Trekky Records Showcase brings it home for the Flying Anvil and lil’ Greensboro

Speeding down Market Street last Wednesday evening, I looked down at my cell phone and thought nervously about how I was supposed to be at the show by now. The first band in the Trekky Records showcase was supposed to start playing at the Flying Anvil any minute. I was squeezed between the members of Endless Mic, who were looking to get to the venue just as quickly. Luckily, when we arrived, the first band hadn’t started playing yet.

As I took a seat toward the back, the Flying Anvil looked relatively empty, maybe 50 people, with more coming in steadily. Big Ron and the Butterflies was the first group to play. Josh Kimbrough of Mortar and Pestle, another band on Trekky, came out on stage alone and played a song on his guitar for the small crowd. When Kimbrough finished, the rest of the band burst onto stage, one member carrying a fake tree, to the delight of the audience. The music reminded me of Wilco’s “A Ghost is Born,” and the listeners were really digging it. Ending their set, Big Ron left the stage, having put on a tremendous performance to thunderous applause and a much larger crowd.

Next up was Auxiliary House, a large group with enough members to make the stage look crowded, several of whom play with other Trekky bands (Alvarez Painting, Mortar and Pestle, and Vibrant Green). The number of people in the building had doubled at this point, and there was an energetic feeling flowing through the crowd. Aux House cranked through their set with vigor and Kimbrough leaped off the stage several times into an audience who adored this display of affection from the band. A brilliantly constructed song ended their set. They would be the second band to leave the stage sweaty and to massive approbation.

Vibrant Green, a long-time Trekky group, took the stage next. There was a smaller crowd than there was for Aux House, but it gave the performance an intimate aura. Unlike many of their shows in the past several years, Stephen Tunnell was backed up for several songs by the original members of the group, his brothers Joah and Jonny. The crowd delighted in this, and the loud and raw version of “Behind the Bush” group knocked out. Co-founder of Trekky Records, Will Hackney, and drummer for various bands, Dylan Jarrel also played with the group.

Following in the footsteps of Vibrant Green, Lost in the Trees’ Ari Picker, also of The Never, played a small set in front of a smaller group of listeners, with Joah (Vibrant Green and The Never) accompanying him. Picker smiled as he crooned the simple love songs to the crowd, and they smiled right back, several mouthing the words with him.

There was an intermission and many people stepped outback to smoke cigarettes. As the people shuffled back inside, the stage went dark and booming bass sounded through the speakers. The crowd, now around 150-200, went wild. Everyone knew who was hidden behind the veil of black, Endless Mic.

As Ryan Maiani and Stuart Bell, both UNCG students, began raping, lighters went up in the air. Suddenly the lights came on and the throng of people facing the two went wild. The two shared an amazing chemistry between themselves, rapping off each other’s lines, and the crowd. At one point, Maiani was yelling, “When I say ‘Ryan rocks,’ ya’ll say ‘Ryan rocks!'” and the crowd did exactly as asked. Endless Mic played songs from their LP “Cave Livin'” and, much to the ecstasy of all listening, several songs from their upcoming LP. Endless Mic left the stage to deafening applause and screams.

Unfortunately, many people left after the Endless Mic set and missed out on an amazing performance by The Never. While a sizable number of people pushed out into the parking lot after the dynamic rap group, the ones who stayed were thrilled with the show The Never put on. Co-founder of Trekky Records, Martin Anderson, said that he was “surprised” at how well The Never played.

At the end of the night, even though the turn out could have been better, the crowd was really excited and really thrived off the energy the bands were putting out.

“I was really, really happy with it,” said Anderson. “Our bands really delivered and captured peoples attention.”

“It was a good introduction for a lot of people,” Anderson added. “There will be more shows in Greensboro… We’re trying to work out on campus shows.”

Trekky Records is a record label based out of Chapel Hill. Will Hackney and Martin Anderson, a freshman at UNCG, founded it. They are currently planning more shows in Greensboro, and trying to work out shows on the UNCG campus. Tour dates, song samples, band information, and merchandise can be found all on their website www.trekkyrecords.com.