Forest and the Evergreens

This year’s CD102.5 Summerfest was marked by some unseasonably cool temperatures, random rainstorms, and a lot of great music. The day kicked off with Columbus’ own Forest & the Evergreens. The band had a rockin’ sound, highlighted with horns and a bluesy bass line which drew in the crowd as they were coming in; even intriguing people in the pit to come over and check them out. Parker Muntz’s crooning drew loud cheers from the crowd, and I absolutely loved drummer Mike Twice’s Animal (of the Muppets) hat. A rich, soothing voice and a touch of ska is never a bad thing in my book. I have a hunch that the band’s Columbus (and beyond) following will grow following this electric performance.

Capetown, South Africa’s Civil Twilight was the first band on the main stage and they put on another strong performance that kept the energy flowing. Their second album, Holy Weather, came out this spring. While the band has been compared to a number of different bands, and you certainly hear similarities in some songs, they also have a distinct identity of their own. The drummer’s jeans and suit jacket and the keyboard player sound checking with a pipe in his mouth showed a casual classiness. Civil Twilight opened with “Move/Stay”, a perfect choice to energize the crowd after the torrential downpour that occurred as Forest and the Evergreens was wrapping up. Title track “Holy Weather”, which reminded me of Sigur Ros or Radiohead, prompted cheers from the crowd as the song began. They ended the set with “Fire Escape”, heavy in the CD102.5 rotation, which again pumped up the crowd and received a resounding round of applause.

Next up was Atlas Genius on the Plaza stage. Despite the slight awkwardness of having the bands alternate between stages (which was the only way to efficiently have that many bands play), they were still able to persuade a hefty number of people to risk their spots on the hill or in the pit, and soon they had the plaza packed. Their hypnotic single “Trojans” got everybody swaying their hips and some people were even singing along. Despite being a relatively young band, their energy, stage presence, and talent indicated the band is set up to have a very bright future. Their newest EP, Through the Glass, was released in June and based on their Summerfest performance, I’d say their first full-length is highly anticipated.

The Lumineers took the main stage next, and were definitely one of the most anticipated acts of the evening, at least those around me. They opened with “Classy Girls”, an instant singalong, and the crowd was hooked. The band’s single, “Ho Hey” was clearly the crowd favorite, bellowed by both dedicated fans and the inebriated alike. “Charlie Boy” was achingly good and tugs at the heartstrings. For me, the highlight of their performance was when they “slowed it down” and sang “Slow it Down”, which quickly turned into another singalong. While a few in the crowd shared their disappointment over a few songs that weren’t played (namely “Submarines”), overall everyone was thoroughly moved by their performance. The band played with so much energy and passion, I am confident this won’t be the last we hear of The Lumineers.

The Lumineers

Maps & Atlases are well-known in their hometown of Chicago both for this band and their side projects, and they have been gradually building their fan-base across the country and beyond. Their lastest full-length, Beware and Be Grateful, came out in April and has been receiving praise from critics and fans alike. Their electric performance and eclectic style wooed the Summerfest crowd and continued to pump up the crowd.

Ben Kweller followed up on the main stage sporting an interesting new haircut that I can only describe as a Mulhawk (half mullet, half mohawk). The crowd was excited to see Kweller and he seemed just as enthusiastic to be playing. He even threw a number of picks to screaming fans in the pit while he was soundchecking. He played surprisingly few older songs that I recognized, but all of his new songs, including his latest hit “Mean to Me”, were well-received by the audience. Kweller’s passion for playing and his gratitude towards his fans (and CD102.5) was apparent from start to finish. He even stuck around for hours after his set to meet & great with fans.

Ben Kweller’s MulHawk

Brooklyn-based Tanlines were the final band to perform on the plaza stage, and certainly drew in the stage’s largest crowd of the day. They, too, had the crowd dancing and cheering from start to finish. Their debut full-length, Mixed Emotions, has been well received by critics and fans. While all of their songs were enjoyable, the highlight for myself and the crowd was definitely when they played their single “All of Me”. The excitement and energy was palpable and it was a great segue-way into Metric’s set.

It seemed as though the rain was waiting for Tanlines final note before it made its reappearance. Despite yet another shower, the crowd was not deterred and anxiously awaited Metric’s appearance on stage.

After an exhilarating introduction from CD102.5’s Lesley James, the lights dimmed and a Reflection began to play. Slowly, Canadian rockers Metric took the stage and induced screams from the crowd. The band opened with Emily Haines singing “I’m just as f*cked up as they say…” from “Nocturne” off their latest album, Synthetica. The song was electrifying and featured one of many incendiary guitar solos from James Shaw. As their 4th song ended, the rain came down and the ponchos,
jackets, trash bags, and even shower caps came out. A few people in the crowd bailed but most stuck it out and they were rewarded with an excellent performance.

Metric

In a number of the songs, Haines’ voice reminds me so much of Kelley Deal, both in The Breeders and her new project R.Ring. “Help, I’m Alive” was another crowd pleaser, and Haines completely owned the stage and mesmerized the
audience. It started to rain again, and I was disappointed in the number of people who left after this song was over. There was still a large crowd and Metric kept playing their hearts out despite the less than ideal weather. “Gold Guns Girls” was another instant crowd singalong and featured yet another excellent guitar solo. During this song, I realized while the hill certainly provides better viewing, drunk people dancing on a slick, wet incline will not end well. Despite falling down a lot, those people still seemed to be having a great time. By the time the show was over, it was absolutely pouring. Although soaked to the bone, everyone left with smiles on their faces for this was truly a legendary night - Promowest Live

This year, I can think of a handful of bands that have blown me away - and it’s only April. Forest & the Evergreens easily stands high in those rankings. A couple months ago I had never even heard of them. Then, suddenly and not quietly, I was hearing their name all around town.
I walked into Skully’s that night not really knowing what to expect of their show. The only material that seemed to be available online was one song on Facebook. And to be honest, going in without a clear picture of their sound or genre wasn’t a problem. After hearing the very first song, it’s easy to be hooked on Forest’s fresh soul-funk feel.
Not only are the grooves in the rhythm section super tight, but the outfit is topped off with an outstanding horn section. It’s this attention to detail that distinguishes between a power trio band and a fully fleshed out band - one that could fit more instrumentalists into the line up with no problem.
This might be because of the incredible interplay between the guitarists, who I might add, don’t even use guitar picks. While Forest and the Evergreens are still young as a band, their songwriting is inspired and potent, seeming well beyond their years. There are so many little inflections between the horns and guitars that getting lost in their music is incredibly easy to do. They sound amazing at a slower tempo and loud volume, when you can hear every subtle nuance written into the music (of which there are a lot). Amidst soaring horn breaks and fiery guitar solos, you could forget which way is up or down.
All this is not even to mention the bluesy, but silky smooth croon of Parker Muntz. His voice lies somewhere in the middle of the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Jason Mraz - blues-tinged to be sure, but not too rough.
With this array of awesome sounds all happening at once, it’s hard for anyone not to like this band. I picked up their three track EP at the show, and haven’t had any reason to take it out of my car. 2012 should prove to be a good year for Forest and the Evergreens; so, make sure to get yourself out there, because no one should miss out on these guys. - Bustown Music

Forest & The Evergreens could be the most unassuming band in Columbus. When they stopped by our studio last week, they looked like some indie rockers. Then they let their intricate, bluesy sound run wild through our offices. Their music absolutely speaks for itself. Make sure you check out their upcoming shows at Ohio State, Treebar and The Bluestone. - CW Columbus

By Chris DeVille
From the March 22, 2012 edition

The soul band is such an established form that even a “post-punk” soul combo like Chicago’s JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound doesn’t really deviate from the classic style so much as subvert from within. Of course, there’s a wide gap between James Brown’s huffing catharsis and D’Angelo’s smoky, psychedelic meandering, but if you go to see a soul band, you have some idea of what to expect.

Then you see Forest & the Evergreens.

Parker Muntz and friends don’t strictly adhere to the genre, but they don’t exactly fit in anywhere else either. They sprang from the close community of bands orbiting upstart label Boomhouse Records, so in a social sense they’re deeply plugged in. Musically, though, they are a band alone, and for all the right reasons.

My first encounter came last Friday at Kobo. Muntz was the center of attention, grabbing his microphone with a manic fury that recalled The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn minus the nerdiness. Unlike Finn, Muntz contributed significantly with his guitar, too, weaving hypnotic groove patterns with his bandmates and dropping in the occasional major seventh chord just because.

His fellow players flexed skills that suggested they made it out of music school without being poisoned by academia. They grafted chunky low-end riffs cut from the same mold as Radiohead’s “Optimistic” to melancholy old-school pop from the Jens Lekman playbook.

Despite the reference points, this was not sad-sack stuff; joyous horn blasts rained

down liberally. Nor was it alien music. Quoth Mr. Vedder, “It’s evolution, baby!”

Some soul bands embark on interminable jams, passing it off as exploration when they’re really treading paths so well-traveled they’ve long since been paved into superhighways. The real adventure is in creating new forms and pumping them full of enough humanity to convince people to come along for the ride. And when you don’t even have to convince people because they just know — when we stumble into music that answers a hunger we didn’t realize was there — that’s the magic of meaningful innovation. - Alive! Magazine

Easy Being Green
Forest and the Evergreens join the local soul fray with horns ablaze
By Travis Hoewischer
Published April 1, 2012

If you’d met the members of Forest and the Evergreens off stage, with their average age just slightly above legal drinking level, you’d be tempted to muss their hair.

That urge, however, is quickly washed away the second after they plug in. The fresh-faced and even fresher sounding funk/soul outfit is making a dignified rattle in the Columbus music scene as of late, with a horn section that heralds soulful vocals and zip-lock grooves.

Even frontman Parker Muntz is a bit sheepish when asked about the band’s uber-positive reception in just a year.

“Um, I don’t know,” he says, shuffling back and forth with a smile. “We’re not trying to impress anyone, we’re not trying to take over the world.”

Well, they’re halfway there. As earnest as your after-prom band, but as tight and tenacious as some of the city’s headliners, FATE (see, they’re so new this is probably the first time anyone’s abbreviated their band name) pairs energetic soul with the the coarse-but-cool vocals by Muntz, reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne or Amos Lee, with maybe a few of the remaining redeemable parts of John Mayer tossed in.

A little cleaner than reigning king of Ohio-bred soul, the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, Muntz is savvy enough to know that boyish good looks and his sweet croon won’t be enough to win over the local music scene bar crowd. Armed with Mike Twice’s machine gun percussion behind him, he looks like far more of a capable bandleader than his inexperience would indicate.

A year ago, Muntz and Twice started playing with bassist Andrew Balazs, and rhythm guitarist Mickey Drury, later adding Adam Bidwell on trumpet and Dominic Carioti on tenor sax, fleshing out the songs that Muntz had never really found a way to make work as a solo performer.

“Now, I’ve experienced the utmost fireworks, this extraordinary thing – I can’t do them any other way now.”

The band says they may have been paid the highest compliment locally when they were approached by George Elliot Underground drummer Brian Mayes, who chatted them up at a gas station after bumming a lighter.

They jumped in a car and played him their demo, which won Mayes over, despite his leaning towards Black Sabbath and other akin hard-rock material.

“He was trying to stay stonefaced, like, ‘I’m not gonna show you that I like ya,’” said Bidwell. “It was damn good to hear,” added Muntz.

It’s easier to take over the world one reluctant drummer at a time. - 614 Magazine