Now/It's: A Video Premiere - "Opening Band" (Acoustic Acme Radio LIVE) by Blank Range
Photo by Wrenne Evans
When one city wide festival comes to a close, another one commences. Live On the Green 2017 feels far behind us, yet another devastating hurricane (Irma, in case you're a current events luddite) looms in the coming days as Nashville prepares itself for what is arguably the finest city-wide event, Americanafest 2017.
Yet another questionable lede aside, there's no shortage of talent and/or buzz when it comes to Americanafest - perhaps the largest influx of NPR devotees and the United Isles, alike - but I'd feel confident in betting the pot on Blank Range being the "belle of the ball" that is Americanafest 2017. The spectral gazing, harmony raising quartet from here in town are fresh off the release of their stellar debut LP, Marooned With the Treasure (Sturdy Girls/Thirty Tigers).
In service of full disclosure, Blank Range has been my personal favorite band here in town ever since Sol Cat disbanded and scattered its members all throughout the Nashville musical ether. Meanwhile, the Blank Range boys have remained resolute and forever firm in their mission of making damn good music, etc. So with that in mind, you've potentially gathered that Marooned With the Treasure is one of my favorite albums of 2017, and (in my opinion) for good reason. The record is a 10-song odyssey of equal parts psychedelia, southern ground, and CBGB rock, and Blank Range was kind enough to share an Acme Radio Live video for the record's lead single, "Opening Band."
While I could (and would be more than capable of) ramble every which way about how highly I regard Blank Range's record and its respective lead single, I'll pass in favor of Blank Range's Jonathan Childers' take. To preface things succinctly, Childers' "Opening Band" origin story is one of serendipity and phantasmagorical exploration of reality and otherwise -
"In a cosmic convergence I stumbled upon a copy of Ken Eagle Feather's 'Traveling with Power' at my local Goodwill. The copy I had was signed by the author. Ken was a student of interdimensional travel through out of body experiences, or OBEs, a skill he claims to have learned from the same Don Juan that taught the great Carlos Castaneda. Reading his book opened my mind to a lot of possibilities - specifically about the flow of energy through dimensions. Eagle Feather also claimed to be able to communicate effectively with extraterrestrials. I left my copy of the book at a house in Missoula, Montana. I wrote this song a few weeks later."
And so, without further delay, enjoy Blank Range's Acme Radio Live take on "Opening Band," and be sure to take a listen to Marooned With the Treasure. Furthermore, if you're one of the many Americanafest 2017 attendees, do make it out to Blank Range's fest set this Thursday (9/14) just before the stroke of midnight (11:59PM) at Third Man Records on 7th Ave.
