Don Haugen, LIVE! (#44)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: there is something very special happening in Eugene.  It is probably the six years that I spent there during first tentative journey’s outside the nest, and the people I met while I lived there exposed me to so much stuff that has shaped me in the years since.  In particular, the members of Cathead (which I later joined) made a huge impression on me with the music the forced me to see / listen to, and among the many early impressions that were made on me, a Holy Rodent show (in which Don played) exposed me to noise, percussion-heavy experimentation, power tools on stage, and music that has continued to inform me, right up to this very program you are now hearing.

With that in mind, it feels like a big accomplishment to get this 30 year veteran of music into the studio, to show off what he does best.  It’s been great to re-connect with Don, not only because he is a lifer in a world that burns out so many artists before they do their best work, but because he is so supportive of acts new and old, trying to help them find a place where it is often hard to fit in.  Don’s work is so personal, so far away from many of the usual guidelines that experimental and noise music offers, and creates textures and tones that are brutal, haunting, delicate, and sublime, all things that continue to be an important part of my musical diet.

This show is very casual, and we talk for longer than I’ve ever chewed the ear of a guest.  But we get three live sets during this show: two from Don, and one with MKUltramegaphone leading the way.  (Four live sets if you count the recording of Don’s performance from 11 March 2017, but, you know.)  What comes through in this show is the sense of community; sharing stories about gigs, bands we used to know, and the life of an artist in a world that can often be indifferent – and at times, actively working against you.  Don is an overlooked gem in this world, an honest artist with a family and a regular day job, who had been consistently making incredible work for longer than the lifespan of at least 10 indie rock bands combined.

Enjoy.

Spinitron Playlist

Don Haugen, LIVE! (#43)

Part I: Bass Cross Tones (Pt II)

01.) Austin FM Theme * Paco Jones * Austin FM Theme * Self-Released (2016)
02.) Side A * Don Haugen * Bass Bones & Cross Tones * L’eclipse Nue Records (2016)
03.) Live Performance * Don Haugen * Live Performance * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)

Part II: First

04.) LIVE 1 * Don Haugen * 24 March 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)

Part III: Chat

05.) Interview * Don Haugen * 17 March 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)

Part IV: Second

06.) LIVE 2 * Don Haugen * 24 March 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)

Part V: Third (w/ MKU)

07.) A Dream, A Nightmare * Don Haugen w/ MKUltramegaphone * 24 March 2017 * Mid-Valley Mutations (2017)