Midnight Spaghetti & The Chocolate G-Strings

[Velour On The Floor] is one of the most creative and enjoyable records I have heard in a long time. It answers the question, what would happen if a party broke out and somebody happened to record it? - Darryl Joyner, Realize Records

Not only does this band clearly have a fantastic name, but they also are freakin' funktacular. Midnight Spaghetti blends elements of funk, soul, jazz and hip-hop to create a sonic stew. Plus, I hear they wear weird costumes when they perform. You know, like GWAR. But not as scary. The band recently released its debut album, "Velour On The Floor." I highly recommend checking out the George Clinton-esque "Rackin'em Up" and the Latin-infused "The Catering Blues." - Alexis Dow, The Patriot-News

Jeff Goodman turns to me halfway through your second number and says, "Seth is the funkiest white boy I've ever seen." Verily and forsooth. Seriously, man. It's like you were channelling the spirit of George Clinton, or George Clinton with a hint of Frank Zappa or something. - William Knorpp, Philosophy Professor

Midnight Spaghetti & the Chocolate G-Strings materialized from thin air and turned this thing out! I mean, who are these guys?

I smiled so hard, my face and head cramped up. They bring funk, jazz, hip-hop, rap and real-live showbiz all rolled up into a show that scratches every itch (unless you're just dead). You never know what's going to happen next, musically or visually, and these guys just refuse to disappoint. There always is something compelling going on, whether it's the music or the stage presentation. And the music is incredibly deep and rich in funk influences from all over the world. Maybe I should mention that this is a group of what looks to be 20-something white kids. Maybe there is some hope for the world yet.

In the sound you can hear Brooklyn, Africa (pick a coast), Detroit, Compton, Cincinnati, Seattle, Harlem, London, Miami, Havana, and Kingston, all filtered through the fertile minds of players who aren't afraid to use all the influences they can digest and then channel back to the audience. It's in there. This is a band some players can only dream about.

I was ready to leave when they came on at 1:00 AM. Practically had the car warming up in the parking lot. In the end I couldn't tear myself away and stayed until the last song. I can't wait to see them again, and I'm telling everyone I see about them. This has never happened before with any band.

For a glimpse into the persona of Seth the Front Man, just conjure up an unholy mix of Mick Jagger, David Byrne, the Genesis-era Peter Gabriel, and the young L.L. Cool J; then get the very capable band playing "Soul Makossa" to this wild salad and hide the matches -- if you can. This is a great combination of band and front man and really wonderful to behold. The good vibes are palpable.

I am a musician who played in two bands at the party before Midnight Spaghetti hit the stage. (And if you haven't checked out a party at Club Boyds, you really owe it to yourself. It's some serious freakin' fun.) These mad props are offered with much professional respect. If these young men can keep it up creatively and avoid the best-known pitfalls of band life, this is a music group the world is going to hear about. Even better stated: this is a music group the world needs to hear about.

They are really that good.

Are you feeling me on this? - Edward Graham

Fourth-annual music festival brings together eclectic bands from around the area for music, charity
By Leila Saadeh, contributing writer
Posted on October 2, 2006

People dancing, bands playing — sounds like a typical music festival, right? Wrong. Spaghettifest doesn’t just have a catchy name, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. So, what sets Spaghettifest apart from the rest of the festivals?

“I love the site, it’s so personal you can connect with everyone,” said senior TJ Abbonizio.

The Natural Chimneys was the location picked this year and everyone agreed that it was the best place to have the festival. Mikael Glago, lead organizer of Spaghettifest and guitarist in his band, Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G Strings, picked the Natural Chimneys for the festival because of a personal experience he had when he was a freshman at JMU. He used to come to the peaceful setting of the Natural Chimneys and relax and get away from everyday chaos. Now a central site for the festival, Glago states he always wants a place in a natural setting in the Shenandoah community where people can camp out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

Everything about Spaghettifest is self-constructed, whether it’s building the stage themselves or running their own Web site for promotion. Even JMU’s very own Earth Club is involved. They put forth their effort by cleaning up and recycling all the trash left behind during the festival and setting up trash cans all around the location.

“Our goal is to get as much recycled as possible,” said sophomore Marley Green, a member of the Earth Club.

Not only does the sublime location set Spaghettifest apart from the rest, the cause makes a major difference as well. Every year, all the benefits from the festival go to a different charity, from Habitat to Humanity to more personal choices such as the Fanconiemia Research Fund.

“The natural setting is unreal, the people are so great,” said Brent Harely, form the band Unfortunate Sons, about why he loves playing at Spaghettifest. “It’s not even about the money at all.”

This year, the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association was the charity Spaghettifest donated proceeds to.

It all started when Glago and his bandmate, Seth Casana, were in high school attending an assembly with Dan Navarro (cousin of Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro) and Eric Lowen, who gave good advice on pursuing their goals and to keep writing music. The two friends never let go of that advice and went on to create their band, Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings, along with Spaghettifest. Just recently, Lowen was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and it only made sense to support the cause.

“It’s a positive influence and it’s always good to do something honest for humanity, the arts, and to have community involvement,” said Glago.

The music and the environment are the main components that keep people coming back to Spaghettifest year after year.

“It’s a small festival, everyone knows each other; it’s a very chill environment,” said junior Emily Wooley.

There is a great all-around energy from everyone. The bands come from all different genres of music, with bands like Moneypenny, who are pop/punk-oriented, Valkyrie, who create head-banging music, Murphy’s Kids, who put on a high-energy reggae/rock sound, and Blueberry Jam, who fuse funk, grass and jam to make a sound all their own.

“One of the reasons I come is because of the various music styles — it’s not just all jam bands like you would expect,” said senior Kate O’Grady.

Even though the bands that have worked with Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings have a good chance of being in the festival, they hold no bias as to who gets to play. All the hopeful bands hand in a press kit, which includes a demo and photos by June.

“We love to have bands that represent Harrisonburg, but we also accept bands from outside the community and definitely don’t hold any discrimination against the genres of music they play,” said Glago.

While bands were playing on the large hand-built stage, other bands were playing at the same time in a tent across the field. The highlight of the festival was the band that started it all, Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G-Strings. Colorful, bright lights along with crazy costumes electrified the stage and accented their funky style of music.

“We want people to go from immobile to mobile, physically and emotionally,” said Glago.

Members from other bands joined in on stage and incorporated their musical sound to the show.

“We’ve always had a clear vision to relate our music to the way our audience feels and want to keep people dancing and having a great time each time they see us,”, said.Glago.

While all the members of Midnight Spaghetti and the Chocolate G Strings are from all over the East Coast, they find a way to meet and put on a fresh experience every time and the - The Breeze (James Madison University Student Newspaper)

Spaghettifest Still Going Strong In Fourth Year

By Martin Cizmar
Posted 2006-09-07

Welcome to Concert Production 101 with your professor, Mickey Glago.

Take a syllabus. As you can see we’ll be covering everything from building a stage to booking bands.

At the end of the course you’ll be expected to stage a show of your own.

Sounds difficult, huh? Well, Professor Glago did it himself, back when he was a James Madison University student. His event was a two-day festival, not some show at a bar and he did it without a professor. The textbook you’re using? He wrote it.

Did I mention his event, Spaghettifest, has become an annual festival?

In fact, it’s coming up Sept. 29-30 at Natural Chimneys Regional Park in Mount Solon.

Not A Hippie Thing

It took jam czars Phish more than a decade to stage their first festival.

Midnight Spaghetti & The Chocolate G-Strings has been together for 3 1/2 years and, in that time, they’ve staged four festivals.

"What can I say? Mickey and I are ambitious dudes," said Seth Casana, the band’s singer and, along with Glago, the only other original member.

Not that it’s necessarily fair to compare MS&tCG-S to Phish, or Spaghettifest to Lemonwheel.

"Everybody thinks that if it’s a festival it’s probably a jam band thing, and there are hippies going to it," said Casana.

There are some hippies, Glago said, but it’s a lot more diverse than that. Actually, the idea behind the bands booked for the festival is to find acts that have something in common with Midnight Spaghetti.

Headliners The Pietasters are a ska band started in the same Northern Virginia town Glago and Casana hail from.

Of the second-tier acts, The Blue Method is a funk/soul group, Tom Principato is a blues guitarist and Monneypenny specializes in 70s-style rock.

Midnight Spaghetti tries to tie all those sounds together, said Casana, and while they do noodle around a little, they aren’t jammers.

"We say we’re songwriters who use improvisation as part of our songwriting process," said Casana.

‘A Huge Two-Day-Long Party’

The idea for the festival came up when Glago needed to make up coursework after switching his major from music performance to music industry. Instead of lining up an internship, he planned the first Spaghettifest.

The idea was to keep the cost low, make money for charity and line up diverse acts.

"We throw parties, so a festival is like a huge, two-day-long party," he said.

A ticket to this year’s two-day event is $35, with proceeds going to ALS research. Camping is extra.

The thesis he wrote on how to plan a festival is still the guide, Glago said.

"It’s great that I got all my credits for that and all, but it’s so much bigger than that," he said.

Part of Glago’s mission is to keep the festival about the music. They don’t sell alcohol.

"The music is incidental in this day and age, you pay $50 for a ticket so Aramark can charge you another $50 for beer," he said.

This is their fourth festival: "Every year we’ve had a band we’ve had a festival," said Glago.

While they don’t sell beer, they do sell spaghetti. And yes, you can get it at midnight.

"Personally I don’t think spaghetti is a good camping food, you have to use bowls and pots and all that stuff," he said.

For more information, go to the festival Web site, spaghettifest.com.

Contact Martin Cizmar at 574-6277 or mcizmar@dnronline.com - Daily News Record