“The real danger of [sound engineering] is that it just becomes focused on the equipment and the gear. It’s like having a songwriters’ conference and only talking about pianos and guitars. Gear is something you need to make a record, but it’s not the end all be all. We try to focus on the creative aspects of the recording process,” says Larry Crane, the founder and editor of Tape Op magazine who, along with conference director Craig Schumacher, conceived TapeOpCon—a three day-long event, to be held June 10-12, aimed at producers, engineers and home recordists—five years ago at South By Southwest when a low turnout for their discussion panel prompted the idea. After two successful years in Sacramento, California and Portland, Oregon respectively, Crane decided it was time to move the event.
“We needed another location that was less West Coast that would still be a cool place. New Orleans came up, ’cause Craig goes there every year for Jazz Fest. Plus we had a lot of friends down there—the people at Piety Street [Recording]—so it all kind of fell into place,” says Crane.
The event—which consists of a variety of panels, keynote speakers, concerts and a trade show—takes place at the Fairmont Hotel, the Orpheum Theatre, the Howlin’ Wolf and Rock ‘n’ Bowl. Speakers and panelists include Mark Linett (who was nominated for a Grammy for his work on Brian Wilson’s Smile), Bruce Watson (from Fat Possum Records), TonyVisconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), Steve Albini (Nirvana) and Don Zientara (Fugazi), among others.
“ TapeOpCon is always going to be oriented towards people who make music. There’s a focus there,” says Crane. “We get a really interesting cross section of people, but I’m sure a lot of it will be just too geeky.” Nevertheless, the three nights of impressive live shows are open to Joe Public and Joe Tech Geek alike. Monday night at the Howlin’ Wolf features Stan Ridgway, Anders Parker, Big Blue Marble, Richard Buckner and Doug Gillard, while Tuesday features the likes of Shellac, Steve Wynn and the Miracle Three, Richard Fontaine and Viva Voice. The final night party at the Rock ‘n’ Bowl will feature perennial OffBeat favorites Bonerama as the entertainment and comedian, Spinal Tap bassist and Simpsons cast member Harry Shearer as the MC.
“There’ve been bands trying to contact us saying they’d really like to showcase at our conference, and I was like, ‘What?’” says Crane. “We have the three shows, but we don’t open up the booking. We just book people we really like. It’s mostly about music and making records.” Crane knows something of making records, as everyone involved with the conference and Tape Op magazine own and operate studios.
“We’re not sitting at some desk putting this together. We’re actually out there doing it and having a hard time knocking out a magazine and a conference about recording, because we’re out making records. Because of that, we try to keep the focus on the humanity involved—the reality of booking your studio, reaching out to and giving musicians what they want. There’s a tendency among smaller and medium sized studios of the owners and operators being insecure in their own abilities and shortchanging the artists by not giving them what they want. A lot of the people involved with the conference get the idea that, as engineers, we’re here for the artist.
“ I don’t think it’s going to be anything like South By Southwest,” says Crane when asked about the future of the conference in New Orleans. “For now, we’ll definitely be in New Orleans in 2006, and we haven’t decide past that. We really like the people at the Howlin’ Wolf, the Fairmont and the Orpheum. Last year, I actually spent six weeks down there working on stuff after the conference. I had a blast.”
For more information, go to con.tapeop.com.
TOMATO À GO-GO
“The Creole Tomato Festival celebrates the arrival of the Creole tomato. As the historical farmer’s market, it’s important that we stay in tune with the farmers and the agricultural products of the region. It’s important to pay tribute and remind ourselves of the historical significance of the French Market in New Orleans,” says Richard McCall, Executive Director of the French Market. The festival, 19-years-old this year, runs from noon to 6 p.m. on June 11 and is freshly expanded to include more music, cooking demonstrations and other activities.
“ The Tomato Festival is the signature event for the French Market. We’re expanding into children’s activities and bringing on more cultural partners,” continues McCall. If there’s a theme to this year’s Tomato Festival—asidefrom a reverence of local agriculture—it’s inclusiveness. This year’s festival includes a Mardi Gras Indians exhibit and performance from the Backstreet Cultural Museum, jazz from the Nicholas Sanders Trio (formerly the NOCCA Jazz Trio) and a mammoth parade through the French Quarter.
“The interracial gospel group, the Shades of Praise, will lead the parade, which goes from Esplanade to Canal Street, down Chartres and N. Peters. It will go outside into the tourist areas to let people know what’s going on down at the French Market,” says Byron Hughey of Hughey and Associates who handles marketing for the French Market. “It’s a multi-cultural parade and event. The Black Bottom Brass Band from Japan will be marching along with us. They will be doing all New Orleans music in kimonos, sung in Japanese.” The parade will also include New Orleans curio Becky Allen as Grand Marshall, the Stoyville Stompers, the Tremé Brass Band and a very special appearance by the St. Bernard Tomato Queen. Stage performances will also include sets from Fredy Omar as well as Sunpie and Louisiana Sunspots. If that isn’t enough music, there will be a karaoke stage set up in the Dutch Alley to boot.
The real star of the festival, of course, is the Creole tomato, which will be for sale by the cart-load. Cooking demonstrations from local chefs Austin Leslie (Pampy’s), Tom Wolfe (Peristyle),Brady Broussard (Broussard’s), Andrea Apuzzo (Andrea’s), Duke LoCicero (Café Giovanni) and Horst Pfeifer (Bella Luna) will feature the aforementioned tomato. Dan Gill will discuss gardening in the Children’s Tent in Dutch Alley, where children can personalize flowerpots for their very own tomato seedlings.
“It’s really geared towards the locals,” finishes McCall. “We’re interested in having the locals remember the significance of the French Market, and, of course, to come down and see what we’re
up to. The French Market is really critical to our heritage and to our food.”
