Musiikki & Media: American Kitsch

Music and media professionals from Finland and abroad have once again made the annual pilgrimage to the hippest, most happening music city (err...) in this neck of the woods, otherwise known as Tampere. An extended weekend of seminars, talks, networking, gigs and generally approved intoxication in the form of Musiikki & Media 2010 kicked off last night.

As M&M first-timers, we rock up to Tampere in good time, decide to get the lay of the land and grab some lunch. I persuade Aleksi into checking out Classic American Diner, a place i've wanted to visit for ages. Now, i'll admit right here that i have a serious thing for all things kitsch and Americana. Which is why i can happily overlook the superficial, plastic pseudo-nostalgia of this 'roadside diner' situated in the middle of a shopping center in Tampere, and love it despite all its goriness. And the spicy veggie burger, fries and mint chocolate milkshake i had weren't too bad either.

 

 

the mint-chocolate milkshake

Later last night, we decide to delve deeper into the depths of this Americana experience, and go check out some rockabilly at Klubi. Turns out it was an awesome idea, cause they have a three band lineup of rockabilly ranging from the toe-tapping, bass-slapping gusto of Relentless to the sombre, cinematic melancholy of Last Calls, topped off with Fatboy from Sweden. Contrary to the diner experience, there was nothing pseudo or plastic about the music. 

Relentless

Last Calls

Last Calls

We wander home in the early hours, in good spirits, and decide that Tampere is, indeed, a great city.

Having by now almost recovered physically from the after-effects of yesterday's Americana trip, i can only guess what's gonna happen tonight. If we're feeling adventurous, we might ditch Uusi Fantasia, Jätkäjätkät, The Capital Beat, Iiris, Neufvoin and a whole host of other bands for another nostalgia trip, this time to the teenage era, and go check out revamped pre-teen idols Jimi Constantine (formerly Pääkallo, of Technicolor fame) and Jonna Geagea (formerly Kosonen, of Nylon Beat stardom) instead. Trippy indeed.

One Night in Tampere.

Last Friday, three in the afternoon. I leave work, jet home. I throw stuff into a bag, grab a toothbrush and scamper by Subway for something to eat. I get into the car, slam the doors shut and head to Kallio. By four i'm in Kallio, waiting for my media-making colleague and the camera equipment he's brining. At 16.10 he gets into the car and tells me we have a a bit of a hitch when it comes to the gear. It's a little broken. It's okay, we're not running that late yet, we can swing by to get another camera. Agreed, we jet to Punavuori, where we get hitch-free equipment. At 17.35 we're ready to head off. Only 35 minutes behind schedule. This is where the weekend starts. Tampere, here we come. 

19.00, more or less. We find ourselves in Pispala, outside Vastavirta-klubi. On time, with functioning equipment. We meet up with Jenni, our camera woman for the night. The night is looking good, there's a four band lineup of punk. Inside, we have a pint and discuss strategy. We're here to interview Tampere-based garage duo, Jaakko & Jay (#3 of tonight's lineup), as well as the owners of the club that's fast becoming a legend. 

I like this club, and wonder why i've never been here before. It's a good kind of dodgy, like Lepakkomies or Semifinal. The kind that makes you feel at home. Plus there's a foosball table with sticky handles. The dudes from the band sit down to eat (apparently the veggie food used to be better, but is still not bad). We play some foosball after (and at this point my delusions of greatness at said sport shatter), as i'm told that foosball (or Kicker, as it's called here) is taken very seriously, with regular grand tournaments, t-shirts and the like. 

Jaakko and Olli (a.k.a Jay) are more laid-back than a bus-full of stoned hippies. And good-humored too, not to mention polite. They offer incessant social commentary bordering on standup comedy. And it's obvious that they do what they do cause they love doing it. We're happy with the interview (having managed to include a question on shoes that are too small to fit big feet). They head off to do their sound check, we head off to hound down one of the owners of the club. 

We find Piitse and ask him to sing Vastavirta's praise. He's quiet for a while, shrugging, and concludes finally that it must be the good music that draws in the crowds. This is also a man who's clearly where he wants to be. I'll wager Vastavirta lacks a polished branding strategy (actually i'll wager it lacks polished anything), as well as intentions of expanding outside the borders of Tampere (like Ruma, the other Tampere native that appeared in Helsinki one day). Piitse confirms this is not where they're going. They're happy here, doing what they do. And they do it well. 

So do Jaakko and Jay. As always. The energy emanating from these guys on stage is like a sonar blast rattling your innards. Songs are punctuated by the intermission of their famous in-between commentary. They're ready to dispense with the police, assholes and most political parties. With giant smiles and sweat flying. The crowd goes crazy. The hand cam (and me with it) take a fall in the front row when a huge guy (who's seriously feeling the music) jumps backwards and lands on me. He pulls me back up, gives me a thumbs up and climbs on stage with the band. They don't mind at all.

The interviews will go up on soffa.tv as soon as we're done editing. Which will be soon, in any case.   

i heart in February.

1. Icicles. Especially those of the insanely long, razor-sharp variety, which are sure to pierce your head in true horror movie fashion, should you be lucky enough to chance upon the right place at the right time.


2. Tampere. There's life outside Helsinki. Everyone should give it a go. This observation is based on one evening's escapade in said town, contained to a single bar. It is therefore an entirely biased (and possibly alcohol-fueled) opinion. But one which i stick to, nonetheless.


3. Florence + The Machine. Not having gotten tickets for the gig at Tavastia, i'll have to content myself with admiring them from afar. Sigh.


3. Foosball. I've managed to convince myself i'm pretty good at this. I think i won't play it anymore, so i can keep on happily deluding myself. 


4. Festivals. Only a matter of months until you get to wake up in a strange tent, lose one shoe, and have beer for breakfast. 


5. Pad Thai. Kok Thai, the little Thai place just off Toolontori, does delicious tofu pad thai. Which i get a terrible hangover craving for. Oh if only they delivered. But they don't. Which is why i sit in bed on these mornings, headachy and salivating.


6. My new blender. I was at a loss after my old one died suddenly, mid-smoothie. This new baby, with its stainless steel finish and 700 watts of blitzing power, is set to save many a hung over morning by facilitating that welcome sensation of smoothie-induced brain freeze. 


7. The word 'akimbo'. For no particular reason. 


8. Helsinki Vintage. A treasure trove of beautiful people and pretty things. I'm convinced this is where i'll finally meet the object of my dreams: The Sailor Hat. fingers crossed.


9. My job. It rocks to get paid for doing something fun. 


10. February. Cause it's the shortest month of the year. Now how about that summer? At this rate, we'll still have snow in June. Looks like you'll be in that tent, waking up next to a mysterious stranger ("who is this bumble bee-suited dude lying next to me, sporting a permanent markered cock on his forehead?"), finding your shoeless foot a curious shade of blue and your precious breakfast beer (and all other 27 bottles of solid-food-substituting alcohol) frozen and/or exploded. I'm just saying.