Beauty of Broken Social Scene before Grand Finale featuring Ben Harper

Jul 04 2009

Broken Social Scene started playing at 7 o’clock and as the sun started to set their ethereal sounds beamed across downtown Des Moines.  It’s the beginning of the grand finale of this year’s 80-35 alternative music festival.  More people are coming through the gate and the bare spots in this area are filling up with hundreds of concert goers. 

The headliner of this festival Ben Harper and Relentless 7 are about to play.  I just met them in the press room while Frank from Capital 106 did a nice interview.  I am about interview Harper with the Des Moines Register’s Joe Lawler.  I appreciate the collaboration between media sources as this fun music festival wraps up.

Gray Skies, Warm Hearts, & Hot Music

Jul 04 2009

Evidently this year’s festival isn’t sheltered with blue skies, fluffy white clouds and a sun beaming gold light on thousands of 80-35 concert goers downtown Des Moines and that doesn’t seem to be a problem. Oh sure some of the photographers have complained that their socks are getting wet from the rain and their feet feel like oversized marshmallows bathed in olive oil but when they shoot pictures of Iowans spreading their warm appreciation for the hot music on the three stages all physical discomfort is forgotten.

Yesterday there were a few breaks in the steady trickle of water from the sky and today it’s left a few puddles on the corners with a chilly breeze but Iowans are still coming to see the music, hang out with the vendors, and throw back a few Olde Main beers. Speaking of booze I bought five beer tickets yesterday and only had ONE of the Clone pale ales. Today I have four beer tickets in my wallet and I will throw down more of the Ames Iowa brewery’s tasty suds. First I have to make sure I get more footage for my fifth video blog and continue to gather audio for my Iowa Public Radio story that we intend to air Monday during our statewide broadcast of Morning Edition & All Things Considered.

I suspect the main stage performance of Broken Social Scene at 5p will be my favorite out of town performer from this festival with their free form musical style and ethereal harmonic jamming music. The first time I heard of Broken Social Scene was this spring when they were announced as one of the bands coming to 80-35 so I purchased a few of their songs from the iTunes music store. When I listened to their “hit” 7/4 Shoreline it added a pleasant warmth and optimism to my mind. It reminded me of the freeness of Polyphonic Spree and the joy of The Flaming Lips. Broken Social Scene’s strength for me is their sonic communal nature that doesn’t allow any one person to emerge as a star. Their style reminds me of this festival which is a collection of many different people all with warm intentions hanging out under the banner of having a good time.

If you see me out there in my Iowa Public Radio shirt, flash recorder with big black boom microphone, and my Flip Video camera tug my shoulder and talk to me. I’d be glad to record you. Even if I don’t use your footage in my final product it helps me produce and write my stories but more importantly it’s always nice to talk to people about the good things happening in Des Moines Iowa during this great summer.

You can see the four video blogs I’ve produced since Wednesday on my site http://johnpemble.com