rnr-artown-06-2019

Artown Guide 2019

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

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RN&R Artown Guide

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A A speciAl speciAl supplement supplement to to Reno Reno news news & & Review Review

Artown Guide’19

Welcome to the Reno News & Review’s 2019 Artown Guide. If you’re about to spend your first summer in Reno or otherwise picked up this guide wondering what Artown is, I’ll explain. Every year since the mid-’90s, Reno dedicates the month of July to a citywide celebration of the arts. Concerts, gallery displays, pop-up performances, theater productions and crafts of every type are typical fare at Artown—much of it free to the public.

The event has become so popular, and the schedule so dense, that it can be tough to know where to begin. That’s why we put together this guide, to better direct our art-loving readers to their desired niche.

Former RN&R Arts Editor Kris Vagner is a pro at navigating the bevvy of Artown programming—and the occasionally vague language used to promote smaller shows. On page 21, she breaks down a few discrete gallery shows and live events that could easily get lost in the mix but are well worth the time of visual arts fans.

The city’s music fans are also well served during Artown. Since 1995, we at the RN&R have made our own musical contribution to the summer festivities with the Rollin’ on the River concert series, where a different band takes the Wingfield Park Amphitheater stage every Friday night in July. If you’d like to learn the lineup and hear from this year’s bands (all eight of them), they’ve introduced themselves on page 13.

Then, on page 10, regular contributor Andrea Heerdt sat down for a chat with hometown soul singer Whitney Myer about life in L.A. and her plans to retake the Reno stage this July.

To me, Artown is synonymous with its main venue at Wingfield Park. This small island in the middle of the river has a long history as a cultural center in town, and I spent some time learning all about it. You can find that story on page 5 Finally, if you plan on attending any of the live performances on this year’s schedule, know that you probably won’t be alone. As such, the RN&R’s theater critic, Jessica Santina, lays down the hard dos and dont’s for being a good audience member. Big tip: leave the hard candy at home.

Artown is one of those rare events that holds something for everyone. Not everyone is a rabid arts fan, for sure, but even casual observers can appreciate the chance to get outdoors and enjoy the sun, sounds and simple pleasures of being in a community that cares.

Artown is a celebration of culture, and that can mean many things to many people. I know that come July 1, I’ll be partaking in my celebration of choice: free music and a beer by the river. Sounds like summer to me.

- Matt Bieker Special Projects Editor

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A river runs around it Early in the 20th century, a woman gazed at Belle Isle’s amusement park, including a Ferris Wheel, invented in 1893 by George Ferris of Carson City.

A history of Wingfield Park

by Matt Bieker | mattb@newsreview.com

Since 1996, summer in Reno has become synonymous with Artown. The month-long arts festival showcases the breadth of the city’s creative offerings, staging performances and installations from local and international artists, and provides free entertainment every night throughout July for Reno’s rapidly swelling population.

To many locals, though, Artown itself has become synonymous with something else—its primary venue at Wingfield Park. Nestled on an

island in the middle of the Truckee River, wreathed by towering cottonwood trees and criss-crossed by pedestrian footbridges with their iconic hanging flower baskets, Wingfield Park’s plein-air theater has become the backdrop to many of Artown’s most well-attended events. However, the park’s history as the geographic and cultural heart of Reno is longer than most people know, and its potential as a community gathering space was recognized not long after the city’s founding.

“I think it was a little, you know, getaway,” said Sharon Honig-Bear. “A little piece of heaven right in the middle of the city.”

Honig-Bear is the former president of the Historic Reno Preservation Society, a volunteer organization of citizen historians and tour guides,

and currently chairs the city’s Arts and Culture Commission. She’s familiar with Wingfield Park in its many past and current incarnations, including its origins as Belle Isle, a fairground and events venue created by attorney Lewis Hinckley in 1911.

According to an article by Nicholas Caparso for Reno Historical (an archival project managed by the Special Collections Department of the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries), Belle Isle included a dance hall with electric lighting, 700-seat outdoor theater, boat rentals and a roller-skating rink. Carnivals, boxing matches and traveling curiosity shows were common attractions at Belle Isle, as were the era’s moving

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“RIVER” contInuEd on pagE 7

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Revitalization efforts in the mid ’90s improved Reno’s Riverwalk, now considered its own district.

paraphrasing, that the architect Hewitt Wells said was, ‘Well, if I can’t build a library in the park, then pictures—aired outside with orchestral accompaI’ll build a park in the library.” niment—88 years before the Century Riverside The island withstood flood damage over the Theater was established nearby. years, and the reality of the river’s natural ebbs “I think it was the indicator of the time that and flows dictated the architecture of the current people wanted open-air,” Honig-Bear said.

Wingfield Amphitheater, built in 1992, as seen in “People’s houses were very small. Being able to its staggered and gapped retaining walls on the get out right there in your city and enjoy what eastern side of Arlington Avenue. In 2004, the city was there, I think was important. And it was, at paid for construction of the whitewater kayak park, that point, pretty much up to private enterprise. which changed the riverbed’s topography to alleviGovernment wasn’t quite doing this yet.” ate flooding and make the area more conducive to That changed in 1916, when Hinckley filed for swimming and other water sports. To Honig-Bear, bankruptcy, as was common in the boom and bust these developments marked a change in the city’s economy of the West at that time. In 1920, the land relationship with the river, as well as it’s other was purchased by its namesake, George Wingfield, natural resources and attractions. who deeded it to the city unconditionally. An “When I first moved here—this is before they Arkansas transplant, Wingfield was perhaps the built the kayak park—the City had a history of richest man in Nevada at the time due to his part turning its back to the river,” she said. “Casinos ownership of Tonopah’s Goldfield Consolidated didn’t want you out, you know—there are no Mining Company and subsequent banking ventures. windows. They Wingfield left behind a mixed don’t want you to legacy, as his money and influence acknowledge it. Over dictated Nevada legislation on both the last—particularly— sides of the aisle—usually to his decade or two, we’ve own benefit. In her 1992 biography, really embraced some author C. Elizabeth Raymond of the beauty of Reno’s writes, “For a number of years, natural features. And I Wingfield was described, without think Wingfield Park exaggeration, as the owner and is, really, a premium operator of the state of Nevada. example of that.”

Some have revered him as Nevada’s Artown began in benevolent ‘friend.’ Others have the mid ’90s, and set condemned him as a ‘sagebrush the literal stage for a Caesar.’” The Reno News & plethora of events and Review’s Dennis Myers counts festivals at Wingfield Wingfield among the organized Park, the sight of which crime leaders of the era (“Public and the subsequent Enemies in Nevada,” July, 2009) diversion of traffic past who escaped regulation, and, later, the Arlington bridge are federal prosecution. now common occur“He had a checkered history, I rences in the summer. suppose a lot of people would say,” Artown begins its Honig-Bear said. “He had a lot of 24th season on July 1, power in this town and power can be kicking off opening Sharon Honig-Bear used for good and for bad. But in the night with Paul Thorn case of Belle Isle, now named after and the New Breed him, it was done for good.”

Brass Band at 7:30 Throughout the 20th century, p.m. on the amphitheater stage.

Wingfield Park remained a community Artown has now evolved to offer gathering spot as the city grew around it, events and attractions at venues incorporating new features like the pedesall over the city, but to Honig-Bear, trian foot bridges and Arlington Street watching the crowds gather for thoroughfare. opening and closing night at Wingfield According to Honig-Bear, the tennis hearkens back to a time over a century ago, courts on the adjacent Barbara Bennett Park—the when Renoites were doing the exact same thing. entirety of the area colloquially referred to as “If you’ve ever been to Rollin’ on the River on “Wingfield Park” is actually made up of five smaller a Friday night, how different is that, really, from parks—served as inspiration for scenes in one of the the regular Saturday night dances that Mr. Hinckley most famous books about Reno, Walter Van Tilburg had?” she said. “Or anytime you’re sitting in for Clark’s 1945 The City of Trembling Leaves. a wonderful Artown performance, are we so very The island’s natural setting was also desirable to different from when there was a 700-seat open-air Hewitt Wells, the architect of the downtown library theater at the very same location that Mr. Hinckley (301 S. Center St.). The library famously incorpoput in? So, although we may not have boxing rates hundreds of live plants, making the space equal matches and snake charmers and small boat rentals parts book repository and conservatory. … some of that tradition of being a comfortable “They wanted to build [the library] in Wingfield entertainment center right in the middle of town Park, probably about where the basketball courts lives on.” Ω are now, if I understand correctly,” said HonigBear. “And they couldn’t get the land for a variety of reasons. And so the famous quote, and I’m “RIVER” contInuEd fRom pagE 5

“I think it was a little, you know, getaway.

A little piece of heaven right in the middle of the city.”

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RN&R Artown Guide

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Soul

Queen

Currently based in L.A., Reno-born Whitney Myer found a local fanbase with the Whitney Myer Band before performing nationally on NBC’s The Voice in 2012.

Photo/Courtesy Whitney Myer

Whitney Myer

by Andrea Heerdt

If the Biggest Little City has a soul, part of it stays with Whitney Myer. One of Reno’s most recognizable recent musical ambassadors, Myer is a lifelong musician who found a local audience as front woman of the Whitney Myer Band in 2009, while rocking open mics and venues around town with her blend of electric funk, smooth soul and pop-star voice. In 2012, Myer brought her talents to NBC’s second season of The Voice,, where her rendition of Alicia Keys’ “No One” earned a standing ovation from all four celebrity judges.

Myer is based in L.A. now, recording music and playing festival stages and venues all over the country, but still returns home to Reno every summer for a series of shows.

For Artown this year, Myer will give an interactive performance of some of her new music on July 28 at the Brasserie Saint James (901 S. Center St.). The RN&R caught up with Myer to ask her about living in L.A., her process and the importance of coming home. ► How did you get your start in music ini-tially? You, your dad and your uncle formed the Whitney Myer Band, right?

Both of my parents were musicians, so when I was growing up that’s what they did for a living.

I was around [music] all the time. As early as I can remember, I knew I wanted to sing and then I learned how to play guitar and piano.

When I was a teenager, I started writing songs more seriously. I had always made up songs with my friends or whatever, but I started writing songs more seriously, and at the same time, I picked up instruments. When I was 14, I started playing open mics with my dad and then my uncle started playing with us as well. ► What were some of your musical influences back in the day versus now?

Back in the day it was probably more funk, like James Brown, neo-soul, like Erykah Badu, and pop that was on the radio.

Now, [my influences] are similar, but it’s more like Kimbra. I like Halsey, too. I think there’s a lot of great modern pop out there now. I also like slightly more obscure rock bands. ► What was it like growing up in Reno as a musician?

I definitely thought it was a creative community, and it still is a really creative community, especially for a smaller city. It has an 10

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exceptional amount of people making art in different ways.

One of the things I specifically remember was before I was old enough to really play in bars. I was 20, and I started an open mic at Great Basin Brewing Company in Sparks, and that’s where I met a lot of other musicians in town and a lot of the community was built from that.

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► When did you move to Los Angeles?

I moved five years ago and currently live in L.A. I was 27 when I moved, so I spent most of my life in Reno. I come back [to Reno] every summer for a big string of shows, but I also come back a couple times a year to visit family.

► What current bands and projects are you part of?

I’m a solo artist, and then TriOrca is a band we started about eight months ago. It’s with David Diaz who has been my drummer for the last five years since I moved. He was one of the first musicians I met when I moved [to L.A.]. We also met this guy from the U.K. named Phil Simmonds, and he’s a producer and a writer, a super talented guy, so it’s the three of us, and we just kind of started making music together, and it just snowballed fast. ► During your time on The Voice, what were some of the biggest takeaways from being on reality TV? No matter what somebody tells you, you have to manage your own expectations of outcomes. It’s a very L.A. thing for people to pump you up and make you think that they’re going to make you famous. That happens all the time here, like a surprising amount.

It’s great that someone believes in you, but it happens so much that you start to not trust people, and that can be detrimental to the way you interact with the world.

The best thing is to know you’re the only person who’s in charge of your career. Like, these other people can say these things, but most of the time they’re not actually going to do it, and it’s really up to the artist to push themselves and to look out for all of the opportunities. Even a manager won’t necessarily get you there. It’s really dependent upon the artist.

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my family, play shows and maintain my fanbase [in Reno], which is super important to me because every time I come home to play those shows I feel super rejuvenated. There’s nothing like the support Reno’s given me, and it’s really, really cool.

“A lot of those people who come to those shows [in Reno], they were at my open mics.

They knew me before I was on The Voice.

You can’t replace that history that we have together.”

Whitney Myer

► After The Voice ended, what were the next steps for your career?

I knew that I wanted to work with outside producers, and I wanted to hone in on songwriting skills in particular. I love, love performing live, but I wanted to get more co-writing sessions in. To hone in that craft, that’s what brought me to L.A. It’s the closest place from Reno where I can do that, but I can still come home, visit

► What do you think is the importance of having a hometown community supporting you?

It makes a huge difference. To be honest, I don’t know if I’d do music anymore if I couldn’t go home and have that feeling during those shows and having those people that really care about the music.

It’s great here in L.A., and I’m lucky—a lot of people move here and leave within the first year because it’s too hard, and I’m lucky that I’m doing well here, but it’s not the same as the hometown.

A lot of those people who come to those shows [in Reno], they were at my open mics. They knew me before I was on The Voice. You can’t replace that history that we have together. It honestly refuels me for the rest of the year. It’s very important to me. It makes me feel like what I’m doing is reaching people and making a difference, and that is awesome, and it’s kind of what music is about, connecting with people.

► What are you doing at Artown this year?

I’m going to be doing a workshop where I talk about how I put together a song with modern technology. When I first started, it was a little bit harder to make your own music and be your own producer. Now, it’s much easier to do, and you can do it for pretty cheap if you have a laptop. I want to show people what [making music] is like and how I go about starting an idea, coming up with lyrics and melody and give people some insight into what that process is like. I’m also going to be playing a bunch of new songs with my band, so I’m really excited. ► What advice would you give to young musicians in Reno who want to follow in your footsteps?

I would say something that’s hard to do but should really be thought about is: define what success looks like for you before you start going for stuff. For myself, for a long time, I wanted, like, Beyoncé level success.

There’s a lot of ways to be successful between Beyoncé and the person who’s playing at the restaurant while you’re eating.

And that could be successful, too, depending on what their goals are and what they want for themselves. I think it’s about not letting others define what it means to be a successful musician or artist. Ω

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TapwaTer Portland-based TapWater aims to bring “musical inspiration from around the world back home to your front porch,” mixing American folk with international rhythm. As part of a summer tour that takes them from Alaska through Northern California and home again, TapWater will play Rollin’ on the River on July 7.

1. How do you describe your music?

Honestly, our music is all over the map, literally. We mix a lot of roots Americana stuff with music from the African Diaspora, mainly Brazil, Cuba, Trinidad and Nigeria. Our producer, Steve Berlin, once said that we are the greatest schizophrenic band ever—in regards to our genre fluid approach.

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

We call our style “World Twang,” for better or for worse. Quite frankly, I find myself getting frustrated by genre distinctions at this point. Distributors will often give you a very limited selection to choose from when preparing to upload music to places like Spotify and iTunes. You almost have to consider yourself pop, rock or country if you are a band like TapWater. We have elements of all those genres, but we would never distinguish ourselves as such unless we are forced to.

Roll call

Meet the bands playing this year’s Rollin’ on the River concert series.

Every summer since 1995, we at the Reno News & Review celebrate good music with our Rollin’ on the River concert series. These free concerts take place every Friday in July at the Wingfield Park Amphitheater on the river. All of the concerts start at 5:30 p.m. You can check renorollingontheriver. com for more details.

Tapwater

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

We have been really lucky as a band and have gotten to collaborate with some of our heroes, like Spike Nealy from James Brown’s band, Lee Oscar from War, and, mainly, Steve Berlin from Los Lobos. Steve has produced many projects for us, including our new album Shoebox Photographs.

Can’t say enough about Steve. He’s a humble legend—absolutely brilliant and kind. … I’d love to one day write a song with Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes or Oliver Wood from the Wood Brothers. I feel a kindred connection with both despite having diverging styles. Oh, and Mason Jennings, too.

Reno Hivemind

reno

Hivemind Equal parts electronic music experience, visual arts display and dance performance, Reno Hivemind blends tribal beats with psychedelic synth for a sensory-stimulating live show.

They will play Rollin’ on the River on July 26.

1. How do you describe your music?

Psychedelic sacred bass.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

I very much associate Reno with one of my favorite people, Scott Pemberton, who I toured relentlessly with for about six years. Scott and I played many a show here with different iterations of the band and had ourselves some mighty fine times, some of which I probably shouldn’t discuss.

Genres are a fun way to explore meaning within the creative process.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

So far, my go-to summer jam is actually a playlist comprised of all the songs that The Band played at Woodstock.

TapWater was hired by an amazing festival in Pennsyltucky this summer called The Dam Show. The whole festival is commemorating the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, and all the bands playing will be covering different artists that performed at the original Woodstock. We are psyched to be a part of it and really pleased we get to be the band that gets to be The Band.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

A wise man once said that taste is the enemy of art. I definitely have my ideas as to what makes a good song, but they often seem to differ from what the general American populous seems to fall in love with. A great song need not hide behind fancy, modern production. At its core, I think a good song simply needs to move its listener, whether that means transporting them somewhere they’ve never been,

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate? right back to a nostalgic place from their past or maybe just inspire them in some way. I’m sure you could write a whole doctoral dissertation here, but those are the first things that come to mind.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

I only know of a handful of songs about Reno. As much as I love when songs discuss place, I can’t say I love any of these songs. All you folks reading this that are local to Reno probably wouldn’t mind schooling me, nor would I mind the schooling. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can write a half decent song about Reno. I do think Nevada as a whole is ripe and ready to be written about in all its lonesome, tumbleweed glory.

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

Despite my dad suggesting I not put it on the album, I disregarded his advice and released it with my high school band, the Raging Hippies, on our first full length record. The song is called “I Hate Being A Musician,” and it’s downright egregious.

Do yourself a favor and don’t look it up.

CharlestheFirst. He is a hometown hero for cinematic electronic [music].

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

Community. We feel so connected here everywhere we go, grateful to be a part of our growth and expression.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

Enigma Beats’ latest album.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

Sincerity, conviction and risk.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

“Ocean Avenue” by Yellowcard.

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

Wow, I used to write folk music, and I hope nobody ever finds those tracks.

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Jonny Rolling Band Jonny Rolling is a Reno native who received a guitar for his 10th birthday and in the following years became a self-taught, multi-instrumentalist interested in everything from folk-punk to hip-hop. He’ll be “Rolling” on the River on July 12.

MoJo gReen Mojo Green has electrified stages all over the West Coast with their towering funk sound, with their full horn section and down-and-dirty danceability.

Catch their brass in all its glory at Rollin’ on the River on July 19.

1. How do you describe your music?

I’d call it a collection of audible frequencies that sound like how I feel about stuff.

1. How do you describe your music?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinc distinctions to you in 2019?

Our music is high-energy, horn-driven soul funk.

If I had to put a genre name to it, I’d call it indie millennial pop. On a good day, there’s elements of rock, hip-hop, jazz, blues and funk to it. But honestly, it’s just pop music inspired by the maybe-not-so-lowkey dystopian world we live in that I make on my own and with friends. [Genres are] not very [important].

Someone once told me there’s no such thing as bad music. I suppose that’s true, and really you just wanna hear something that sounds like what you’re feeling or what you want or need to be feeling.

Jonny Rolling

It’s hard to lock us into one specific genre. We dabble in funk, blues, soul, rock and reggae.

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

I’d love to collaborate with Lettuce. In my opinion, they are one of the baddest funk groups on the scene today.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

For me, Reno brings Tahoe to mind. I moved down to Reno years ago from Tahoe. Artown is the next thing to come to mind.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

Any Jamiroquai song.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

A simple, catchy hook that someone can hear once and start humming back to themselves after.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

Our song, “Whatcha Got.”

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

That’s a tough one because the crappy songs tend to fade away and not get played.

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

Probably someone like Ryan Tedder. He’s the lead singer of One Republic, but he’s also one of the most decorated producers ever and has worked with and made hits for a bunch of people. I like the idea of being an artist/musician but also still being a producer and helping other people make music, so someone doing that on the highest level would be cool to collaborate with, I guess. It’d be more like me geeking out over him. So, throw J. Cole and John Mayer on the list too.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

I think of the life I’ve lived here. There are ups and downs to it, and that’s my opinion of this place. It’s like family, and you don’t ever really hate your family, but sometimes you do. They still facilitate your growth and make you who you are, so you make the best with what you got—but you still love them.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

“You Make My Dreams Come True” by Hall & Oates hasn’t failed me yet.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

I think a good song is anything that’s honest for the artist who made it and that benefits someone who listens to it. It can be a million people or one person, but at the end of day, music is communication.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

“Get Down!” by Jonny Rolling. *Finger guns at the camera.*

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

It was called “Move On.” It was, like, a musical theater song I wrote for my poppunk band that wasn’t nearly as clever as I thought it was and actively made me cringe when I listened to it a few months ago. And also now, thinking about it.

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RN&R Artown Guide

06.20.19

A speciAll supplement to Reno news & Review

Mojo Green

The SexToneS Hometown soul machines The Sextones have taken their smooth grooves overseas in the last year, starting last July when they spent a month playing a string of shows in Europe. The band members returned from their second month-long European tour in April and will play Rollin’ on the River on July 12.

1. How do you describe your music?

I’ve been trying to keep it simple lately, but still feel like I can express a unique sound.

“Analog Soul from the High Deserts of Reno, Nevada” is our current phrase. We love recording to analog tape, which is a sound unto itself that can dictate a certain vibe.

Also, an artist’s environment is partly responsible for influencing a genre. The terroir of Reno and the West Coast has definitely played a solid role in our music.

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

It’s easy to say soul and rock, but every member of the band brings their own special musical flavor to the table that you can hear in our music. If you dig deep, you can find a musical lineage in all of our playing. I think genre distinctions are a natural way to help listeners navigate through the endless sea of bands, but, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter all that much.

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

The Sextones

The Snakeboy JohnSon band “Snakeboy” Johnson got his start in the blues scene of the Bay Area during the ’70s and early ’80s before moving to San Diego where he and his band at the time went on to open for musical greats—including being part of the final appearance of Albert King. Snakeboy recently moved to Reno from Austin, Texas, and will play Rollin’ on the River on July 7.

1. How do you describe your music?

We are a Texas-style blues, rock and soul band, with our own taste of originality.

When I hear the word “Reno” a few things come to mind. Reno is our hometown, and we have a deep connection to our city. However, I see Reno as a city that is trying to re-find its identity. … The developers in Reno have no sense of taste and architecture, and it truly shows when you step back.

All of the old buildings stand in contrast to the new, boring ones.

Developers need to understand that “old is gold” and try to make our city beautiful rather than tearing down historic buildings like, say, I don’t know—the Mapes.

Summer jams go through phases. Music is very much a mood and nostalgic medium, and every summer is different. This summer it’s all about jazz and Afro-beat. Antibalas has been a pretty consistent summertime jam.

Genres—in my opinion [it’s] soul music. Ask Jimi Hendrix what that means, “genres.” I play all types of them. I just choose to play from my soul.

I have collaborated with many musicians from many countries.

It makes you a better person, musically, and enhances one’s perspective on life.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

Our tastes are so varied that we would ideally love to collaborate with anyone who has inspired us. I would love to work with Sly Stone, but only ’70s Sly Stone—that’s him in his prime. This list is actually pretty long, there are so many incredible musicians out there making beautiful music. Cory Henry, BadBadNotGood, Vulfpeck would, of course, be fun. So many others.

“Snakeboy” Johnson

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

I am very new to this area. So far, I see very diversified people here. Reno has many types of people and musicians here, and now it is my home.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

A couple of “go to summer jams” … we are currently in the studio for the next CD, so we’re focused on that at this time

6. What do you think makes a good song?

A life experience and a cool groove, because we all have one.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

I am new to Reno, so to be honest, I have not heard one yet. But my ears are open.

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

Probably all of them [laughs]. I don’t consider myself as a lyricist.

People write things at a certain time that may or may not make sense at that time, that doesn’t mean that it is a bad song when you go back and think about [it] later. Maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t. … My worst song that I wrote? Well, I’ll keep that to myself, unless someone tells me.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

A good song is something that can, first, truly connect emotionally to someone.

After you have created a piece that has emotional connectivity, you can look under the hood and see what is really happening inside the song. Usually, it’s the melody that carries the weight of the music followed by harmonic content and groove.

If you can nail all of this together in the right ratio, then I don’t care what the genre is, you have yourself a good song. … There are so many variations on what makes a good song, but to me these are the building blocks.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

This might be an unpopular opinion, but I truly dislike songs about Reno. If Reno happens to get referenced, then that’s another story.

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

I would say the music we start writing as musi musicians has a few more rough edges than the music we currently write. So, hopefully, over time, those rough edges appear less and less.

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

06.20.19

RN&R Artown Guide

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RN&R Artown Guide

06.20.19

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

WereWolf Club Starry-eyed ’80s synthpop is alive and well in Reno—but it only comes out at night. Just kidding, but lunar charts do predict that when hometown band Werewolf Club takes the Rollin’ on the River stage on July 19, it will be under a full moon. Coincidence?

You decide.

Werewolf Club

The NovelisTs True to their name, The Novelists value storytelling in their episodic lyrics and signature four-part vocal harmonies. The band has played venues and festival stages all over the country over the past two years and will play Rollin’ on the River on July 26.

1. How do you describe your music?

We are storytellers, and our music covers a wide dynamic range within the rock-folk-pop umbrella.

Sometimes the scene calls for a whisper-quiet soundtrack, while other times the right mood is full tilt rock and roll. Regardless of the intensity of the song, our music always features dual lead-singing and four-part harmonies.

1. How do you describe your music?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

We play dance-y, upbeat tunes and hide behind too much reverb, [with] loads of synths, catchy guitar lines and vocal harmonies. Hopefully, music that you’d want to listen to while driving with the top down flying off a cliff into the sunset.

We aren’t concerned with genre distinctions at all. We certainly hope that the music we write and perform moves the listener, but we write it as a means of our reflection—reflection on our own lives as well as observations of the world around us.

People can and will respond to the music in a variety of ways. Some will hopefully find value in what we do, but it won’t be for everyone, and that’s OK.

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

2. Does it fall under any specific genres? How important are genre distinctions to you in 2019?

There are so many. Each member of the group would have their own answer, of course, but mine would be Chris Thile, Bruce Springsteen, Glen Phillips, Ben Folds, Ani DiFranco, Anaïs Mitchell, Steven Page, Ed Robertson and Joanna Newsom.

Unintentionally, we have a lot of ’80s influence, although it makes sense since we’re fans of bands like Tears for Fears, New Order, Gary Numan, etc. Along with more modern synthpop influences like Future Islands, STRFKR and Tame Impala.

3. Musician(s) with whom you’d most like to collaborate?

It would be amazing to work with Chris Coady, a producer from New York who has put out some of our favorite albums. Locally, we’d really like to collaborate with Pete Barnato, Spitting Image and/or Skew Ring.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

The people here come to mind first. Everyone knows each other, you can always count on not being too lonely if you take a trip to your local watering hole. There’s a ton of support in the community, which is always comforting.

A burgeoning arts and culture scene, beautiful summer evenings at the river, a thriving university and generally friendly people.

This city has given so much to our band, and wherever we go we’re always proud to call it home.

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

5. What’s your go-to summer jam?

Solange’s “Losing You” couldn’t be a better summer song.

Still can’t get sick of it and always makes you feel real nice.

I always rock Pearl Jam’s “Ten” when summer hits. It was summer time when I discovered the record and it always feels like the perfect thing to listen to when the weather gets hot.

4. What comes to mind when you hear the word “Reno”?

6. What do you think makes a good song?

Writing good songs for us means relying heavily on cohesion within the band. We are fortunate to be able to collaborate with each other in a way where we essentially finish each other’s’ musical sentences. We’ve been focusing a lot lately on writing hooky vocal melodies and connecting the parts in between with creamy synth lines.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

I don’t know many songs about Reno specifically, but there’s a lot that remind me of it.

“Faded in the Morning” by Unknown Mortal Orchestra comes to mind.

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

I think we’d all agree that our first EP is probably our least favorite of the music we’ve written together, hence why it’s not available to listen to anywhere anymore. The songs were definitely an important stepping stone in our development as musicians, but I don’t think any of us can get through a whole song on that CD without cringing.

6. What do you think makes a good song?

The Novelists

Honesty. Music is therapy for me, and I don’t seem to benefit when the song is disingenuous. I have found that I can become immersed in music from any genre, as long as it is written and performed sincerely.

7. What’s the best song about Reno?

I’ll have to go with “Hang On St. Christopher” by Tom Waits. There are some specific references to Reno itself and the surrounding areas, and Tom just captures a grit and a vibe that screams “Reno.”

8. What’s the worst song you ever wrote?

It would hard to pin point the very worst song I’ve ever written as pretty much all of my first batch of songs were pretty terrible. Like anything else, you get much better with practice.

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

06.20.19

RN&R Artown Guide

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RN&R Artown Guide

06.20.19

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

06.20.19

RN&R Artown Guide

19

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RN&R Artown Guide

06.20.19

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

Art on the

down low Discrete displays to catch during Artown

by Kris Vagner

Artown always brings some national, household names to town—this year they include Pink Martini and the Squirrel Nut Zippers—but the July-long roster of arts events is also a good time to get to know some locals. The lineup includes visual arts events in venues large and small, official and impromptu, and the list is so long it can be full-on intimidating to wade through.

Some of the most satisfying visual arts events are the intimate gatherings in unusual or lesser-known venues, far from the showcase venues like Wingfield Park. You’ll need to study the event calendar to find them all, but here are a few to note if you’re looking to get to know some of the people who keep this town’s creative gears turning.

Jen Charbonneau’s Alley Art evnts encourage bystanders to pick up a brush and get creative.

Alley Art, the greAt indoors edition When Jen Charbonneau talks about the artists from history she admires, she talks more about their ways of life than their brush strokes or subject matter. It’s not necessarily Monet’s pastel water lilies that rock her world. It’s more the way he explored his own backyard for all it was worth.

“I loved how stubborn he was,” she said, citing how the French impressionist would paint the same scene over and over again.

Charbonneau earned an art degree in Minneapolis in 2008, then for several years she traveled the U.S. and the world, drawing and painting outdoors in places where the public could watch. She connected with other artists to host events, always looking for ways to offer non-artists some hands-on experience.

“I’d get a few musicians—I’d turn it into this tiny festival,” she said. “We were able to do small art shows or small busking in all these different communities.” She organized these events in Denver, Australia and anywhere she went.

Eventually, Charbonneau landed in Reno, where she’s adopted Monet’s approach of repeatedly painting his own surroundings— cityscapes, landscapes and the people around her, wherever she is with her sketchbook, casino bars included. Her gatherings, now called “Alley Art” events, are still her calling card. She often invites the public to paint on canvasses or plywood in an alley or other outdoor spot.

“Everybody gets to do a brushstroke,” Charbonneau said. “I add some details, and it will be a finished piece. Everybody gets to collaborate. You do your part to make this whole, and it showcases the community and gives everyone a creative outlet.”

On her website, Charbonneau calls herself a “live event painter.” In addition to hosting her own gatherings, she appears at events like Sculpturefest, sometimes painting as an audience watches. She often finds different ways to include others in her projects by getting a brush in their hands, whether they’re casual onlookers or business owners who’ve hired her to facilitate a group painting as a teambuilding activity.

This year during Artown, Charbonneau will bring Alley Art indoors, with a participatory painting session at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. Over the course of a few hours on July 1, she’ll create a piece that will hang in the airport for the rest of the month.

And yes, if you’re picking up an out-of-town visitor, passing by en route to your gate, or just dropping by to check out the event, she’ll have a paintbrush ready for you so you can add your mark.

► Alley Art Community Painting: Connections July 1, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport 2001 E. Plumb Lane

Jen Charbonneau will bring her Alley Art event to the Reno-Tahoe International Airport for Artown this year.

Photo/Kris Vagner

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

06.20.19

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RN&R Artown Guide

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A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

Bob Conrad and Ty O’Neil’s new book The BLC: Contrasts and Transformations, includes images like these, which are displayed adjacent to one another to illustrate the contradictions and variety of life in Reno.

Wall s to Watch In Reno, there’s a disconnect between the number of galleries for well-established artists and the number of artists making exhibition-quality work. The latter outpaces the former by miles. But there are a handful of other venues—like coffeehouses, libraries and the like—that do their part to fill in the gaps, including some with particularly strong taste and good community connections.

One off-the-beaten-path exhibition venue to keep an eye on is BVW Jewelers in the South Creek Retail Center. So far this year, the shop has hosted good-looking, nicely lit shows by artists who’d be major players in mid-level galleries—if we had any—like Bryce Chisholm and Emily Reid. During Artown, BVW will feature Susan Handau, a painter whose impressionistic, thickly textured landscape paintings and abstracts are sumptuous and satisfying. ► Susan Handau at BVW Jewelers 35 Foothill Road Reception July 11, 4-7pm Susan Handau will take advantage of nontraditional gallery space for her Artown exhibition.

Reno in pictuRes In his 10 years as editor for online news outlet This is Reno, Bob Conrad (also an RN&R contributor) has seen a lot of sides of local culture.

“One day we’ll be covering a major, angry protest, and the next day we’ll be covering some mural painting,” he said. “It’s a lot of dichotomous stuff going on in the city.”

Conrad and photojournalist Ty O’Neil have recently sorted through the decade’s worth of images that the news site has published and are putting the finishing touches on a book of photographs, The BLC: Contrasts and Transformation.

The authors deliberately put images next to each other that show radically different sides of Reno, for example a SWAT team in full body armor, and, on the facing page, a child enjoying the annual Nevada Humane Society Duck Race on the Truckee River.

Photographs from Conrad and O’Neil’s book will also appear in an exhibition at the Wilbur D. May Museum, and the two will host an evening discussion about local journalism, including the role of photography. ► The BLC: Contrasts and Transformation Exhibition, July 3-14 Reception & discussion, July 5, 6-8 p.m.

Wilbur D. May Museum 1595 N. Sierra St.

aRt and activism, poWeRful paRtneRs When Sen. Dean Heller proposed removing congressional protection from Nevada wilderness study areas in 2016, Fawn Douglas was there to speak up.

When the Senate Natural Resources Committee met in March to discuss a resolution urging Congress to oppose reallocating Desert National Wildlife Refuge land to the Air Force, Fawn Douglas was there to speak up. And when it’s time to address issues of Native American representation with the perfect type of deadpan humor for the zeitgeist, Fawn Douglas’s line of “IndigenousAF” T-shirts are there to speak up. (Check them out at www.fawnart.org.)

Douglas is an artist, pow wow dancer, teacher, activist, a member of the Las Vegas Paiute tribe—and if we listed the rest of her credentials it might take up the entire paper. For Artown, she’ll be teaming up with Friends of Nevada Wilderness for a talk about how art and social justice can work hand in hand. ► Artivism With Fawn Douglas

Fawn Douglas’ artwork draws from her native ancestry.

A speciAl supplement to Reno news & Review

06.20.19

July 20, 6-7 p.m.

Friends of Nevada Wilderness 1360 Greg St., Sparks

RN&R Artown Guide

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