Review by Jason Meier
Photos by Matt Bechtold
(For all the photos, check our photo-spread spectacular!)

On September 10th at the legendary Bottleneck in Lawrence, an event took place that many people in the local music scene had been waiting a long time for. This was a show that I had been hearing about since June and was glad to see that it finally came to be. It was on this particular evening that the Creature Comforts were celebrating the release of their first CD, "Politics of Pop," on Noisome records.

I have personally been a fan of the Creature Comforts since they formed about 2½ years ago. (I was witness to the first couple of the shows this band ever played.)

This anxiously awaited show also had good support for the occasion as Matt Wilson, formerly of Trip Shakespeare, and the always-rocking Most Ultimate of Fakebooks did the opening honors.

The members Ultimate Fakebook include: Bill McShane - guitar and vocals; Nick Colby - bass and back-up vocals; and Eric Melin - drums. The band has been around for 3½ years, but Eric has been with them for only 2 years - since the devolution of another great Manhattan band from the past - Truck Stop Love. These guys play pop rock with a heavy edge to it, but as with all great pop bands,  their songs are also extremely catchy.

Their set for this most festive occasion was a mix of the old and the new. They played some of their classics, including "Far Far Away," "Soaked," and "Downstairs  in the Basement." They also played a couple of brand-new tunes entitled, "Of Course We Will" and "I'm All Out Of It Right Now." I thought the new songs were great a good sign of things to come.

Future plans for the Fakebook guys are to keep playing as many shows as they
can, and to continue to make efforts to get signed on a major label. They are hoping the next CD that they release will be the one. Right now, the Fakebook boys are
signed with local record label, Noisome, which simply serves as a means to help
get their music released. The only drawback with a label like Noisome is that they do very little in the way of distribution. The big goal for these guys is to be able to quit their day jobs and focus solely on their music. With the way things are going for them, I'm pretty sure they will be doing so in the very near future.

Future shows for Ultimate Fakebook include August 17th at the Bottleneck with Arthur Dodge & the Horsefeathers and The Previous; October 24th at the Hurricane with Danger Bob; and Halloween in Ames, Iowa also with Danger Bob. Then it's off to New York for the big show, which is as part of the CMJ Music Showcase on November 1st.

Everyone here at Synapsis wishes the guys the best of luck with this huge opportunity. For more info on Ultimate Fakebook, make sure to stop by and pay a visit to their official website at http://www.noisome.com/ufb/.

He is currently out in support of his newest record on Planetmaker Records entitled "Burnt, White and Blue," which was co-produced by Tom Garnel and Matt Wilson. The album was very low-tech and was recorded in the bands practice space. It showcases Matt's formidable songwriting talents as well as the talent of his fine band.

The members of the Matt Wilson Band are: Matt Wilson - guitar and vocals; Jacques Wait - guitar; Peter Van Dyke - bass; Eric Faucet - drums and vocals;  Steve Roehm - vibraphone; and Kristen Mooney - vocals and tambourine. The sound of the Matt Wilson Band is poppy with a bit of a twist. His influences include the Beatles, Alex Chilton, and pop radio of the 1970s. The twist in the band's sound is supplied by Steve Roehm and his vibraphone.

Mr. Roehm runs his vibraphone through guitar effects to achieve a very unique sound and it really adds an interesting and trippy twist to the music. That combined with Kristen Mooney's lovely backup-vocals and Matt's guitar playing add a lot to the band's unique sound.

But the best thing about Matt Wilson's music is his songwriting.

"I have some background in music, but I mostly write and go off what I hear," said Wilson. "I tend to write lyrics that move me and contain lots of emotion. The lyrics go right down the middle and reflect my tastes."

As for the band's performance, it left me with mixed feelings. The music was good, but the interaction with the crowd was kind of weak. I also felt that their set ran a little long and could have used a little bit more energy. At times it seemed that they were kind of going through the motions and not setting out to make the show a memorable experience. From this performance, one might think that this is a band that is much better on CD than they are live.

The band has been touring a lot since the CD has been released and they have played in the Lawrence and Kansas City area a bunch of times. "Minneapolis is very incomparable and unique in a lot of ways," said Wilson. "Lawrence is a magical little town that never seems to grow up. This is a good club and a good PA and we like playing here. Kansas City is similar to Lawrence, but it has a mall atmosphere to it. Iowa City is also fun to play, but it's not half as cool as Lawrence or Kansas City."

When asked about playing with Dan and John again from Trip Shakespeare, he
says that it could happen again down the road.

"We kind of got burned out a little bit, but we ended on very friendly terms," says Wilson. "We probably would have become really popular if we had stuck it out."

Future plans for Matt Wilson are to keep touring and pushing the CD through the end of the year. Upcoming shows for the band include: Oct. 23 at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis, MN; Oct. 24 in Duluth, MN at the Norshor Theater w/ Gild, DJ Starfire; Nov. 1 in Chicago, IL at Schubas; Nov. 3 in Philadelphia, PA Upstairs at Nick's; Nov. 7 in New York at Brownies; Nov. 20 in Decorah, IA at Luther College; Nov. 21 in Madison, WI at The Rathskellar.

Also make sure to stop and pay a visit by Matt's website at http://www.mattwilson.com/ and also pick up a copy of the CD "Burnt, White and Blue" at your local record store. The CD does the band much more justice than their live show.

Finally, the reason that this show took place took their rightful place on stage. I have been following the Creature Comforts since the band first formed, and even attended a couple of the band's very early shows. The band has been working on this CD for quite a while, and I know that they are glad to finally have it out in stores. The band consists of former members of Stick, Crutch, Action Man and The Glitter  Kicks.

The members of this band are: Chris Tolle - guitar and lead vocals; Brian  Everard - bass; and Billy Brimblecom - drums, glockenspiel and backing vocals.

Billy and Chris have had the band for a year and a half and Brian has been with them for almost that entire time. There are definite elements of each of these guys' former bands present in the Creature Comforts sound. These guy play some great pop rock, but also know how to rock-out hard. Most of the songs have a very raucous edge to them, and you can't help but enjoy it. The songs are the type that you can sing along to as soon as you learn the words to them. The band dressed for the occasion, as always, sporting some very stylish threads.

The band hit the stage like a house of fire with a song dedicated to the University of Kansas entitled "Strong Hall," and didn't stop for the next hour. They played 8 of the 10 songs off of the album and also a couple of tunes I had never heard before. Set highlights included the aforementioned "Strong Hall," as well as "Sincerely Me," "Save Our Ship," "Sentimental Bliss" and "Charmed I'm Sure."

Of course, there's also the title track, "The Politics of Pop," which features vocals from fellow local rocker, Tawni Freeland. Tawni joined the guys on stage for this one, much to the delight of all. The other thing I like about these guys is that they do project a lot of energy on stage, and seem to be having a good time and enjoying themselves while they entertain.

Upcoming shows for the Creature Comforts include: Oct. 29 at Auntie Mae's in Manhattan, KS w/ The Glitter Kicks; Devil's Night (Oct. 30) at The Liebrary in Emporia, KS w/ Exit 159; and a Halloween in-store at 7th Heaven in Lawrence, KS.

Also make sure to visit the new website for the Creature Comforts at http://www.noisome.com/cc/.  

I highly recommend that you not only go see these guys if they come near you, but  I also highly recommend that you go to your nearest record store and pick up  "Politics of Pop" on the Noisome record label. And while you're at it, also make sure  to get a copy of "Burnt, White and Blue" by Matt Wilson on the Planetmaker label  and "Electric Kissing Parties" by Ultimate Fakebook (also on Noisome).

Keep tuned here to Synapsis for a full review of "Politics of Pop," and keep an eye on our calendars for all three of these great bands.

Jason Meier can be reached for comments and questions at
jason@synapsis.net.