Days of Lore

MODERN-INDIE-ALTERNATIVE-EMO ROCK FEST Given Wild Oak Records’ dubious track record—like its recent Battle of the Bands where unlistenable crap-metallers Vext Intent snagged First Place, or the release of comp CDs clogged with a poop stew of songs from Mystic Roots, Thirst and 40 Watt Hype—it’s no wonder the Chico State label’s mysterious new endeavor, cutely titled Chico Indie Fest, has been greeted with a great deal of skepticism.

According to the Web site the event, scheduled for the weekend of April 28 and 29, will feature “six venues, tons of bands, thousands of fans.” That’s all it says. Hmmm …

Well, Wild Oak member “ Jesse J” finally broke the silence last month on the Chicolist message board with an equally cryptic: “The First Annual Independent Music Festival is coming to Chico April 28,” which was met, understandably, by a barrage of cynical comments from members of the local music scene. And since his first post, Jesse J has offered up only a few details, most of which have left people with more questions.

So I called Jesse J—who it turns out is Jesse Josefsson, drummer for local metal band Black December—to ask him a few questions about this “Indie Fest.” There wasn’t much to report. Josefsson said he and other members of the “Chico Indie Fest Team” are still communicating with potential sponsors before they give out any details on which bands might play.

When I asked him how they were trying to sell Indie Fest to sponsors, Josefsson admitted that it’s been a challenge and said he was telling them that it would be “a large-scale event where a lot of kids would see their names.”

Sounds great! Where do we sign? It’s a good concept, but the methodology is a little out of whack.

Josefsson did tell me that there would be around 15 bands from all over California as well as five or six local bands performing at the two-day event at venues like Matthew’s Café, The Crux Artist Collective and Lasalles. I wondered why Wild Oak would be using only a handful of local bands. He explained that the objective of Indie Fest is not only to bridge the gap between Chico State and the local scene but to put Chico on the map as a hip place for potential record labels—hence bringing in bands from other labels.

Josefsson also said that the project is not solely being put on by Wild Oak, but by the aforementioned Indie Fest Team, the Associated Students and Union Graphics, among others.

I just shudder when I think about which bands, local or otherwise, will be filling categories like Modern Rock, Metal, Alternative/Experimental, Punk, Reggae and Emo/Screamo.

Modern Rock? Alternative? Emo/ Screamo? I’m sorry … I just threw up in my mouth.

Josefsson said he would get back to me with more details, so stay tuned. Until then I’ll try to refrain from being too judgmental. But alternative? That term is as dead as Kurt Cobain.

“THE NIGHT LIFE AIn’t NO GOOD LIFE” Things look a little different? Is panic starting to set in? Fear change? Well fret not, our revamped calendar section is here and I think you’ll find it to your liking. Calendar Editor Jason Cassidy and our designers have meticulously arranged everything by category for easy navigation. So if theater is your thing, you know exactly where to look. Or if you’re into sitting naked in a circle and chanting, simply look under “Spirituality.” We’ve also added the “ Nightlife” grid, a comprehensive guide to local music venues and places you can go shake your rump or sing a little karaoke. OK, now that I’ve sold you on how great the new calendar is, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Sshhhhh … it’s really just a ploy to sell more advertising.

Alternative?—<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> </script>