…well kids, tonight is the big show we’ve been talking about all week: Captain of Industry will return to the stage for the first in nearly two years, along with their friends The Receiver, Pretty & Nice, and Roley Yuma. In addition, we’re very pleased to announce the winners of our Captain of Industry Mystery Package Giveaway:

MIKE BANKHEAD

GREG TUDOR

….we’ll see the rest of you out tonight!

Captain of Industry – “Healthy Spines” from trevor hollen on Vimeo.

…we’ve been talking with Captain of Industry this week in preparation of their upcoming show at Gilly’s this Friday and today we’ve got another discussion for yr enjoyment. This time we’re talking with the guitarists for the band, Kevin Oldfield and Tommy Cooper, about the upcoming shows and what, in their humble opinions, makes COI so special. Have a look….

The Buddha Den: What led to the decision at this time to do a series of COI reunion shows? What are your feelings about reviving something that seemed to mean so much to people? Do you feel any sort of responsibility about presenting the material any certain way?

Tommy Cooper: I don’t think we ever officially broke up but the last time we played in June of ‘09 word kind of got around that it was our last show and that wasn’t anything we ever announced so if felt like a premature final show. It ended up kind of being the last show but I think we all knew we would play together again and the timing just felt right to do this now.

More than anything this is just a great chance to play these songs again (which I miss) and hang out together, which the five of us haven’t done in a long time. We’re hoping to see a lot of familiar faces that have seen us before and hopefully play to some new ones. The band has meant a lot to us and to a lot of people outside of the band so we’re hoping to reflect that during the shows and just have a good time.

Our only concern with presenting the material is that it sounds as good as we know it can and we’ve been rehearsing a lot to get everything up to speed. Of course these rehearsals have been without Kevin so once we start playing with him the songs will take on a new life. The songs have always deviated from the recorded versions into something a little more elastic live and this time around is no different.

Kevin Oldfield: I am not sure i have a definitive answer for this first part of the question…for myself, the notion or desire to be playing music with the lads is often sauntering through my mind. I would wager that the same is true for my cohorts. so perhaps we can chalk it up to collective consciousness. Technically, Nathan gets the gold star for doing all of the work. I am tremendously excited about being in that world again. I have mixed emotions about playing these shows… whereas, i am greatly looking forward to doing them, I know that it will only foster the desire to continue. I can’t say that I feel any responsibility about what or how we play these shows aside from us enjoying our time together.

TBD: What is your favorite COI memory? Favorite album or song? Why?

TC: From seeing the band play its first show and then playing many, many shows with them while in The Motel Beds, I have had the pleasure of having an inside and outside perspective to the band. Almost every show The Motel Beds and COI played together was always a blast. They were always a band that were pushing themselves songwriting and touring wise and it was definitely an influence and motivator to me. My favorite album was and still is the first one, (!). These guys just holed themselves up in their practice space for like a year honing their sound and this record and they subsequently exploded on the scene. I remember playing the unmastered version of the disc at work everyday and taking it parties and making people listen to it. You could tell there was something special about the band and it was exciting.

KO: As I scale through the Rolodex of memories there are many that are branded in my mind. I really cherish the times that we spent together and crafting songs. The writing and recording process was always something that I enjoyed. Notably, the prowess of [drummer] John [Lakes]. Every measure played with him made me a better musician. Tho, there are a number “big, high profile” shows we played on tour that were mind-bending experiences, I remember a show where PJ [Paslosky, of Motel Beds] came onstage and picked me off the ground and held me upside down (while playing) Tommy, Brett Barker, and John Gassett started turning on my pedals and fucking around with them…for some reason the brotherhood that I developed with a plethora of incredible people stands out the most. I am really proud of the more avant sounding songs such as “Eyes Everywhere”, or the last two songs on The Gold Teeth EP. I always pushed myself to put my mark on a song and I felt that I (with the help of the lads) was mostly happy with the ideas we committed to. My favorite recording session opposed to album is the WOXY Lounge Act that we did in 2006. I feel really proud of that session. The tenacity of our live set was expertly captured then. While it’s not as polished as one of albums we conveyed our controlled chaos best at that point in time.

I have the fondest of memories playing music with these fellows and hope that other people will enjoy the set. I am not looking to relive any glory days and strongly abhor trying to recreate the past so i aim to play them as the musician I am today. I don’t really expect anything but cakes and ale doing this show at Gilly’s it’s all for fun anymore. I anticipate that ringing true for the audience as well. Dayton is a very unique and wonderful place because the people who create there, whether it be a coffee shop, a band, or as a clothier do it because they care about their small community banding together and having something to call their own. I live in a city where the options are so much more expansive and plentiful, but somehow I feel limited by the fact that the lifestyle or ideas I have are already represented and sold. I hope that through playing in this band we helped show how incredible Dayton is. That being said, I no longer live there…I do sorely miss the struggle and excitement that permeates the music of Dayton, Ohio. I look forward to being back with utter joy.

TBD: How would you describe the COI experience? What do you feel defined the group? How would you liked to be remembered in the legacy of Dayton music?

TC: The COI experience is a ball of jittery energy that somehow stays grounded amongst all the chaos going around it. The key components to the group are the diverse set of influences from David Bowie to Yes, the musicianship and the endless hours of hard work. If we’re lucky enough to mentioned in any conversation involving the Dayton music scene I’d like to hope the band would be remembered as a band that made every effort to not only embrace and be influenced by our hometown but also break outside of Dayton and keep us on the map.

TBD: What can people expect from this upcoming performance? What do you hope people leave with as their memory of COI?

TC: We’re planning on just plowing through a good portion off all the albums. Focusing a little more on the recorded work and trying to hit some stuff from the first couple albums that haven’t been playing in a long time. Our only expectations is that everyone has a good time and gets to enjoy a good cross-section of music from all the bands.

TBD: Is there anything else that you’d like people to know about COI and these reunion shows?

TC: We put a lot of thought and effort into putting together a good bill of bands for these two shows and both the Dayton and Columbus shows should be a real treat. We have local openers for each show (Roley Yuma and Way Yes) and were lucky enough to get to do both shows with two great out of town bands who have done pretty well in Dayton on their own (The Receiver and Pretty & Nice). Both nights should be fun filled affairs with old and new friends and plenty of good music.

MP3: Captain of Industry “History”

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MP3: Captain of Industry “Plastique Bones”

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…as we reminded you earlier this week, Captain of Industry return to the stage this weekend with a show at Gilly’s this Friday, May 13. Our man Don Thrasher sat down recently to speak with vocalist/keyboardist Nathan Peters about the upcoming show…

Don Thrasher: I didn’t realize Pretty & Nice was on the bill. How did that happen?

Nathan Peters: I’ve been kind of buddies with them for probably four years now. We never played together or anything but they helped me get a Boston show, which ended up being a great show. I’ve let them stay at my house. We just kind of have some camaraderie there. They really like Captain of Industry. They made their own special tour to come out here and do these shows because they really wanted to be a part of it, which I think is awesome. I think they’re a fantastic band. They’ve been super busy. They did some shows with Built to Spill. They’re on tour now with a couple of bigger indie bands. They’ve just been super busy. They really need to get here on a good Dayton show and I’m happy they’re able to come out and do this one. The Reciever is super great too. They were a two but my old buddy Shawn, who played in Denovo and a band called Melty Melty from way back in the day, is a fantastic guitar player and he’s playing with them now. I’ve never seen them with him but they’re great dudes and I think they’re a really great band.

DT: The whole trick of making a band work and succeed is getting everybody on the same page at the same time and that’s very hard to do.

NP: Absolutely. Everyone has to be committed to working really, really hard when they’re at home so they can go lose money touring. Even in the best scenario when you’re a headliner and you’re drawing 5- or 600 people or whatever – or even if 100 people would come out everywhere you went and you could charge $12 you could make a living. But it’s hard to get to that spot. That’s what the Slackers always told me, ‘If you can play places like Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday to 100 people and then go to New York and L.A. and play for like 1,000 you’re set because the little towns matter just as much as the big cities.’ You can’t just go around and play New York, L.A., Chicago and a few other major cities or whatever.

DT: When was your final show?

NP: With you guys at South Park Tavern.

DT: That was June 27, 2009.

NP: It seemed like kind of a letdown too because we were ready to play another half hour or so and then it was like, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s time to shut down the bar.’ But we had a lot of fun. That was a great show to me. I feel like we had a lot of fun. That was a great show to me. I felt like it was a lot of fun.

DT: It didn’t seem like there was a lot of fanfare as your last show.

NP: Nobody really talked about it. We never said, ‘Oh, we’re breaking up.’ We never made a big deal about it. It just kind of fell apart. We had played before that show for a year at least. We were doing a bunch of stuff with Happy (Chichester) the year before and then it all just kind of fell apart and there we were. Everybody wanted to play and Kevin wanted to come in town so we did that show and then it was just kind of like, ‘OK, that was it.’ We didn’t bill it as our last show. A couple of our friends kind of knew it was probably going to be the last show but we weren’t going around shouting like, ‘This is it,’ or anything. I don’t think we ever talked about that and said it was it, and for a while it was never say never but it that was it.

DT: Kevin is in Portland. John plays with Astro Fang. Tommy is with Motel Beds, which you and John both played with for a while. Have you or Ian been doing anything musically?

NP: Ian has done some random things. Him and John have been playing a little bit together. He’s actually been the driving force in what they’re doing as far as the songwriting is going so that’s kind of cool. I haven’t heard any of it, and I don’t know that they’ve recorded much either, but they’ve been playing with Jason, the drummer from 8-Bit. They’ve been doing that but they’ve been kind of slowing up on that too because we’ve been rehearsing a bunch. Nobody has a ton of time. I’m going to school fulltime right now too, so it’s just been a wild whirlwind of doing stuff lately.

DT: How much have you guys been rehearsing?

NP: The four of us here have been doing our thing without Kevin. It’s coming along really well. My main thing is I want us to come out and blow people out of the water. I think there are going to be some younger kids that have never probably seen Captain of Industry. I just want to represent what it was so we’ve been playing for a couple of months now, not super regularly, but we’ve had five rehearsals so far. Everybody has been doing a lot of work on their own too to make sure the material is represented well and everything. I think it should be pretty good.

NP: What was it like when you first got together and started playing the songs again?

NP: I was surprised because last time when there was a year in between, granted we had one full rehearsal before that but it didn’t matter. It would’ve been like we played the night before. The biggest difference to me is (this time) I even forgot some songs and stuff when I was playing. It took me a little bit. I was surprised there was a learning curve. I didn’t think there would be. When you play so much for so long you just know that stuff so well and I was shocked. I was like, ‘Man, there is some stuff I don’t actually remember. Everybody has been having little issues but I think we got over most of that. We’ve probably got like 30 songs ready to roar.

DT: Anything else you’d like to add?

NP: I’ve been going out to a lot of show lately and just checking what’s going. I haven’t gotten a flyer handed to me. I just think these younger generation kids could do a little more of the community thing it seems to me. Do you get that at all? I could see a lot more community with a lot of bands. There is a good community right now too but I’ve did a lot of special promotional things for this like we always used to do. I had handmade posters made and I’ve been passing out handbills and just talking to people, connecting with people again, and it just seems a lot of people don’t do that now.

DT: It seems like they’re happy to promote it on Facebook and Twitter. Is that enough promotion?

NP: I don’t think so. It’s important to get out there and just remind people who you, I don’t know, but it’s important to have a really good sense of community. I know some of the kids do like the Squids Eye guys. They’ve always been real family oriented and making their own scene because that’s how you’ve got to do it but they were around when I was around too. People can complain online about not having people come out to their shows but what did they do to promote it? I’d like to see a little bit more of that but otherwise I’ve been really impressed with a lot of the music that’s been going around. It seems like there’s a lot of good stuff going on right now.

MP3: Captain of Industry “Quiet Zone”

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…while we’ve been hearing rumors for a while now, yesterday it was confirmed that longtime Dayton faves Captain of Industry will play a pair of reunion shows in May. Following the release of their third album The Bronze in 2008, the band did an East Coast jaunt, then quietly faded out. COI’s endlessly inventive twists on pop songcraft earned them a deserved reputation in the Gem City and beyond as a band constantly pushing the boundaries of indie pop. For those in Dayton, the band will perform at Gillys on Friday, May 13 with Pretty & Nice, The Receiver, and Roley Yuma. Columbus folks will also get a show at Skully’s featuring Pretty & Nice, The Receiver, and Way Yes. Mark yr calendars and we’ll see you there…

MP3: Captain of Industry “Healthy Spines”

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MP3: Pretty & Nice “Grab Your Nets”

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MP3: The Receiver “Castles in the Air”

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MP3: Roley Yuma “Cutting Down the Family Tree”

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…today we introduce another contributor to our expanding team here at The Buddha Den, former Dayton Daily New Music Blog writer, Kris Neises. Let’s see what Kris has to offer for his debut feature…

…In the spirit of last weekend’s ‘Dayton Does Dayton’ shows at Canal Street Tavern, the Den asked area musicians ‘What their favorite Dayton song is and why?’ We know that because of Dayton’s rich rock n’ roll history the question was a tad unfair. But, to those who helped us out with a response, thanks for being good sports…

What is your favorite song by a Dayton artist and why?

Chip Heck (Kuan, Shadyside): Twelve Tribes, “Strings” from As Feathers to Flowers and Petals to Wings – “As the first track on the classic album As Feathers to Flowers and Petals to Wings, this song builds and explodes with ridiculous intensity. I think I love it because the music and guitar work is very creative, heavy, and awesomely melodic. The lyrics are also great. As with most of Adam’s stuff, they are definitely dark, descriptive and vividly intense.”

MP3: Twelve Tribes “Strings”

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Derek Gullett (Dirty Socialites, The Professors): The Breeders, “The Last Time” featuring Mark Lanegan from Fate to Fatal EP – “This track was recorded in a basement in Dayton, OH. It’s no secret that I am a fan of The Breeders and Mark’s voice, but there is something special in the choice of noises and deconstructed style of the song that really draws me into their world. “Pinnacle Hollow” is like that as well. It’s from the same EP and I really enjoy it. I want to one-day slow dance on a boat in the Bermuda Triangle to that song it’s absolutely that mystical, at least to me. The whole EP is amazing.”

MP3: The Breeders [w.Mark Lanegan] “The Last Time”

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Nathan Peters (Captain of Industry): Guided by Voices, “Johnny Appleseed” from Clown Prince of the Menthol Trailer – “It has such a laid back Lou Reed vibe. Not the average GBV song, and right off the bat he hits you with these words: “You fly like a fly in the sky blue sky you’ll be important to important people when you die.” This sums up a lot of what Dayton is to me. There are really talented people here that never make it past the Ohio River. I think this was Pollard’s proclamation and I love it. He was saying maybe you’d love me when I’m dead. Brainiac, Ohio Casket, and Lab Partners were also really big influences on me when I was 18 and trying to find myself musically.”

MP3: Guided By Voices “Johnny Appleseed”

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Michelle Bodine (Brainiac, O-Matic, Shesus): A Ten O’Clock Scholar, “Lando” from Quietest – “This is so hard! I wish I could pick more than one. I’m going to say “Lando” by A Ten O’Clock Scholar. I love the chorus and the bass part, and I still listen to that record a lot.”

MP3: A Ten O’Clock Scholar “Lando”

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Mark McMillon (The Story Changes): Shrug, “Herion(e)” from Whole Hog for the Macho Jesus – “In addition to stellar songwriting, there’s a really cool vibe to the track that pulls you in. I think if young bands these days spent more time focusing on crafting songs even half this good and less time worrying about building light-boxes, the world would be a better place.”

MP3: Shrug “Heroin(e)”

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Tim Pritchard (Flyaway Minion, Floods): The Motel Beds, “Sunfried” – from Sunfried Dreams [due out Spring 2011] “This is the perfect lazy summer day song for any season. PJ is one of my favorite writers and the Beds have done an outstanding job of arranging this song. I believe it is the title track of their new record, and I’m eagerly anticipating this release. I imagine this one will make many a mix tape this year, and it’ll be the buzz song for every hazy day spent getting lost in the sunshine.”

MP3: Motel Beds “Sunfried”

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…this came across our desk late last week. Just when we thought Captain of Industry was laying low, they bust in with this visual gem. We’re just trying to figure out how late they had to stay in their office building to get this one done…

Captain of Industry – “Healthy Spines” from trevor hollen on Vimeo.

…as is becoming typical in Dayton these days, you’ve got a couple of good options for showgoing tonight…

…over at Gilly’s, you’ve got some of Dayton’s finest doing a retake of last year’s highly successful Legalize Gassett benefit. This one’s for the bands, however, so head on down and check out Mouth of the Architect, Captain of Industry (whose latest album, The Bronze, entered the CMJ charts this week), 8-Bit Revival, and Goatherd…

…there’s also a good one over at Dayton Dirt Collective tonight with the ambient Tin Can Telephone, Men as Trees, and one of our newer favorites, Lvngs. Get on out and check these shows out…

…if yr out and about tonight, head on over to Pearl to catch one of Ohio’s most underrated talents, Happy Chichester. Having spent time in such notable outfits as Royal Crescent Mob, Howlin’ Maggie, and Twilight Singers, journeyman Chichester has carved out a sizable niche in Ohio music history. Make no mistake, however, this is no mere retro act. Chichester is currently at work on a new record which will most likely feature assistance from sometimes-backing-band Captain of Industry. COI will be backing him up this evening, as well as doing an opening set of their own. See ya down there….

…while Daytonia heats up, so does the rock. There’s a pair of great shows on tap tonight…

…down at Riverscape this evening, Captain of Industry will perform as part of Five River Metroparks summer concert series. Music gets under way at 7:30 and it’s completely free. You know what we’ve had to say lately about COI, so you’re gonna wanna catch this one…

…just up a few blocks from the Great Miami River, the Dayton Dirt Collective is hosting a great bill. Local sludge gurus Marijuana Johnson headline along with Grizzzzy Bear and The Atlas Moth (from Chicago). With the club being so small, you may wanna be on time for this one…

…as local heroes Captain of Industry set out on tour to support their new album, The Bronze, they kinda stole our thunder. Well, kinda. Yep, they started a blog. Granted, it’s a tour blog. About their current tour. Head over to Plastique Bones and see what happens when five Daytonians attack the East Coast. Also, if you wanna know what one of them eats while engaging in tour, check out I Crushed This. You can also head over to their Myspace and dig a couple of live tracks recorded in NYC on this tour: a cover of Deerhoof’s “The Perfect Me” and “It Might Be Me” from the band’s debut, ! Enjoy…