Cornmeal Beyond Heart & Soul
My Kleen-Ex box shoes and serial lack of bathing was starting to worry my roommate, hell, even my dog was avoiding me! There were shows I could have seen, sure, but the obstacles that sprung up in my way were getting more and more bizarre, my car threatening to explode being the latest! So, here I sat, a hundred miles from one of my favorite bands, Cornmeal putting on a show at the Bluebird in Bloomington Indiana. It’s hard for me to think of a band I’d rather break my musical fast with more than Cornmeal, they’re like food for the heart and soul. To make matters worse the lighting was being done by Alex Schneider one of the best new guys in the business! Time to take matters into my own hands!
It might shock you to learn that music photojournalism has not made me independently wealthy. Following my bliss takes money, and to earn that dollar, I tend the bar. Which is cool, as in a way, either a as concert photographer or head bartender, I get to party for a living! Nice work if you can get it! Arriving at work early, I corralled my manager and explained in passionate detail my need to get to the show. I’m not sure if it was the sorrow in my voice, my pungent odor, or the fact that it was a slow night, but he agreed that I just didn’t look well, and should probably go home and get some rest, wink wink! A hurried trip to borrow a car, and I was on the road north speedometer pegged at a hundred miles an hour! Slipstreaming through traffic, I felt my manias lessening, as with each passing mile my drought was coming closer to an end. The Bluebird was easy to find, even for a first timer. A cool club, with a sunken pit in front of the stage with raised areas, perfect for shooting, on two sides. Arriving just as the opener was finishing up, I soaked p the last few notes as a man lost in the desert drinks the last few drops from his canteen. Not much longer now.While the stage was being cleared I saw Alex, who goes by the nickname of Herm. Since my very first viewing of Herm’s work lighting the tent at the Wuhnurth Music Festival, I knew he was going places. He uses a wide variety of lights, and uses them all to their fullest potential. As a photographer, I found myself salivating over seeing Cornmeal in a whole new light, so to speak! Playing his lights like a visual accompanist, Herm flows with whatever band he works with, regardless of genre’. His efforts are like the peanut butter to the band’s chocolate, and there is no situation that isn’t made better with Reese’s splendiferous combination, even a metaphorical one! So with Herm safely ensconced behind his laptops and switches and dials, I turn to see…Oh joy! The band is strapping on instruments and sitting down behind drum kits!
When a band inspires me as much as Cornmeal does, there is little I won’t do to spread their message! Management here on Festival Family has noted the presence of hundreds of photos and thousands of words, praising the band in my articles and galleries with some amusement. Okay, so I admit I love this band, I admit it freely and clearly! While speaking to a couple of fellow fans about songs that I wanted to hear, it was mentioned to me that I had perhaps let my journalistic integrity lapse if I had gotten to the point of wishing for songs. Laughing loudly, I reminded him that ethics and love could easily coexist. It was love that brought me here, and love that made me do all this in the first place, just as it was love of what they do that brought the band here before us that night.
Cornmeal is a touring machine and they constantly fine tune and hone their sound to a degree rarely seen. Chris Gangi plays his stand up bas with a percussive plucking style that compliments the sharp, snappy drumming of J.P. Nowak on drums. J.P.’s brother Kris blends his acoustic guitar stylings are miced naturally and processed through a series of effects that surprise even me, a veteran concert goer. And what self respecting Bluegrass band doesn’t have a Banjoist? Wavy Dave Burlingame plays and sings like a man born to do what he does, and it suits him well. And finally, on fiddle, Ms. Allie Kral. The fire and energy that flow from her bow are mesmerizing, and the times when she catches fire are pure gold. Several times a show you see a twinkle hit her eye, and the speed and ferocity with which she plays kicks up to a whole different level. When these frenzied moments subside, I am almost thankful that I can now catch my breath. Almost. Together these five musicians coalesce into a band capable of transporting me a million miles away without my physically moving a millimeter. The Crowd responded to them as crowds always do, with a steadily building energy impossible to resist. They played two long sets, and as I circled through the crowd I heard comments like ”Omigod, I’m melting”, “SPAAAACE” and “Hey, could you get me a beer?”(No, by the way, I can’t get you a beer! I’m working here!) The night was packed with songs from their ten year history, among them a stellar “Rivergap”,” Rise above” and “I Know What I Know”, songs I pray for every show! Life is good! They capped their show with a special treat for the encore. Dropping a slow beat, J.P. provided a sparse down tempo back drop for dark swirling sonic mystery to unfold. Dense psychedelic jams filled the air as a foreboding majestic sound built and crashed back down again. Speeding the pace the familiar strains of the Beatles classic “Rocky Raccoon” soon became evident, and my smile threatened to split my face in half. Afterwards, an exhausted and gratified crowd filed out of the club, sated for now, but ready for more.
Luckily for the fans, Cornmeal had their live jones covered for them. Having just released their newest offering, “Live in Chicago, Illinois, vol.1” (Which, of course, has me already awaiting volume 2!) a live set from their home town. The disc is excellent, and the quality of the recording reminds you of what can be done still with mastering live music, as the sound will give you chills. It’s almost enough to keep me from going crazy til my next Cornmeal show. Almost!
Words and Pictures by Rex Thomson
