About RFT

Radio Free Tobias used to be a music blog and a weekly radio show. Now it's more of an elusive concept, like freedom, happiness, or the war on terrorism.

We cover anything related to Columbus as well as indie music or album reviews or movie reviews or whatever else we end up getting here. We are general enough that Tobias doesn't have to comb through hours of obscure blogs about crap he doesn't care about and also general enough to avoid attracting a regular readership outside of Columbus besides people in other countries who want to know about Bryan Adams or Jeff Buckley.

Welcome aboard.

Monday Nights

I ventured down to Little Brothers' tonight to see Jonathan Hape and NAVAR. This is a show I have been trying to help promote and so of course I myself am going to make the trip.

It's always rather interesting promoting a show that you go to, because it's not like you can just enjoy the show for the sake of going to a show. There are expectations involved. I don't think, until you do it full-time and thus experience the corresponding disconnect, you can really take in a show you have been promoting.

I found myself looking at the door a lot.

Regardless, Jonathan never disappoints. His supporting cast can change and for the most part lacks charisma, but Rob, the drummer, and Jonathan certainly make up for it. A good amount of energy in this show considering the rather sparse crowd. If Jonathan is ever desparate enough to quote me, I will provide a quote of praise:

Jonathan Hape successfully combines emotional intensity with a deceptively laid-back 90's-laden indie rock sound, complemented with infectious and haunting melodies.

There were definitely some interesting problems with the audio. From a strictly logistical standpoint, it was a typical, mildly disastrous set.

NAVAR was what I mostly expected: polished, inoffensive, and forgettable. I was hoping they would pull a rabbit out of their hat. After all, they had been able to tour the east, leaving a fair amount of positive press in their wake. No rabbit.

Between songs they did what can best be described as an impression of the "Sunscreen" song. Talking slightly rhythmically with percussive backing. The content was comparable to what you would hear an uninformed, uppity liberal talk about very loudly outside a coffeeshop. Yawn.

Final verdict: Jonathan Hape 12, NAVAR, 0.

Water and Cigarette Butts (Cursive at Bernie's)

I recently travelled to Bernie's Distillery in order to accomplish two things:
1. pass out flyers
2. see cursive play & see what the deal is with el jesus de magico.

So I accomplished 3/5's of these things. It's been a few days so I think a lot of details will be glossed over. Here goes an attempt to portray the events that happened. Names will be changed because I don't remember them. I don't even remember if there are names to make reference to in the first place.

Here begins my life as a journalist. Pretension: commence!

I had only been to Bernie's once and a halth before. Once to pass out flyers outside of it and to briefly venture down the stairs, only to fear what sorts of things I may have seen had I gone all the way down. I chose not to venture further. The second, I went in a little deeper only to be surprised by what appeared to be a deli. I knew Bernie's had a deli. I just didn't expect to discover it.

So I showed up, flyers in hand, ID ready, prepared to descend into a cloud of girl jeans, lip rings, and ironic T-shirts and boy did I ever! I was takling to a kid about what kind of music he liked. "The kind that makes your heart explode!" he exclaimed. Nice kid.

Opening band, whom I have since identified as "Ladyfinger" or something of the sort, was an unremarkable hardcore band. I am unable to pass an accurate judgement on the band and actually appear to be focusing on the experience of the night since I don't really remember the music. I watched them an was touched several times by a large bearded man.

El Jesus began their set and basically provided me with what I really expected.

Let me take this time to mention that the sound at Bernie's is horrible. I think that's part of the experience. Here's another thing: unless you are in the very front row, you can't see. This is because all the bands line their amps basically anywhere where they have room. The choices are:
1. inside the wall
2. surrounding the stage

This is pretty normal, except the stage isn't really a stage at all. It's just a designated spot. Surrounded by wooden columns that support the roof.

While I couldn't really see or hear, El Jesus appeared to have a lot of charisma until it seemed that their bass head burned out. At this point the crowd was really beginning to amass in order to see "Cursifix".

Now for anyone who A is reading this and B. expects to hear about the Cursive concert, you will be horribly disapointed. After being touched by the bearded man again I decided that I needed some air. In addition to being small and dirty, Bernie's is also extremely poorly venilated. Maybe I'm not punk enough. I don't think I ever was. I think being punk and socially uncomfortable are contradictory. I went outside.

Here is where I met the real story of the night. The kids who couldn't get in. A girl who I had seen riding a skateboard about only an hour before was now dejectedly crumbled on the sidewalk outside the entrance. This is no small feat considering the number of people who have certainly vomited on this very spot. I couldn't help but consider the type of dangers she was going through in order to rest her face. I didn't talk to her.

There was another couple of kids who couldn't get in because Bernie's had reached their limit of people less than 21 they were going to let in at this time. Another couple of guys got out because they couldn't get close, either. I stood and made conversation with some random people as long as social convention would allow.

After I heard the show start up again, I tried to re-enter, only to not be able to get anywhere near the non-deli half of Bernie's. I was finally able to fight my way back to the bathroom. However, I can assume that unless I was in the front row, I couldn't have seen anything anyways. I wasn't really in the mood to listen to Cursive from the deli. I could hear them just as well from the sidewalk. And there weren't 60 people past capacity outside.

So in conclusion, this was a rather fruitless concert. Be wary of national acts playing in a basement, except THE Basement, unless you like guys with beards. Punk charm gets lost in crowds of emo kids.

Introductory Things

Well, here I am making my first blog post. Sure I've had a lot of other blog-type experience, but the hour is at hand. A new sun is rising in the east.

And this time it's not Japan.

Welcome to Radio Free Tobias and I would like to first of all repudiate any complaints about the 'x' in the URL. It simply had to be done. I'm sorry if it's too xemox and I'm also sorry if it's not xemox enough.

This is set to be the beginning of a great thing. Hopefully I will be able to dedicate ample time to it. For the time being, I am a college student at Otterbein and am currently dealing with how to most effectively use my time.

I intend to post political opinions, music and/or concert and/or movie reviews. Possibly books (although I don't think I'm happening enough for that). In addition, I may be talking about things that generally interest me (like vitamins).

I'm going to unceremoniously start this off in hopes of actually having a respectable amount of content at the time of its unvailing.

All journalists have to start somewhere. Maybe I'll create some sort of national scandal. Maybe I'll be the finger on the pulse of society. Maybe I'll be just another digital blip on the internet super-pasture.

Full circle, ahead!