They also utilized the studio’s Hammond organ and a harmonium for the stark, lonely sound on “Fragments From the Decade,” and recruited Seattle string player Abby Gundersen to embellish some special parts. I played a high-strung, Nashville-tuned acoustic that’s basically just all the high strings from a 12-string guitar, but none of the low ones.” Nick used an acoustic bass with rubbery nylon strings that had this weird but beautiful sound, like the upright bass. One early rule was that Jason could not play a drum kit he’d play percussion, whack on metal boxes, cardboard boxes. “We didn’t want MTV Unplugged,” Depper says. However, one thing the quintet did not want to do is simply strip Asphalt Meadows down to its core. “We basically did two or three songs a day and arranged them right then and there. “We challenged ourselves to radically reinterpret the songs as they came,” Depper adds. We could play them as if we were playing them for the first time together.” They didn’t need much adornment or reinterpretation. To pat ourselves on the back, we were really confident in the songs. We initiated a ‘first-thought, best-thought’ mentality for the arrangements so we could get them to a good place. And then we’d come off of six, seven weeks of touring the album so we knew the songs frontward and backward when we went in to make the acoustic album. “Unlike some records in the past, where we’ve gone into the studio and figured it out once we got there, we came into Asphalt Meadows knowing how to present the majority of the songs in the studio when we recorded them the first time. “We all had faith in the arrangements,” Gibbard says. In addition to variations on the record’s 10 tracks, they also whipped out a bonus take on Low’s “The Plan” in honor of the influential group’s drummer Mimi Parker, who passed away in November following a battle with cancer. Park, known for his work with Pedro the Lion, Joseph and Noah Gundersen, the members of Death Cab arrived with few preconceived notions of what the sessions should sound like, besides a new arrangement for “Roman Candles.” Yet, once the group-which also includes founding bassist Nick Harmer, longtime drummer Jason McGerr and keyboardist/ guitarist Zac Rae, who also signed on in 2016-convened in December 2022, the idea quickly ballooned and the members of Death Cab decided to knock out an acoustic version of their new LP in just four days. Setting up shop at Seattle’s Avast! Recording Co. But when we started doing promo, we started playing an acoustic version of that song and it really brought out the depth of the songwriting, beneath the production.” People loved it or hated it, but it definitely got them paying attention to the record. “That song was intentionally picked as the most extreme sonic example of what we were doing with the new record to throw people for a loop and get them to pay attention. “The seeds of the album were first planted around when the first single from the record, ‘Roman Candles,’ came out,” Death Cab guitarist/ keyboardist Dave Depper-who joined the group in 2016-adds, while checking in from his home in Portland, Ore. Death Cab recently wrapped up a series of winter dates in support of the John Congleton-produced Asphalt Meadows, which spawned several Adult Alternative Airplay singles and earned the group critical praise, thanks to the tunes’ more experimental tendencies. So to have acoustic versions of these songs helps place the music in some playlists that they would not necessarily qualify for in their original form.”Īs he walks through the unexpected twists that led to Asphalt Meadows (Acoustic), the Seattle-based Gibbard is driving through Tacoma, Wash., to see his friend Steve Fisk, with whom he created an original score for a 2008 film, Kurt Cobain: About a Son. In 2023, the music industry is partially about ‘gaming’ algorithms on streaming platforms. “We were asked by our label to record acoustic versions of some of Asphalt Meadows’ singles. “The project started from a slight position of obligation,” admits frontman Ben Gibbard. But then, what could have easily been a forgotten press exercise turned into much more-a completely rerecorded, acoustic version of Asphalt Meadows that serves as its own entry in the emo-tinged indie-rock group’s already rich catalog. Death Cab for Cutie were gearing up to release Asphalt Meadows, their 10th full-length studio album, and were tasked with reworking some of their highly produced, electric new music for a stripped-down setting. At first, it seemed like any other slightly mundane promo opportunity.
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Owned and operated by the Shamus family, the earliest events set the tone for the “exclusives/collectibles/autograph” shows that exploded in popularity over the last 15 years or so before the pandemic put a halt to them. Wizard World launched in the late ’90s as an offshoot of Wizard magazine. (For details, pore over the archives of our “Con Wars” tag here at The Beat.) It also marks the end of the sometimes controversial but sometimes much larger than life Wizard World brand of events. Fan Expo is owned by Informa, a global information services company that puts on mostly B2B events around the world. I couldn’t be more excited going into day two.The move makes Fan Expo possibly the largest producer of fan conventions in the world, with 17 shows in North America, more than 1 million attendees and more than 10 million square feet of exhibition space. It has just the right amount of earnest love behind its goals as a money making machine to be both big in scale, but a person in its atmosphere. Families should definitely take advantage of some of the deals and discounts that are available for children, as there were a lot of events that anyone, of any age, could attend and have fun with.Īll and all, my first taste of Philadelphia Fan Expo was nothing but positive. There is a collection of food vendors and tables to chill at, but the con also has a family section that allows those with kids at the convention to space necessary to wrangle themselves together for a long day. You can expect a detailed list of vendors to look out for in the future both online and at cons coming from yours truly after this weekend.Ĭons can be taxing, and many will be happy to find that the areas designated for some R&R are well-placed and roomy. Every aspect of geek culture melts together in the vendors market, where some very wonderful exhibitors bringing their best stuff to market. There’s so much here for cosplayers as well, the convention having a dedicated alley for them as well as contests, photo ops, and more. Everything is hoisted up and given its own space to breathe and exist, bleeding into one another in almost perfect fashion. There are anime showings, voice actor panels, and a Japanese themed arcade that brings both anime and gaming together. While I attended small panels dedicated to legends like Jim Shooter, Bob McLeod, and Mike DeCarlo, those who were in attendance for gaming would have panels and areas designated for those specific interests. For someone like me who is only in attendance for the comics that built this convention, I’m happy to say we don’t wind up lost or minimized by the giants of gaming and anime. In terms of things to do outside of meeting creators, the con has really diversified its events. In that regard, Philadelphia Fan Expo was able to capture the magic of small-scale local cons. There was nothing separating ‘manga’ from ‘comics’ or ‘indie’ from ‘superheroes’, it was all just comics. However, there is something very, very humanizing about getting to spend time mellowing with fellow comic book readers and spreading love for the medium in a real, tangible setting. The Comic’s Culture by in large has become somewhat fractured and distant in the week of modern social media, global pandemics, and burgeoning sociological issues in the wake of intense fandom developments. They brought a strong sense of passion, community, and warmth to the convention that took me by storm. Shooter, who like everyone else was more than gracious to spend their time talking with fans whether they were paying for something or not. I spent a very long time chatting with Mr. Everyone who was at the con creator wise wasn’t just there to collect a check. I found myself perusing the independent booths and chatting with some amazing creators, all the while spending time with the likes of Dan Slott, Jim Shooter, Mike Hawthorne, Sean Lewis, and Jeremy Adams. In much the same vein, Artist Alley was laid out in a way that didn’t create a vacuum track for the big comics creators, thus leaving the smaller guys in the dust. There was a healthy mix of icons tied to special events and general signing booths as well, diversifying the portfolio of amazing people you can meet. While I’m sure that alley will grow heavy with traffic as the con progresses on into Saturday, its more than prepared for heavy crowds. Getting it out of the way first, the Expo did wind up having a very streamlined and organized alley for the major film and television stars in attendance at the convention. Laying somewhere in between the corporate landscape of San Diego and the small-town vibes of Zapp Con, I found myself having a tremendous amount of fun, not just with all the events and panels to attend, but with the atmosphere of Fan Expo itself. Originally known as Wizard World, Philadelphia Fan Expo has kicked off its three-day celebration of all things geek culture this weekend with a tremendous bang. |
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