Take a listen with Bombadil

When Bombadil wants to celebrate its CD release there are few things that can get in the way of the party.

In the face of tendonitis that has forced bassist Daniel Michalak to go on an indefinite hiatus from music Bombadil decided to throw a listening party Saturday for its new album Tarpits and Canyonlands where fans can hear the new record and view artwork" an improvisational guerrilla marching band and fellow rockers Luego and The Tender Fruits.

The unconventional party format came as a response to Michalak's two-year battle with the condition.

""He couldn't drive a car" couldn't write a letter" said Bryan Rahija, a member of Bombadil. So with his health in mind" after two years of hoping things would get better taking medications and doing yoga and stuff like that" it wasn't working. So we had to stop.""

But instead of resigning themselves to reclusion after they were forced to cancel their original release party at Cat's Cradle" Bombadil forged ahead with plans for a listening party at Durham's new urban arts campus" Golden Belt.

""We just wanted to get the record out there" and we're not really sure when we're going to play Rahija said. We wanted to spread the word about the record and celebrate" to throw a party for everyone who's been there with us for so long.""

The space itself was a major draw for the band"" which hails from Durham. ""I'd heard about this new space" the Golden Belt and it's a really awesome and comfortable space Rahija said. We're not huge rock club guys so we wanted a space where people could be comfortable  without smoke or complete darkness" a more relaxed atmosphere where we could do different things.""

Allison Polish" Golden Belt's marketing director" also expressed excitement about the role local musicians like Bombadil will play for the future. ""One of the buildings on our campus" Building 7 is slated to be a music venue" she said.

Golden Belt has already hosted local favorites The Rosebuds and Lost in the Trees, and Polish said she expects the venue to host many more local musicians in the future.

While the listening party might sound like a disappointing plan, Rahija said the band looks at it as an opportunity to fulfill some of their long-standing desires for an unconventional show.

You know" it has food which we all love. Daniel always had a dream of doing a show at a Chinese buffet" Rahija said.

Bombadil is also incorporating visual art into the show. It comes as a result of a meeting between Bombadil and Idiots' Books publishers Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, whom the guys met at a show.    

They enjoyed the concert and invited us to come to their barn where they live and have their workshop" and we just fell in love instantly with their art" Rahija said. A few weeks later they just sent us this basically already produced packaging and had the complete vision already laid out for us in the shape of a CD.""

The images depict a man who flies off of a building and through many different terrains"" ultimately crashing and walking away unscathed. It's a fitting visual for a band which has weathered adversity to put on this event.

""I'm kind of hoping that the night will just be sort of a collection of things that we like as a band.""


Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.