T Bone Burnett and Greg Kot @ Summit10 from Future of Music Coalition on Vimeo.

Check out this interesting Q&A with producer and musician T Bone Burnett as he talks with Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune about today’s digital technology and the effects it is having on music.

Around the 35th minute, look out for Terrapin Sound writer David Botwick-Ries as he questions Burnett about ways to raise awareness to college students about the differences in listening to MP3′s versus “old school” records.

The latest track from this album, “Bow Chicka Wow Wow,” is up on Pigeons and Planes for your listening pleasure. Give it a spin, and let us know how you like it!

“Bow Chicka Wow Wow” by Mike Posner

The brainchild of Jeremy Schon, lead guitarist of the band Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and Ben Curwin, keyboardist for the band Fivestock and president of the Maryland Music Business Society, Domefest was organized around one central idea: community. The plan was to showcase the talent and creativity that characterizes the local College Park scene. But Domefest did so much more than that.

Held at the Domes of Beltsville, a beautiful clearing in the middle of a thick wooded area, Domefest’s location helped to attract fans and bands alike from areas as close as College Park and as far as Baltimore. The main field, which was large enough to host dozens of tents, vendors, and of course kegs, captured the essence of a larger destination festival, yet the intimate performance space created a real connection between the artists and fans.

Basking in the warmth of the late spring sun, festivalgoers sprawled out on the grass and were treated to an eclectic blend of live music. The performers ranged from the feel-good vibes of the Rez, who opened the festival, to the progressive-rock sounds of Vasudeva. The crowd’s inhibitions seemed to wane with the setting sun, as girls in bikinis and shirtless dudes were roused awake by the night’s first headliners Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. The party raged on long into the night as Basshound launched into an epic two-hour long set, followed by DJ Soohan who worked the turn tables into the wee-hours of the morning.

The Domefest organizers never intended to plan a “jam” festival. In many respects, the musical mixture, such as booking psychedelic hard rockers, the Flying Eyes, alongside the laidback reggae and rap group, Lionturf, could have been a promotional nightmare – but not for Schon and Curwin. Instead, the two organizers played up the diversity in genres as Domefest’s true appeal. In many ways, Domefest represents the current state of the national music scene. The “anything goes” mentality of the DIY-music culture has returned creative control to the artists and fans. The result when creativity meets an ambition is a grassroots festival like Domefest.

Technically sound from every aspect, the event was painstakingly planned, organized, and run by a staff of  about 15 volunteers, Domefest was presented as an experience. Complete with professional stage design and light show, the performers and crowd became wrapped up in the festival atmosphere. So engrossed were the fans that many temporarily forgot they were just minutes outside of College Park. Maybe that was the point. By showcasing the depth of talent and drive of the local scene, Domefest delivered a polished festival product from a grassroots approach.

Photo Credit: Haya Levy

Weezer graced the stage at Byrd Stadium, Friday night, along with Ben Folds and Battle of the Bands winner Ivy Rose, for Student Entertainment Event’s 27^th annual Art Attack; however, the reactions from audience varied for each performance.

Student Entertainment Events proved that the Art Attack show gets bigger and better every year, with the help of sponsors IMP, Verizon Wireless and Pepsi. With about 12,000 tickets sold, this year’s show proved to be a major box office hit.

The opening band, Ivy Rose, was an all-girl band that surprised the crowd with their captivating mix of rock and pop harmonies. Comprised of three sisters and their best friend, the four girls put on a professional and high-energy performance that resonated with the audience through head nods and foot tapping.

“This is the first time we’ve done anything this big,” said Isabelle De Leon, drummer for Ivy Rose.

Even though it was a big audience to satisfy, everyone was pleasantly surprised. Charissa Powell, a sophomore women’s studies major, and Caitlin Bourne, a sophomore psychology major, both agreed that Ivy Rose was better than they expected.

“It was cool to see an all-girl band. We’ve never heard of them before,” Powell said.

“They were really good.” Bourne added, “We weren’t expecting them to be this good.”

While onstage, the girls proved that nerves did not affect them. Lead singer Martina San Diego said, “We were more nervous for Battle of the Bands, and now that we’re here we are going to do what we love to do and just have fun.”

Lead guitarist Sarah De Leon and bassist Kristine De Leon jammed out with San Diego; their heads all nodding in unison. Isabelle De Leon also joined in with a skillful drum solo that made the crowd cheer and wave from side to side.

The four girls proved to be a musical force to reckon with at Art Attack. They also attained newfound respect from their peers as well as a substantial fan base.

After announcing they were handing the crowd over to the other two performers, the audience began teeming with excitement and anticipation for the next act: Ben Folds.

Once his stage was set, Folds approached the black piano with the support of the continuously growing audience. He began to play and the audience was immediately mesmerized by his ingenious combination of punk-rock piano skills and sarcastically appealing lyrics.

Those who knew his songs happily sang along while those who did not seemed lost in translation. Regardless of their familiarity with his music, everyone was able to connect when Folds improvised a tune about University of Maryland athletes advertised by banners on the stadium.

“I didn’t expect him to start putting all our football stars to a piano tune, so that was a lot of fun,” said Melissa Meek, a junior government and politics major.

As the sun began to set and Folds finished his setlist with a cacophony of shouts and cheers, the headlining band, Weezer, still had yet to bring their alternative rock beats on stage.

While Ivy Rose concentrated on audience interaction and Folds released his hypnotic harmonies during their performances, Weezer combined both of these elements into an unforgettable last set. Their “W” emblem glowed as the four members rocked out onstage.

Props were cleverly integrated into the show, and lead singer Rivers Cuomo was able to sing while jumping on a trampoline up to the drum set in order to pay drummer Patrick Wilson a visit.

The audience, clearly elated with the stunts, sang and danced along to songs like “Beverly Hills” and “Say It Ain’t So.” At one point the band walked offstage only to come right back out after the audience called for an encore. The band threw beach balls into the audience while singing their wildly popular last song of the night, “Island in the Sun.”

Art Attack XXVII was a major success, and it has left the University of Maryland campus craving for more and wondering what can we expect for Art Attack XXVIII?

To view more photos from the concert click here.

This Friday, April 30, Student Entertainment Events (SEE) and I.M.P. are hosting the 27^th Art Attack. The event will be held at Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland, where alt-rock juggernauts Weezer are headlining with special guest Ben Folds. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the show will begin at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s Art Attack offers a change from the hip-hop themed headliners of the two most recent Art Attacks – Ludacris in 2009 and Wyclef Jean in 2008. Not since the All American Rejects headlined in 2007 has an alternative rock band topped the bill at the event. Both Weezer and Ben Folds are currently on tour and will be playing throughout the summer. Weezer will be performing at Bonnaroo along with several venues in Canada and England to promote their latest album, Raditude. Ben Folds’ summer tour will take him through Texas and includes many stops on the west coast to promote his album, Way To Normal.

In addition to the evening show, there will be several events during the day on Friday. According to the SEE website, the events will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the McKeldin Mall and will include, “a large petting zoo, a wide range of inflatable’, numerous vendors, telescope pictures, airbrush tattoos, and many other fun giveaways.”

Tickets for the show are available for students through www.umdtickets.com at $5 each, and tickets for the general public are available through www.ticketfly.com for $40 each. Be sure to check Terrapin Sound for coverage and pictures after the show!

DOMEFEST, an upcoming music festival that was designed to bring together the College Park music scene, is being held this Saturday, May 1st at a property known as the “Domes of Beltsville”. Concertgoers will experience an authentic music festival while enjoying local music. Camping is allowed (and encouraged), while alcohol is provided for those who are 21 or older. This show is the first of its kind for the College Park music scene, and organizers Jeremy Schon and Ben Curwin released some of the details during a Q&A session with Terrapin Sound.

T/S: What is DOMEFEST and why did you decide to put it together?

J: It is a College Park music festival and the goal is to bring together the College Park music community.

B: It started because we played at the property for a charity last fall and it was a complete failure [the festival then]. There was like ten old dudes having a great time, but we talked to the property owner and he was like, “Come back next spring and throw a party at our place.”

J: The site was just too good to leave it. We had to do something there. And the place is called the “Domes of Beltsville” so we had to name it “DOMEFEST”. It was just an immediate reaction.

T/S: This is definitely a grassroots-type production. What did it take to put this whole thing together?

J: A lot of work.

B: I think the two of us made a good team.

J: Yeah, we both have been working nonstop the past two months to try to put everything together. [We] put together contracts, bands, schedule, a work force, the stage, sound…

B: Port-o-potties.

J: (laughs) Yeah, port-o-potties.

B: It’s constantly calling people to make sure everything gets done.

T/S: How did you guys come up with a band lineup?

J: We wanted to pick the bands that represent the current state of the College Park music scene past and present. All of the bands that are on the lineup have some sort of link to College Park. Pretty much all of the bands are meant to represent the general collective College Park music scene.

B: We wanted bands that would draw from the University of Maryland to get some students out there.

T/S: Why do you think the College Park community needs this type of experience?

J: Everyone sees the University of Maryland, College Park. They see the Greek scene, they see the bar seen, and they see the football games. They see all the parts except the music. No one knows about the college park music scene. And with this festival we want to put the cp music scene on the radar and show people, yes, College Park has music and this is what we stand for.

B: There are actually a huge number of people that are connected by music in College Park. It’s a tight knit group.

T/S: What can concertgoers expect?

J: An excellent time.

B: A good atmosphere, good people. There are some really cool things that we did that you wouldn’t expect like the stage design is going to be awesome, and the property is beautiful.

T/S: Do you think that space on the lawn will run out or get out of hand?

J: No, we have security guards to keep everyone in line, and we’re expecting a peaceful, calm crowd. It’s not a bar crowd. It’s not a drinking festival it’s a music festival. There is alcohol provided, but we will be checking ID’s pretty vigorously.

B: Because we promoted this through the bands and other organizations we think we’re getting a crowd that’s coming for the music.

T/S: Will this become an annual event?

J & B: Hopefully.

T/S: Could you list the 5 most important items for concertgoers to bring with them?

1. Positive Attitude
2. Camping supplies
3. Friends
4. Camera
5. Water bottle (hydration is key)

T/S: Is there anything else that attendees need to know before heading out to the site?

J: Be respectful of the property. We’re honored and very happy to have use of the property for the event. The property owner is being very kind to us and is giving us a chance to use his property.

“DOMEFEST is more than just a music festival; it is a gathering of the College Park community. The festival has been planned to encompass the collective sum of the heart and soul that makes up the University of Maryland and College Park.”

For more information check out: http://www.domefestival.com/

DC9 is a live music venue located on 9th Street NW in Washington, D.C. Opened in 2004, DC9 features many acts that are on the verge of breaking out onto the national scene but are not there quite yet. This allows fans to catch their favorite up and coming bands in a small, intimate environment before they play on bigger stages nearby.

DC9 books a wide variety of acts ranging from indie-rock to electronic, hip-hop and experimental. According to owner-operator Bill Spieler, turnout can vary and depends largely on the band playing on a given night.

“One time last week I had eight people and two other days I had sold out shows,” Spieler said.

Spieler points out that the music scene in the district is determined by who is playing at a club that night, and concertgoers don’t go to a venue just to enjoy the atmosphere, which explains the significant differences in crowds from night to night.

“The music scene in D.C. has always been, hey, I want to go check out this band that’s playing at this place tonight,” Spieler said.

Another big draw at DC9 is the Liberation Dance Party. According to Spieler, the Liberation Dance Party started about six years ago as an alternative to the then popular dance parties that focused more on music from the 1980s. This dance party keeps the emphasis on current tunes with an older sound by playing tracks from bands like MGMT, Neon Indian and Muse.

So what can one expect on a visit to DC9?

“A laid back atmosphere where you can see up and coming bands that six months or a year from now will be playing the 9:30 Club,” says Spieler.

Want to find out more? Check out their website at www.dcnine.com

For those players who have already dominated the button-pressing chords or are tired of memorizing songs they cannot play, a real guitar has been effectively transformed into a compatible controller for games such as Guitar Hero® and Rock Band®.

Whereas before it was necessary to memorize chords by pressing colorful buttons, players can now learn how it feels to play a real guitar while rocking out in front of their TV. Eventually, they could even learn to play the songs without the guidance of the game.

The motions of the “real guitar controller” are simple and just as easy to pick up as the former controller. Players just strum along to the song while associating the colors with a particular fret and chord.

Real guitars have been used for a few years now, but one company in particular, has been determined to bring the best cutting-edge technology to its customers.

OpenChord.org is a young company that prides itself on making the “guitar-based video games a deeper and more fulfilling experience” while keeping their products all open source.

According to Alan Chatham, the lead developer and founder of OpenChord, open sourcing allows anyone and everyone access to the game’s codes.

“Instead of having one company behind this product, why not give everyone access to this code so we can make it even better?” Chatham said.

Currently, OpenChord sells a V1 Kit that lets customers build their own guitar controller. The kit includes all of the necessary hardware and instructions on how to make a real guitar compatible with a gaming system.

However, if some customers are not as confident with their technological skills, OpenChord is in the process of creating premade guitars to distribute.

“The word soldering is a pretty big barrier to a lot of people,” Chatham noted.

Besides being able to use a guitar with the games Guitar Hero® and Rock Band®, another game called Frets on Fire is available for free online. Frets on Fire is a downloadable program that is also open source. It allows its players to use tutorial songs, or they can create their own originals.

All in all, the development of the real guitar in association with guitar-based games has sparked much interest and has some people wondering how it will affect the music industry in the future.

“We’ve gotten a lot of interest from music educators” Chatham said showing his product at the PAX East convention. “We’re actually starting to map the colored notes in the games so you can assign notes to buttons.”

Even though the guitar is considered one of the easiest instruments to learn, this new technology makes playing it a more gratifying and entertaining experience.

“The way I see it is that our current state of technology takes the tedium out of the every day practicing,” Chatham said.

For more information about OpenChord.org and their V1 Guitars and kits, please check out the website: OpenChord.org

Baltimore might be better known for it’s scenic and family-friendly inner harbor, or a certain balding cake-master, but Charm City also boasts an impressive collection of live music venues. While not a premier venue, the Depot, located on Charles Street is a hidden gem. The Depot, which opened in 1998, gradually grew from a local dive bar to one of the most frequented underground spots in Baltimore. The venue features bright-red painted walls and friendly bartenders serving drinks that aren’t outrageously expensive. One of their most famous attractions is an ’80s night dance party on Fridays, where admission is free and trendy adults can dance the night away to the tunes of their youth. The Depot also features live local music most Thursdays and Saturdays. You won’t catch your favorite nationally touring artist performing here, (look towards Sonar, Ottobar, or Rams Head Live! for that), but the intimate venue is perfect for discovering new talent in a vibrant atmosphere. On yelp.com, one reviewer describes The Depot as “a totally grungy, unpretentious place with great music.”  Julia Brown, a freshman at the University of Maryland – College Park and native Baltimorean, describes the Depot as having an “especially hip crowd, but a great atmosphere that people under 21 can enjoy too”.

The Depot uses MySpace and its website (thedepotbalitmore.com) to advertise their varied themed nights and concerts, which especially appeals to the tech-savvy generation. For those of us who aren’t night-owls The Depot hosts flea markets during the late afternoons in an effort to promote local vendors and artisans.

It’s definitely worth the drive up 95 to check out the Depot, one of Baltimore best-underground spots.