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The Big Takeover Issue #95

Kurt Orzeck

Kurt Orzeck is a nationally recognized senior editor, writer and Web content specialist whose 3,000-plus writing credits include The Big Takeover, RollingStone.com, New York Magazine, Reuters, Alternative Press, FLOOD, Filter, Thrasher, Royal Flush, Soma, Venice, Rockpile, Drowned in Sound and many more outlets.

Interview: Deerhoof - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Day

27 March 2022

Founded by drummer Greg Saunier in 1994, the San Francisco heroes will support their latest record, 2021’s Actually, You Can. We talked with Saunier about what the band has in store for their Treefort set, his joke-telling skills.

Interview: Yob - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Day

26 March 2022

The most reliably solid performance of the festival’s penultimate day will come courtesy of Eugene, Oregon’s doom-dealers. We recently caught up with bassist Aaron Rieseberg for a preview of his band’s Treefort set.

Interview: Magic Sword - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Day

25 March 2022

While generally shrouded in mystery, one member of the rock/electronic music trio — who goes by the name The Keeper — recently touched base with the Big Takeover ahead of Magic Sword’s much-anticipated show on Friday night.

Osees

Interview: Osees - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Day

24 March 2022

Self-proclaimed “psych-punk psychic warrior” and “ear-worm farmer” John Dwyer shared his enthusiasm about returning to Treefort, taking the Main Stage torch from GbV and playing on a lineup as sprawling as his own catalog.

Interview: Guided by Voices - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Day

23 March 2022

Treefort Music Fest is undergoing a rite of passage with two GbV concerts: a Wednesday evening performance at El Korah Shrine that is booked for a two-and-a-half-hours, and a Main Stage dinnertime show slated for the following day.

Interview: Deafheaven - Treefort 2022 Pick of the Fest

22 March 2022

Whereas Deafheaven were somewhat incongruent with Treefort in 2017 — playing a thunderous, full-metal set — this time around, they’re supporting a new post-rock album (Infinite Granite) that couldn’t be better suited for the festival.

Tool, Blonde Redhead - Ford Idaho Center (Nampa, ID) - January 13, 2022

15 January 2022

On Thursday night in Idaho, America’s finest prog-rock band finally unveiled selections from Fear Inoculum to a packed arena on the third night of their long-awaited tour behind the record of the same name.

Best In Metal 2021 Interview: Der Weg Einer Freiheit

29 December 2021

In touching base with Nikita Kamprad, mastermind of black-metal phenoms Der Weg Einer Freiheit, we found rays of hope amid the never-ending COVID pandemic.

Interview: Monolord

29 October 2021

“If you reflect on the world and see what we’ve done to it, we’ve already burned it to the ground, so it’s better to leave it to the next generation to really do something good to it. It’s their time to shine because we couldn’t save it.”

Gojira - Revolution Concert House (Garden City, ID) - October 8, 2021

9 October 2021

Friday night’s performance by Gojira marked the first occasion on which the massively successful quartet played in proper support of Fortitude, one of the year’s best albums in rock music writ large.

Interview: Future Crib - Treefort Fest Pick of the Day

26 September 2021

After whetting some whistles at the Woodland Empire Brewery’s Hideout stage on Saturday afternoon, the psych-folk quintet will deliver its feature performance tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Western Proper.

Interview: Ealdor Bealu - Treefort Fest Pick of the Day

25 September 2021

The four members of Boise’s soon-to-break-out band sat down with The Big Takeover to talk about their ambitious plans for the rest of this year and 2020, stumbling into hip-hop sensation Lizzo and how fans of metal don’t necessarily have to be metalhead.

Interview: Orchestra Gold - Treefort Fest Pick of the Day

24 September 2021

Malian singer and dancer Mariam Diakité met lifelong guitarist Erich Huffaker at a wedding in Diakité’s homeland about 15 years ago, and after subsequently running into each other multiple times at bars, they bonded over their mutual love for old-school folkloric music from Mali.

Built to Spill performs at the Main Stage at the Treefort Music Fest in Boise on March 21, 2019.

Interview: Built to Spill - Treefort Fest Pick of the Day

23 September 2021

In honor of Boise’s best band continuing its streak with a Main Stage set tonight at 7 p.m., we bring you a 20-year-old interview with Martsch that has never been previously published online.

Interview: Monophonics - Treefort Fest Pick of the Day

22 September 2021

Frontman Kelly Finnigan recently spoke with the Big Takeover about COVID-related setbacks, why he’s psyched to play Treefort and why the Monophonics aren’t fans of jam bands (sacrilege!).

Trivium - Revolution Concert House (Garden City, ID) - September 7, 2021

7 September 2021

From start to finish, neither the Floridians nor the crowd missed a moment to celebrate the band’s impressive catalog — and simply seeing live music again.

Cult of Fire performed at Psycho Las Vegas 2021

Psycho Las Vegas - Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas, NV) - August 20-22, 2021

24 August 2021

Even a global pandemic couldn’t stop the most revered heavy-music festival in the U.S. from taking place.

Primus - Ford Idaho Center (Nampa, ID) - August 10, 2021

11 August 2021

A year and a half after Les Claypool’s trio announced a tour during which they would play Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in its entirety, the quirky band finally got the tribute under way in Idaho.

RIP Riley Gale, Frontman Of Power Trip

29 August 2020

Gale, frontman for metal luminaries Power Trip, died this week of unnatural causes. Here is my interview with the screaming legend from less than a year ago.

Clutch – Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanical Garden (Boise) – October 14, 2019

17 October 2019

Maryland’s finest rock band has played Idaho many times before, but its latest performance in the Gem State found them reveling in the cool air as the sun set behind them at Outlaw Field.

Iron & Wine and Calexico - Knitting Factory (Boise) - August 22, 2019

23 August 2019

With minimal purple and pink hues lighting the stage, the camp fire-esque performance was all about the music (well, and Beam’s award-worthy beard) and the gentle sparks that crackle and pop between mutually admiring musicians.

Psycho Las Vegas 2019: The 19 Most-Anticipated Bands

14 August 2019

As the festival gets under way, we bring you the most authoritative “must-see” list, based on what 59 participating Psycho artists told us in interviews we published leading up to “America’s rock ‘n’ roll bacchanal.”

Corrosion of Conformity: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

13 August 2019

“Psycho has the biggest number of killer bands on a festival bill,” Pepper Keenan of Thursday pre-party headliners Corrosion of Conformity tells the Big Takeover, in our final preview piece leading up to “America’s rock ‘n’ roll bacchanal.”

Philip Anselmo and En Minor: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

12 August 2019

In the iconic singer’s second-ever interview about his decidedly un-metal project, which debuts Friday at the festival, Anselmo reveals that the last time he was this nervous was when he first played with Pantera 35 years ago.

Steve Earle and the Dukes - Egyptian (Boise) – August 9, 2019

11 August 2019

It was a shame Earle wasn’t able to sell out the Egyptian, especially after Garth Brooks drew a record-breaking 86,000 attendees a month prior at the nearby Albertsons Stadium. But for those in attendance, who value authentic country music, Earle’s performance will be as memorable as his career — and his mentor Guy Clark’s.

Dead Meadow: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

11 August 2019

The psych-rockers have played more Psycho fests than any other band. Frontman Jason Simon reminisces about his days touring with future Psycho creator Evan Hagen and how Dead Meadow are keeping their performances fresh 20 years into their career.

Fu Manchu/Have a Nice Life/Candy: Psycho Las Vegas Previews

10 August 2019

Ahead of the festival’s Thursday start, we check in with Fu Manchu, Candy and Have a Nice Life, whose member Tim Macuga says, “The whole weekend is an embarrassment of riches.”

Thrown Into Exile: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

9 August 2019

Two members of the L.A. metal quintet confessed that playing the festival is a dream come true for the young band, that they plan to play all-new songs and they hope to inspire a mosh pit in the pool.

Royal Thunder: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

8 August 2019

“Art’s supposed to take your breath away for a second and make you feel something you haven’t felt in a long time,” frontwoman Mlny Parsonz says. That’s exactly what she plans to bring to the festival next week.

Kadavar: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

7 August 2019

Tiger, drummer for the German psych/stoner throwback trio, is champing at the bit to visit Vegas for the first time, debut new material at next week’s Psycho festival and play a “destroyer” show there.

Levitation Room: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

6 August 2019

The frontman exclusively reveals to the Big Takeover details about the psych-rock band’s new album, recalls a zany Vegas story and shares his feelings about playing the festival for a second time.

The Black Angels: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

5 August 2019

Frontman Alex Maas shares about what the psych-rock masters from Austin have in store for their festival set, his penchant for poker and how tough it is as a festival organizer to please everyone who attends.

Power Trip: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

4 August 2019

The crossover-thrash band’s frontman, Riley Gale, shares the most outrageous Vegas stories we’ve heard yet in the lead-up to the massively anticipated festival happening from August 16 to 18.

L.A. Witch: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

3 August 2019

The Big Takeover has interviewed more than 50 of the roughly 70 bands playing at next month’s Psycho Las Vegas festival. But only one of them (so far) has attested to witnessing concertgoers overtly having full-on sex during one of their concerts. That lucky (?) band is L.A. Witch.

Night Horse: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

3 August 2019

Lead guitarist Justin Anthony Maranga explains why it took so long for the band to play Psycho last year — and how the festival kicked the hard-rock quintet back into gear.

1349: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

1 August 2019

We connect via Skype with longtime 1349 guitarist Idar “Archaon” Burheim, who granted us his first extensive interview about the black-metal band’s new record, single and performance at the upcoming music festival.

Full of Hell: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

31 July 2019

We catch up with the grindcore band’s frontman, who is stoked to see his pals in Ilsa and Devil Master — and attempt to follow the Misfits after their headlining gig they’ll play at the festival earlier the same night.

Spindrift: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

30 July 2019

The frontman of the spaghetti Western-obsessed band gifts us with the zaniest Vegas story we’ve published so far, and more outrageous anecdotes ahead of Spindrift’s performance at the festival next month.

Warhorse: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

29 July 2019

The reunited doom band’s drummer reveals what Warhorse have in store for Psycho, why they’re feeling no pressure about their much-anticipated performance, and the bevy of bands he’s amped to see perform in Vegas.

The Obsessed: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

28 July 2019

Obsessed frontman Wino previews his band’s first performance at the festival and chats about their “long struggle,” new bassist — and King Solomon enslaving demons to build a castle.

Monophonics: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

25 July 2019

We touch base with Kelly Finnigan to talk about his funk-soul band’s excitement to play at a heavy-rock festival, his plan to “kiss some hands and shake some babies,” and whether the psychedelic-music fan has actually had experience with psychedelics.

Polyrhythmics: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

24 July 2019

We catch up with frontman and guitarist Ben Bloom to ask how on earth an eight-piece funk/soul/R&B/Afrobeat band from Seattle made it onto the bill for this year’s hottest heavy-rock festival in the U.S.

Mother Mercury: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

23 July 2019

Teddi Tarnoff, frontwoman for the electro-pop indie-rock band, tells us how special it is to be the only hometown act playing at the Vegas gala — and to be making the first major festival appearance of their career.

Mark Lanegan: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

22 July 2019

The jovial legend shares amusing anecdotes about his ex-wife, almost getting hit with flying objects while opening for Guns N’ Roses in late 2017, his upcoming appearances on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and having “lots of problems that involve repetitive damaging behaviors.”

Carcass: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

21 July 2019

Frontman Jeff Walker, one of the best-humored musicians we’ve interviewed for our Psycho Las Vegas preview series, speaks about how Carcass are leaving their Spinal Tap stage props at home and much more.

Psycho Las Vegas 2019: The YouTube Playlists

20 July 2019

To give you a taste of the panoply of musical strains in store for the long festival weekend, we’ve assembled video playlists for each day of the festival (including the pre-party).

Tobacco: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

19 July 2019

The multi-hyphenate musician opened up about his lack of familiarity with the festival and whether he thinks he’ll fit in. He also recounted an outrageous story involving the Flaming Lips, grandparents and an alien blow jobs.

The Faint: Psycho Las Vegas

17 July 2019

Frontman Todd Fink shares his gratitude for the Faint to be included on such an unlikely festival lineup and also reveals that the band will heavily mine its recently released Egowerk (Saddle Creek) during their performance.

Bad Religion: Psycho Las Vegas Preview

16 July 2019

We caught up with bassist Jay Bentley during a tour stop in Denver to pick his brain about the festival, why it’s a “no-brainer” for the punk-rock legends to play it, and find out how his dirty pajamas got into an exhibit at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.