We're entering a new year, about to leave that "season of giving" that consumes us so much. For the general public, it's a season that seems to start as early as Halloween or even the days before then when Christmas displays start popping up in stores.
Thanksgiving's even becoming an afterthought.
For musicians, that season of giving can last year-round -- not just this time of year. For that, we as music lovers should be giving thanks and showing our appreciation to those who give of their time and talents.
One of my Northern California musician friends -- Steen Berrig, a dynamite blues harp player -- has pointed out a time or two before just how much people like him donate to charitable causes just by bringing people in who love to be entertained by a tune. They give of their time by practicing, hauling their gear to a venue, unloading, setting up, playing, taking down, loading, and hauling back home.
That's no little task.
A reminder of what it takes to give like that came up recently when some more local Utah friends of mine were among several bands and solo musicians who gathered at the Kafeneio Coffee House and music venue in South Salt Lake for the second annual "I Feed On Sound" benefit concert and food drive. Admission came in the form of donations of non-perishable food items. As is found so often, musicians gave of their time and energy to help the cause.
In the music venue, there was electronic dance music from Grim & Reaper, post-hardcore from The Infernal, pop punk from One Lump Sum, rock from Sektau, and a double dose of reggae to close out the evening from Rebel Zion and Bludgeon Muffin.
There was an acoustic area out front with even more musicians playing throughout the evening.
It was musicians giving of themselves as they do so often. Their biggest payback came in the way of shouts of appreciation, hand claps and backslaps. Their season of giving never seems to end.
A man becomes abusive in his home, leading his wife to hold a bottle of pills in her hand as she contemplates ending her life.
A family man sits at a table, agonizing over a stack of bills, worrying about how to pay them. A gun sits nearby, and he contemplates ending his life.
How do they make it through the desperation?
Bludgeon Muffin in their "Be Alright" video
These are the storylines involved in a new music video released over the weekend by Salt Lake City-area reggae/rock band Bludgeon Muffin. It's their first "official" music video, shot and edited by Eric Eschelbach. It features Misi Touhuni on vocals, Daniel Arellano on guitar, Nicolas Snarr on electric ukulele, Bruce Kamai on drums, and Michael Bailey on drums.
Bludgeon Muffin was in the spotlight here three weeks ago after the Salt Lake City area reggae band played a post Mardi Gras party, and they rocked the place. Last Thursday night (March 14), Bludgeon Muffin turned out to be the opening act for a Salt Lake City appearance at Liquid Joe's by Frankie Paul, one of Jamaica's best-loved dancehall reggae artists.
Jamaican reggae star Frankie Paul (All photos and videos by John G. Miller)
It turned into an evening to remember.
Having a couple of energetic connections with Bludgeon Muffin turned into a discussion about whether I'd be able to shoot photos and record video of the Frankie Paul show, and once that subject got the green light from Frankie's people, it turned into an opportunity for a post-show interview.
It turned into a golden opportunity, one that I wasn't about to waste. And why not invite my friends along for the ride? My friend Daniel Arellano -- Bludgeon Muffin's lead guitar player -- set the table for it all. Before taking the stage himself to warm up the crowd with his bandmates for Frankie Paul, Daniel asked if I was stoked to be interviewing the Jamaican star, known as "The Jamaican Stevie Wonder."
Truth was, I wasn't exactly prepared for an interview with the prolific Frankie Paul. That opportunity was a pleasant surprise. But, yeah, I answered, I was very pleased. But I wanted it to go a bit deeper than that. I asked Daniel if he and anyone else from Bludgeon Muffin might like to take part in the interview themselves.
"Absolutely!" Daniel answered with a big smile.
Bludgeon Muffin took the stage and proceeded to turn in a killer set. There may have been a touch of nerves coming from the stage a time or two, but it was plain to see that the band was pumped to be opening for Frankie, and the crowd responded in kind.
Then, it was Frankie's turn. He and his band put on a rockin' show.
Frankie Paul
Frankie Paul gets 'em dancin' at Liquid Joe's in Salt Lake City March 14.
Frankie's all about the music, and his vocal riffing was effortless. Time after time he'd ease from a reggae tune into a classic tune from all over the place -- showing his "Stevie Wonder-like" chops with "My Cherie Amour," Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are," "The Way We Were," "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," the theme from "The Flintstones," "It's Not Unusual," "Just Once" -- and come back to the original without missing a beat.
If you were paying attention, you'd hear an amazing setlist, and it was all delivered with a fun sense of passion from Frankie and everyone on stage with him.
The crowd ate it all up, from the first jam to the last.
When it was all over, it was time to gather up the members of Bludgeon Muffin so they could meet a reggae hero.
Daniel Arellano (left) and Nicolas Snarr of Bludgeon Muffin show off their autographed guitar and ukulele.
Daniel Arellano and Nicolas Snarr work together. They also play together. They carry small, soft instrument cases in to their day jobs as trainers at a Salt Lake City area customer service company. On their break times, they can most often be found opening those cases and pulling out ukuleles while relaxing and feeding their faces.
Daniel Arellano (left) and Nicolas Snarr (right) play with Bludgeon Muffin. (All photos and videos by John Miller)
They're not playing "Tiptoe Through The Tulips." You could hear some Hendrix, some Zeppelin, some Bill Withers, some Michael Jackson. Ask Daniel to play flamenco-style on his uke, and he'll do a bang-up job.
That's at their day job.
Rena Ripley, Misi Touhuni, Nicolas Snarr, Daniel Arellano
In their off-hours, they play together in a band called Bludgeon Muffin, along with lead singer/rhythm guitarist Misi Touhuni, backing singer Rena Ripley, bassist Bruce Kamai, and drummer Michael Bailey. They play rock, blues, and hip hop. What they play mostly, though, is reggae. And they have a good fan base in the Salt Lake City area behind them.
Bludgeon Muffin's fan base is loyal enough that they packed The 19th Hole at The Copper Golf Club in Magna, Utah, on a snowy Saturday night for a big Post Mardi Gras Party.
DJ Misi's vocals are strong and smooth, especially combined with Ripley's voice. Arellano shows a variety of influences on lead guitar, getting in some strong riffs. Snarr plays a mean electric ukulele with some tasty effects. Kamai and Bailey make up a solid rhythm section, and when Bailey is given time in the spotlight he turns in a dynamite solo on drums.
They had the party crowd at The 19th Hole doing some serious jamming. The weather was ice-cold outside, upholding Utah's rep for the "world's greatest snow."
Inside, though, with the flag of Bob Marley decorating the stage, it was red-hot.
