thejoncohenexperimental

Life Is A Carnival…

thejcex — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:00:52 +0000

The Band…

Festival Season is upon us now.. I can feel it now when I walk through the streets of my fine city, seeing gazebos go up, stages erected, bustling activity, musicians with guitars slung on their backs treading the pavements. Street Poles and streetlights are well clothed by layers upon layers of posters that cover them up from top to bottom, not much vacancy there. Yes, fest season is in the air! It seems there are more festivals than bands out there nowadays, especially in Montreal which had become a regular carnival starting this weekend and going until october literally non-stop. I can proudly say on my end that I am happy to have been able to contribute to an already over saturated market as far as music festival go. I have been working on the One Man Band Festival which kicks off in exactly 5 days now!

I’m super excited and super nervous at the same time to put on this mega-event which now boasts close to 60 ombs. But I believe in my heart of hearts that it will be a success. How could it not be with the amount of effort we have put into it? (heh heh ..famous last words) the amount of love we have poured into making this unique event into a regular Carnival of variety, of ingenuity and most of all OF FUN!! I’m sure all you who can make it to Montreal next weekend for this one of a kind ONE MAN BAND FESTIVAL (the 2nd ) will be the better for it.

ALL SCHEDULES FOR THE FESTIVAL FROM THURSDAY MAY 23 TO SUNDAY MAY 26 HERE!!

You can check out our storefront window at Phonopolis and interview for the Fest with Midnight Poutine, Voir Montreal , Journal 24 Heures , Hot Soupe , Cult Mtl, Info Culture, The Gazette and more to come!

Below is an interview I did for Pop Montreal which talks in great detail about how this whole fest came about , and who some of my favourite picks to check out are for this year in case you feel you need some orientation. I hope beyond all hope to see you all there come in great numbers like the families who flock to the travelling roadshow when it comes to town, so the One Man Band Fest comes to the beacon that is Montreal to celebrate diversity, variety, to admire, accept, support and tickle the fringes of Pop Culture. Life is A Carnival and I’m cordially inviting you to mine!

Now Speaking of Pop..

ONE MAN BAND FESTIVAL // INTERVIEW WITH JON COHEN

One Man Band Festival will be kicking off its second edition next weekend with one sick lineup featuring The World Provider, Bloodshot Bill, and many more. POP spoke to founder Jon Cohen (also from The Jon Cohen Experimental) about how the festival came along, the peeps we should watch out for this year, and his all-time favourite one mand band.

What’s the story behind the festival? How did the idea first come about?

I was fronting a band for five years when we decided to break up. It felt like yet another defeat of trying to make it work as a band failing because of too many different agendas and egos mixed in with no pay, no glory etc. I felt just about ready to pack the whole thing in. But one day, I found a second hand looper pedal on craigslist. I had seen Final Fantasy put on a full orchestra sound of very complex pop music, completely alone at the Ukrainian Federation a few years before and I was totally inspired by him. So on a whim, I decided to reinvent my sound and performance using all kinds of equipment, live loopers, samplers and triggers. Next thing you know, I was on tour on a greyhound bus worldwide across 15 countries dragging a 70-pound suitcase on wheels from city to city. The new Jon Cohen Experimental, a one-man show, was born.

For me, it came to a point where it was do or die. I took my career into my own hands. I had much more freedom this way, to do the kind of show I wanted. Best part is that there was no one to argue with on the tour bus! (laughs) But I had to work harder than I ever had on my music and my performance. There was there was no more hiding behind a band. It’s all eyes on you.

I also discovered in the next two years of constant touring was that there were many other solo artists, one-(wo)man bands out there doing the same as me. I saw Lonesome Organistliterally shake his crowd into a frenzy. I saw Scott. H Biram and Bob Log III blow everyone away with the most insane rock soul music ever. I saw (Maschine) a guy who made instruments out of old xerox printing machines!

What struck me the most out of all these acts was their variety, their ingenuity and multi-tasking. It got me thinking how amazing it would be to put on an event that would bring them all together, as a celebration of all that is different, original and on the fringes of pop culture. I came home from a European tour last April 2012, determined to make it happen. And so the first One Man Band Fest was born.

It was a small affair, 23 artists, three venues over three nights, but it was a total success. The shows were so varied and amazing. It had this beautiful carnival-esque quality.

That’s why we are doing it again. We want to make this an annual thing because we’ve only just begun to scratch the surface of what’s out there.

The festival is now going into its second year. How is this edition different than the previous one?

Last year was more like an experiment. It was about gauging the artistic relevance of an event like this in Montreal. It was small and humble and whipped together in just two months with the help and enthusiasm of the artists, the volunteers, the media, and the venues.

This year is very different in many ways. For one it’s much bigger. I wanted to sprout this thing quickly. I thought go big or go home. This year we have 50 one man and woman bands from all over the world and spanning all musical genres. We have more people involved in organizing it too. Interns and volunteers have just been stellar. We have between three and six shows a night over 4 nights (may 23-26). We have a free looping workshop and artist panel on touring solo. We have two documentary crews capturing this one of a kind party, of which one is for the BBC, with Tom Ravenscroft, (son of John Peel). We have a book sale, an outdoor barbecue party, a documentary screening on one man bands, a closing night, all free!

The vision behind this fest is to convey to one man bands, struggling solo artists, audiences and those curious about the concept that this is high art, and that their output and your support combined will be a precious contribution to the cultural landscape.

How would you describe this year’s lineup?

This year, we are presenting a roster of over 50 local to international one-man bands whose sounds cover the entire spectrum of musical genres. From traditional dick van dyke-style fanfare one-man bands and eighties reject beatpunk looper-junkies to grease slicking/rockabilly guitar-shredding, drumming all-in-ones and vicious vinyl vigilantes. It’s a total buffet for the senses, musically and visually. Expect tons of variety, high-energy performances, and killer lineups. Now go block it off on your calendars.

What shows are you most excited to see?

That’s a tough question…I don’t like to play favourites and it all depends on what you’re into. If you were on borrowed time, I’d say check out Shake it Like a Caveman, whose name could not be more apt; Steve Hill who has rekindled my love for the blues; Boxwood from Florida, who has been on heavy rotation at the OMBF headquarters; Laura Barrett who, with voice and kalimba, will sink you into pure bliss; Thomas Truax from Berlin who plays the “sister spinster” and “mother superior”, instruments plucked right out of a Tim Burton film; Royer’s One Man Band, if you close your eyes, you’d think you’re hearing a bluegrass band; Clara Venice, the playmate theremin queen; and the gypsy dance punk / tap dancer from Chicago (Thrill Jockey) The Lonesome Organist which you should absolutely catch. He IS the one-man Gogol Bordello.

Which artists should we watch out for?

I’d say a good thing to do would be to invest in discovering new talents. They are on the bill because they blew us away and we want them to do the same for you. Check out Matt Dorgan Project, Mountain Marc Charron, Sam Klass, Washboard Hank, DJ Drumkit, Xania,Pang Attack, Bird Radio, André Daneau, The Kettle Black, Lederhosen Lucil, andBooks on Tape (Alien 8) who’ll be smashing laptops on a dancefloor near you at the OMB punk-disco vogue after party at Sundari late saturday night (May 25).

Who’s your absolute favourite solo artist of all time?

Lately, I’ve been listening to TrinTran who sounds like the OMB version of B52’s meets Kraftwerk and who is now on tour with Ty Segall. I’ve also been really into Reggie Watts lately. What he does is so unique, original and yet so simple. His personality shines through in his performance and that’s what this is all about. Crossing our fingers for having him on in 2014!

Don’t miss One Man Band Festival, May 23rd to 26th. Find all the info here.

It’s Been A Hard Day’s Night…

thejcex — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:21:33 +0000

The Beatles…

It’s been a few months now that I’ve written to all you “die-hard ” fans , heh heh, and it seems like I’m apologizing quite often for having put down the gauntlet of the JCEX for a while but this time I’ve got a perfectly good excuse. After a few years of constant touring, I came back to Montreal and started the One Man Band Fest. Now I don’t recommend doing this at all if you’re just bored. If you have an insane suicidal tendency and want to explore it through hard work, stress and sleepless nights with absolutely no payoff, this is for you! Ok I’m not selling this very well, so I think its best to start at the beginning, recapitulate the last year in a nutshell and climax to the culmination which is yet to happen in May.

The jist of it is, boy goes on tour, boy meets girl on tour, boy falls madly in love and brings girl back to Canada, then boy creates 3 day music festival for one man bands, festival 1st year is smashing, boy is happy so boy decides to undertake a 2nd year of the festival, this time inviting 50+ artists to play his fest. Boy spends the entire year organizing, garnering sponsorship, promoting, delegating, emailing, learning, collecting, postering etc etc. And now boy is getting ready for fest May 23rd to 26th…. oh boy!

Since my last post I was in Mexico on a beautiful little atoll called Isla Holbox in the northern Yucatan overlooking the gulf to the north and the Caribbean to the east. Life was peaceful there, the birds were my friends, I had a date with the sunset at 5:30pm every day on the water. I was at peace. Ever since coming back its been a maelstrom of preparation to put the festival together and I never looked back unfortunately. Since then my biggest challenge was finding and securing a headline artists which is no small feat. Basically music is a money game, the more you have the more people do take notice (I guess you could say the same about anything really). I learned this the hard way, because I was often getting shut down from artists’ agents because I simply couldn’t offer them enough guarantees. In this buisness, you have to really be ready to take a risk on certain shows otherwise no one’s gonna take notice. An old saying creeps up which rings truer to me today than ever…Go big or go home.

But I’m not going home, I’m never one to give up or to step down from a challenge. Onwards we march! My vision for this 2nd year of the fest was to get a few bigger name artists to garner the promotional weight to get people to come out and discover all the amazing unknown artists they didn’t intend to see. Big acts will act as an umbrella for all the other smaller acts. I am proud to say I am doing just that with an amazing lineup this year (see below)! We were fortunate to get over 350 submissions of so much amazing talent this year and sifting through them was no easy feat! Many got turned away not because they weren’t good but because we simply couldn’t accommodate them as space is limited. If I survive this year’s fest and am crazy enough to do it again, I plan to have more venues involved, more promoters and finally more money to back the whole thing. I keep half-joking to my girlfriend that if these shows don’t do well I’m gonna have an army of 50 angry one man bands chasing after me around town to break my legs! Ha! That would be poetic justice!

At the risk of overstepping lyrical authority, It HAS been a hard day’s night and I HAVE been working like a dog getting this organized. But I’m happy to report that the fest is growing quite beautifully. I’ve poured my own blood sweat and tears into this beast andI really hope beyond hope, and pray beyond prayer that something inside each and every one of you dear, lovely readers, will spark and make you decide to come check out this one of a kind (and I mean that) event. We’re talking about a One Man Band Festival here! A musical party that is exclusive to solo artists, one man bands. Come on people, does it GET more interesting than this?

The 2nd Annual One Man Band Festival in Montreal

50 Artists – 10 Venues – 4 Days – 2 Workshops – 1 Festival

MAY 23-26TH IN MONTREAL!

Get yourself a ticket or two online at www.onemanbandfest.com best bucks you ever spent!

Here’s the Festival Facebook Page, event, you can just join and you’ll be eligible to win 2 free festival passes.

Steve Hill • Paul Cargnello • Bloodshot Bill • Laura Barrett • Chris Velan • Thomas Truax • Wax Mannequin • Montag • Lederhosen Lucil • Lonesome Organist • Books On Tape • World Provider • Washborad Hank • Echo Beach- Marc Charron • Ira Lee • Flow Child • Magical Cloudz • lgyn-Skye – Flow Child- Magical Cloudz • Jenny Omnichord • Delta Will • Ana Bon Bon • Sam Klass • Jesse Dangerously • Shake It Like A Caveman • The Kettle Black • DJ Drumkit and many more (see full lineup here).

Fast becoming the most unique event in Montreal’ summer festival calendar, The One Man Band Fest brings you 4 nights of original performances catering to all musical tastes. Since our inception in 2012, we’ve sought to create a unique music event that celebrates the talents and creativity of one-wo/man bands. These are solo performers the likes of multiple instrumentalists, loop artists, singer-songwriters, djs and more. For reasons of creative expression, financial limitations and technology, artists today are finding new ways to express themselves alone. For one weekend in May, we provide an arena in which a community of artists and art lovers can come together to share their passion. This festival aims to showcase and support the one man/woman band phenomenon. Expected attendance in the thousands.

Further info, schedules and ticket purchase information attached with in press release or by going to our website or on our Facebook Page,

TICKETS ON SALE NOW: Single show tickets $10 – $20 Festival Passes (access to all shows) $65.

Click to view slideshow.

Just Another Day With You, You And Me in Paradise…

thejcex — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:19:27 +0000

Phil Collins…

Never has any Phil Collins song (or any song for that matter) been more apt in describing my experience nowadays on Isla Holbox, a tiny little island community in the northern most point of the Yucatan Penninsula of Mexico. I´ve been holed up on this island for five days now with my galpal Lisa. We landed last week in Cancun and couchsurfed there for 1.5 days. We never hit the beach there because the both of us are weary of that kind of overcrowded, expensive and annoying type of beach life that is so cherished by the world of the un-original. Those who have but one week to spare and need every detail taken care of can come here to lounge and turn off their brain for the week. But that isn´t my trip. the Cancun beach town lacks culture, detail, and peace. The worst of the American dream under palm trees. Why should I need to walk through a hotel to reach a beach anyway? there is no other way in the zona hoteleria of Cancun, the mega hotels OWN the beach.

Instead we decided to learn about Cancun city life. We stayed with a mexican family, three girls, Briza, Her mom Raquel and their daughter Maya. They had three pets, two dogs and one cat. All were females. It was pretty funny being that I was the only man in there. Lisa and I hit the streets and had our first Quesedillia at a stand, also fresh orange juice! The second evening there we hit the streets again and went of on what Lisa and I dubbed our ¨Streetfood Safari”. This event consisted of trying everything sold on littlefood counters on the streets. Quesedillas, tacos, Choletas, Tamales, Pombasas, Bebidas, and our favorite, Quibris! Food is cheap on the street and oh so yummy! Restaurants in general are much more expensive.

Our host Briza, originally from Mexico City told us that we were definitely right on the button by deciding to go to Isla Holbox for our stay here as it is a magical place. Holbox is the northernmost island off the coast and can be reached by ferry (10 minutes) we took a loud bus with loud mexican music playing from Cancun (all clichés seem to come true here) and hit the coast. It was a muggy and hot day at 30 degrees celsius. And once on the island we instantly felt we were in the right place. Isla Holbox is a beautiful untouched and unexploited, although there is always the threat when new beautiful places pick up popularity that the big hotels will move in. We are told the community of Holbox have fought tooth and nail against any developement as there are many species of wildlife here that are unspoiled, including whale sharks, dolphins, cranes, pink flamingoes, racoons, pelicans, stingrays eagles, snakes, iguanas even cougars and alligators! A bald eagle family lives here and their home is right outside our cabin!

We arrived at our reserved cabin in town and were somewhat disapointed for two reasons. One is that this island powered by a generator was right next toour cabin and the constant roar of the engine was ominpresent. the second was that the beach was a bit of a walk away and we were kind of in the center of town which was bustle and noisy. Everyone drives around in golf carts here. I decided to have a word with the owner and expressed to her that the conditions weren´t quite what we had hoped for. She told us that she had a cabin by the beach but that it was far out-of-town far from the action and not for everybody. She said it was a special place for people who liked nature and quiet, as if these things might turn us off. Of course we wanted to see it so off we go in her little golf cart. What we got for 30 $ a night was the most beautiful abin right in fron of the crystal blue carribean with no one around, our own private beach and balcony overloooking the waves! Here we have spent the next 20 days soaking in our little corner of the world!

We’ve now been on this beautiful island for almost three weeks. The holiday iscoming to a close soon and it will be back to work in about 10 days. Until then I spend my days lounging on the beach, playing travel scrabble and buying fresh fish from the fishermen at the pier to barbecue on an open fire. We got to meet lots of interesting cats here and Ive been doing plenty of yoga and have continued work on the festival, music and a new project which i´ll tell you all more about when the time is right. I’ve heard horrendous things about the weather in Montreal at -36 degrees celsius. I can’t even imagine what that like and feel quite ashamed f this post seems like gloating in a sensitive time in the winter. But guilt is a fleeting emotion here on the island and I know we will all be rewarded with paradise of our own when the north american spring hits us up really soon so hang in there my friends! I’ll be back to join you in the trenches soon!

Asta Luego!

Click to view slideshow.