Beginning in 1997 and becoming a staple of James Madison University and the surrounding community, MACRoCk is back after a year on hiatus. Having served as a stage for acts such as Fugazi, Converge, Sufjan Stevens, and countless other bands, MACRoCk has always served as a means of exposure for smaller acts and big name independent bands, combining grass roots ethics and a do-it-yourself work ethic. After spending a ten year relationship with James Madison University, unfortunate circumstances and a lack of funds forced the event to be canceled in 2007, with it's future in jeopardy. However, after cutting ties with the University, MACRoCk is alive, with the same grassroots spirit as before. Literally run by the kids for the kids, MACRoCk has certainly gone through a makeover, scaling back but still providing a two-day event full of local and national bands, panels, and a label exposition featuring over fifteen record labels. James Madison University student, MACRoCk volunteer, and Scene Point Blank staff writer Cory spoke with numerous bands about their expectations of playing the event.
Quick Links:
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
American Tourist
http://www.myspace.com/anamericantourist
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for this year's MACRoCk, as this is the first time it's completely student run and away from the University?
Matt Leech: Well, MACRoCk has always been student run from my understanding, it's just not university funded. I'm personally really excited that MACRoCk has scaled down in size. When I first started coming to the conference six years ago, I did my best to go see a bunch of bands I'd never heard before. I wanted to be blown out of the water by some random band from God knows where. Although it's wonderful MACRoCk received so much attention, and had the budget to bring big acts, I think a lot of people lost sight of the surprise in the conference. This year a good bit of the bands are fairly unrecognized, which is what I really enjoy. And as always, I'm always really excited to have old and new friends from different towns come back to Harrisonburg for a while.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Matt Leech: I'm really excited to see Maps & Atlases this year. They were supposed to play at our house a year and a half ago and couldn't make it. I'm really glad that Mock Orange can come to town, too. They've been around for a long time and I've never gotten the chance to see them. Order and Eat Forever are always a blast, and I'm excited to see Anathallo use a deck of cards and a trashcan for drums. How do they make that sound good?
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to besides the music at MACRoCk?
Matt Leech: I have a table at the label expo this year (matthuel12.etsy.com) with Tom Dean of Order (http://www.myspace.com/orderorder - playing Saturday), so I'm looking forward to being stuck behind a table for five hours so I can't go to all the other tables and spend way too much money. There's always a ridiculous selection of records. I'm mainly looking forward to having all of my friends back in town again. Things ebb and flow as far as the music community is concerned here in Harrisonburg, but for one weekend a year everyone's brought back together for a two-day party. That's what I'm most excited for.
Scene Point Blank:As a student of JMU as well as someone that plays in local Harrisonburg bands, what are your thoughts on Harrisonburg's independent/punk scene?
Matt Leech: College town music communities are constantly fluctuating. Nobody plans on being here for more than a couple years, and I think that seriously hurts the element of dedication and willingness to make things happen. When things are so temporary, it's difficult to put as much work into your surroundings. I get down when I think of Harrisonburg's music community now compared to the years when I arrived here, but I know in a year it could all change. I think there are some really solid bands in the area, and some people that work really hard to make events happen. People here are just spoiled by how cheap everything is, and how often things happen, so playing and booking here gets frustrating when it seems others don't care enough to pay three dollars to come to a show, or refuse to come to a venue in which they can't drink.
Scene Point Blank:American Tourist is kind of an on again/off again band, doing small tours and playing locally. What can we expect from the band in the future?
Matt Leech: American Tourist has always been thought of as a collective. We've been a band of six or seven people, and I've also performed by myself. People come and go. It really serves as a musical reflection of the things that happen to all of us involved. I guess we're guilty of doing surges of shows and taking a while off, but it gets difficult when we're all in other active bands. We've got a few local shows coming up, one being MACRoCk, and another with Murder by Death April 11th. We're planning on doing a weekend or two in the Virginia and North Carolina area in the coming couple of months, and there's a European tour in the works for July and maybe the beginning of August. Hopefully a full-length will follow the European tour, as well. Marty and I had a blast on our past couple week tour, I think we'd really like to go north again soon.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Antlers
http://www.myspace.com/4ntlers
Scene Point Blank:What are your thoughts and expectations on MACRoCk, as this is the first year it is being completely student run?
Cory Bise: We're pretty excited about the city taking part and it getting out of the school's hands. Having all these new places as venues sounds incredible. I think we're playing at an Ethiopian restaurant??!? That's rad; much better than a gymnasium.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you most looking forward to seeing at this year's event?
Cory Bise: All of our friends! The Catalyst especially, they always bring a great energy to a show. Also Pygmy Lush, we've played with them a couple of times and they are just great.
Scene Point Blank:Besides the music, what are you most looking forward to?
Cory Bise: Meeting people. We always enjoy talking to new folks. Some good Ethiopian food will be nice, too.
Scene Point Blank:Antlers and most of its members are no strangers to Harrisonburg's music scene. What are your thoughts on the local independent/punk community?
Cory Bise: A ton of good bands have come out of Harrisonburg in the past and we know some friends that are up to some awesome things right now. There are obviously still a lot of cool kids there putting on house shows and embracing the arts.
Scene Point Blank:What can we expect from Antlers after MACRoCk? Any new releases or tours?
Cory Bise: We're going to start recording some new stuff in April for a 10", play some weekends in June and July and we're embarking on our first lengthy tour with The Catalyst in August. Lots of good things happening.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
The Catalyst
http://www.myspace.com/thecatalyst
Scene Point Blank: I could be wrong but I believe this is the first time The Catalyst has played MACRoCk. What are your expectations for the event?
The Catalyst: It's true, we've never played, but we've been to more than a few of them between us. We were bummed that it didn't come together last year, but we think it rules that this year will be a more regionally focused, DIY-oriented sort of event.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
The Catalyst: This year is going to rule so hard. Everyone should check out Ingrid, from D.C., who are one of our new favorite bands. Also, we're stoked to see Order, Pygmy Lush, and Tideland, as well as the fantastic cross-section of RVA bands playing this year, including Antlers, Snack Truck, Cloak/Dagger, Hot Lava, Lord By Fire, Government Warning, Swamp Thing, and more.
Scene Point Blank:Besides the music, what you looking forward to the most at MACRoCk?
The Catalyst: Seeing old friends, meeting new ones. Hanging out. El Charro.
Scene Point Blank:What are your thoughts on the punk/independent scene in Harrisonburg? It's always seemed like a little unknown gem to me, but I'm obviously a bit biased on that front.
The Catalyst: Most of what I know about Harrisonburg in the past comes either from my high school Spanish teacher or the Lovitt Records DVD. It definitely seems like there's been a disproportionate amount of great bands coming out of there over the years. Being in Richmond, just a few hours away, has made Harrisonburg a sweet spot for day trips. We've had some great times at the Crayola House, I think everyone probably has. The town has a great vibe, and great potential still. Although I couldn't talk bad about it even if I wanted to, Virginia is for lovers.
Scene Point Blank: What's going on in the Catalyst camp in the future? I understand a tour in Europe?
The Catalyst: We'll be touring Europe from April 11th to May 11th with our good friends The Kidcrash, from Olympia, WA. Before that, Paul over at Perpetual Motion Machine is releasing a thirteen-song CD collection of our songs from the split LP with Mass Movement of the Moth, the split 7" with Brainworms, and last year's Marianas Trench EP. Everything's been remixed and re-mastered and it sounds monstrous. That should be out the weekend of March 25th, in time for MACRoCk and the tour. We've been writing a lot of new music, and we're planning on recording a new full-length sometime in 2008. In August, we'll be hitting the road for a few weeks with our perennial homeboys Antlers, taking us just across the Mississippi River and back.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Cloak/Dagger
http://www.myspace.com/wearecloakdagger
Scene Point Blank: I believe this is the first time Cloak/Dagger has played MACRoCk. What are your thoughts and expectations the event, as it is now completely cut off from the University?
Cloak/Dagger: We played Macrock the last year that they had it with Fucked Up, Cold World, and Government Warning; it was a good time. I think even that show was a lot different from the MACRoCk's they had before. I don't think that punk or core bands ever had their own show before that, they would just play in between other styles of bands. I think that even with it being cut off from the University it is going to be an awesome show considering the line up for the show we are playing. I think that with more funding they could have brought about some more diverse headlining bands but the line up for the core show looks perfect to me.
Scene Point Blank: What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Cloak/Dagger: As always Double Negative, Government Warning, The Ladies, and Memorial. All of which are playing our show except for Memorial.
Scene Point Blank: What are you looking forward to besides the music this year?
Cloak/Dagger: I scored some good CD's and records from the Dischord table for $1 and ate some good cotton candy at the Banned In D. C. table last time. Really, I'm looking forward to the Richmond field trip and hanging out at the show.
Scene Point Blank: There's been a reoccurring joke that Richmond bands get snubbed at MACRoCk, although the line-up this year is full of them. How excited are you to play with all of the RVA bands, and how much of Richmond do you anticipate will relocate to Harrisonburg for the weekend?
Cloak/Dagger: I think that right now Richmond has a good amount of active touring bands that can't be ignored. It is definitely going to be a Richmond event to go to. I always love playing with every band on our show and am excited to see the best city ever represented so well at one show.
Scene Point Blank: What are the future plans for Cloak/Dagger? Any extensive touring or new releases planned?
Cloak/Dagger: The MACRoCk show will be the "Kamikazes" 7" release show for us which is a song off of our LP and an unreleased song as the b-side on Grave Mistake. At the end of April we are playing a weekend with Paint it Black up to Canada where we are touring for a few weeks. Our CD should be pressed sometime soon and available on vinyl through Grave Mistake! See you at the show.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Furnace
http://www.myspace.com/furnacesucks
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for MACRoCk, now that it is completely cut off from the university?
Darryl: I didn't know the university wasn't involved anymore but it's cool that people put the effort to still have it. I've never been to a MACRoCk before so I'm excited in general to go.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing at the event this year?
Darryl: Mock Orange! I hope they play old stuff. The show we're playing is all-good too: Brainworms, Ingrid, Snack Truck, The Catalyst. Also Aloha, Unwed Sailor, and Owen among a few others.
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to most besides the music?
Darryl: It'll be the first day of our tour so I'll be really excited to not be working. I really liked Harrisonburg the one time I've been; I'm excited to be back. I've never been to a MACRoCk so I'm looking forward to seeing all that is the event.
Scene Point Blank:MACRoCk is largely regional based this year, and Furnace comes from MA and NH. What are your thoughts on playing in an environment like this, any pressure in playing the show?
Darryl: I guess if it is mostly locally based bands, it's sweet they let us play. I'm looking forward to seeing as many of these bands as possible! I don't think I feel anymore pressure than I would for any other show.
Scene Point Blank:What can we expect from Furnace in the future, any new releases or tours planned?
Darryl: MACRoCk's actually the first day of a two month tour we're doing with a band from Florida called Capsule (dates here: myspace.com/furnacesucks). It'll also be one of the first shows where we have our new full-length. We'll have a hundred screened-tests for the first days and hopefully the full CD/LP at some point when we're out. In August we'll be out again for a week or two with our friends L'antietam.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Government Warning
http://www.myspace.com/governmentwarningrva
Scene Point Blank:How many times have you played MACRoCk and what do you expect from this year's MACRoCk as it is now fully student run?
Alex DiMattesa: We played MACRoCk in 2006 with Fucked Up, Cloak/Dagger, Cold World, Down to Nothing, Direct Control, and a bunch more. It was awesome. Our particular show was done by our friend Phil Matthews who had his stuff together and knew what he was doing so the show went off perfectly and was a great time.
I've been to MACRoCk maybe four times in the past, it always seemed as though the students where the ones running everything anyways. I'm sure the back-end stuff will be a little more difficult this year without school support (funding, venues, etc), but I bet once that stuff is taken care of, it should go off fine. I feel like with an event like MACRoCk, you are going to have people that know what they are doing, and also people that have no clue what they are doing. Either way it's cool that everyone comes together to help put something like this on.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing at this years event?
Alex DiMattesa: Most of the bands on the show we are playing, Double Negative, Cloak/Dagger, Deep Sleep, The Ladies, Crossed Eyes, Swamp Thing, Naysayer, Police and Thieves all of those bands on that show.
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to besides the music this year?
Alex DiMattesa: Well I'm on a label panel for my record label (Grave Mistake Records), that and the label expo are always kind of fun. The label panel a couple years ago had Jade Tree and I think Magic Bullet, it was pretty informative. I forget who else is on it this year though. Also Brian Walsby from Double Negative (author / illustrator of Manchild) is on a panel as well, so that should be cool. We'll see.
Scene Point Blank:What are your thoughts on the independent/punk scene in Harrisonburg? I've always viewed it as a bit of a hidden gem, but I'm obviously a bit biased.
Alex DiMattesa: Harrisonburg has always been pretty cool as far as I can tell. I've always had the impression that since it's a small town in the mountains of Virginia, everyone has sort of had to combine forces to make the best of it. For hardcore it's always been cool, I haven't been to a show there in a while but there were some great shows there. Especially when the out-of-towners from Richmond, DC, and VB all came, then it was a guaranteed good time.
Scene Point Blank:Probably more of a request then a question, but seeing you guys cover Minor Threat at the outdoor WND show with Fucked Up was awesome. What are the chances of some more covers at MACRoCk?
Alex DiMattesa: We used to have like anywhere from two to five covers in our set for a while (depending on how drunk the crowd / band was) and people would give us shit calling us a cover band. Whatever, they are fun to play. Since then we've trimmed down the covers to one or even none a set, but you might hear some Reagan Youth and maybe some Battalion of Saints during our set at MACRoCk... those are the newest ones we've learned.
Scene Point Blank:What are the future plans for Government Warning? Any new releases or tours?
Alex DiMattesa: We are about seven songs into writing a new LP ... that should be out this year on No Way/Grave Mistake. We are doing NYC, PA, and DC in May ... hopefully more touring this summer. We want to go to Europe so maybe we can make that happen. Thanks for the interview.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Mild Winter
http://www.myspace.com/mildwinter
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for this year's MACRoCk, as this is the first time it's completely student run and has cut ties with the University?
Ben Schlabach: I hope that MACRoCk's new relationship with the Downtown Renaissance and The Arts Council helps them overcome some of the past issues they have faced. The budget might not be as grand and they are defiantly rebuilding this year, but the line-up looks great. There are so many good regional bands that are playing that have been overlooked in the past.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Ben Schlabach: There are a lot of great bands that I can't wait to see again. I am really looking forward to Donny Hue and the Colors, The Catalyst, Owen, Snack Truck and Cinnamon Band.
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to besides the music at MACRoCk?
Ben Schlabach: I love seeing old friends who come back to town for the weekend, which is always a highlight. I also really enjoy the label expo. The panels look good again this year; hopefully I will make it to a couple.
Scene Point Blank:As a resident of Harrisonburg as well as someone that plays in a local band, what are your thoughts on Harrisonburg's independent/punk scene?
Ben Schlabach: Harrisonburg has a lot of great musicians and lots of great bands that pass through. The biggest problem with our music scene is a lack of venues. We have a number of places that can be rented for shows, as well as some local restaurants that are willing to hold events, but no true independent venues. We have a pretty good house show scene but Harrisonburg kids (and maybe everybody?) tend to spend their money on beer instead of bands, which is a shame. It has really hurt the availability of houses for shows, because people are finding it hard to cover bands expenses without pulling money from their own pocket.
Scene Point Blank:Mild Winter just released some new material, what are the future plans for the band? Any out of town dates or new releases planned?
Ben Schlabach: In February we released our first full length CD, A Wanderer's Home. We just reordered more for the spring and plan on playing out as much as possible. We are playing Festival Fest at JMU on April 19th in Harrisonburg. We are also in the process of booking a few weekends around VA and up to PA.
We have some material that we are looking to get recorded and put out soon. We have some live tracks and demo tracks that we are looking to put on a tape or CD, and we have four new songs that we would love to put on 7" but we are hoping to find some help for those projects. We could also use some help booking weekends around the east coast.
There is a Pre-MACRoCk show planned for the afternoon of Friday April 4th at Plan 9 in Harrisonburg. We will be playing with a number of local bands, so please come by if you get into town early. More information can be found at http://www.mildwinter.com or http://www.myspace.com/mildwinter
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Police and Thieves
http://www.myspace.com/policethieves
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for MACRoCk this year, as it is the first time it is completely student run?
Carlos Izurieta: I expect really good things as I have seen the bands who are playing as well as the different music panels that will be taking place and I see a lot of stuff I am interested in checking out. Also I think it will have a more grass roots/ d.i.y. feel as opposed to the feeling it is some university sponsored event. I guess the closest thing I could compare it to is seeing your favorite band in a VFW hall as opposed to seeing them in some big lame rock club with barriers and rock star attitudes.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Carlos Izurieta: I'm pretty psyched to see bands that I have heard but have never seen like Memorial, Aloha, and Double Negative. As well as some of our friends' bands like Cloak/Dagger, Government Warning, Time of Cholera, Savage Land, and Deep Sleep.
Scene Point Blank:Besides the music, what are you looking forward to this year at MACRoCk?
Carlos Izurieta: Definitely the music panels that they have going on this year, its a good variety of topics ranging from record labels to publishing. And of course hanging out with all my friends down in the H-burg and getting some tasty food at the Little Grill as well as feasting on some fine Ethiopian food at the Blue Nile.
Scene Point Blank:Police and Thieves are no stranger to the Harrisonburg music scene, what are your thoughts on the punk community here?
Carlos Izurieta: It is awesome, we always have a blast when we play here and I'm excited to be playing MACRoCk, as in past years I think it will be a blast. The scene here is very generous as the kids that come out to the shows always check out all the bands and dance and have a good time. And even with it being a transient college town there are still plenty of people starting bands and booking really good shows down here on a consistent basis.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Punch You In the Face Big!
http://www.myspace.com/punchyouinthefacebig
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for this years MACRoCk, as this is the first time it's completely student run and away from the University.
Ken: I'm really excited about this year. I've been attending the event on and off for the last ten years, and it's really cool to see what the organizers are doing with it this time around. There seems to be an emphasis on regional and up-and-coming acts that has been lacking in recent years, and I think that's a great direction for MACRoCk to be headed in.
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Ken: City of Ships. My other band - Souvenir's Young America - just got back from eight days on the road with those guys and I'm still not tired of watching them. They're great, one of the best bands around right now in my opinion. Actually, I'm stoked on every band that's playing Garibaldi's on Friday. It's going to be an awesome show. Hopefully I can catch Auxes that night as well.
Scott: I'm stoked to see Valkyrie. I heard them on Richmond Radio and said who is that? They are badass. Turns out it was Valkyrie and they were playing Richmond the same night we had a CD release show. This was only about a month ago so I'm still bummed that I missed them.
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to besides the music at MACRoCk?
Ken: Richmond invading Harrisonburg, and the hanging out that will ensue.
Scott: Seeing people having a good time, enjoying bands and music. Eating chicken wings wherever I go.
Scene Point Blank:Not really MACRoCk related, but I have to know where the name of the band came from?
Scott: Mike from a band called Light the Fuse and Run?they played MACRoCk a few years ago.
Scene Point Blank:What are the future plans for Punch You In the Face Big! Any new releases or tour plans?
Ken: Well, we just went through a line up shift - our bassist Eric left to focus on his other band, Matt has taken on bass duties in addition to doing vocals, and it's been great so far. We're working on new songs for a proper full-length and would like to find a home for it. As for touring, we're planning to do some regional weekends, and possibly a week or so on the road later on this year.
Scott: I can't wait to record our new stuff! I feel like the stuff we have on our EP was just stuff we wrote to get us together and get the band rollin'. Now I'm ready to kick it up a notch. I am also looking forward to going on the road as much as we are able too.
American Tourist | Antlers | The Catalyst | Cloak/Dagger | Furnace | Government Warning | Mild Winter | Police and Thieves | Punch You in the Face Big! | Savage Land
Savage Land
http://www.myspace.com/savagelandhc
Scene Point Blank:What are your expectations for this years MACRoCk, as this is the first time it's completely student run and away from the University?
Tim Skirven: I expect this year's MACRoCk to be way small, but in a totally awesome way. Everything will be in closer proximity; the bands will be more of the "up and coming" variety as opposed to the big names that MACRoCk has brought in the past. I think this will be a great year for discovering new bands and seeing some semi-local bands again in a more energetic environment. The motto I coined for this year's committee is "Little bit of money, Whole lotta heart."
Scene Point Blank:What bands are you looking forward to seeing this year?
Tim Skirven: Maps and fucking Atlases. Holy Hell yes. Double Negative, Mas Y Mas, Hot Lava, Pygmy Lush, Antlers. In all honesty I'm really excited to check out bands I've only heard via internet/mix CDs.
Scene Point Blank:What are you looking forward to besides the music at MACRoCk?
Tim Skirven: Out of town friends, beers flowing like water, actually playing twice during the weekend. Besides the music, it'll also be awesome to make people aware of Harrisonburg and all the downtown area has to offer.
Scene Point Blank:As a student of JMU as well as someone that plays in local Harrisonburg bands, what are your thoughts on Harrisonburg's independent/punk scene?
Tim Skirven: As of late, the scene here has been suffering. I know this is a conceited thing to say, but I feel like my generation is the last of the few as far as kids who honestly care. It's a damn shame cause this town has bred some of the most awesome bands and people ever. Hopefully there will be a resurgence of grassroots kids throwing house shows and starting bands. But as always, gear gets more expensive, rent goes up and living in a crappy house just for the basement becomes less appealing every year.
Scene Point Blank:With Phil moving to Richmond and other members graduating, what are the future plans for Savage Land? Are you guys trying to stay together and play music?
Tim Skirven: Well, Phil's been gone for a while and we honestly have practiced just as much as we did when he was in town. We're a rather slow moving band, but we've got some things up our sleeve. Possible split 7" with Valkyrie, a new demo/new songs in the works. It gets few and far between due to school and distance but we'll try to do as much as we can with the time we've got.
Words: Cory | Graphics: Matt
