Intonation Fest was a mind-blowing array of sounds and musical perspectives. I had the sweet luck of being on stage to move 80 lb. Fender Twins, Marshall Stacks, and big hunking Ampeg rigs for a couple of days. I also got to hear some pretty cool things:
“I tried to get Rhymefest to join me during my set, but his throat was hurting. That would have been the weirdest supergroup ever: Glenn Kotche on drums, Benmont Tench on keys, Rhymefest and me.”
—Jon Brion after his mostly one-man musical juggling act. He WAS joined by Glenn Kotche and Benmont Tench – a power trio.
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“Aww man, I liked that piano”
—Tom Petty keyboardist Benmont Tench, after Jon Brion reverse mule-kicked a miniature tack piano, causing it to collapse backwards taking two microphones and a synthesizer with it.
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“It’s a fucking Squire!!!”
—Crowd member after he caught the guitar of Jimmy Hollywood of Chicago’s favorite punk trainwrecks, the Tyrades. The guitar had already received an incredibly painful-looking bare-knuckle beating by its master before being jettisoned 30 feet above the crowd’s heads. After making a miraculous catch the fan immediately turned, walked ten paces and tossed the bloodied guitar into a garbage barrel. Postscript: he went back and retrieved it.
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