If there are two words that accurately describe how the city of Miami feels right now, they would be suffocating and humidity. So this adjective and that noun, combined, are a pefect name for tonight's Roofless Records showcase at the end/SPRING BREAK.
The intense, diverse lineup includes Miami's The President and Chrome Rauh as well as West Palm Beach's Tumbleweave, and Universal Expansion. The latter two are heading south to warp the shit out of the Design District and basically blow your Miami mind.
Venture beyond the jump and you will learn quite a bit about these mysterious bands. Discover The President's plan of action, the badass way of West Palm Beach by Universal Expansion, and see an amazing video "interview" with Tumbleweave. Let's start, shall we?
The President
The President will be doing something a little different tonight. He's going to be chatting in between songs, and he'll have an art installation for sale. One of the songs he'll perform is a long one, written specifically about the art. He will also be selling his book, his CD with a smaller booklet, and two eight-by-ten-inch framed drawings (felt-tip Sharpie on copy paper in wood frame) for $5 each. It's what The President calls "low budget contemporary art."
In passing, he mentioned, "I have paid over $15,000 in fines because of that D.U.I, and I still owe about $2,000. It's hard to find a way to ask for donations when you are guilty of hitting a pedestrian with your car." Frankness is one of The President's strengths.
Tumbleweave
Tumbleweave has quite a delightful aesthetic, no?
Universal Expansion
All five members of Universal Expansion played live shows with Lesson Lesson Lessen Relearn, keyboardist Nelson Hallonquist's solo project that he worked on for six years. Most of them are also members of the kickass band Cop City/Chill Pillars, who you might have seen at Churchill's Pub. But this is the first time these musicians will play Miami as Universal Expansion, which is kinda sweet and memorable.
They haven't been rushing down for 305 shows because apparently their hometown West Palm Beach has quite the music scene. "It's truly special and exciting right now," Hallonquist says. "My bandmates recently opened a venue called the Snooze, which is our own little slice of heaven." Percussionist Nick Klein agrees, "The scene rocks! It used to really, really suck. The Snooze has created a platform for people to come and actually participate at a place without a vapid gimmick being shoved down the throat of the patron. It has similar effects on those who perform and create."
When asked to describe the Universal Expansion show, Hallonquist says, "Brightly colored rhythmic sensations flowing through your aural receptors. The kind of shit you can get lost in while keeping your brain firmly grounded in the laws of physics." And Klein adds, "The kind of environment that makes you flunk physics class the next morning." Like the marriage of Einstein and Leary?
Both Hallonquist and Klein have worked with Matt Preira of Roofless Records before, and each of them has separately known him since they were teenagers. Klein said, "Matt is actually the first person to take a chance on booking an old band of Jimmy (Bradshaw) and I's when we were in high school. I remember our first drive down to play a show at a house in Coral Gables that Matt booked. When we took the HOV overpass for the first time we gave each other a look of amazement." Magic times in the Magic City.
Suffocating Humidity with The President, Chrome Rauh, Universal Expansion, and Tumbleweavesda, presented by Roofless Records. Thursday, August 4. the end/SPRING BREAK, 155 NE 38th St., Miami. The show starts at 9 p.m. Visit end-springbreak.com.
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