement, GBV, and Dinosaur, Jr., Hospital Garden echo traces of Murmur-era REM as well. Guitarist/vocalist Lucas Hollow spins triumphant underdog anthems splattered with searing guitars that are likely to inspire impromptu air-guitar singalongs. Tune in now and we'll see you this weekend...

MP3: Hospital Garden "Prayer for Skeptics"
MP3: Hospital Garden "True"

Friday Night Wrap-Up 3.6.09

...given that it was the first warm night this year in Dayton, we made our best effort to catch as much live music as possible. Lucky for us, we had a couple of great options...

...we thought our first stop of the night would be Blind Bob's, but upon arriving we learned that local purveyors of mayhem and merriment, Sitandance, had taken to the streets. Literally. They had set up in the parking lot next to Ned Pepper's with tiny amps and a makeshift drumkit, attracting enough of a crowd to get the cops called...


...we made our way back over to Blind Bob's to kick off the night the way it usually closes: with Andrew & the Pretty Punchers. Even starting the evening, A&TPP hit a stride with a handful of newer tunes and old standards. Although usually where our night ends, it was only the beginning...




...being a nice night, we decided to walk up to Canal Street Tavern to catch the release party for Southeast Engine's new album, From the Forest to the Sea. Stepping into the cozy confines of Canal Street, we were nearly stopped in our tracks by the heat building in the room due the crowd that had gathered to help celebrate the occasion. Arriving just in time to catch the start of their set, guitarist Adam Remnant quietly launched the band into a set that coursed through new and older material creating a seamless link that runs through Remnant's powerfully reflective lyrics. Unfortunately, the crowd were as excited to see one another as they were Southeast Engine and in the quieter passages easily buried the band in chatter. Despite all the distractions, we wish Southeast Engine well as they head out on the road in support of their new album...




...we made one more tip along the old canal back to Blind Bob's just in time to catch Hospital Garden kick things off. Although the crowd had thinned somewhat, the band still delivered a ferocious set of infectious melodies slathered in ear-splitting guitar, just the way we like it. We'll be hosting Hospital Garden at South Park Tavern on March 28 for our monthly showcase, so tune in now and we'll see you then...




For more photos from the evening, go here.

Hospital Garden/Idaho, Alaska/Andrew & the Pretty Punchers-TONIGHT @ Blind Bob's

...with it being First Friday here in Dayton and the temperature supposed to get up near 70 degrees, it's a great night to get out and enjoy some music. Over at Blind Bob's, there's a great triple bill featuring one of our newer Dayton faves, Hospital Garden, who just keep getting better every time we see them. Up from Lexington, KY, you've got Idaho, Alaska serving up a delectable fusion of early Flaming Lips/Pavement/Built to Spill. Opening the evening (for once) local faves, Andrew & the Pretty Punchers. See you there...

MP3: Hospital Garden "Ypsi"
MP3: Idaho, Alaska "Muscle Car"
MP3: Andrew & the Pretty Punchers "Our Modern Love"

We Travel On The Backs Of Whales

...for those about to rock, you may want to make the introduction of Columbus outfit, Black Owls. We were fortunate enough to have the band's debut, Lightning Made Us Who We Are, come across our desk the other day and, quite frankly, we're rather enamored with it. Chocked full of windmill-worthy tracks, Black Owls sift through their collection of Cheap Trick, Bowie, and The Who albums and serve up something distinct from their respective source material. No worries though, this is much more than a retro trip. These guys seem to have a pretty good sense of humor which keeps the whole thing firmly in the fun department. You like fun with yr rock n' roll, right?

...go ahead and dig in now. Black Owls will be at Oregon Express this Saturday with fellow Columbus power-poppers Paper Airplane and one of our favorite locals, Hospital Garden...

Turkish Engine

...hey kids, you've got a pair of great shows to get out to tonight. Here's the details...


...over at Canal Street Tavern tonight the brothers Remnant celebrate the release of their split 7" from Southeast Engine and Jesse Remnant. Although older brother Adam Remnant's Southeast Engine is sporting a leaner lineup these days, their delivery is still potent. Jesse Remnant will be getting backing from members of Shrug. Opening the evening will be youngster Jordan Hull...


...you could also swing over to Oregon Express to catch a solid bill of garage/punk goodness. Between Thee Pistol Whips, Mountain Screamer, Hospital Garden, and newcomers Turkish Delights, you've got plenty of good rockin' tonight. We'll see you out...

Dark Art Show feat. The Black Cigarettes/Electric Smoke/Orange Willard/Hospital Garden -Tonight @ Pearl

...you've got a very special musical treat tonight at Pearl in celebration of the Halloween season. In addition to a number of local artists displaying their art, four bands will take to the stage in musical costumes for a very rare treat. Here's the rundown: The Black Cigarettes as Motley Crue; Electric Smoke as The Ramones; Orange Willard as Rage Against the Machine; Hospital Garden as The Velvet Underground. Additionally, anyone who comes out tonight in costume will be invited to participate in a Halloween Fashion Show. This is one you can't miss....

Dayton Music Fest 08 -10.4.08

...although last year we were able to cover a fair amount of the Dayton Music Fest, we admittedly fell for the hype surrounding the potential for a sellout at Gilly's in anticipation of Robert Pollard's homecoming show with his new band, Boston Spaceships. As a result, our account of the evening focuses on the action at Gilly's. Still, we were very excited about what we saw...

...kicking things off were last-minute additions, Hospital Garden. Having seen them a number of times over the last few months, we felt the band turned in one of their best sets. Likewise, The Sailing rose to the occasion and delivered a powerful set for a swelling audience. At long last, Boston Spaceships took the stage following a surprise introduction by none other than GBV alumni, Don Thrasher. For the part of the set that we caught, Pollard and co. combed through a flurry of material from Brown Submarine, as well as recent releases by The Takeovers and Pollard's recent solo album, Robert Pollard is off to Business. Although we were not fortunate enough to hear any classic material, Pollard's newest live band might very well be one of the best lineups Pollard has ever assembled...

Hospital Garden


The Sailing


Boston Spaceships


...after staying stationary for way too long on this night, we finally ventured over to Blind Bob's to catch a few of our favorites at DMF. Rolling into the Oregon District, the energy on the street was great. People were everywhere and seeming to have a great time. We caught the last half of Astro Fang's set, which may have been their best ever. The sound in the room was much improved over our previous venture into Blind Bob's, which we were very pleased about. We caught a few songs from the new lineup of Lab Partners, and they likewise sounded great. With the night waning, we headed out to try and stop into one more club...


...we got to Oregon Express just in time to catch a few songs from Human Reunion. By this point, we were getting a bit burned out, but the band sounded great...


...although we had a pretty good time, it would have been nice to have seen more. For more photos, go here.

...How did your night go? Got any good pictures?

The Buddha Den Presents: The Interiors/Hospital Garden/Mountain Screamer-Tonight @ Pearl 9.25.08

...with a small, but enthusiastic crowd on hand at Pearl last night, we were very excited to present two of Dayton's finest young bands and a great band out on tour from Chicago last night. Opening the evening were the duo Mountain Screamer. Despite numerous PA issues and some early guitar mishaps, the band plowed through a relentless set of bluesy punk numbers without fail. With heavy leanings toward John Spencer Blues Explosion, the snarling guitar and frenetic-yet-solid-drumming signal a solid outfit. Keep an eye out for Mountain Screamer-the duo could very well make a mark on the Dayton scene in the coming months...




...with fresh copies of the debut EP in tow, Hospital Garden hit the stage with their trademark fury and soul-engraving tunes. While guitarist Lucas has a way of delivering heart-wrenching vocals, on her sole turn at the mic, bassist Sarah seems to have the passion, but perhaps not the delivery as yet to match his intensity. The band, however, have been on a roll lately and their throwback indie recalls such heavyweights as Pavement and GBV, all the while firmly holding to their own interpretation. Be sure to grab the new disc while you can...




...out on tour from Chicago, The Interiors won over the late night crowd last night. Although starting out somewhat pensive, the band finally settled in and with their engaging banter drew the crowd in. Performing much of the material from their debut album, the intricacies and nuances were delivered with stunning precision. Guitarist Chase Duncan melded his sparse guitar lines seamlessly into his wide-ranging vocal delivery, effortlessly dancing over the meticulous rhythm section of Brian Lubinsky (drums) and Collin Jordan (bass). We're hoping for a return visit very soon...




For more photos from the evening, go here.

The Buddha Den Presents: The Interiors/Hospital Garden/Mountain Screamer-Tonight @ Pearl

...The Buddha Den is very pleased to present another great evening of some of the finest from Dayton and beyond. Headlining this evening at Pearl will be The Interiors (from Chicago), whose debut on 54-40 or Fight Records we reviewed a while back and who have since performed in their hometown for a Rolling Stone magazine showcase. The band are currently out on a fall tour in feverish support of said debut album. Also on the bill are two of our newer local faves, the throwback indie of Hospital Garden and the raunchy punk/blues of Mountain Screamer. If you need added incentive, Hospital Garden will be making the debut offering of their debut EP, which we highly recommend picking up. We'll see you there....

Mystery Arrows

...if yr out on the streets of Dayton tonight, you've got a great pairing of shows to check out. Head down to the Dayton Dirt Collective early to catch a couple of locals and couple of touring acts. In from Cleveland, you've got regional buzz band Mystery of Two who serve up an infectious blend of twitchy jangle doused in sheets of swirling noise. Highly recommended. Rounding out the bill are Aura (from Buffalo) and locals Hospital Garden and Mountain Screamer. Show starts at 7, so head out early...

...if you're still out later, head over to Oregon Express to check out some new projects from old Dayton faves. The remnants of Snake Oil have reformed as Suicide Hill and the country-flavored indie of Twin Arrows emerged from the ashes of Late Nite Drivers. Opening the night will be Mascot. See ya out...

The Buddha Den Presents: Toads and Mice/Flotation Walls/Hospital Garden @ Canal Street Tavern 8.1.08

...on a muggy evening that continually threatened precipitation, The Buddha Den Presents offered up its first bill at the Dayton musical institution that is Canal Street Tavern. On this night, up-and-comers Hospital Garden kicked things off with an incredibly passionate set of blistering rock n' roll. Each time we see this outfit, it seems as if their rhythm section tightens down one more notch, allowing guitarist/vocalist Lucas to further indulge his whims to slather the band's tunes in endless crescendos of barely intelligible fuzzed out guitar while falling into near-trancelike states. Even on the more subdued numbers, the band retains their intensity, displaying a rare ability to revel in the dynamic passages that are lifting Hospital Garden up in the ranks of Dayton's current crop...



...in from Columbus, the crowd became quickly enthralled with the quintet that is Flotation Walls. With a seemingly endless cache of instrumentation, the group more closely resembled a chamber orchestra than a traditional rock band. Taking cues from contemporaries such as The Polyphonic Spree, Arcade Fire, and Everthus the Deadbeats and adorned in yellow-topped uniforms, Flotation Walls delivered a dynamic, impassioned set that explored both the delicate, quiet spaces and exploded into the atmosphere with a searing intensity that climaxed with the aptly titled track, "The Sky Ejaculates". Indeed, throughout their set, the band displayed a gift of impeccable, yet unpredictable, pop sensibilities laced with near-virtuostic abilities that, while largely restrained, provided cliff-hanging moments that only intensified their material. With their debut disc pending in the coming months, this may very well be one of the most engaging bands going in Ohio at the moment...



...closing out the evening were one of our current Dayton favorites, Toads and Mice. With a handful of new songs in tow, the band exemplified yet again why they are currently at the top of the heap in Dayton at the moment. Guitarists Dustin Rose and Matt Shields effortlessly veered between gigantic, angular riffs and dexterous chromatic guitar runs that somehow walk the gossamer thread between arty wanking and inventive melodicism, ultimately landing firmly on the side of the latter. What's more incredible is Rose's ability to display such guitar acrobatics while delivering such angelic melodicism as the band's sole vocalist. Likewise, drummer Brandon Guthrie perpetually gives a clinic on rudimentary drumming while somehow perpetually infusing the songs with an undeniable danceability. With bassist Brad Patrick's impeccable restraint, the band's ability to forge a sound that is at once highly intellectual and yet wholly exuberant serves to endlessly amaze their audiences...



For more photos from the evening, go here.