Foundrys play send-off show at Eastside
They will play at the South By Southwest music festival.
Published March 9, 2007
If you haven't acquainted yourself with local pop mavens The Foundry Field Recordings, understand that you're depriving yourself of one of Columbia's local gems.
You might also be missing out on its great indie hope, possibly before the band blows up and out of Mid-Missouri.
Next weekend they're headed down to Austin, Texas, for a torrid weekend at the city's annual South By Southwest music festival. They'll play the weekend's opening show — the IODA Day Party with Black Angels and Apostle of Hustle — and have also lined up in-studio performances with taste-making Web site Daytrotter.com and XM radio.
But tonight, they'll play a send-off gig at Eastside Tavern.
The band's last true Columbia show was when it opened for Tapes 'n Tapes and Cold War Kids in October. The show did not go to frontman Billy Shuch's liking, and he said there were too many people standing and staring.
I think it had to do with a World Series victory by some baseball team I keep hearing about, but Shuch is much more optimistic about the show at Eastside.
"Any rust should drop off before (or) perhaps during the show (because) we are comfortable, especially at Eastside," he stated in an e-mail. "Eastside is where I work. It is where we hang out regardless of a show. A lot of people who play music go there to saddle up at the bar and have a drink. It also reminds us of several places on the road, but the staff is much nicer at Eastside."
The band is also using the gig as a sort of public practice session before South By Southwest.
"We don't play shows as often in Columbia, so this has the feel of other shows we have played," Shuch said. "We have been practicing quite a bit."
The last time I met up with Schuh, the band was lording over tracks from its new album Fallout Stations.
Three songs are now up at Insound.com for digital download. Schuh said the band plans to play both these songs tonight and during South By Southwest.
Schuh will also be busy in Austin when the Foundrys aren't on the stage.
As a co-owner of the local label Emergency Umbrella Records (home to the Foundrys, The Doxies and Ellie Come Home, among others), Schuh will be meeting with distributors, other labels and other bands.
After returning from South By Southwest, the band will finish mixing its EP.
Along with the songs available at Insound, the EP will include a full-band version of "Broken Strings," from its debut prompts/miscues and a Pixies cover sung by drummer and production whiz Benjamin Hook.
The band will also write new material as it prepares for a summer tour.
From tonight on, The Foundry Field Recordings and Schuh, have a packed schedule.
Now all that's left is for you to fit the band into your schedule. If tonight's hometown gig at Eastside isn't reason enough, I'm not sure what is.
