IPO Fest Hoping People Will Give Pop a Chance

In a pop world filled with such extremes as gangsta rap and Goth rock, it’s hard to imagine anyone talking about melodic pop-rock as revolutionary.

But that’s how David Bash speaks about International Pop Overthrow, his pop-minded festival that will showcase 140 bands from around the globe in Southern California clubs for 10 days starting Friday.

“The [festival] name implies a desire to overthrow the conventional mores of the larger record labels, to show the labels that there is a very viable pop market out there,” says Bash, 39, a freelance pop journalist and psychology instructor at Cerritos College. “But don’t worry; we’re very polite anarchists.”

His goal is to unite pop fans and grab the attention of the music industry, reminding both of the classic values of pop.

And what is his definition of pop?

Bash describes it generally as the musical offspring of the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Byrds--music that typically focuses on catchy harmonies and upbeat lyrics.

Bill, singer-guitarist with the L.A. band the Andersons! (all four of whom simply take the group’s name from their last name--a la the Ramones), puts it this way: “Pop is music that people really like but don’t want to admit to it. It’s not tough-guy music. It’s a song that you hear, and you find yourself humming.”

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Despite the tendency in rock these days for deafening guitars and inflamed lyrics, Bash believes the pop appeal is alive. He hopes IPO--as the festival is generally called--will alert the major labels that shiny, happy music sells, but also convert mainstream listeners in their 20s to his passion.

“I hope people who like Green Day and Everclear will find there’s room in their musical diet for pop,” he says.

For the last three years, Bash has been part of the organizing staff of Poptopia, a similar L.A.-based festival devoted primarily to local pop groups. But he wanted to expand the festival’s scope, reaching out to pop groups from around the world, and started organizing IPO in January.

Exposure to California’s climate, thriving pop scene and music industry contacts are the reasons why the Brown Eyed Susans are making the trek from Alberta, Canada, bassist David Dattner says.

“We love playing for the pop fans in California because they are much more receptive to pop than up in Canada,” Dattner says. “Moreover, we believe that California and the U.S., for that matter, is the market we’d like to be involved in.”

Gene Kraut, manager of Sweden’s Pineforest Crunch, agrees it’s worth the trip. “It’s every band’s dream to make it in America . . . but there are so many great bands that will never see the light of day abroad,” Kraut says. “We feel very lucky to be so encouraged by everyone to come over and play.”

Kraut says the Internet is bringing pop fans the world over together and is making roundups like IPO possible. “David Bash somehow got in touch with us via e-mail after hearing our music,” he says. “We planned it all in cyberspace.”

Brian Kassan, keyboardist-guitarist for L.A.’s Chewy Marble, says that, like the sunny songs he plays, the international interest gives him hope for pop’s future.

“Somehow we’ve gotten the reputation that pop is less serious and more disposable than the angst-ridden songs that major labels support,” Kassan says. “But groups like Fastball and Semisonic are making it. It gives us all hope that this can be a viable commodity.”

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* IPO runs Friday-Aug. 30 at venues throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Tickets are $5-$8 each night. The entire IPO schedule is available at https://www3.sympatico.ca/cms.cas/ipomain.htm.