D.C. Maxwell Covers 'Agitator' by Skeptics

From unknown quantity to the pages of Rolling Stone within the blink of an eye, it is no exaggeration to say the rise of D.C. Maxwell has been stratospheric. Aotearoa fans will soon be waving a tearful goodbye to the Tāmaki songwriting talent as he is relocating to Naarm, but before he takes flight, the 2024 Auckland Live Best Independent Debut Award finalist has put his own spin on 'Agitator' by Te Papaioea's legendary Skeptics. Equipped with only chiming guitar and soul-scorching voice, D.C. Maxwell belts out an intimate, stripped back to bare bones take on the still bleeding-edge classic like his life depends on it — recorded by Doug Bagg "in an abandoned warehouse behind the KFC on Ponsonby Road".

Playing a semi-secret UTR-related live event brought to you by Sports Team this Sunday (see HERE), D.C. Maxwell is on the mega-stacked lineup for next week's Twenty Years Of The Wine Cellar six day festival, performing in Whammy Backroom on 31st May. Hit play on 'Agitator', look forward to a "very cool live vid" out soon and catch D.C. Maxwell on local stages while you can...

"The song Agitator was originally written and recorded by New Zealand's greatest musical sons, a band called Skeptics from Palmerston North.

To me Skeptics marks out everything that is brilliant about NZ music.

They were weird as all hell, performed like crazed hellhounds, and broke so far into new sonic territory that they sound like nobody else even decades after they tragically ended.

I love how singer David D'Ath uses images like a surrealist painter. The song sounds rooted in a different kind of reality, but still somehow ends up reflecting cold truths.

To me the song Agitator is about standing awed and shocked by terrible things going on in the world. But seeing it all happen from Aotearoa/New Zealand, feeling far away from it and a bit helpless despite our emotional reaction to it.

I think it's a song that reckons with our own complicity in the suffering occurring in a far away place and so is a song for right now."

It Seemed A Good Idea At The Time - Twenty Years Of The Wine Cellar

Monday 27th May - Vitamin S Special! (koha entry)
Tāmaki's Non Idiomatic Free Improvising Collective will curate an evening of music

Tuesday 28th May - Storehouse plays a Rent Party in the Wine Cellar Bar room! (money in the hat)
Get ready to shake shimmy and sweat to profane blues and calypso

Wednesday 29th May - Songwriters Special 'Into the Grotto'*
featuring Louisa Nicklin, Kraus, Babe Martin, Samara Alofa + more to be announced

Thursday 30th May - Trioglodyte with guests*
Jeff Henderson (saxophones), Eamon Edmundsen-Wells (double bass) and Chris O’Connor (drums) present a special 3 set show featuring guests Allanah Goldsmith, Riki Gooch, Erika Grant, Rosie Langabeer, Rahana Larsen Taylor and more to be announced

Friday 31st May*
TOOMS + Jeff - 8pm, The Wine Cellar
DC Maxwell - 8.30pm, Backroom
Pony Baby - 9pm, The Wine Cellar
Hans Pucket - 9.30pm, Backroom
Broken Heartbreakers - 10pm, The Wine Cellar
Blood Bags - 10.30pm, Backroom
Phoebe Rings - 11pm, The Wine Cellar
DJ Warren - 11pm, Bar Room
Amamelia 404 special - 11.30pm, Backroom
Cave Circles DJ (Midnight Special) - Backroom

Saturday 1st June*
Roy Irwin (solo) - 8pm, The Wine Cellar
Dad Jokes - 8.30pm, Backroom
Sulfate - 9pm, The Wine Cellar
Echo Ohs - 9.30pm, Backroom
Guardian Singles - 10pm, The Wine Cellar
Dick Move - 10.30pm, Backroom
The Fertility Festival - 11pm, The Wine Cellar
Mokotron - 11.30pm, Backroom

*Tickets available HERE via UTR (festival concession tickets + supporter packages available)