grunge folk

New Record, Live Shows and MORE!!!

June 17, 2022 — Leave a comment

Plague Dad, live at the Sun Tiki Studios in Portland, Maine, on Feb. 5, 2022. Photo by WillowPix.

Yeah, it’s been a while since the last post, but there’s been a lot going on.

The important thing is, there’s a lot coming up — not the least of which is a new record: a 10″, called Live At the Sun Tiki, or as we like to call it: L@ST.

It’s exactly what it sounds like: a live set, recorded live and in person at the Sun Tiki Studios in Portland, Maine, on February 5, 2022.

It’s limited to 25 lathe-cut copies, each with a different cover, and the art — from Seattle’s Bonz Fuchno — is hella cool. We’re gonna be rolling out Bonz’s covers on our Insta feed in the coming weeks, but the music itself isn’t going to be on any streaming service, or available anywhere else, for that matter – ’cause, you know, we want to be as commercially inaccessible as possible. The records will include a download code and they’ll be available for pre-order soon on our Bandcamp page, but when they’re gone, they’re gone.

We’ll be doing a record release party at the Brass Rail in Portland on Saturday, August 27, with our friends, Pine Tree Riot, and The House Flies, who headlined that infamous show at the Sun Tiki that ended up on the record. It’s gonna be a night to remember … and we’ll hold five copies of the record for the show, so if you miss out on the Bandcamp page, you can score one there.

Can’t wait for the Brass Rail show? No worries.

The folks at Mushroom Stomp Records were kind enough to have us stop by and record a set for them a couple of months ago, and it’s now officially up and running on their YouTube channel. If you’ve got a few minutes, stop by and check it out, ’cause it’s right there, below. We’re wicked proud of it, and Luke did a helluva job capturing the Plague Dad sound.

Not satisfied with mere video? Fine, come catch us live.

We’re playing in Bangor at G-Force on Friday, June 24, with River of Trees (a Mushroom Stomp band) and Peach Hat, who we were lucky enough to see at the Sun Tiki a couple of months ago. It’s gonna be a helluva show. Tickets at the door.

There’s a lot more coming up, too — including a couple of high-profile shows in Portland later this summer, a live set on USM’s WMPG in July, and maybe even a livestream or two, but more about all that later.

Stay tuned, and thanks for listening.

The secret of old dogs busking, and learning new tricks. 

November 18, 2021 — Leave a comment

Plague Dad is strangely organic. When I say that, I mean that I, and Frank, have been involved in many musical projects, both together and apart over the past. What makes this current iteration of our long-time music collaboration different is our dedication to playing on the street.

IE: Busking. 

Plague Dad busking in the Old Port, Portland, Maine, circa September 2021.

I personally have had the utmost respect for buskers over the years. And have been influenced by many unnamed street performers in San Francisco, Boston, Kansas City, et al. But I have never really committed to that potential for percussion performance. 

I come from a drum set background, and the idea of trying to make that mobile has always been a challenge. Much less the idea of a quick set up on the street where the stage is the side walk and not level, where we have to find the right place to set up, where my traditional drum kit is a no go. 

So I had to adapt. I have these bongos. For many years. For nearly as long as I’ve known Frank. 

I used them for my own mobile entertainment over the years. But they became the perfect mobile centerpiece. I took up wooden spoons as an instrument as well. And then Frank had this kick box bass drum. It’s heavy, but compact. And not as heavy as either of my 22” kick drums. 

I wanted to meet the spirit of what we are were trying to do. So I pared down my “kit” to those old-ass but great sounding bongos, the kick box, foot jingles and shakers. And the spoons. I’ve recently added washboard to my repertoire, too, to keep things even more mobile. 

So with that mindset, Plague Dad went all in on street performance. 

We started out in the Wharf Alley in Old Port. And started to perform on the street in a few other locations.

The feedback is so immediate: are we just entertaining enough for you to drop a dollar in the case? Or maybe even buy a 7″? 

I mean, how immediate is that reward? Amazing. Makes you learn and earn. Hones your skills for the idea of chaos, direct marketing in all of its best and worst forms. 

Like nothing I’ve ever experienced up to that point in musical performance. Sharpens your musical skills, your interactive skills, your commitment to play on, even when it sucks a little bit, (or a lot) and there is no money to be had at the moment … but maybe. A little later, maybe, we work the crowd better. Maybe. Perform better. Song select better. Maybe. Read the room.

It all adds up to the best way to rehearse for pay, and create a fully realized sound that evolved on the street one dollar at time. 

Support your local busker. Even if you might not truly dig that person’s particular sound — we were terrible once, too. Hell, a lot of folks might say we still are … 

—-mig

Next up: How did Cops On Acid become the song it is now. 

The new Plague Dad EP is featured in a WMPG-FM podcast, and stay tuned for upcoming shows …

November 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

Our new six-song EP dropped nearly two weeks ago now, and momentum around it continues to build — more importantly, people are still buying it over on our Bandcamp page, and for that we’re enormously grateful.

The new EP, titled, “Back In The Tree,” is a cassette-only release, in an opaque white shell with a clear Norelco case. It includes a lyric sheet, liner notes, stickers, and other cool insert stuff, as well as a digital download, too. It’s strictly limited to 100 copies, and there are still a few copies left to be had, but when they’re gone, they’re gone. There won’t be a second run.

Anyhoo, it’s been added to some Spotify playlists, and a few radio stations have started to play some of the tracks, too, but one of the things we’re most proud of is that Lorenzo, who hosts the Podcast Open Mic, gave it some serious play in the latest episode of his show.

Lorenzo was kind enough to devote an entire episode to Plague Dad last month, so to get some more positive attention from his show so soon is kind of a big deal, and we’re truly thankful for it.

You can listen to the episode, which also features a segment on Biddeford singer/songwriter/busker Jim Baumer, using the embed below.

Thank you – and some great news …

November 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

Hey, big, big thank you to all who ordered our new EP on the day it was released and beyond! We truly appreciate your support, because without it, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do – and while some folks might think that’d be a good thing, we’re thankful that there are enough of you out there who don’t.

If you ordered the cassette, the packages are going out today, so you should have it in your hands soon.

And if you follow us on Instagram, you might remember that Plague Dad was included in a compilation CD of tunes by Pat the Bunny covered by various folkpunk put together by a small label down in North Carolina, Eden Wolf Records. It’s limited to 100 copies and 100 percent of the proceeds go to support an organization called Books Through Bars, which get books to prisoners in a handful of mid-Atlantic states. It came out about a month ago.

We did a version of a classic protest tune, Urine Speaks Louder Than Words, and it’s available at the Eden Wolf site, and on iTunes, and probably a couple of other digital distro services, too. It’s also on Spotify.

Anyway, we just got word from the label that the CD is selling well, with a handful of copies left – and that digitally, our track is the top seller! Which means that more prisoners are getting more books. And that’s something we’re pretty goddam proud of.

Since the EP’s dropped, we’ve been fortunate enough to have gotten the single, They Ran Us Off, add to a couple of radio stations and Spotify playlists – and then there’s this one, too: Editorial Criolla – as the top recommendation for the week.

Thanks again to those who picked up the new EP – it’s still available via Bandcamp, and if you’re in Portland, you can also get a copy over at Strange Maine at 578 Congress St.