Hammer No More the Fingers Returns to the Annual Daniel

Hammer No More the Fingers - photo by Allison Springer

It's Hammer time!  Hammer No More the Fingers returns to the Annual Daniel this Saturday, August 24 - site of some of their most inspired performances and receptive audiences.  This time it might be a little different, because lately it seems like the Hammer thing has been put on the backburner while the band members pursue solo musical endeavors.

HMNtF bassist Duncan Webster has been turning his attention to acoustic guitar in a stripped down, plaintive duo with cellist Leah Gibson called Prypyat.  Guitarist Joe Hall has just released an excellent album Blanko Basnet and has been playing shows under that name with a band consisting of Brad Cook (Megafaun), Matt Peterson (Canine Heart Sounds) and Hammer bandmate Jeff Stickley on drums.  Meanwhile, Jeff Stickley has returned to his first love - Americana music - by flatpicking guitar in an all star pick-up bluegrass band called Mason's Apron.

Exploring these other styles of music and formats has got to be a healthy diversion for these guys, allowing them to bring in new skills and understanding when they re-convene as Hammer No More the Fingers. I'm looking forward to seeing how this expanded know-how might be fulfilled when Hammer plays this Saturday on familiar turf.

However, one thing that's so great about the Annual Daniel is the line between performer and spectator, between entertainer and the entertained, is so blurred that there's no pressure to "perform" in the traditional sense.  It's this freedom that allows artists to flourish in that environment.  Tara Mills and Yankee Dixie and Supatight are also scheduled to be at the A.D.

Hammer No More the Fingers - "Vodka Grasshopper" and "The Visitor" - Shakori Hills 10/9/11

  

The Annual Daniel is this weekend!

The Annual Daniel

Some friends of mine have a nice little spot in Draper,VA along where the New River turns into Claytor Lake, and each year they host a party/unofficial music festival called The Annual Daniel.  This year’s celebration has been pushed back to late August due to all the rain and flooding they’ve been having.

Three bands will play on Saturday, August 24, 2013.  One hundred percent of your cash donation of $10, $20 or more will go toward these artists:

Tara Mills and Yankee Dixie - blending folk, bluegrass and Americana.

Supatight - funk with elements of reggae, soul, jazz, and comedic country.

Hammer No More the Fingers - an insanely good, unique rock trio with a dynamic live show.  HNMTF has played the A.D. multiple times.

Hammer No More the Fingers

The Annual Daniel is like a house concert gone wild!  Friends, family and friends-to-be bring food and drink to share, set up camp on the property, and hang out for a night or two.  The more the merrier, however if you plan on attending please carpool since parking space is limited.  1751 Shulls Lane (AKA River Rat Drive), Draper, VA 24324.  Good luck finding your way there!

Annual Daniel re-cap and Hammer No More the Fingers interview

The weekend before last I had the pleasure of attending a party where my two favorite bands played - The Hot Seats and Hammer No More the Fingers - and the majority of my closest friends were there.  I'm talking about the Annual Daniel.  This is a late 30's age dude's perspective, but for me this is bigger and more fun than any Phish show or huge Bonnaroo type festival is gonna be in this day and age - with  zero of the hassle.  Years from now we're going to look back on these parties in amazement at not just the incredible quality of the music a small number of us were lucky enough to be exposed to, but also at the the degree of bacchanalia we continued to maintain.

Hammer No More the Fingers played Friday and Saturday, June 15 and 16 and absolutely crushed it, especially on Friday the 15th when they played two sets.  On a good night - and these A.D. shows were good nights - I'd say Hammer rivals just about any other up and coming rock act.  They channel the chubacabraj, but after summoning the goat sucker they chase it down the wormhole with its tail between its legs.

The Hot Seats showed up nice and fresh on Saturday afternoon, relatively speaking, and proceeded to deliver two sets of professional level string band music of a quality they only hinted at during the previous year's Special Ed and the Shortbus style reunion show.  These guys weren't the darlings of the Shetland Folk Festival for nothing!  Not only are they great musicians and showmen, but their quick wits and cynical optimism meshes well with the personalities who patron this party.  On and off the stage, these guys are great folks to be around and I think they truly have just as much fun as anyone else!  They brought out singer Alison Self for a naughty encore number which put a fitting "ending" on the evening.

On Sunday morning, despite an all encompassing grogginess and what you might call a hangover, I was able to interview Duncan Webster and Jeff Stickley of Hammer as we took a mid-morning walk along a gravel road by the river.  A transcription of that interview has been published here.

Hammer on Fri 6/15/12. Photo by Laura Fields

Hot Seats w/ Alison  Self. 6/16/12. Photo by Vickey Goff

Every year threatens to be the last, but as long as we can corral both of these bands I think there's a good chance that there will be yet another Annual Daniel.  And, oh yeah, Daniel turned 30 this year!  (Yes, there really is a Daniel).

The Annual Daniel: June 15-16, 2012

Not Daniel

The 2012 Annual Daniel! 

Hammer No More the Fingers – Friday, June 15th

The Hot Seats - Saturday, June 16th

The Annual Daniel is a party/music festival on Claytor Lake/The New River open to all who care to make the trek to this beautiful part of Virginia.  Starts Friday, June 15, 2012 at 11am.  Ends Sunday, June 17, 2012 at approximately 2pm.

Location: Stephanie and Daniel's house, AKA "Deltopia".  1751 Shulls Ln, Draper VA 24324.   

4 hours from Richmond, 3 hours from Durham, 2.5 hours from Charlotte, 2 hours from Bristol, 38 hours from Los Angeles.

Come early and stay late.
Bring a tent – there’s on-site camping along the lake/river.
Bring your own food and drink, including water, and some to share if you like.
There are grills, smokers and kitchen facilities for cooking.

Volleyball and yoga.
A bathing suit, acoustic instrument for jamming and fishing pole might also good things to have.

Please bring at least a $10 donation for the bands – greatly appreciated!

About the bands:

By now most Annual Daniel alumni are familiar with Hammer No More the Fingers and the pure drop of mojo that is summoned when these guys perform in front of friends and family at this... their “2^nd home” alongside Claytor Lake.  Free to take risks they may or may not pursue during a club set, the result is a sonic boom that lingers long after the final notes are played.  Hammer plays Friday, June 15^th.  Here’s a video:

Leading the charge on Saturday will be The Hot Seats from Richmond, VA.  Since last year’s A.D. the Hot Seats have put out a live album + studio album, toured Scotland twice, and honed their chops to become an even tighter bluegrass/old-time/ragtime/country machine.  They are primed and ready to up the ante this time around!  The Hot Seats perform on Saturday, June 16^th.  Here’s a taste:

If you have any questions add a comment or send an email.  Below are some photos from last year's Annual Daniel.

Claytor Lake - by Laura Fields

View of tents from dock - by Laura Fields

Hammer and Hot Seats merch tables - by Allison Springer

Early in the day - by Allison Springer

Just chillin' - by Allison Springer

Getting Hammered - by Allison Springer

More information on Facebook.  See you there!

The Annual Daniel - May 28, 2011

The Annual Daniel is Saturday, May 28th. Memorial Day weekend. It is a party open to all. Three bands will perform: Hammer No More the Fingers, The Hot Seats (2 sets), and Gray Young.

Location: Stephanie and Daniel's house, AKA Deltopia. 1751 Shulls Ln, Draper VA 24324. On Claytor Lake. 4 hours from Richmond, 3 hours from Durham, 2.5 hours from Charlotte, 2 hours from Bristol.

Come early and stay late. Cheeseburger picnic at 1pm. First band around 5pm. Bring a tent for camping. Bring your own food and drink, including water. There are grills and smokers for cooking. A bathing suit and fishing pole are also goods things to bring.

About the bands:

Hammer No More the Fingers

Hammer No More the Fingers is an indie-pop power-trio from Durham, NC. This will be their 3rd time playing the Annual Daniel. HNMTF is fresh off a UK tour in support of their critically acclaimed new album Black Shark, released April 2011. Hammer's A.D. sets are always brilliant.

The Hot Seats are an old-time band with an innovative approach to tradition - equally comfortable at both the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and the Galax Fiddler's Convention. They will play an early set and a late set. The Hot Seats come to us from Richmond, VA and we are happy to have them. "Seats" could be short for Special Ed And The Shortbus.

Words used to describe Raleigh, NC's Gray Young include: post-punk with atmospheric riffs, nuanced melodies, intensity and susceptibility; a constant push and pull between calm and chaos. Comparisons to Explosions in the Sky and Sigur Ros.

Looking forward to seeing them and you! If you have any questions add a comment or send an email.

Cheers,
Lanny