Can O' Worms weekend unleashed on local scene

Fans squeezed into Russian Recording for the finale of the Can O’ Worms Rock ‘N’ Roll Weekend, and the room was packed tighter than a tin of sardines.

Tammar’s music spilled from the stage for its record release performance. The music rose to the high ceiling and bounced off the softly lit blue walls with acoustical clarity as old film footage was projected behind the band.

Bloomington local Thomas Hartnett said he pre-ordered Tammar’s new album, “Visits,” but was eager to see the band live again.

“This is a really exciting scene,” Hartnett said. “It’s great to see bands getting attention.”

Another music scene fan and Bloomington local, Ryan Interland, was likewise enthused.

He described Tammar’s music as a combination of The Velvet Underground and Echo & The Bunnymen.

“The masses are noticing them,” Interland said.

Tammar was followed by Open Sex, the final band of the night. With Open Sex, you “never know what’s going to happen,” Interland said.

The band employs an open format — as its name implies — with fresh, varied music
for each performance, Interland said.

Numerous bands, many of which are based in Bloomington, came together for the music festival.

Eager attendees were pulled back and forth between Magnetic South and Russian Recording to see all the acts Saturday.

The night before, red and green lights illuminated Haley Fohr’s face for the opening act at Magnetic South.

She swayed slowly, and her feather earrings shook, but her arm flew up and down in a blur as she strummed her guitar for her solo project, “Circuit Des Yeux.”

Junior Greg Simpson, who backed Fohr on guitar along with Clarke Joyner on drums, loaded his instrument into its coffin-shaped case at the act’s conclusion.

The band’s mostly been touring, and this was its second local show, Simpson said.
“It’s a tight-knit musical community,” Simpson said. “I’ve lived here five years, and it’s always been very open.”

Circuit Des Yeux was followed by *Ask, a recently formed cover band with Paul Mahern of Zero Boys fame. Next was Landlord, described by the program as a “Bloomington riff-rock band” to make the audience remember “a time when the term Alternative Rock actually meant something.”

Friday’s musical night ended with Sir Deja Doog and the Wasted Knights, which covered well-known rock classics in addition to its original tunes.

People danced and twisted to the music, from Van Morrison’s “Gloria” to The Coasters’ “Poison Ivy,” shouting lyrics back to the band.    

“There’s more of a dialogue between the audience and the performers,” Hartnett said.
Sir Deja Doog said he had been knighted by Seth Mahern, one of the Can O’ Worms organizers and member of Apache Dropout, which played Saturday. He defined his music as “frat-rock” of the 1960s.

Inspired by such bands as the Kingsmen and the Wailers, the band “seeks to re-imagine the energy and vision of those bands,” Sir Deja Doog said.

He said he likes to have music rooted in a sort of history. His band “takes rock ‘n’ roll standards and makes them accessible,” Sir Deja Doog said.

A number of other bands attracted crowds to Magnetic South, Landlocked Music and Russian Recording: Vacation Club, Jerome & the Psychics, Cro Magnon, Charlie & the Skunks, 3 Man Band, Eric & the Happy Thoughts and Apache Dropout.

The second year of Can O’ Worms was as full and varied as the last and encouraged people to explore Bloomington’s musical landscape.

“This is a lot of fun,” Harnett said. “There’s great
energy.”