TOMFest 2005- Aug. 4th through the 6th - Complete Festival Coverage

So what makes one three day music festival tower above the rest? For those people on the west coast the one festival that stands above all others is easily TOMFest, because it is more then just a rock festival, it is a community of music lovers, musicians and those that build the music world. The independent status and nature of TOMFest holds itself more along the lines of sixties hippy festivals then modern rock shows, the corporate nature of other circuit concerts really seems to distract from the unique connection between musicians and fans, but with TOMFest everyone is thrown together into a mixing pot. In my humble opinion this is the absolute best festival on the West Coast, if not the entire USA.


This year was the dawning of a new age for TOMFest, having relocated to a new location and risen back from the shallow grave that took it away from us last year; and with what a vengeance it returned. The Beautiful Mistake, The Myriad, The Rock'n'Roll Worship Circus, Joy Electric, Project 86 and nearly two hundred other bands, musicians and other wonderful music makers converged upon beautiful Camas Washington for three days of pure pop perfection.

Sound problems on the Outdoor stage kept interrupting the festivities for the first day, cutting off The Clergy, surprising Joy Electric and culminating in almost a half hour of silence for the boys in Project 86; luckily by the second day they had corrected all mishaps and the show was back up to full force. Everyone also had to deal with the unusually hot summer that has taken over the Northwest, with the midday sun heating the area up into the nineties (which is fairly extreme for this area), thankfully there was plenty of water and no one was baked alive.

I had the chance to watch some amazing acts, and hear some truly original and talented music while I absorbed the emotional high around me. from screaming metal heads to soft spoken folk singers, everyone had something to say and and audience to say it too; but instead of running through every single band of every single hour, let me just give the highlights, who stood out (for better or worse) at TOMFest 2005!

THURSDAY, AUG. FOURTH (DAY ONE)

NIK FURY (White Room)

This guy was great, even for more then a laugh. In all honesty I have a hard time taking most white rappers seriously, and very few have proven they have the chops to match the best; independent Christian rappers are even lower on the laughing scale, because rap has never been considered 'Jesus music' in any sense. Somehow though, in a very weird way, Nik Fury was completely entertaining for his entire set - in fact I was completely engaged.

Was it cheesy? Yes. Was it fun? Yes. Was it worth my time? (resounding) Yes! I would highly recommend this unusual talent.



THE CLERGY (Outdoor Stage, Day One)

I have to admit that I had never really heard much of The Clergy before watching them take the stage, I knew that they had been around for well over a decade had been performing on and off regionally for much longer; but other then that I was at a loss. But let me say it now, and say loud - this is a band that should have been at the top of nineties alternative rock. They easily maneuvered over tricky songs that reminded me of Garbage as much as it reminded me of The Distillers, at times I even heard a bit of Hole covered up in all the guitar fuzz.

 The Clergy


The fact that this band has never hit it big on any kind of chart stumps me, they are not only extremely talented musicians, but they sound awesome both live and on album; they tunneled through their set even when the sound problems should have stopped them, they rocked harder then most bands half of their age and they seemed to genuinely be enjoying themselves up there.

If you take away the sound problems, and the hot summer day that threatened to cook us all, this was a very rocking concert and it open the doors for people who might not have heard this amazing band (like me).



ROCK'N'ROLL WORSHIP CIRCUS (Outdoor Stage, Day One)

This was one band I really could not wait to see, their live sets have become something of legend and they are a TOMFest staple, but this year something was off. It took forever for them to setup, followed by countless sound problems, and then more setup problems, and when they finally launched into their set I was utterly disappointed by their new sound.

  The Rock'n'Roll Worship Circus


Previously I had always compared them to The Dandy Warhols, only more upbeat and happy - well all that had changed between when I last heard them and this show. The happiness was gone, the bouncy presence was gone, these poor boys acted like musicians who did not know how to have fun anymore, and frankly were even more monotone then the Dandy Warhols, a total sugar crash. They still handled their music with skill, but I left with the feeling that they had lost something, the spark had gone out for me.

Also announced was that The Rock'n'Roll Worship Circus would no longer go by that name, following the end of their tour they planned on changing their name to The Listening , which fits I guesss; out goes a band I loved, in comes another that remains unsure in my book. Overall, it was everything but a beautiful letdown, it was nearly depressing.



HOTEL UNDERGROUND (The Grove Stage)

Something inspired took place with Hotel Underground when they started performing; they did not have an intimidating stage presence, or the best equipment, or even a large following, in fact the CDs they had for TOMFest were burned CD-Rs, but it was the sincerity of the performance, and the hope they inspired in the few that listened. You could probably label them as alt-county or americana, but their simplistic brand of folk rock cradled the mood of the few, and the hope of the many. Standing on stage you could see the members in-tune with each other, and just building off the mood; this is one band that put on a simplistically amazing show.

I must add that they had some of the best lyrics I have ever heard, especially - "...you have nothing to fear, I heard there is nothing worse then death down here..." - be sure to look out world, they are coming.



JOY ELECTRIC (Outdoor Stage, Day One)

Ok, so after the letdown that was RRWC (see above), I was totally ready for something to lift my spirits and get me bouncing again - and what could be better then the king of synth pop, Joy Electric ! In short order Ronnie Martin (the man behind the name) was up and ready to go, let the music start; enters the bouncy synths, and moody vocals, the emotional high created by having so much fun with music. Being a sort of synth music legend sure has its advantages as he rocked through his set, the crowd swelled up and bounced along, running, jumping and just crashing in overall acceptance of exuberance and joy. One slight bump on the sound factor left us with silence for about twenty seconds (and left Ronnie with a surprised look on his face), but they soon corrected the problem and we were back into the fray.

 Ronnie Martin from Joy Electric


And no JoyE show is complete without hearing the staple song, "Monosynth" - and while the first sounds echoed across the grass everyone went wild, this is the music we love to hear. At the same time this song stood out like an orphaned child from the rest of his set, as his new albums have been taking him away from the bubble-gummed sugar rush of synth blips and beeps while pushing him into darker, and an overall feeling of heavy oriented synth pop.

All in all though, this was a set no one should have missed, and no one will forget.

FRIDAY, AUG. FIFTH (DAY TWO)

THE MYRIAD (Outdoor Stage)

Very simply - these guys put on the best show at TOMFest this year, The Myriad got on stage and rocked harder and louder then all the bands that came before them. When I had first heard this band during their album release and debut on Floodgate, I was sure they were going to break upon the world as the next Euro-styled band in the top ten; in fact there is no reason why they have not shot to stardom already - the band members who make women swoon, the hard hitting debut album (choked full of poppy hooks), the intense live shows with great dynamic stage presence and lyrics that cause you to think. But at the time of their performance I was still waiting for their stardom, luckily their infectious sound started drawing people to the stage faster then you could say Radiohead, and soon the grass around the outdoor stage was filled with new fans mixing in with the older ones - so for one short set they were the stars.

  The Myriad


Of course it is easy to see why, they commanded that stage and started hitting us loud and hard with blast after blast of beautiful melodies. This was a performance no one wanted to miss, and everyone will remember (except for those who did not watch, and they are surely sad by now); through it all though, the band members maintained a very approachable and enjoyable stance, giving their fans one more reason to fall in love.



KAT JONES (Outdoor Stage)

Oh the beauty, the wonderful beauty that is Kat Jones - another unknown talent with superstar status (in the eyes of this writer); She held the crowd in sway as she conquered one heart and emotion after another. Unlike most folk or pop artists Kat really seems live on a different stylistic and sound pillar, her outlook is incredibly sharp and she can carry the emotional weight of a hundred angels. Oh, and speaking of Angels, she has a voice just as strong as any (like I have ever heard an angel), and it will carry you to the highest plains of emotion.

 Kat Jones


Oh, and did I mention that she can also rock harder then most boys? Because it is true, she can, and she does.



NATE ALLEN / INSOMNIAC FOLKLORE (The White Room)

In the world of folk rock (or pop, depending on your point of view), most people do not account for very much change, let alone difference in styles; in fact most musicians within the confines of folk find themselves restricted by the name. Luckily there is a growing trend among the outside for pushing the confines and limits; these people have placed intensely personal lyrics inside of backwoods defined folk, pop, punk and anything else they were brought up with during their childhood.

Nate Allen follows a more traditional approach, while still pushing himself, imagine a man inside a plastic bag, pushing out and out, ever expanding the limits while never truly leaving the restrictions. his set was short, but inspired; and the music he created was warm, like building a shelter for the lost - it is inviting, but not a place to dwell in forever.

Of course we have to pick of speed and random emotions when the one man band known as Insomniac Folklore took the stage. For me personally I heard elements of both the folk/punk group Calibretto to the weird folk of The Danielson Family mixed in with his own unique vocal delivery and passionate musicianship. He crafted music that held his heart and soul, rarely do you hear such intensely personal song-writing - the emotional sleeve he wears cannot be an easy path, but it was amazing.



SHINY TOY GUNS (Indoor Stage)

Ok, so lets kick the folk and everything else into high gear with this electro-dance group from California; Shiny Toy Guns seemed relatively new as a band, but seasoned as musicians. I really had a great time with emotional highs and enough back-beats to make you want to get up and dance. They really branded most elements of modern electro pop into a tight knit flash attack.

Come on kids, its time to lighten up and dance.

SATURDAY, AUG. SIXTH (DAY THREE)

HISTORY INVADES (Outdoor Stage)

Math Rock / Chaos Pop / Free Form music itself seems to have completely disappeared from the face of this planet in the last couple of years, luckily a couple record labels and musicians still hold out and explode in short bursts. History Invades is another amazing group that rocks with kinetic energy and explosive talent that is sure to rip apart even the stiffest music critic. With dueling vocals, and more spunk than your average puppy, these guys were amazing.



ERIC NORDBY / RHEANNA DOWNEY / CASEY HURT / VIOLENCE & VALENTINES (The White Room)

The White Room seriously had the absolute best music in a block for Saturday, with some of the sweetest folk inspired pop and indie rock around, but when it comes right down to it - only four artists really stood above the rest in that quiet little space.

Eric Nordby shocked the entire room with his eclectic blend of folk rock and indie musings, he came up in all modesty and literally brought the house down. His humble approach to explaining life growing up and living were like a fresh blast of mountain air for a room tired of head pounding screamo. He brought a small box of his EP and offered it free of charge to anyone and then proceeded to dive into life, hope and restoration, soon the entire room was packed out and we crammed together in the heat to bask in the small sounds of peace.

Rheanna Downey came with singer songwriter sensibility and brought the entire house down. Her down to earth and joyful approach to both song-writing and living kept the entire crowd in their seats. She charmed us and soothed us on a hot day, taking us away from reality to her own folk inspired country. She ended by leading us in a passionate cover of "Amazing Grace".

So where do we go after two amazing performances? no where - because Casey Hurt followed them up with a much more direct (albeit heartfelt) singer-songwriter, who apologized for also having "Amazing Grace" in his set (although it was in a melody, and not the entire song). He was very competent and capable, and entirely enjoyable in his own style, although he did stand out a bit from the other two.

I believe that Violence & Valentines were the only group that came from Tennessee (perhaps the only eastern band period?), but thank goodness that they did come - because it was like heaven.

So overall this is what the festival was all about, crowded into a small room over the course of four separate sets - it was about community, it was about sitting back and enjoying the fellowship the musicians had with their fans, and vise versa. So for a couple short hours the White Room became a sort of haven, a relaxed area to just bask in the moment and enjoy the peace it held on a wonderful summer day.



SUFFERING & THE HIDEOUS THIEVES (The Grove Stage)

I had to leave early Saturday, but I stuck around long enough to see this infamous Seattle band put on one of the best shows I have ever seen, with the impassioned delivery of Jeff Suffering and his cohorts churning out spews of heart wrenching sounds and music bliss.

  Suffering & The Hideous Thieves


Listening to Jeff is like listening to the soul of heartache, his pain is everyone's pain and his love is everyone's love; this is a man who lives his music and conveys that emotionalism to everyone that hears him. Watching these guys perform on stage is like watching an uncoordinated shock and awe battle, each musician connected to his instrument like it was part of his body, and all of them connected to the vocals of Jeff Suffering like he was the center of this musical universe. One of the more unorthodox bands to play at TOMFest, they held complete control over the small crowd of people who came to watch them, while others straggled in like they had been caught up in a mouse trap and were being led to the pied piper; several people who had never heard Suffering & The Hideous Thieves before could be seen entrapped and loving every single minute of it. If there was ever a show people should never have missed it was this one - never before have I see such a emotionally intense set, and the entire crowd was moved with it as we all got sucked into a trance for a very short, but perfectly brutal, set.



Now I must admit that I saw several other amazing bands, and some pretty mediocre bands, but who wants to hear every little detail - that would take way to long and you would all be asleep before I hit the end. So those listed were the best of the best (that I saw), at the same time I do not want to leave anyone out, so below we have listed every single band I saw perform, as well as their websites just in case you want to check them out. Thank you so much for taking the time out to see what rocked at TOMFest 2005 - hopefully this has inspired you to come out and watch the fun next year; until then, rock on!

- Samuel Aaron

tomfest.com

ARTISTS I SAW PERFORM

Airplane To Nowhere - www.airplanetonowhere.com
Corbin Gets It Right - www.corbingetsitright.com
The Clergy - www.theclergy.net
The Rock'n'Roll Worship Circus - www.worshipcircus.com
Joy Electric - www.joyelectric.com
Nik Fury - www.nikfury.com
Speaker Rhodes - www.myspace.com/speakerrhodes
Illis Amora - www.illisamora.com
Stenuus - n / a
Hotel Underground - www.hotelunderground.com
2am Orchestra - www.2amorchestra.com
The Myriad - www.themyriad.net
Kat Jones - www.katjonesmusic.com
The Havoc - www.havocpunx.com
The Parson Redheads - n / a
Shiny Toy Guns - www.ShinyToyGuns.com
Fighting Jacks - www.fightingjacks.com
Painted Soul - www.paintedsoul.com
Ambitious Career Woman - www.ambitiouscareerwoman.com
Hawthorn - www.hawthornmusic.com
Nate Allen - www.nateallenmusic.com
Insomniac Folklore - www.insomniacfolklore.com
History Invades - www.historyinvades.com
Broken Silence - n / a
Up Fails Down - n / a
Suffering & The Hideous Thieves - www.hideousthieves.com
Eric Nordby - www.myspace.com/ericnordby
Rheanna Downey - www.rheannadowney.com
Casey Hurt - www.caseyhurt.com
Violence & Valentines - www.myspace.com/violencevalentines
Day of Lions - www.dayoflions.com

If we listed one of the links incorrectly, please email us and let us know!