An Epic Moment With A New Generation Of Rock Music At Starry Nights

OAKLAND, Ky. _ It hit me suddenly last Saturday night at  Ballance Farms* in Warren County while attending Starry Nights Music and Arts Festival.
     I was standing backstage when I heard the incredible loud roar of the crowd of thousands of people cheering, clapping, yelling and screaming for Bowling Green, Ky's own super-stellar indie rock band, "Cage The Elephant" as they performed their hit song "In One Ear" on the stage.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBXlbw0niUI&feature=relmfu.   Thousands of Cage fans were dazzled by the brights lights that flashed around the stage and showered the young musicians as they performed. The crowd danced, screamed and bounced around as the cacophony of intense rock music boomed into the late September starry night sky.

   I quickly realized that this was an epic moment for the new generation of indie rockers and their fans. Cage The Elephant and Bowling Green resident and founder of Starry Nights, Bryan Graves, had actually pulled it all off, bringing thousands of music lovers and campers to a large farm out in the middle of nowhere.  Starry Nights was held several miles outside of Bowling Green during a beautiful cool night illuminated by  a full moon and many stars!  Curators Matt and Brad Shultz  (Cage The Elephant) and founder Graves along with lots of volunteers and event staff brought music to people of all ages nationally.  Starry Nights has made history with the largest two day musical event to ever take place in Bowling Green and Southcentral Kentucky.
  The Starry Nights weekend officially began for me and Patty on Thursday night.  Since we had been networking on Facebook as band parents for quite a while, we had met several new friends who are fans of Sleeper Agent and Cage The Elephant. Facebook friends from Seattle, Wash.. flew in to Nashville and after checking into rooms at Marriott Courtyard in Bowling Green, called.  We met up with them for drinks and dinner at Double Dogs later that night.  And then on Friday afternoon, we met two family  Facebook friends from Chicago for lunch at Cheddars.  Patty said expect 1 or 50, she had no idea, but it turned out to be 20+ with parents and their rock star hopefuls.  Afterwards they would settle into their rooms at Hilton Garden Inn.  We also hosted  a great friend and photographer from Lexington who was one of the first to photograph Sleeper Agent in "LexScene" magazine.  Tony's godparents, Gay and Bill (also his aunt and Uncle) drove up from Memphis to hear the Sleepers perform for the very first time.
   Backstage underneath the hospitality tent,  a large gathering of  friends and family members  (by invitation only) surrounded the bands. In the crowd,  were band parents, close friends, media and other local band members and friends.  All of these were fans of the Bowling Green music scene, and we we basked in a celebration of the success of these fine musicians.  Of course, my wife, Patty and I were there with our son, Tony, guitarist and vocalist of Sleeper Agent.   It was also great to see Matt and Brad Shultz again from Cage The Elephant as well as Brad's wife, Lindsay.  And course, we greeted and shook hands with Bryan Graves, founder of the festival and complimented his great work. As always there were big hugs and hellos all around and brief conversations with Matt and Brad's parents, Margie and Brad Sr.,  We also met older Shultz brother, Jeremy and met and spoke with lead guitarist Tyler Parrish (another super-cool member of Cage The Elephant).  And what a pleasure to see rock promoter, band producer and good friend of Cage The Elephant and Sleeper Agent, Ryan "Zummy" Zumwalt and wife Laura of Nashville, Tenn.. Of course, it's always great to see and give hugs to the members of  the other Sleepers too, lead singer Alex Kandel, keyboardist Scott Gardner, drummer Justin Wilson, bassist Lee Williams and lead guitarist, Josh Martin. (All the Sleepers are BG residents, attending high school here and Western Kentucky University with exception of Martin from Nashville who joined the band in February 2011).  Also, Sleeper Agent road manager, Nick Hardy of Nashville was very gracious and friendly as always who gave a ride the stage to the backstage area in golf cart when we arrived at the festival.  Before the Sleepers went on stage, Patty and I spoke briefly with  well-known Rock DJ, Tommy Starr from WDNS-FM, D93, in Bowling Green.  Tommy was very cool and apparently is a big fan of Sleeper Agent like he is with a lot of other local bands.  Tommy is a big promoter of the Bowling Green music scene by hosting the former "Home Cookin'" on D93.  He still does a form of the show every afternoon Monday through Friday.
   We were able to see Sleeper Agent and Cage The Elephant perform from the side of the stage as "privileged holders" of backstage passes.  Had we left the back stage area, we would not have been allowed to return.  So we just watched from the sides of the stages and stayed backstage and enjoyed the company of  the family and friends and the members of the bands.  Sleeper Agent played one of their brand new songs that will be on their next album called "Be Brave." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlWepFPoVq4   They will be going into the studio beginning  Nov. 12 for a month in Nashville with producer, Jay Joyce, and the album will be released on the RCA record label.  And supposedly Tony and Alex from Sleeper Agent will be heading to Japan sometime in December to promote their first album, "Celabrasion" which is already being media blitz by RCA/Sony. Apparently, the album has a lot interest and popularity already by the Japanese.  RCA is also Cage The Elephant's new label for the next album too.  They will be going in the studio soon too with Joyce.  Joyce has produce Cage's first two album as well as Sleeper Agent's first album.
    Mainly, it was an incredible night to witness the Bowling Green music scene make history as Starry Nights translated energy and vibe into the minds and memories of thousands of people, young and old, who will remember this night for the rest of their lives.  Patty and I know we will.

*Ballance Farms located on  Louisville Rd on the outskirts of  Bowling Green is also known their country hams that were cured, sold and shipped all nationwide for many years.  It has also been home to Bluegrass music festivals and motocross racing events.

The Filming of Sleeper Agent's "Get Burned" Video In Bowling Green, Ky.

   Tony got home from the most recent Sleeper Agent show in Atlanta with another indie rock band called "Awolnation" around 3 a.m. this morning.  He had to get up at 8 a.m. to go to the filming of the video for "Get Burned," the next single off Sleeper Agent's album, "Celabrasion."  Get Burned is one of my favorite Sleeper Agent songs.  It's peppy and it has an upbeat tempo.youtube.com/watch?v=rFMPUHmmp2c
   I asked him if I could drop by for a little bit on my lunch hour to see the video filming and he said "Sure, Dad," like there would be no problem at all.  So I did.  It was being filmed upstairs at the old "Spot Cash and Carry Clothing Store" in downtown Bowling Green which is now Labold and Sons Salvage Co.youtube.com/watch?v=1_sk_e93Hk8  Apparently, they have a lot cool, old vintage stuff in there.  Even Robert Plant from the former classic rock band, Led Zeppelin dropped by there one day a couple months ago and spent a little time looking around.
   I walked in the store and said, "Hello, I'm Tony's dad from Sleeper Agent and I was wanting to know where they are filming the video."  And the nice lady named, "Danielle, the owner said, "Oh, it's upstairs." And she had her assistant to show me the way.  As we were heading up the stairs, the young lady said, "Watch your head, you can bump it easily here," and so I watched my head.  I was led down a dark, dusty, attic looking hallway which also looked an old dilapidated apartment which I bet was at least 100 years old or more.
   I found Tony, Alex, Justin, Josh, Scott and Lee all sitting in this old room with covered antique chairs, couches and benches waiting for the next scene to be shot.  Of course, the room was filled with cigarette smoke.  Matt Shutlz from Cage The Elephant who was directing the video and he was running up and down the hallway wearing black jeans and boots and a black cowboy hat and shirt.  He saw me and said, "Hey Galen and came into the room gave me a big hug as I stood up."  "Good to see you, Matt, " I said.  He said, "Good to see you too, Galen."  Matt then continues to run down the hallway.
    I sat back down next to Tony and another young guy comes in and takes everyone's order for Subway sandwiches.  He offered me one but I declined because I had already eaten.  Also, Darby, the marketing director for Mom + Pop Records from New York City was there and she came in and shook my had and introduced herself to me.  She said, "It's such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Smith." And I said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Darby. I've been seeing you on Facebook."
  "That's right, we're Facebook friends, aren't we?" she said with a big friendly smile. "Yes, we are," I said.
After a while, I got up and walked around and took a few photos.  The place was dark and cramped.  I felt like that I could easily get in everyone's way.  So I went back downstairs.  Some of the band members had also gathered downstairs and went outside for a few moments.  Then Tony came down too.  He offered for me to stay awhile longer.  But I told him that I needed to get back to work.  We gave each other a big hug and we agreed that we would see each other at the house tonight.
   As I was driving off, I thought to myself, "You know, it must be really fun and exciting to be young and be in a rock band, shooting videos and traveling all over the country as well as playing before thousands of fans."  But then again, that lifestyle is not for everyone I thought. It takes a certain kind of person. You've got to be young, energetic, talented and really, really want it bad.  Also, it takes tons of hard work. And Sleeper Agent has it and done that.
     Now I can't wait to see the video!