Beechfields Record Label Showcase

From lo-fi to straight ahead rock ‘n’ roll to post-punk, The Beechfields Record Label showcased an eclectic assemblage of bands Friday night at the Hexagon. The show was a part of the Baltimore Independent Music and Arts Festival that was held at multiple venues around the city this past weekend.

Each Beechfields artist is a star in their own right, but together under the Beechfields’ banner they are able to help their label mates grow and reach further than they might alone. The label now has its own gravitas among indie music lovers, or as Billy Tiedeken of Among Wolves eloquently puts it, “Beechfields is known for doing good fucking records.”  That reputation helps all of the label’s bands get their music out there.  “It’s really cool to get an email from halfway across the world,” Alex Champagne of A Cat Called Cricket acknowledges.  He has seen his band’s music reach as far as Australia thanks to BeechfIelds’ online sales.

Beechfields’ mission is to bring artists together as a collective and give them the opportunity to collaborate with one another.  The musicians act as a sounding board for musical ideas, sharing their knowledge and experience in making music, and generally supporting one another.  A not-for-profit entity Mike Nestor funds production and promotion through micro loans and gets the return through online record sales.  Focusing on the idea that, “lower and longer builds a scene,” he downplays his contributions to Baltimore’s national emergence.  A surge Mike knows can be fleeting, “Everyone talks about the Baltimore Renaissance, [but] that can take place every five years.  The scene comes together then falls apart then comes together then falls apart…  If the Renaissance can have a chance of sustaining itself it will only be through a real sense of community.”  Mike believes Beechfields can be instrumental in creating a community that can maintain the city’s prominence.  With a boisterous showing at the Hexagon and a steady stream of acts joining the label, Beechfields is certainly poised to do just that.

This isn’t breaking news about a second oil rig exploding in the gulf, people. This is What Weekly.

The Big Picture:

In the great big picture above E. Joseph and The Phantom Heart. E. (or Ed to those close to him), has years of promotions experience that often comes in handy for other acts on the label. He’s been known to produces album art and show fliers, often on very short notice. “It’s a great label to be with because they don’t stomp on me for doing what I do.” You can catch E. Joseph and The Phantom Heart at the next Mobtown Studios Microshow, the most intimate music series in the city.

Cover photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

Beechfields is more than just a record label, it’s a music collective with a lot of heart.  The label brings together artists and encourages them to share talents, knowledge, and ideas with one another.  When founding the label in 2003, Mike Nestor, a musician himself, knew that making music was only part of the challenge. “I don’t just want good records, I want good people,” Nestor says. By all indications he’s succeeded on both fronts.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

The Good Word.

www.allianceforpeacebuilding.org

The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) is a coalition of diverse organizations and professionals working together to build sustainable peace and security worldwide.

Help build peace.

“If ten people walk out of here and say ‘Wow, I didn’t know Beechfields did that,’ I would call the show a success.”  Mike Nestor puts his money where his mouth is to wow the crowd with his band, The Seldon Plan.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

Beard is a Beechfields super group of sorts being comprised of Jason Dove, Jason Butcher from Among Wolves and Bryson Dudley. This band is the channel by which pure rock awesomeness is driven into your brain.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

www.lot201.com

Original apparel designs by Julie Bent.

Call Julie for an appointment: 410.929.1183.

Alex Champagne and Ed Neenan.

Alex Champagne of A Cat Called Cricket, a haunting down tempo band, enjoys “the family vibe and gathering of other artists that mesh with us.”

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

Among Wolves takes your expectations and toys with them innocently. Their slightly warped folk rock sensibilities pulls you in with nostalgia and keeps you listening with honest good vibes and an idiosyncratic texture that sets them apart.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

Since 1995, The Creative Alliance has promoted Baltimore as a dynamic center of art in all genres. With members ranging from artists and educators to neighbors and supports, the Creative Alliance cultivates community through collaboration.

Gary B. from Gary B and The Notions wins this week’s prestigious and highly coveted, ‘Anyone Can Perform While Standing Up Onstage But You Sir Wrestled The Music To The Floor And Made It Say Your Name’ award. Keanu Reeves and Colin Ferrell have resorted to fisticuffs to determine who will play you in the movie.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

Gary B and Billy Tiedeken.

“All the bands are bands that I go see play,” Billy Tiedeken of Among Wolves with Gary B are an illustration of the contrast between artists that come together in support of one another under the Beechfields umbrella.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.

The Hexagon.

Photo by Tedd Henn and story written by Justin Metzger.