A post on 1 of the Kevin Gilbert Facebook groups asked today
How were you introduced to Kevin Gilbert? and maybe add a note what led you to that album/concert?
My comment:
technically, the 1st time was hearing him on the Supper's Ready Genesis tribute cd in 1999 or 2000. But I think really the 1st time I consciously read and got to know his name was when Spock's Beard came out with V and the talk online about "The Great Nothing" being about him. That and around the same time on Mike Portnoy's Forum, at least 1 or more topics about him, Sheryl Crow and 1 or more articles about his story was shared sometime in 2001.
I know it was around that time since I recall going to the official website and reading about Kevin along with DJing a semi-regular show on KFAI Radio in Minneapolis and playing a Mini-disc of songs I had downloaded, on KFAI radio.
"Shadow Self" I recall was 1 that I played. I stopped DJ-ing on KFAI in early 2003 (until coming back in 2011). However I didn't fully realize how attached I could become to Kevin until getting 2 copies of Toy Matinee in 2004.
Not long before that, when Portnoy's OSI project came out with their debut album in 2003, Mike Portnoy chimed in on his forum about examples of bands that released both Self-Titled albums with Self-Titled songs. OSI did that back in 2003, and Toy Matinee of course was mentioned among many others.
But with this kind of being uncertain being it was sometime between 1999 and 2004, it got my curious self wanting to pinpoint more accurate details.
The OSI-related topic about Bands who released a Self-Titled song on a Self-Titled album topic on Mike Portnoy's forum I'm afraid I don't think is on his site anymore per I recall it was around the time of the OSI debut album came out which was in February 2003. But Mike Portnoy's forum history only goes back to May 2003, so unless the discussion was bumped or went on for many months, it's gone or in the WebArchives (Way Back Machine maybe?).
So my next thought was to look at my LiveJournal history and I've spent a few hours looking at it, getting distracted of course reading all the nostalgia.
I guess I may spend some more time looking (then again I may not), but at least from looking so far, it was in October and/or November 2004. Which at the same time, was when I checked out Jeff Buckley. But I'm pretty sure there was at least a little gap in time between when I got into Kevin and Jeff. I have a distinct memory of it being the Fall of 2004 and going to the Eagan Library and checking out The Grace EPs, and also finding a copy of the Deluxe Edition of Grace at the St.Paul Cheapo in the Recent Arrivals.
But based on that timing, I wonder if it was in August or July even. Shoot.
But in looking at 1 of the topics, some bands showed up in a suggested listening for fans of Kevin and Toy Matinee
Dada
New Radicals
The Spent Poets
School of Fish
I know Dada and their song "Diz Knee Land" actually I believe I own or owned the cassette single which I bought while working at Sam Goody at the Mall of America the Summer of 1993. But I don't think I ever listened to that whole album or any of their other music. So I went on to YouTube a bit ago and checked some of their other songs out and enjoyed some of them. I.e. I may want to hear Puzzle and in looking at rym, their Self-Titled album also may be worth checking out. And their other 2 records at some point as well.
New Radicals are known best to me for 1 tune "You Get What You Give" which to me always sounded like a cleaner modern sounding Rolling Stones, or even a bit like The Black Crowes for the College Rock crowd. But I imagine there is more to enjoy on their 1 and only record Maybe You've Been Brainwashed Too from 1998.
The Spent Poets, i may enjoy most among all of these bands having listened to maybe half of their one and only Self-Titled album from 1992. They use samples and atmosphere well. And among the comparisons in 1 review on rym is XTC and The Beatles.
School of Fish is the only 1 of these bands I'm not as optimistic about. But I will definitely try and check them out as well.
