Local legend Bruce Piephoff pulled together an all-star ensemble for his DMP performance last February (sweet Jesus, it’s been that long?). With Renee Mendoza (Filthybird) on vocals, Scott Walker, Landon Walker & Jennie Walker Brunner on bass, cello and violin (Walker Family Band) and David “Driveway” Moore on harmonica (ETI & The Goodbye House), Bruce led the audience through a memorable set of narratives steeped in southern tales — stories of inequality and of politics and with bits of love splashed here and there.
Please enjoy this beautifully shot slice of that down home pie.
And remember, Bruce’s live album is currently available on Amie Street for only $1.82.
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Director: Harvey K. Robinson
Editor: Zach Hadgraft
Camera: Mark Wagoner, Alex Maness, Blake Faucette
Gaffer: Jonathan Faw
Grips: Matty Sheets, Barry Staples
Sound: Danny Bayer, Don Ravon and Cesar Oviedo
Sometimes, when the band you’ve booked begins to play you instantly know the evening is going to be special. Other times, it happens when you get yelled at by everyone involved.
The Filthybird show, by all accounts, was special.
I had to run back to HQ as the sound check got underway and made it back to the show just prior to Renee starting up. As I heard her last warmup on the keys and vocals, I jumped out of my seat in the packed house and yelled over to Don to turn down the reverb.
NO!!! came from every direction on stage.
Trust your crew was the lesson I learned that night.
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Editor: Blake Faucette
Camera: Andy Coon, Blake Faucette, Sean Coon
Sound: Don Ravon
The live album is available at Amie Street, with all proceeds going to the Filthybird crew.
IMHO, the coolest aspect of what we do here is our documentation of the music scene, specifically in Greensboro, where I call home. And not just individual shows, but the gestalt of the entire scene as it unfolds over different periods of time.
While some bands find a modicum of success and play for years to come, touring regionally at times, many more bands form, play out locally for a while and disappear into the ether without the notice of more than a handful of friends and family and only the most hardcore music lovers in town.
Albina Savoy falls into such a category.
And while that’s a shame on many levels — their sound was so unique, beautiful in ways that’s hard to describe — at least we have a few reminders of their sound to enjoy.
If you like what you hear in the video, be sure to check out the band’s live album on Last.fm and AmieStreet (all proceeds on AmieStreet go to Albina Savoy).
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Editor: Blake Faucette
Camera: Andy Coon
Camera: Blake Faucette
Camera: Sean Coon
Sound: Danny Bayer
To say it was a magical evening late last February when Jim Avett took to the stage for our little project, storytelling his way through a number of classic tunes, both covers and originals, would be an understatement at best. Even Jim’s kids, the skyrocketing Avett Brothers, sat in for a few tunes. Chills went through everyone as the script was flipped and the boys backed up their dad in the spotlight.
Eventually, the time came to bring Greensboro’s own musical legend, Scott Manring, to the stage. Harvey did an amazing job in the video of capturing the back story of how Signs was birthed between these two gentlemen. I particularly enjoyed watching their faces as they felt time slipping back to the days of its original recording some 30 years ago.
As far as the exhibit goes, we have 29 large format photographs on display, shot by 9 local photographers across 8 monthly shows, which will stay on the walls until September 27th.
Friday night, the entire month… it’s our way of both celebrating and promoting the talent found within our own community.
We do hope you can come out and enjoy it with us.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t introduce our featured photographers, so here they are:
Kevin Belton flickr account Email | Voice: 336.816.8571
Kevin is a professional product photographer for the High Point furniture industry, second camera for John Leonard Photography for weddings and special events. He has been shooting themed based ideas in the last year or so featuring addiction, fashion, and music. Art is his passion and the camera is his medium.
Stephen Charles CharlesMedia Photography Email | Voice: 336.682.9517
Stephen Charles began taking photographs in 1983 with a 35mm Canon Sure Shot. With the advent of Digital SLRs he has pursued photography as a growing passion, with a desire for letting candid captured moments tell the story.
Jessi Hagood Jessi Hagood Photography Email
Jessi Hagood is a native of Eden, NC and works primarily in the Greensboro area as a Wedding and Portrait Photographer. Recently her work has involved photographing Bodybuilding and Figure Competitions, soon to be featured in Muscle and Fitness Magazine and in an upcoming episode of MTV Made.
Doug Klesch Doug Klesch Photography Email | Voice: 336.542.3071
Doug is a refugee from the cubicle farms of corporate America. Failing to have sapped all creative energy from him over more than a decade, his overlords released him back to the world. He gratefully returns wielding a camera.
Elizabeth Lemon Elizabeth Lemon Photography Email | Voice: 719.244.3518
A recent graduate from the photography program at Randolph Community College, Elizabeth is adjusting to life outside a classroom. She is pursuing fine art and documentary photography with rediscovered inspiration and a tool box of new knowledge.
Alex Maness Alex Maness Photography Email | Voice: 336.707.6121
Alex Maness, local boy done good, likes to travel and explore, but keeps Greensboro, NC as his center of gravity. He runs a photography business shooting for magazines and advertisers, as well as his own documentary projects.
Mark Smith flickr account Email | Voice: 336.414.4721
Mark’s first inkling that photography could be fun was when his parents brought out the dreaded slides of their jaunts overseas. Once Mark could afford it, he bought a Pentax ME Super and “that was that.” These days, Mark happily takes sports and beach pictures as well as the live music events at DMP.
COMMUNITY PHOTOGRAPHERS
(Talented, local photogs who came out to shows and documented the evening)
Carolyn de Berry Carolyn de Berry Photography | Email Monkeywhale Productions | Email
A Connecticut native and graduate of Guilford College and the Commercial Photography Program at Randolph Community College, Carolyn is a freelance photographer and assistant living in Greensboro, NC. She is also the production photographer and studio manager for Monkeywhale Productions.
Allen Martin MartiniVision Email | Voice: 917.687.1912
Greensboro native Allen Martin is a photographer and designer who has recently relocated back to his home town after 18 years in NYC. A camera owner since adolescence, for the last several years Allen has focused on fashion, fine art and entertainment photography.
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Katie Southard, Owner of The Green Bean
Elizabeth Lemon, for matting, framing and curating the show
Laurelyn Dossett, Mr. Rozzi and Eating The Invaders, for generously donating their talent at the exhibit opening
Don Ravon for running sound at the exhibit opening
Don Ravon & Dan Bayer for mixing the music video tracks
Ioannis Batsios, Blake Faucette, Michael McQueen and Bret Jones for scrambling to produce their music videos on time
Andy Coon for helping prep the music video DVD
Allen Martin for the beautiful show poster
All of our talented photographers, many of whom aren’t represented in this show. You can see their all of their work at our flickr spot
As far back as most people can remember, Greensboro has been a cover band town, so for the past 16 months, we at DMP have been trying to expose great original acts from our town and the surrounding area.
But when you have a showman like Matt Hill fronting a band with the likes of Max Drake on guitar/mandolin, Chuck Cotton on the drums and FJ Ventre on upright bass, playing a style of music — Rhythm and Blues — that is dying a bit more each year as the legends fade away, well, sometimes you have to make an exception to the rule.
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Editor: Blake Faucette
Camera: Blake Faucette
Camera: Micah Moore
Camera: David Bradley
Sound: Danny Bayer
Sound: Don Ravon
Once we clear the covers, look for the album to drop on Last.fm and Amie Street.
Over the past year, we’ve crossed paths on Facebook and at local film screenings, so I was excited when he showed interest in contributing to our project, but I still didn’t know much about his story.
That changes today.
DMP: So, Michael, what got you started with shooting? Was it a life long passion or a particular director that got you hooked? MM: I got into doing video through riding BMX bikes. Basically, I started filming my friends riding and doing tricks. Eventually, I started filming professional riders and got gigs working in the BMX industry as a videographer.
DMP: Is BMX now your primary focus? MM: I’ve done work for a lot of the independent BMX companies, but also larger companies like Red Bull, Target, Levis and Fuel TV. All of that led me to doing commercial video production, which led to my current job as video producer for the News & Record. I still do a little bit of freelance work in the BMX industry, mostly with Eastern Bikes doing web videos. I’m currently in production of a full length video of their team, due out in September.
DMP: Sounds like a handful. How do you manage it all by yourself? MM: I don’t. For my freelance commercial production, I work with Matthew B. Moore. Together, we own and operate King Coyote Productions.
DMP: You’re participating in the 48 Hour Film Festival this weekend, as you have in the past with your work on Good Morning Mr. Brown. What gets you juiced about the festival? Is it the time based production challenge? The intense competition within the local film community? MM: The 48hrff is always a fun time. In the past I’ve always worked with the Good As A Mugg team. The director, Matt Moore, and I have been friends and business partners for a long time. We work well together and have an awesome crew. But this year the stars didn’t align and the team couldn’t play as a whole. So you’ll see us scattered amongst different teams, kicking ass as usual! I’ll be on Ike Quigley’s team: 10lb Hammer. It is crazy that Greensboro has such a large independent film community. To have ~30 teams enter a contest and compete on that level is amazing. And each year the films just get better and better.
DMP: Do you have the itch to direct a feature film? It seems like that’s the dream of every filmmaker we’ve come across on the project. MM: My involvement in film has always been just one of the players. So movie wise, no, not directing. That’s not my thing. If i’m doing anything on a film it’s going to be sound. That’s my passion as far as film making goes. Now maybe a documentary… I just haven’t found a good one to go long form on. Maybe one day.
DMP: With everything going on in your life right now — the full-time gig, your marriage, your freelance work, the 48 FF, I’m sure I’m missing something else — what drew you to collaborate on a DMP shoot? Are you that much of a music fan? MM: While filming BMX, I was going to a lot of hardcore shows in the Winston area. So naturally, I’d take my camera with me and film bands. That led to me working with Blake Faucette on his Series DVD video magazine. I have a strong passion for music and I suck at playing an instrument, so I use my camera as my way to connect. I’m always looking for a way to stay close to the music scene and DMP is an amazing way to keep doing that.
DMP: Thanks for your time, Michael. Catch you next week at the show. MM: You got it.
Another local talent ready to document local talent.
I really dig how Don has classified The Leeves — Punk jazz. Fits, doesn’t it?
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Editor: Blake Faucette
Camera: Blake Faucette
Camera: Micah Moore
Camera: Ashley Panzera
Sound: Danny Bayer
Sound: Don Ravon
Producer: Matt “Beard” Williams
If you’d like to hear more from The Leeves’ set that night, the live album is currently available for the low, low price of $1.53. If you’re new to the Amie Street process, be sure to use our promo entrance page to sign up for an account and receive free money to buy albums and support our local artists by putting coin directly in their pockets.
Power chords. Smoking & playing. Moshing. Yeah, we had a punk rock show. QAR killed it that night.
MUSIC VIDEO CREDITS
Editor: Ashley Panzera
Camera: Andy Coon
Camera: Blake Faucette
Camera: Micah Moore
Camera: Ashley Panzera
Sound: Danny Bayer
Sound: Don Ravon
Video Producer: Matt “Beard” Williams
If that got you worked up, you might want to check out the live album, currently available over at Amie Street.