Patrick Tape Fleming

of Montreal has been one of those bands for me.

Their discography is one of the most epic, strangest, most fearless, and most rewarding journeys I’ve ever experienced as a listener and trust me I have listened to it all. Most bands find one sound and spend a lifetime trying to perfect it, and then there are bands like, of Montreal that seem almost allergic to standing still and staying the same.

I still deeply love those early recordings. The lo-fi era. The three-piece era. Those records felt homemade and timeless. Those songs are like little dreams with tape hiss, cartoon-like, characters of love and honest heartbreak. My kinda vibe.

But for me, the era that truly changed the way I heard and tried to write music was The Gay Parade and Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies: A Variety of Whimsical Verse era.

That was the moment I was becoming a young adult myself. I was starting my own band. I was trying to understand songwriting and storytelling and how music could create entire weird whimsical worlds. And Kevin Barnes was creating unlike anybody else. Theatrical and literary and whimsical and deeply emotional all at once. Like The Kinks meet the Musical Hair, performed by Os Mutantes. Surreal imagery and melodies that twisted around like carnival rides.

I was lucky enough to eventually play with, of Montreal multiple times with the The Poison Control Center, which was such an honor because their music was pretty much a blueprint to all of our very early more story based recordings. These were heroes. Sharing the stage with our fucking idols.

On May 1st, 2005, something kind of historic happened in Des Moines music history. The first-ever sellout at the Vaudeville Mews. The lineup was The Poison Control Center, Tilly and the Wall, and of Montreal. It felt like one of those nights where our scene became something bigger. A room packed with people who all believed music mattered and damn it was a fun show.. Also the first time my son’s mom ever saw the PCC.. Kinda hard to live up to that one..

And Des Moines absolutely fell in love with, of Montreal.

I believe either the next year or the year after, they came back through town again. This time Troubled Hubble and The Poison Control Center opened another legendary show for our little scene, and if memory serves me right, that one sold out too. Then not long after that, of Montreal would headline Des Moines’ 80/35 Festival. It was amazing watching a band that once felt like this beautiful secret become something much larger while still remaining the entirely weird evolving selves.

Somewhere in there, before one of those tours, Kevin Barnes, his then wife Nina, and Kevin’s brother David Barnes stayed at my house in Ames after they performed their A Pollinaire Rave show. A Pollinaire Rave was a one off side project, that introduced us to many of the songs that would make the band find a larger, more dancy audience.. I booked this side project of a husband, wife, and brother at the Boheme in Ames and I think their guarantee was 100 bucks. I still cannot believe I can casually type that sentence. One hundred bucks.. 7 Years later they would be making 50,000 bucks to play 8035 just 30 miles down the road.

Back at my house after the show at some point during the night, we asked Kevin if we could film him playing a couple songs on our couch. So sweet and fed by us.. He said yes. Kevin sat on my couch with an acoustic guitar and played a couple of Montreal early classics. I filmed it.. somewhere on an old high 8 tape and damn it I desperately hope I find it someday. Because it was beautiful. No stage needed. No crazy costumes. Just Kevin Barnes sitting on a couch singing songs in a living room in Iowa at around 1 a.m.,.. Perfect.

Over the years we became friendly with so many people who played with Kevin. Bryan Poole. Jason NeSmith. Derek Griffin Almstead. All musical idols as well. So many wonderful talented people orbiting around these records that meant so much to me.

Another of those musical idols playing in, of Montreal was Andy Gonzales.

Andy is the guest on this week’s episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts.

And honestly, talking to Andy was kind of emotional for me.

Because Andy’s musical history is incredible in its own right. Marshmallow Coast (M Coast) his band, is also one of the coolest, warmest, weirdest indie pop projects ever. He was also in The Music Tapes before eventually joining, of Montreal because, as he hilariously explains in the episode, The Music Tapes didn’t exactly have the most reliable touring infrastructure while, of Montreal did. THANKS KEVIN BARNES’ MOM and DAD.

The stories he tells about the making of Coquelicot absolutely blew my mind. The fact that that album was recorded entirely to tape feels almost impossible considering the record sounds like a carnival ride designed by a genius who drank 16 cups of coffee, read ten children’s books at once, and kept screaming “wait, I have one more idea” every thirty seconds as the songs zig zag through a hundred beautiful twists and turns like every 4 musical bars.

But maybe my favorite thing about the conversation wasn’t even the stories about recording.

It was hearing the love Andy still clearly has for Kevin Barnes.

Even though they haven’t spoken in years. Even though Andy admits he hasn’t even heard many of the albums Kevin has released since leaving the band. There’s still this enormous warmth and respect there. Not just for Kevin as a songwriter, but as a human being. That tugs at the heartstrings.

Because sometimes the mythology around indie rock scenes can make people forget that these were just young human beings trying to make beautiful things together. And that’s fucking magic. And it reminds me of all the amazing people I have had the privilege to create with over the years.. And even if I fell out of touch with some of them, that love is still there for them and the things we made together.

Andy himself is now a nurse practitioner helping save lives every day. He spent years helping save mine emotionally through music, and now he literally helps save people medically. He’s that good…

One of my favorite, of Montreal memories happened at the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis.

If you’ve toured before, you know the routine. Bookstores. Record stores. Coffee shops. Wandering downtown all day before the show. So as a fan if you drive 3 ½ hours for said concert, if you go to those places you might see the band you're seeing that night wasting time and hopefully not money before the show. Knowing this throughout the afternoon we kept randomly running into Kevin and Nina around Minneapolis. Since they had stayed at our house before and we’d played together, there was already this friendliness there. They were genuinely excited. We had driven three and a half hours just to see the show.

After the concert ended, I wanted to say goodbye to Kevin before heading home. Someone from the band said, “Oh, just go backstage.”

Now the backstage at 7th Street Entry is tiny. It’s basically like walking into someone’s bedroom.

So I walk in there and Kevin Barnes is standing completely naked changing clothes.

Completely naked.

And I immediately went into absolute panic mode.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I just wanted to say goodbye.”

And Kevin, completely unfazed, just laughed and said, “Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay.”

He pulled up some underwear and invited me in.

Then he thanked me sincerely for coming to the show, gave me a huge hug.. Just in his undies, and he said “we will see you soon.” and gave a great goodbye.

That tiny awkward sweet human interaction has stayed with me all these years. And makes me continue to root for this band. Because that’s the thing about growing up with bands.

The records matter so much to us. The concerts are unforgettable. But sometimes it’s also the interactions with the people behind the music that stay with you forever. Sharing the stage with your idols. A genius songwriter sitting on your couch playing songs. A hug backstage. Watching these artists grow older while you grow older too. I love how small the indie rock world truly is. It’s easy to actually feel like you are a part of it.

of Montreal’s Coquelicot album is still one of the most whimsical, adventurous, imaginative records indie rock has ever produced.

Talking to Andy about it brought all of those memories flooding back. Thanks Andy.

So please check out this week’s episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts.

It’s a really beautiful one.

Now streaming wherever you listen to podcasts!

 

By Patrick Tape Fleming