About Matt Leingang

Matt Leingang is a native of Mandan, North Dakota. He graduated from Mandan Senior High School in 2005. He is pursuing a degree in Mass Communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead with dual emphases in print and photojournalism. He enjoys covering do-it-yourself culture, alternative lifestyles and grassroots organizations and movements. His involvements in this blog were part of the requirements for a "Writing for the Web" class in Fall 2010. He is scheduled to graduate in Spring 2011.

For the record

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Matt Leingang

A pensive grin forms on Alex Stillman’s face as she peruses a bin of used records at Vintage Vinyl. She can be seen determinedly biting her lower lip as she makes her way through thousands of records. Stillman has been collecting vinyl for nearly ten years, an anomaly for most 22-year-olds even amidst the recent record-collecting boom.

Alex Stillman searches for a hidden gem

Records for a reason

“I started to buy records because the music I wanted to listen to wasn’t available in any other medium,” Stillman said, “And I continued to buy them for the superior sound quality, plus they used to be really cheap.”

New Territory

A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Stillman’s quench for records was easily quelled given the city’s many record stores that can be both astute and genre-specific. While visiting friends in Fargo, she takes the opportunity to cover new territory.

“Different towns offer a different variety,” Stillman said. “It’s fun to go through the bins at places you’ve never been to.”

Phat Kat Antiques

Stop number one

Phat Kat Antiques and Vintage Vinyl looks nothing more than a quaint, steel-sided warehouse from the outside. A few seemingly vintage items near the building’s entrance begin to hint that something unconventional lies through the door. The store within serves as a pseudo museum of items running the gamut of pop culture and war memorabilia and everything in between.

Stillman hurriedly works her way through the “Punk/Alternative” section before owner Shannon Grindberg informs her that the “New Arrivals” section contains many more punk gems that he has not had time to sort yet.

Inside Phat Kat

Smart shopping

Within an hour Stillman had narrowed her gaze to three LPs: An original pressing of the self-titled debut by 80s British alt rockers The Smiths and original pressings of “Suck and Bloat” and “Pure Swank” by longtime Tampa, Flo., punks Pink Lincolns.

Because each release was near the $30 mark, she opted to go to a friend’s house to check the price estimations online before making the purchase.

“I found out the records were almost double the price,” Stillman said. “I went back to the store to try to bargain but didn’t get that far because it was the store’s policy to not accept out-of-state checks.”

Orange Records

Stop number two

A bit dejected, Stillman decided that Orange Records would be her next stop. Orange, opened in July 2007 by entrepreneur Matt Oland, caters to a younger generation with thousands of new records and CDs, while still carrying classic reissues and used selections. Orange also includes a considerable section focusing on local artists.

Inside Orange Records

Perceived differences

“I was more comfortable in Orange,” Stillman said. “I like their used section and I carried a conversation with the owner the whole time I was there.”

Stillman spent a combined $21 on two LPs at Orange. A repressing of paramount hardcore band Minor Threat’s “Complete Discography” LP on green vinyl, and a reissue of 60s garage purveyors The Sonics “Here Are the Sonics.”

Check out the stores yourself:

Orange Records

641 1st Ave. N Fargo

701-478-6240

www.facebook.com/orangerecordsfargo

Phat Kat Antiques & Vintage Vinyl

1501 1st Ave  Fargo, ND 58103

701-367-5999

http://phatkatantiques.com/

FMCBW: the year in review

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Matt Leingang

The old shop on First Avenue north

The Fargo-Moorhead Community Bicycle Workshop has maintained a community workspace since December 2007. It was formed by an array of socially conscious individuals to meet a need identified by the nation’s homeless population: transportation.

Collective member Joseph Curry

They do their part

Armed with the expedient sentiment of “Bringing pedal power to the people, in the shop and on the streets,” FMCBW collective members and volunteers have logged thousands of hours of shop time and have provided hundreds of area residents with reliable transportation, fundamental knowledge and a sense of community that may have previously been unknown.

It’s not about the money

FMCBW functions on a non-profit basis and has since its inception. The collective operates free from money-grubbing pitfalls of the capitalist structure. FMCBW espouses anti-oppression politics and maintains an anti-racist, anti-sexist, class-conscious and queer and gender inclusive community space.

Crafterday

In 2010, FMCBW introduced Crafterday, a Saturday afternoon event where patrons gather at the workshop to create. This has included but is not limited to self-sewn cycling caps and messenger bags, a variety of knitted items, and even giant-sized Scrabble pieces.

Collective member Judith Caroline

Community support

The collective held a fundraiser on March 20, at The Aquarium in downtown Fargo, that raised approximately $1,000 to benefit the workshop.

In the streets

In August, the collective partnered with Great Northern Bicycle Company and the Plains Art Museum to put on Streets Alive, a one-week event with bikes, art and community activities.

Community-mindedness

I first set foot in the workshop in mid-January 2010. I’d been lazy for much of the previous fall and decided it was time to do something productive, something to benefit the community. I was greeted by a collective member and put to work overhauling an old Schwinn Cruiser to be sold as a fundraiser bike.

Friendly faces for great photos

After a couple weeks of volunteering, I began to note how photogenic the space was. I started to bring my camera with me. On slower days I’d spend the three-hour shift shooting, but as winter turned to spring, I often put my camera down to lend a hand.

A new beginning

The collective recently relocated to 209 NP Avenue in downtown Fargo. The space is bigger than the previous one as well as more practical. Regular shop hours will resume in November:

Monday: Volunteer Night 6 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday: Women and Women-Identified Night 6 to 9 p.m.

Tuesdays & Thursdays: Open Shop 6 to 9 p.m.

Sundays: Open Shop 2 to 5 p.m.

Peelander-Z bewilder crowd

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Matt Leingang

“How do you like your steak?”

“Medium rare!”

This exchange would generally indicate an overzealous customer’s preference of cooked meat at the Texas Roadhouse, but on Oct. 18, at The Aquarium in downtown Fargo, it meant something entirely different: Peelander-Z was in town.

Peelander-Z, a self-described “Japanese action comic punk band,” have carved a niche for themselves through outlandish performances complete with color-coded aliases, an array of costumes and contra dancing.

Galactical allegations

The band claims to be from the “Z area of Planet Peelander,” though members Kengo Hioki (AKA Peelander-Yellow, lead vocals and guitar) and Kotaro Tsukada (AKA Peelander-Red, bass and backing vocals) are natives of Japan. However, the band was formed in 1998 in New York City, where the group is still based. Akihiko Naruse (AKA Peelander-Green, drums) joined them on drums in July 2008 after former drummer Kazuki Yamamoto (AKA Peelander-Blue) left after being married.

FUP and The Guys collaborate

The locals are loko

To match Peelander’s absurdist behavior, local openers FUP and The Guys faced off in a “battle set.” After FUP, a duo that sings nonsensical lyrics over simplistic and pre-recorded music, performed one of their original songs, The Guys would immediately follow them and cover the same song with live instruments in a typical four-piece band arrangement. At the end of the battle the two groups collaborated for a final number…another FUP song. Hilarity was high even before Peelander took the stage near midnight.

Let the games begin

From the onset, Peelander was successful in making a crowd of about 30 feel five times as big. Simple dancing and hand motions gave way to full-fledged chaos. Peelander-Green stood on the drums with a tag board sign that read “Mad Tiger” and soon after Peelander-Red slipped into a giant squid costume and jumped into the crowd. Peelander-Yellow followed suit, purveyor of the all mighty tiger mask. Peelander-Green and Peelander-Yellow then incited a game of limbo with the audience, walking back and forth between the walls with a length of an unknown material, likely from the Z area of Planet Peelander.

Raucous not righteous

Peelander’s merchandise seller, presumably Peelander-Pink, joined the lone touring guitarist on stage as the three official Peelandarians spurred the crowd into a dancing circle, part bunny hop, part drunken stumble.

Peelander-Red avoided the confines of the stage for over half the set by using a wireless guitar system. The dancing circle converged on Red and the raucous crowd lifted him within inches of the ceiling.

The band powered through gimmicky and hilariously titled songs after Peelander-Red returned to the stage. They remained onstage for an amazing (for them) ten minutes blazing through such anomalies as “Ninja High School,” “Super Health” and the aforementioned “S.T.E.A.K.”

More Hijinks

More tag board signs were held up signaling their final act. A sign reading “Guitarist needed” was followed by similar signs substituting “Guitarist” with “Bassist” and “Drummer,” respectively. Members of FUP and The Guys were called onstage to fill in on the instruments as the Peelander-Yellow transformed via costume into a human bowling pin while Peelander-Red returned to his role as the giant squid.

FUP filling in for Peelander-Z

A precarious game of “human bowling” followed. Ten pins were set up on the floor below the front of the stage. The crowd cheered as the giant squid rolled through the pins, a perfect strike, and the human bowling pin jumped fervently, blinded by the costume.

Bemusement at bar close

The Peelandarians distributed drumsticks and aluminum bowls to the crowd and returned to the stage to play their final song. The crowd, bemused and merry, banged along to the final notes, honorary members of the Z area of Planet Peelander.

Human Baggage parlay Fargo

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Matt Leingang

Justin Bohmer of 19XX

Monday nights in downtown Fargo are not exactly notorious for being chock full of non-stop good times. This is especially true when it comes to a good punk show.

When I got a phone call in late August from a member of the Oakland-based band Human Baggage my instincts told me that I should probably tell them to spend the night driving through to Montana.

I instinctively ignored my instincts and had a show for them booked in the basement of the VFW building in downtown Fargo within a couple days.

Off to an early a late start

10 p.m.: I arrived at the VFW approximately 30 minutes before show time to help set up the PA that I’d borrowed from local band Ceiling Walker. We worked together to scrounge up extension cords, lights and speakers that were lying around the basement’s main room and adjacent storage space.

10:15 p.m.: Professionals we were not, but with a little work the stage, or rather dance hall floor, was ready and set for the night’s festivities. It was only a matter of playing the waiting game to find out if any would show up.

10:45 p.m.: About 10 people were mingling in the basement casually sipping on $3.25 cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, while another 10 huddled outside with cigarettes in hand, as Ceiling Walker made final adjustments before commencing the night’s festivities.

Let the show begin

11:00 to 11:30 p.m.: Ceiling Walker pounded through their brand of heavy and intricate hardcore. Fiery riffs led into melodic interludes with anguished yelling interspersed throughout. Guitarist Clint Kliewer and drummer James Dravitz exuded a noted awkwardness between songs though the minimal stage banter was about to be starkly contrasted by the next act, locals 19XX.

Clint Kliewer of Ceiling Walker

11:50 p.m. to 12:20 a.m. About an hour prior to the beginning of their set, I walked by 19XX guitarist Chris Martini teaching some songs to fill-in bassist James Osborne. The direness of the situation was explained moments before their first song. Vocalist Justin Bohmer explained that Osborne had taken on duties as tonight’s bass player about three hours before the show.

Nevertheless the four-piece, joined by drummer Matt Novak, launched into a hilariously unrehearsed cover of Judas Priests’ “Breakin’ the Law.” The song ended about 90 seconds later.

Chris Martini of 19XX

From there, the group attempted to tackle covers of other Fargo punk bands, some of which were former and current endeavors of 19XX members. After taking a seat in bar stools that were dragged on-stage to “bring things down a little,” Martini and Bohmer performed “Taco Bells are everywhere,” a duet consisting of lyrical imagery from the movie “Demolition Man.” Osborne stood idle the whole time unaware of what chords were being played.

By this time the crowd of about 25 was laughing louder than the band was playing.

“This song is about ‘Demolition Man’ too,” Martini said, “and that’s ‘t-o-o,’ as in ‘also.’”

Following the second song about “Demolition Man,” a microphone stand flew across the room spilling a full beer in the process. Bohmer ran to pick it up and then rushed back to the front to finish their closing song, another attempt at “Breakin’ the Law.”

Bohmer and Martini perform "Taco Bells are everywhere"

Please direct your attention to the main stage dance floor

In good spirits, the crowd dispersed as Human Baggage prepared to play the final set of the night.

In talking to drummer Jaime Clark on the phone, she struck me as a becoming individual. Her politeness was one of the main factors in motivating me to get the show booked. As a local promoter for underground punk shows since 2006, I have dealt with bands who seemed ungrateful and acted as if playing Fargo was a waste of their time. Human Baggage was not one of these bands.

12:40 to 1:15 a.m.: The crowd was instantly enthralled from the first moments of Human Baggage’s set. Clark and guitarist Nick Wortham craft a unique blend of punk and avant-garde elements leaning heavily toward no wave.

Twigs & Mud – Human Baggage

Nick Wortham (foreground) and Jaime Clark of Human Baggage

The duo’s male and female vocals worked separately and together to create an abrasive presence. The pounding drums kept an anxious rhythm while the caustic guitar carried the melody.

Two Cities – Human Baggage

Members of the audience yelled for more songs at the end of their set at which time the band divulged that they had played all seven or eight songs that they knew. People descended on their merchandise table shortly thereafter to purchase t-shirts and cassettes.

1:25 to 1:35 a.m.: In another group effort, we worked to dispose of the empty beer cans that littered the space and returned the stage and sound equipment to their respective places.

On my way out, I talked to bartender Paul Evans who worked in the basement that night. He was apologetic that more people hadn’t shown up but I assured him that the band had and would be taken care of.

Human Baggage

I raced up the steps and out into the back alley where some show attendees lingered as Human Baggage loaded their equipment into their van. It was discussed earlier that they wouldn’t mind spending the night in town and I offered them the basement of my house.

The Monday night in Fargo turned out better than I expected, and as I walked down the alley to The Empire for last call, I knew it wasn’t over yet.

____________________________________________________________________

Cheap Girls are worth the money

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Matt Leingang

The Aquarium in downtown Fargo hosts a minimal crowd of seemingly disenfranchised 20-somethings, those looking for rest and recovery in the form of rock and roll and spiced rum on this Wednesday night. The small crowd is huddled in its cliques while those downstairs at Dempsey’s are oblivious to it all. The more curious of them will trickle upstairs at some point during the night.

Lansing, Michigan’s Cheap Girls is sandwiched on the bill between local pop punkers The Babysitter’s Club and blues rockers Hacienda of San Antonio. A perfectly good bill for any Wednesday night.

Warriors of the open road

Cheap Girls play an infectious brand of power pop with a punk edge ala Dinosaur Jr., Superchunk and Smoking Popes. Brothers Ben and Ian Graham, drummer and bassist/vocalist respectively, formed the band in 2007. Guitarist Adam Aymor joins the two.

Though they’ve toured the United States and England, this is their first night in Fargo. Their last show was in Missoula, Mont., two days prior, a nearly thousand-mile drive. They opted to take a day off and camp in eastern Montana to break up the drive. This haul was indicative of the first few days of their two-week tour.

“In two weeks we covered as much distance as most bands would take a month to,” Ian Graham said.

A long journey well worth the trip

From their home in Michigan they headed west hitting spots in Illinois, Kansas, Colorado and Arizona before reaching San Diego. The four-day trek was made in order to reach San Diego in time to play Awesome Fest.

In its fourth year, Awesome Fest hosts over 50 bands and a few hundred people over one weekend.

Though they only made it in time to play the final night, they were anything but disappointed.

Fun at the fests

After Awesome Fest the band headed up the West Coast to Portland where they played Music Fest Northwest. MFNW hosts over 150 bands and 20,000 people. Unlike Awesome Fest, they aren’t specific to punk music and cover a wide variety of genres. This year’s headliners included The Smashing Pumpkins, Sleep, Panda Bear and The Decemberists.

In late October the band is slated to play The Fest 9 in Gainesville, Fla, for the third time. The Fest is notorious for being an event where punks from across the country and world take the streets of humble, college-town Gainesville.

“Last year was crazy,” Ben Graham said, “I remember standing in the doorway of a hotel room, we were just drinking beer, but other people were doing awful things to the room.”

Nothing beats a small crowd

Festivals and debauchery aside, Cheap Girls played a notably more sober set in Fargo to a notably smaller crowd. Blazing through a 12-song set in 30 minutes, they kept the audience attentive.

“Tonight’s show was great,” Ian Graham said, “We’ll play anywhere: basements, art spaces, small clubs, big venues. But small clubs like this are always my favorite because it’s like the places we hang out in at home.”

Cheap Girls Fargo stop was the last of their two-week tour. Ahead of them another nearly thousand-mile drive back to Lansing.