AltCountry: Lucid Fate, Live in Concert, 2nd and 3rd Rounds of Emergenza, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April & June 2006

The late Lester Bangs talked about losing objectivity as he was researching an article about the Clash by traveling around in their tour van across the English countryside. At the third round of Emergenza in Milwaukee on Saturday, June 3, during Lucid Fate’s set, as I ran from P.A. to P.A. checking the sound levels, as I ran to side of the stage to see if I could help journeyman guitarist Justin Einserson after he broke a string during the first song, as I tried to felt myself urging the band to succeed in throwing off the challenges and connect with the whole room, I realized I had completely lost objectivity.

If you’ve read my Lucid Fate reviews and stories in the past (see below for links), you know that Josh and Miah Werner are my good friends, along with Elijah LeClair, Chuck Bussian, and Einerson. I have become personally invested in Lucid Fate, seeing talent, future, promise, music, style, substance, and the hope of a band making it.

However, while I think I’m still able to give them constructive criticism, I lost all objectivity during that third round set. It’s evidenced by my incredibly short notes that I took during the set. Usually my little notepad is filled with comments that later become a review, but I actually wrote very little down and even put away the notepad halfway through the set.

I wrote: “JD broke string, muddy, boom chicka boom chicka nice, cell phone interference.”

The first three rounds of Emergenza, an international battle of the unsigned bands, is decided by crowd vote (a simple show of hands), and as soon as Lucid Fate’s set was over, I knew that they wouldn’t make it past the third round. Once the Sun and Tyrant came with large followings, and Anoecic squeaked by. More than seeing Lucid Fate losing in the context of the band’s failures, I felt devastated along with them. I had really truly hoped they would make it to the regional semi-finals where the judging would be by judges instead of popularity vote. I know that if label execs, A&R people, producers, and others heard Lucid Fate, they would see what I see: a unique blend of Jazz-influenced Rock and AltCountry that rocks with heart on sleeve.

Going back to my notes from their winning set in April’s second round, there I can find some more thoughts on what’s happening in Lucid Fate’s music. That evening’s set wasn’t as tight as it could be, and Einerson, who starting helping out the band for the second round, suffered from banging on his electric guitar like his typical acoustic. However, the lack of balance in volume was something that occurred every round for Lucid Fate. While it could easily become an excuse, it will have to be something they’ll need to learn how to overcome. Yet, it’s clear that the sound engineers are not accustomed to the fine tuning that a band like Lucid Fate needs as opposed the overwhelming majority of heavy metal/hard rock bands in Emergenza.

The highlights, though, from the second round included a newer song, “Shy,” which lets the AltCountry thing break open in a rock chorus, giving hints of Paul Westerberg. “Denial” let LeClair put a Jam Band groove underneath the tune, having some of the funk of Adam King (Jason Mraz). “Night to Day” is a song that’s gone through some variations, and it’s now got a heavier backbeat. While Miah hits a falsetto, Josh brings out that chiming, controlled scream from his electric guitar.

The band introduced a song written by Einerson, “Through a Photographed Window” (called “Real Air” in the third round), which left Miah without his guitar, who threatened to go into a shell. There’s a playful way Miah hits LeClair’s cymbal to kick off the stanzas, and for the third round, Miah played to the crowd a little more. The song has a multilayered image while allowing that multilayered effect to come through sonically. However, as a set closer for the third round, it just fades, leaving the crowd in some doubt as to whether the set was done, whether this was the time to whoop and scream and encourage others to vote for Lucid Fate. The second round set closer, “Non-fiction,” has a stop guitar bridge that’s powerful and energizing, leading into a wandering solo coda, but ultimately, a stronger finish to the show.

Furthering the confession of lost objectivity, I should tell you that I crashed for the night after the third round show on the couch at the home of Miah, LeClair, and Einerson. As they stayed up into the early morning discussing the show and whatever else, I had to get some sleep. However, as I walked downstairs, I stopped in their darkened practice room, just a little light coming from the streetlights outside. I have no doubt that this practice room will release incredible music and the world will soon take notice. To me, this seems like a extremely clear future promise. It’s a lucid fate.

Thanks to Lucid Fate, Emergenza, and Music Spectrum sponsor, the Rave.