This Will Destroy You nearly destroyed!

Hear This Will Destroy You recount a horrifying tale of gang violence in Austin.  Well, it's not that horrifying but there is more action than in most Road Snacks podcasts.  Download it.

Lunch w/ This Will Destroy You

Even though I love listening to music, there is no match for the ambient sounds that resonate from  the field and forest around the farm.  When I'm working in the field I feel like the sounds I make become a part of a greater production and that I've tapped into an unseen energy.  When listening to This Will Destroy You it is apparent that they are aware of that feeling.  Not only are they trying to channel something overwhelming and huge but they are also trying to be it.  I would love to hear them perform in the field at Wealth Underground Farm.


This Will Destroy You visited the farm the day after their Portland show before heading up to Seattle.  It was a beautiful day and we had plenty of time for a meandering farm tour, tasting some of the early available crops.  For lunch we ate roasted potatoes and a salad overflowing with Wealth Underground greens.  We chatted for a bit about scoring movies and getting caught in drive-by's before we said our goodbyes and they left for Seattle and the rest of their tour.

Thanks to This Will Destroy You for visiting the farm on their tour with A Place to Bury Strangers.  You can hear more from them on their bandcamp page or on facebook.

The Torche is lit!

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Lunch w/ Torche

Torche brought a party with them to Wealth Underground Farm when they joined me before their show at the Hawthorne Theatre.  I know that our goats are inclined to party so, as an experiment, I let them out of their pasture so they could follow us around the farm.  Of course, everybody in the Torche posse fell in love with the goats and I had to take a count when the band left to make sure none were missing.  It is probably the last time I'll let them free range like that, though, as they found my trellised hops and ate a fair amount of the lower leaves before I could grab them and return them to their fenced in area.

Inside, we ate a meal that included green garlic that was half eaten by gophers and lots and lots of salad as we were flush with large, beautiful heads of lettuce.  The conversation was quick and fun.  We talked about many things including Andrew's infamous bat urine story that recently vaulted Torche into national news.

I'd streamed the new album Harmonicraft (pronounced like harmonica, not harmony as I mistakenly pronounced it during the meal) a number of times but it was given a completely new meaning in the context of Torche's live show.  The band proved why they are one of the most relevant artists in heavy music, playing a dynamic and interesting set in a venue where the quality of sound tends to blend everything together (the instruments, the music, the crowd voices, the shirtless drunk guys, etc).  Not only is it fun music but the songs are high quality and the music is tight.

I want to thank Torche for a great meal and for being really sweet guests to the farm.  Go see them when they play in your city and make sure to pick up their newest album, Harmonicraft.  Also, check out some of the art of Santos, who illustrated Harmonicraft and who was with us for the lunch with Torche.