RH Puts On Underground ‘Fest’

Miami-based electronica artist Dino Felipe won’t be able to make it to Record Hospital Fest 2006 this weekend, but he swears he would if he had a car, a driver’s license, or money.

“I’m a little bit disappointed,” says Evan L. Hanlon ’08, a music director and DJ for WHRB’s underground rock department, Record Hospital (RH), and a major organizing force behind RH’s upcoming two-night concert.

“If it happened it would have been almost too good to be true,” continues Hanlon. But the independent festival didn’t have the funds to fly Dino up.

Nonetheless, the event’s roster still boasts 14 transportation-savvy groups, each of which has agreed to perform on the cheap.

RH Fest will feature several prominent niche bands, including hardcore group Ampere, acclaimed Montreal electronica artist Tim Hecker, and much-buzzed DJ C, the local inventor of the hip-hop subgenre “Boston Bounce.” The event promises to be an important one—not just for Harvard, but for the New England underground music scene as well.

“There aren’t enough punk or hardcore shows in Boston,” says John Bogan, whose band Daniel Striped Tiger will perform Friday night. “Whenever there is one, it’s a cool, kind of rare event.”



A LOUD TRADITION

They didn’t used to be so infrequent—at least, not for Harvard students. There have been two prior Record Hospital Fests, although it’s been three years since the event’s last iteration.

The 2002 and 2003 concerts were organized by Zachary I. Baron ’04-’05, then director of RH. Baron initially arranged the event in hopes that it would rejuvenate Record Hospital’s involvement in Boston music.

“It seemed kind of an interesting way to bring back Record Hospital as a community thing that people knew about,” says Baron, who is currently a contributor to the music website, Pitchforkmedia.com.

Thomas M. Bechtold ’05, who spent four years as a RH DJ and will serve as bouncer this year, remembers the first two events fondly. He recalls that they were fun and—more importantly—loud.

“If you’re coming to the show,” he writes in an e-mail, “bring earplugs.”

The three-year hiatus is due in large part to the difficulties inherent in finding a location to stage such a festival and in convincing bands to play for reduced fees. Luckily, organizers say that the bands have agreed to play for a cut of the profit made at the door and have received the green light from the Harvard Social Forum to host the event at 45 Mt. Auburn.

Shirley L. Hufstedler ’07, an RH DJ, was instrumental in securing the venue. “It has a nice vibe and a nice atmosphere,” she says. “It’ll be a really welcoming environment.”



UNITY WITHIN DIVERSITY

This despite the fact that not all Harvard students may be welcoming to the bands themselves. Unlike this Sunday’s Yardfest, the festival boasts a number of adventurous experimental groups, few of which can be described as safe choices.

In the past, the event has been somewhat notorious for its wild acts. In 2003, a performance by one-man noise-rock group Kites took a turn for the bizarre when the artist took a razor to his own chest.

Bechtold describes 2003’s event as “one of those things where people watch in fascination for a little, and then fascination turns to discomfort to disgust and then a bunch of people leave. It was awe-inspiring.”

Nonetheless, RH director Will B. Payne ’07, who is also a former Crimson arts executive, promises the event will be accessible for “the average music enthusiast” despite the admittedly esoteric lineup.

“These are established musicians in small genres—that I think a lot of Harvard kids that have inclinations in these directions will really enjoy,” he says.

Some of the bands have strong ties with Harvard. A few, including Eloe Omoe and Lucky Dragons, feature former Record Hospital DJs, Another band, Daniel Striped Tiger, has performed previously in the RH studio and is the subject of Hanlon’s film project for his VES class.

“I think what initially drew me to them is their style of jazzy, post-hardcore stuff,” Hanlon says. “It’s something that’s really at the heart of Record Hospital stuff and my own musical taste.”

Bogan of Daniel Striped Tiger is looking forward to the concert.

“The lineup reflects all the bands that are in the same vein right now in New England,” he says. “I’m excited to see what faces are going to be there that I don’t know.”

Many RH staffers have already a picked a favorite night. The Friday show will be dedicated to punk and hardcore bands, while Saturday will focus on electronica.

RH DJ Greg R. Scruggs ’08, who helped land DJ C, says that “Saturday’s going to be my preferred night.”

Payne, who expects the event to be a success, feels that the next Record Hospital Fest might take place as soon as next semester.

Provided the artists can drive themselves there.