Over winter break of last
year,
while
the
University
of Michigan was quiet in an
empty Ann Arbor, LSA senior
Ben Schechter was sitting on a
sofa 8,308 miles away, in Cape
Town, South Africa, listening to
bluesy rock duo Abbey Grange
play a set. Schechter was at The
Waiting Room, a bar/balcony
combination, which is the place
to see live music in Cape Town.
Situated
on
the
building’s
second level with a metal railing
over which patrons can look at
the street, the 60-ish-person-
capacity venue recalls Bourbon
Street in New Orleans.
“I was the one of the only
people there who were unrelated
to the band. Just a random guy
sitting on a couch, but I enjoyed
every minute of it,” Schechter,
a former photographer for The
Michigan Daily, said. “I’m really
looking forward to their future.”
He said that about every
band during our conversation,
but rather than coming off as
rehearsed or customary, his
words dripped with genuine
excitement
every
time.
Schechter,
graduating
from
the University in December
with
a
degree
in
General
Studies as well as a certificate
in
Entrepreneurship,
is
the
founder
and
sole
employee
of What The Sound, a music
website dedicated to exposing
up-and-coming artists to new
listeners.
“I’m curious when I listen to
bands what their story is, why
they make music and whatnot,”
he said. “I was on the East
Coast visiting my sister, and I
thought why not reach out to
some bands.” Following that
initiative, What The Sound built
a catalogue with upwards of 30
artist interviews over the course
of the fall 2015 semester.
Interviewing Abbey Grange
in Cape Town is far from What
The Sound’s only international
venture. The website’s homepage
boasts a black-and-white world
map with smatterings of yellow
geotags congregated in South
Africa,
Australia,
Western
Europe and across the United
States, signifying the locations
of artists.
“One of the big things when
I’m listening to these bands is
that I want to see them live,
but then, ‘Oh, they’re from New
Zealand or from Russia.’ I think
it’s really cool to lay out that
information so when people go
to What The Sound, they can
think, ‘Oh, I wonder who he
interviewed in L.A.?’ … press
on L.A. pin, learn that way,”
Schechter said.
An
admitted
lover
of
geography,
Schechter
hopes
the visual guide to What The
Sound’s
interview
archive
encourages
a
boundaryless
music scene:
“Depending
on
where
people are from it can change
assumptions about the area. If
you didn’t think hip hop could
exist in the middle of Australia,
press on Canberra and check
out these two female hip-hop
artists, Coda Conduct. It’s a neat
way of exploring new music,
geographically and seeing it
rather than pressing a drop-
down menu.”
Prior to What The Sound,
Schechter was an intern at the
Blind Pig after a semester of
follow-ups with the Pig’s talent
buyer, Jason Berry.
They
still
talk
often,
Schechter said, and two years
after finishing his time at the Pig,
Schechter finds himself working
with Berry again, this time on
“What The Sound Presents,” a
series of showcases featuring
local talent. The majority of the
shows have happened at the Pig,
save for singular shows in New
York, Chicago and Hamtramck.
What The Sound presented its
first showcase in February and
expanded to four showcases this
semester, with the possibility of
additional shows in November
and January.
“In February I was like, OK,
I know all of these musicians,”
Schechter said. “Maybe not
personally, but I listen to them
and know their music. So, I
figured I might as well reach
out on a local level and put on
shows.”
The criteria for landing a spot
on a What The Sound lineup is
simple: 1. Schechter’s got to dig
your sound and 2. You’ve got to
have the potential to grow.
Last Friday, What The Sound
presented a showcase of five
hip-hop acts — four from Ann
Arbor and one from Detroit,
headlined by the rapper Munch.
The first two acts of the night,
Dude Madison and Broccoli, are
both students at the University.
The former earned his spot on
the bill through hard work and
being assertive and, of course,
Schechter digs his sound. The
latter, a buddy of Schechter’s,
goes by many aliases and wore
all black while serving up a cool
Travis Scott cover. The third
act,
Awkward
Theory
from
Detroit, played Ann Arbor for
the first time.
The fourth act on the bill
consisted of Ann Arbor rapper
Isaac Castor and local band
Arch Hotel. Friday’s showcase,
Castor’s first with a live band,
wasn’t the 21-year-old’s first set
at the Pig.
“I’m
trying
to
take
my
standard live rap set and do
something different with it and
make it creative and fun for the
audience,” Castor said in a phone
interview. “I think it went really
well in that regard. Everybody
brought out a lot of friends. I
had a lot of fun. I definitely
prefer to play with a live band. I
don’t know if I’ll ever go back to
performing without one again,
so hopefully we can keep this
ensemble going.”
After developing a taste for
2Pac, Jay Z and OutKast as a
child of the ’90s, Castor began
writing music in Naperville,
Illinois at the age of nine. He
released his first mixtape six
years ago and plans to release
a new EP before the end of the
year. In April he opened for
rising rapper Lil Dicky (who
played Hill Auditorium with Vic
Mensa the same month).
But
the
highlight
since
dropping that debut mixtape in
high school? A feature in XXL,
one of hip hop’s most prominent
magazines.
“That was a goal I’ve had for a
long time that felt really good to
accomplish,” he said.
Schechter discovered Castor’s
music
while
SoundCloud
surfing, and then the XXL
write-up, which led to him
eventually offering Castor the
fourth slot in Friday’s show.
“(Ben)
asked
me
a
long
time ago if I would perform
at (Munch’s) headlining show
and, Munch is the homie, so I
was obviously down for that,”
Castor said. “(What The Sound)
definitely wanted us to do our
part for promotion, but that’s
cool because I would rather
perform with people I know
in the crowd, familiar faces
who know my lyrics. That’s
encouraging. What The Sound
took good care of us, so shoutout
to Ben for that.”
Castor met Munch (real name
Maher Hachem) last year during
Ann Arbor’s annual summer
concert series, Sonic Lunch. As
Castor played with a band for
the first time, Friday was also
a first for Munch — his first
headlining show. A senior at the
University, Munch grew up in
the suburbs of Detroit, but his
vibe is decidedly West Coast, a
quality which carried into his
2015 album, Beaches.
“A lot of inspiration for
Beaches
came
from
that
weather,
the
energy,
that
laidback vibe,” he said in a phone
interview earlier this week. “I
really wanted to carry that over
and add deeper meaning to my
project — I didn’t want just a
bunch of songs. I wanted a story:
highs, lows, chill, upbeat songs.”
Friday’s
showcase
wasn’t
Hachem and Schechter’s first
time
collaborating
in
the
production of a live show; while
Schechter interned at the Pig,
he helped Munch gain exposure
by getting him to open for
Futuristic this past April.
“(Prior to last Friday’s show),
Munch was really persistent
about doing a big thing at a
local venue, so I gave him the
opportunity, and he did a great
job,” Schechter said. “It was like
a family reunion for Munch. He
brought out his whole family,
kind of seemed like a wedding
at one point. I loved his energy;
it was a good vibe.”
Munch’s
tenacity
toward
exposure is also present in
his artistry. In developing his
upcoming eight-track album,
expected out before the year’s
end, Munch approached the
project from a place of honesty,
looking for his true self to come
through in the music. In terms
of Friday’s show, the “family
reunion”
vibe
Schechter
touched on was a direct result
of Munch’s efforts to push
the boundaries of his own
marketing, seeing how many
people he could get out to the
show.
“(The turnout) was more
than I was expecting,” Hachem
said. “I didn’t go in with any
crazy
expectations.
It
was
really amazing to have people
who honestly support you. No
one had to do that.”
“No
one”
encompasses
not just fans who came out
to the showcase to see local
hip hop, but also Schechter.
The
admiration
Schechter
exudes toward the artists and
bands he is passionate about is
reciprocated by gratitude; both
Castor and Munch had nothing
but praise when it came to
Schechter’s involvement in the
showcase.
“He’s the biggest homie Ann
Arbor has to offer,” Munch said.
“The guy is creating amazing
opportunities for local artists,
committing
his
time
and
efforts to give them a chance
to shine in the community. He’s
so professional and appreciates
the artists. And that’s the best
part of working with What The
Sound: he shows respect to
everyone.”
On
What
The
Sound’s
promotional breadth, Castor
praised the emphasis on a
University-centric show: “They
really came after the college
crowd better than a typical
hip-hop promoter would for
an Ann Arbor show. Including
University students on the bill
such as Munch, Broccoli and
Dude Madison so they can
invite their friends and going
after that college base is a
smart move.”
Schechter has ambitions to
push What The Sound beyond
the city of Ann Arbor. After
graduating in December, he
hopes to find a job that allows
him to continue What The
Sound on the side. Interviewing
more artists (when he has
the time to transcribe) and
continuing to promote shows
locally
while
also
looking
to expand to other markets
are key pillars of Schechter’s
vision.
Specifically,
What
The Sound is in the process of
setting up a second Chicago
showcase as well as one in
Bloomington, Indiana, home of
Indiana University.
The showcases go through
a plethora of iterations before
Schechter lands on the final
version of a lineup. Two months
before a show, he locks in the
date with the venue and about
half a month later, promotion
begins. Moving beyond posters
on campus, What The Sound’s
third showcase of the semester
will have a Snapchat geofilter
Friday night.
“I feel like I learned a lot
while interning for the Pig:
which shows do well, which
don’t and how to build a good
lineup,” he said. “The last four
years of learning about the
music scene in Ann Arbor, the
past artists who have played
here and the artists currently
becoming musicians here have
taught how to formulate a good
bill.”
As he did last Friday, before
Munch performed, Schechter
will
walk
onto
the
Blind
Pig
stage
tomorrow
night
to introduce another What
The Sound headliner. This
week, that’s The Stellars, a
two-person indie-rock band
which will also consist of eight
live band members for the
showcase.
“I really enjoy saying this
was my idea from the start;
these are the bands I chose,
and next thing you know there
are 250 people at the show,”
Schechter said. “Knowing that
I’m the one who organized,
promoted and advertised the
show, it’s really rewarding to
see the show happening, really
great music being played and
people really into it. A lot of
people know that I do this, and
they say it’s really cool, and I’m
so appreciative of that, but to
actually see the night go well
and know that I put it together
is really rewarding.”
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Dude Madison performs at the Blind Pig as one of the musicians promoted by What the Sound.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
What The Sound showcased five local hip-hop acts Sept. 16 at the Blind Pig
SOUND
From Page 1B
2B — Thursday, September 22, 2016
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Girl and the Goat: The toughest
reservation in Chi-town
FOOD COLUMN
This
summer,
a
friend
managed to snag us a hot
Monday evening rez at Chicago’s
famed Girl and the Goat. “Top
Chef” winner and University
of Michigan alum Stephanie
Izard opened up the lively spot
in Chicago’s West Loop in 2010,
and reservations there have
been near-impossible to come
by ever since. So when my
friend offered up a chance to
finally try out one of Chicago’s
most talked about dining spots,
I couldn’t pass it up.
At 5:45 on a weekday, the
place was still packed. The
rustic interior buzzed with the
energy of diners eager to try
Izard’s acclaimed dishes. This
energy felt palpable as soon as
we walked in and were warmly
greeted by the hostess. She led
us to a counter spot for two that
was practically located inside
the bustling open kitchen.
While flustered at first by
this oddly isolated yet invasive
seating arrangement, we were
compelled by our proximity
to the flurry of kitchen staff
gracefully plating an array of
tasty-looking dishes. Though
the spot placed us in the heart
of the restaurant’s activity, it
still felt cozy enough for an
elevated dining experience. And
I was especially grateful later
when faced with the challenge
of choosing from the wide
selection of unconventionally
appealing menu items. I was
overwhelmed to the point of
a near panic attack when our
server showed up to take our
order, until I glanced over
and my attention was caught
by a plate of hamachi crudo
beckoning me to try it.
Luckily, the restaurant serves
up small plates with big flavor,
so my friend and I selected four.
Unlike traditional menus, the
categories were divided into
vegetarian, fish, poultry and, of
course, goat dishes. Rather than
focus on size, plates are offered
according to content and flavor
— allowing guests to build a
customized meal with diverse
options.
One of the must-try options
are the freshly baked breads.
We started with the olive bread
and were promptly served a
warm, crusty loaf studded with
green olives and accompanied
by a tangy whipped feta spread
and dish of garlicky olive oil
to dip the bread in. Not only is
the bread just plain good, the
cognizant act of selecting it
from among four different bread
options speaks to the careful
intent with which the menu
is crafted. Izard deliberately
pairs ingredients and presents
them to us to consume wholly
and consciously. No food item or
ingredient is used imprudently
— as should be the case. And
even the bread is no exception.
Now
that
I’ve
spent
a
paragraph just discussing the
bread, I’ll move on to the bulk
of our meal, which included
the hamachi crudo and roasted
cauliflower. The cauliflower
was roasted to perfection and
paired nicely with crunchy pine
nuts and pickled peppers. I’m a
huge fan of mint, and though
I’ve never thought to serve it
with a roasted vegetable, I was
pleasantly surprised at the pop
of flavor in each bite.
This unexpectedness is one
of the primary elements that
draws praise from customers
and
critics
alike.
Izard’s
ingenuity when it comes to
combining flavors we aren’t used
to trying together rejuvenates
the dining experience by adding
an element of surprise and
subsequent pleasure. The tart
caperberries and salty, crisp
pork belly of the hamachi crudo
were balanced by the neutral
flavor and velvety texture of
thinly sliced raw fish. Both
the fish and pork belly, while
seemingly rich, indulged our
appetite with a delicate ease
that exemplifies the culinary
craft at its finest.
Without overwhelming our
palates, Izard deftly transforms
a variety of ingredients and
flavors that please us because
we’re
so
unaccustomed
to
enjoying them together. Her
restaurant
provides
a
safe
space for us to explore our
epicurean curiosities. And the
results don’t disappoint. It’s no
wonder that Girl and the Goat
started out as successfully as
it did and that it has retained
its mass appeal since. While I
rarely allow myself to buy into
the hype of such places, Girl
and the Goat’s buzz is well-
deserved.
Girl and the Goat is a true
testament to what relentless
hard work from a chef like
Izard and a bold perspective
can infuse into the dining
experience and into the food
industry. Even my practiced
indifference, in the face of
expectations built up to a
near impossible standard of
being met, was shattered with
the first bite I took of Izard’s
famed food. Though ordinary
is far from what you get when
you dine at Girl and the Goat,
you’ll be easily transported
into a world where even the
most inconceivable dishes are
presented and devoured with
the utmost normality. Which
is why, six years after the
restaurant’s opening, I’m here
singing its praise.
SHIR AVINADAV
Daily Food Columnist
At 5:45 on a
weekday, the
place was still
packed.