Farm to Artist

Delivering the Greens w/ Megaton Leviathan

2012-03-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

I realize that Megaton Leviathan are from Portland (or nearby) and that, though they have toured extensively in the past, this meal coincided with a one-off, hometown performance. That said, listening to "Water Wealth Hell on Earth" I get the feeling that they are coming from a place far away where the landscape is vast and bleak. Within that landscape, difficult to see in the distance, is a small group of people in a lush valley who are growing their own food and carrying on without the many modern conveniences that have created consuming automatons out of human beings. In this place, life is hard and dark but good and full of meaning. That's why I had them out for a meal, I wanted talk about that place in the distance.

They arrived in their yellow tour van and we did the usual; toured the farm, visited with the goats, and then sat down for the meal. The lunch consisted of pasta with meatballs and a mustard green salad. The meatballs were each stuffed with a whole brussel sprout, which helped to stretch out the ground beef as well as provided a thin veil to hide the decadence of the meal. To date, it has been my favorite meal to eat and I plan to recreate it at some point in the near future since we are swimming in brussel sprouts.

We ate and chatted and then Chris and Andrew from Megaton Leviathan took off for the show. I met back up with them later at the Rotture as they were preparing for their set. For two people they have incredible stage presence, creating a dynamic show. Between the smoke from the sage smudge, the projected video in the background, and the dull roar of the music that you can feel in your bones, the whole Megaton Leviathan show has quite the array of sensory experiences. I may have been tired, as it was past midnight when they stepped onto the stage, but their set was nearly a mystical experience, passing from meditative to explosively loud and back in aural undulations. At the end of the set, Chris told me that he had an auditory hallucination while playing, hearing instruments that he shouldn't be hearing during the final song. If you are a fan of drone/spiritual metal, make sure to attend a Megaton Leviathan show if and when you have the opportunity, you won't regret it.

Thanks to Chris and Andrew for joining me at Wealth Underground Farm for lunch. To hear more from Megaton Leviathan you can visit their website here and be sure to check out the podcast, which will be out in the next few days, to hear the lunchtime conversation.

Newest podcast is available

2012-02-26T10:07:00.001-08:00

The conversation featuring Grimes and Born Gold is now available via iTunes (search Road Snacks) or on the embedded player to the right of this post. Enjoy!

Eating Beets w/ Grimes and Born Gold

2012-02-22T18:51:00.000-08:00

The van with Alberta plates pulled into the driveway, bringing with it rain from Vancouver and Seattle. Four Canadians got out of the van and stretched their legs. Our two ducks, Miracle and Le Beouf, waddled by the group confirming that Claire Boucher aka Grimes and Cecil, Eric, and Calvin of Born Gold had found the farm.

The tour of the farm was brief due to the rapidly fluctuating weather. We walked quickly to the top of the garden where we entered the greenhouse. While protected from the sudden downpour of rain, I was able to somewhat describe the components of the farm. When the rain eased, we left the greenhouse and made our way straight to the goat shed, who were well sheltered and out of the rain. We five humans crowded in with the four goats and a lot of petting commenced. Pippie (the little white one) quickly took to Claire and vice versa. At a certain point food was mentioned and appetites overpowered the cuteness of the goats. We left them for the warmth of the house and the waiting meal.

The meal consisted of a rutabaga and shallot frittata made with eggs from our laying hens, a mustard green salad, and delicata squash soup. As an appetizer, I put out a well received pickle plate consisting of beets, cucumbers, green tomatoes, and onions. During the meal, we bounced around from topics such as Canada, the artistic process, touring, and what Michael Jordan is up to these days.

Grimes and Born Gold took off for the Holocene right after the meal and a group picture. If you have the opportunity to see either of these groups live (especially this tour when you can see them live together!) I highly recommend it. Born Gold is like the Fourth of July meets a Japanese kabuki performance and Grimes' tendency towards shyness cannot suppress the amount of energy and passion she brings to her performance. I left the show both energized by the amount of creativity and talent as well as tired from so much dancing at such a late hour (I have to let the birds out early in the morning, to me midnight is ungodly late).

Thanks again to Grimes and Born Gold for participating in the Farm to Artist project. Be sure to listen to the podcast when it is released this coming weekend. To hear the album Bodysongs from Born Gold you can go to their website. You can find more information about Grimes at her website or pick up her new album, Visions, through Arbutus Records or 4AD.

Breakfast with Nolan Calisch

2012-02-10T10:27:00.000-08:00

This morning, Nolan and I sat down for breakfast and to record a short Road Snacks podcast. Nolan, along with co-managing Wealth Underground Farm, is also a graduate student in the Art and Social Practice program at Portland State University and is involved in a number of projects at the moment. Breakfast consisted mostly of ingredients grown on the farm; we had beets that are overwintering nicely, eggs from our hens, and shallots. The result was a nice winter scramble. Along with a cup of tea for me and a cup of coffee for Nolan, we were set to record.

You can listen to the podcast directly but the projects we talked about were Grocery Stories, which is an installation going into New Seasons stores, Farm School, which you can read more about here, and People's Portlandia, a project/event that I've previously mentioned on the podcast. If you have the opportunity to view or participate in any of these projects, I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Nolan for joining me and participating in the Farm to Artist project this morning. Be sure to listen to the podcast when it goes up and subscribe to it on iTunes. To see more of Nolan's work, primarily his photography, visit his website at nolancalisch.com.

Technical Difficulties

2012-02-08T17:48:00.000-08:00

This blog and podcast have, to date, not received a whole lot of traffic. That's why it irks me that on the day (today!) that a number of people surfed their way to this site, mostly looking for Red Fang, the host website for my podcast was down. It's back up now but, unfortunately, there are a lot of people who aren't going to check back in with this site and listen to the podcast.

So this is what I need you to do to make up for this injustice, this first world problem that has absolutely pummeled me and left me on the ground, writhing in pain. First, listen to the podcast and subscribe to it on iTunes. In the coming week I'll be adding another and I have a few artists I'm stoked about lined up to come out and join me for a meal. Second, tell your friends to listen to the podcast. Third, I don't like using Facebook and I hate binaries (including "like/dislike") but if you have a Facebook account, please go to the Farm to Artist page and hit the "like" button.

Someday we'll live in a world where freedom, equality, and justice are the rule and not the exception. Until then, enjoy the podcast.

New Road Snacks podcast up and downloadable!

2012-01-20T09:28:00.000-08:00

Get up and download the newest podcast featuring Thou either on iTunes or stream it from the player to the right. Enjoy!

To Summit Newberry Road: Dinner with Thou

2012-01-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

Thou are warriors of the road; when they tour, they tour hard. Instead of taking a night off when faced with a 10 plus hour drive (from Salem to the Bay Area, for example), they forge on toward the next venue, leaving a show and driving through the dead of night. Though tired from travel, they manage to put on highly energetic shows night after night. I was lucky enough to catch one of these shows this past week, witnessing an electric set played to an excited crowd at the Backspace in Portland.

An inherent part of being a warrior is suffering blows. While in Portland, a mirror on their van was broken off. Between the time it took to repair the damage and the need to get to Salem for their show, I thought that our lunchtime engagement at the Wealth Underground Farm had fallen into jeopardy and that they would necessarily cancel. But Thou took the incident in stride and two from the five piece, Bryan (vocals) and Andy (guitar), along with their friend, Eleanor, rallied, making the trip out to participate in the Farm to Artist project.

They arrived after dark and so the tour was brief; I pointed out the garden, which was shrouded in darkness, as we made our way indoors. We settled in to the warmth of the living room and, without any pomp and circumstance, served ourselves food and sat down to eat. Though the meals are primarily vegetarian and very much vegetable heavy, showcasing the variety of produce we grow at the farm, this particular meal was vegan as per request from the band. For the meal I made a rutabaga coconut curry, roasted brussel sprouts and garbanzo beans, and rice.

The conversation was quick and to the point as Andy and Bryan needed to get to Salem for their show. We talked about the wear and tear from their recent stints of touring, food politics and veganism as it relates to their music, and the unknown future of Thou. Though somewhat dazed from a constant barrage of shows and and long drives, dinner was quite pleasant and Andy, Bryan, and Eleanor were gracious guests.

Thanks to Thou for participating in the Farm to Artist project against all odds. To here more from Thou, check out their website.

New Road Snacks Podcast featuring Red Fang

2012-01-04T09:30:00.000-08:00

The next installment of the Road Snacks podcast is up. Listen to the conversation with Red Fang at iTunes or over on the sidebar.

Also, I had to find a new host for the podcast. I'm moving the older episodes to it as we speak and then will be deleting the old account. Make sure to resubscribe so you keep getting the Road Snacks podcast.

Red Fang Trailer!

2011-12-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Winter Lunch w/ Red Fang

2011-12-17T09:34:00.000-08:00

When they left, there were not mountainous piles of beer cans lying around. That was mostly because Red Fang (well, 3/4 of Red Fang) was distracted by the small army of Wealth Underground dwarf goats that attacked them upon arrival. No amount of resistance could stop the tiny, mud-crusted hoof massacre.

Once we pushed the goats off of us (the first time), we cruised around the farm and through the field of vegetables, which is now pretty desolate. Regardless, we were still able to taste some mustard greens that had sweetened from the recent cold spell we've experienced in Portland. The rain that fell the night before broke the cold, so it was mildly cool out. That said, we quickly moved the party into the house where a fire was burning in the stove and hot food waited for us on the counter.

We started the meal with a green tomato and onion pickle plate and chips and husk cherry salsa. The last of the field husk cherries were spread out on the bed like squashed corpses so we didn't get to try any on the tour. The husk cherry salsa was a decent substitute, though nothing like popping a fresh version out of the husk and into your mouth. We sat down to a creamy delicata squash soup, roasted root vegetables (rutabaga, beets, parsnips), and some baked squash. The beer on hand was the Brrr winter seasonal from Widmer.

We talked for a while about the recent tour with Mastodon, meeting and working with Brian Posehn, great things about being home, and then passionately discussed the best places to eat in Portland. If you are looking for a new spot for some prime eats or want a recommendation for pho then I highly recommend listening to the podcast.

I want to thank Red Fang for joining me at the farm and participating in the project. I also want to thank the guys for allowing me to test my new video camera on them. You can see a short trailer for the upcoming podcast on Facebook, iTunes, or on the blog (coming soon!).

For more info or to hear some music by Red Fang you can check their website or visit them over at Relapse. Do yourself a favor and check out their newest album Murder the Mountains, watch their video for Wires, and go see their raucous live performance when they come to a venue near you.

Lunch w/ Shellac - Podcast now available

2011-11-21T16:47:00.001-08:00

Head on over to iTunes or the sidebar to hear the latest installation of the Farm to Artist project.

Podcast featuring Helms Alee now available

2011-11-07T14:27:00.000-08:00

And of course it's free. Go to the iTunes store, search for "Road Snacks" in the podcasts, and download it for free, making sure to subscribe to the podcast in the process. You can also stream it directly from this blog.

Shellac of North America meets Wealth Underground of Oregon

2011-11-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

Q. What's the quickest way to Shellac's heart? A. Starting a fire in a wood burning stove. That may not be true but that was the first place they went to when they entered the house at Wealth Underground Farm, Bob volunteering himself to stoke the fire and crank the heat emanating from the stove. And why not? It was a cool, overcast day in Oregon when Shellac and Helen Money pulled in to our driveway after the drive up from Eugene and disembarked from their Bandago sprinter van; next to the fire was the obvious place to be. After meeting Ram, our cat, and fighting the chill by the fire for a few minutes, we were ready to dig in to the food, which was set out on the kitchen counter.

We sat down at the table after serving ourselves the pickled green tomatoes, risotto a la milanese, steamed kale, and baked delicata squash. The risotto, adapted from the River Cottage Meat Book, was incredibly rich so I served the rest of the vegetables plain. That said, the squash was incredibly sweet and had the best reception from everybody sitting around the table.

During the conversation we discovered that bad pizza exists and is being proliferated in Southern Oregon, the joys of a wood burning stove are immense, rabbit hunger is a problem we should be aware of, and that Shellac are masters of French cooking terminology.

The crew was running short on time so we had a quick tour through the garden before they loaded up and headed to the Holocene. There are only a few weeks left of the CSA and the beds of vegetables are starting to become thin but we found a variety of foods to taste. The star, as always, was the husk cherry. The dominating thought was that the taste of the berry most closely resembled cheddar cheese. You'll have to try one at some point to see if you agree. We snapped a few pictures and then Shellac and Helen Money were off in order to set up and run sound check for a sold out show in Portland.

You can hear more from Shellac at their Touch and Go Records page. They will be coming out with a new record, tentatively titled Dude Incredible, at some point before the year 2020. To hear the haunting songs of solo-cellist Alison Chesley aka Helen Money, you can visit her myspace page or website.

First Road Snacks podcast is up!

2011-10-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

The sound during the conversation is a bit quiet, when I first uploaded it there were 34 copies of it on iTunes, several glitches kept reoccurring as I was attempting to podcastize the audio I edited, but the situation has mellowed and you can now listen to the first podcast with Before the Eyewall and 19 ADD on iTunes. Open the iTunes store and search for "Road Snacks" and it should pop up. Make sure to subscribe, in a couple of weeks the podcast with Helms Alee will be available.

Godammit, I'm fine: An Early Dinner w/ Helms Alee

2011-10-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the sun's seasonal fickleness, Helms Alee joined me at the Wealth Underground Farm on an especially bright and beautiful day. We lingered in the garden for a while, tasting our way through the rows of vegetables. We could only stay in the hoophouse long enough to harvest the tomatoes for lunch due to the heat from the sunlight. In the Pacific Northwest, it is a privilege to be that hot this time of year, a fact Helms Alee understands hailing from Seattle and Tacoma, WA.

Inside the house, we sliced the tomatoes and added some salt and vinegar to make a quick salad. Along with the salad, we had gluten-free pasta with a buttery rutabaga/chanterelle mushroom dish and corn bread. Throughout the meal, we snacked on dehydrated tomatoes and husk cherries, which were a hit in the garden tour. Everybody also sampled a cherry ale I brewed this summer using cherries harvested from Sauvie Island. The beer received a mixed response, which is understandable as the flavor from the natural yeast of the cherries is a bit overwhelming.

During the recorded conversation we talked about bike-by knivings, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and dodging thunderstorms, home slaughter, and gardening. After the dinner, we went outside to enjoy the last of the daylight.

The Portland show at the Rotture was the second to last show of their West Coast tour with Narrows and they played second to last. They effectively fit an entire tour into seven days and were definitely feeling some fatigue before taking the stage. I was also extremely tired and had harvest the following morning, so I almost cut out before they performed. I'm glad I stayed because they're set was energizing and lots of fun. The diversity of sound throughout the music kept me, and all the other Tuesday late night ragers, engaged up until Hozoji's screams that ended the set.

Check out Helms Alee at their Myspace page or at their Hydra Head Records page, where you can purchase their newest album, Weatherhead.

Before the Eyewall and 19ADD

2011-10-02T11:12:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday two vans filled with gear and instrumental three pieces pulled up to the Wealth Underground Farm in Portland, OR. Before the Eyewall (from Columbus, OH) and 19ADD (from Denver, CO) are both relatively unknown bands nationally, on tour to gain some exposure and to share their love for music with metal fans across the country. Though they play divergent brands of metal, Before the Eyewall crafting long songs that carry you across sonic landscapes, 19ADD pushing the limits of metal with strong technical playing that can make an individual of sound mind feel the need for medication, both readily shed formula songwriting, creating their sound through a process of experimentation. In that spirit of experiment and exploration, they agreed to visit the farm and take part in the inaugural Farm to Artist gathering.

Once the bands arrived around 1:30 pm, after driving down from Seattle where they had played a show the previous night and running errands in Portland, we took a walk around the farm. Though the Oregon skies unrelentingly nagged us with mist and rain, everybody was in high spirits as we walked through the rows of vegetables. We stopped and tasted some cherry tomatoes, which primed us for the meal. The rain picked up and we decided it was time for lunch, quickly moving inside where it was warm and dry and food awaited us.

The meal consisted of homemade corn bread, spicy cucumber and bean salad, grilled vegetables (carrots, summer squash, rutabaga, and sweet peppers) mixed with pasta and homemade pesto, a fried egg, and fresh apples. We had an excellent conversation that I recorded, which will be released near the end of the month as a podcast. The conversation mostly consisted of jokes and laughter but it is sprinkled with some serious and even profound moments.

After lunch we headed outside to say goodbyes when someone discovered the blueberry patch, which is nearly past producing but still contains many small, delicious berries. We spent some time eating blueberries, some of the guys found some of the Mongolian blackberry, and then we moved over to the champagne raspberries to complete the berry tasting trifecta. Sated, we took some pictures by the chickens and then parted ways. I went inside to clean the dishes as the bands headed on their way to Northern California and the Bay Area where they were going to camp for the night and then continue their tour.

Check out 19ADD's newest album Gaia here or on the bands website. Also, keep an eye on Before the Eyewall as they will be recording and releasing an album soon. Until then you can listen to their music on their myspace page.

The Beginning

2011-09-19T16:42:00.000-07:00

Content you will eventually find on this website:

-Information about the Farm to Artist project

-Recorded and visual content related to the project

-Information on the potential to participate in the project

Check back in the coming weeks for updates as this project lurches forward.