Live Music Log, October 2018
10 5 18 Public Access #7/Dan Rickabus Band #7 Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids The day before I left on my annual driving
vacation (following US 20 east to Boston, then catching US 2 back into Canada),
I got to see a big batch of tunes played by a big batch of friendlies. The night started with Dan and his big band
(whom I still maintain should be named Rickabusiness) bringing the analog
cosmos of his solo album, Void/Journal, to life in Technicoior. Wife and father in law on violins, all the
other Crane Wives in supporting roles, freakin Seth Bernard on supporting bari
guitar: all there to serve the anthems of peace, love and serendipity. He never
seems winded from singing and drumming simultaneously, life goals right there.
Many of the same players, including guitar whizzes Alex Atkin and Steve Leaf,
turn up in PA too of course. I saw a jazz show last night (11/30) and it
occurred to me that that’s how PA works:
it’s not a jazz band, or even a jazz fusion act, but rather a rock band
that cribs its structure from jazz. A
tight, vocal-free framework on which to hang individual acts of virtuosity,
making room for lots and lots of sound from lots and lots of players. Kate and
Em even came out for a bit in the trademark jumpsuits. Not a huge crowd, but
those who were there were into it. I was sent off on the road with a tune
ringing in my ears (Radiohead’s National Anthem) and a smile on my face.
10 6 18 TREADING BLEU/DD MOTO Winchester Tavern, Lakewood, OH For the very first time, I managed to catch
live music on vacation, and it’s a band from Kalamazoo! Treading Bleu has a second base of operations
in Cleveland due to local family ties.
This was supposed to be a four band bill, but one couldn’t make it and I
was too tired to stay for the third.
Openers DD Moto were a different sorta thing: gruff beardo on gtr/voc, a
John Slattery lookalike with a neck tattoo on bass, and a flailing meerkat on
drums. Snotty semi-punk, like early Everclear, played by weekend warriors. Interesting to drop in on another city’s
scene. Off key bellowing paired with
buzzing, melodi c guitar and bass lines, one lyric written by the singer’s five
year old daughter. Like AC/DC and GBV had a summit meeting. Treading Bleu has a
tough attack paired with Stacey Koviak-Davison’s sweet vocal, much more Tracy
Bonham than the tame sounds on their studio recordings would suggest. Chris Miroslaw is a beautifully fluid
guitarist. Their lighter touch was losing the Moto fans, but the crowd in the
dim and weirdly huge bar was digging it mostly. A new one sounded like prime No
Doubt. The last song, Follow The Rain, was a literal showstopper: drum loop
woozy atmospherics building up into a crash of heavy elements, a stormy
catharsis, far and away the best thing they have. MOAR PLEASE.
I crawled out and back to my Airbnb, a shabby home with a million
thoughtful amenities for travelers, as opposed to the gorgeous places I stayed
later on that didn’t even put out food or towels.
10 14 18 Carrie McFerrin #19
Hilliards Corner Lounge, Hilliards
Carrie rises above the challenges in her life to bring you the sweet
folky music, and you should listen to it as much as you can. So on the tail end of vacation, I did just
that, on one of those crazy Hilliards Sundays where the local noshers aren’t
quite sure why there’s someone singing in the corner while they shovel in the
stroganoff. Her husband made it out, something he can’t often do, as did buddy
Dan L. Pleasant visit with friends and
friendly songs. New ones are emotionally
raw and sweet. Neutral Milk Hotel cover
always from left field but just right.
New Borr/McFerrin album soon, then after that, some time next year, a
solo Carrie outing that will be a song cycle about motherhood. Stay tuned, you’re gonna want to hear that.
10 20 18 Olivia & The Aquatic Troupe #23 Sturges-Young
Auditorium, Sturgis Matthew Borr
#12/Carrie McFerrin #20/DOUBLE STRUNG
Old Dog Tavern, Kalamazoo
Adventure time. I had not seen
the Troupe for a hot minute, so I made the trek to the Land of The Last Hot N
Now and an odd old municipal venue, where the band was set up to play in a
basement space that looked like a church fellowship hall. Much to all our surprise, a good sized crowd
turned out, helped no doubt by the full bar. This was part of a concert series,
so enough people in this small town came out for the itinerant carnival
entertainment, which is what they got:
Brandon was notably unhinged this evening. There was gurning, and wild eyes, and Dwayne
and the Rock Johnsons. Bleu and Adam kept encouraging him along musically, to
Olivia’s affectionate annoyance. “You’re welcome,” indeed. Olivia’s
pop-gypsy-folk-Django thing went over super well with the crowd of about
60. I ate a big sack of burgers. Good times.
Had time after this earlyish set to zip up to Kzoo and catch the back
half of Matt and Carrie’s show with Double Strung, a country band with serious
chops. I do not like straight country
much, but everything is better live, and these guys could PLAY. Especially the hilariously serious young
guitarist, dude had fire in his fingers. Both Matt and Carrie have excellent
new songs, very much looking forward to their new recordings being made now
(Dec 18).
10 21 18 Kate Pillsbury #2/Cameron Blake #2/Nicholas James
Thomasma #5 Creston Brewery, Grand
Rapids It’s no secret to anyone that
Kate Pillsbury, of the Crane Wives, is my personal Song Deity. I have tried to tone down the Wayne-and-Garth
“We’re not worthy” genuflections since becoming better friends with her,
because no one (well, no one decent) wants to be worshipped, but it takes
special effort to divorce the person from the songs. I did not take notes
during this show, immersing myself in the sounds, so I don’t have titles, but
she played a whole lot of songs I have only heard once before, at her previous
SpeakEZ show, or not at all. She had a passel of old videos on YouTube from her
teens and early twenties, a fundamentally poppier, sassier sound, all taken
down now (in large part because I found them, argh); many of her new solo sounds
are more like if that young woman had matured and branched out without joining
an amazing band. She’s writing for herself again, not just for what will sound
good with Dan and Ben and Emilee on it, and it’s pretty exciting. This
in-the-round show was part of Nick’s Songtellers series, with three folks on
stools singing and telling stories, and this bill was genius: Kate’s sunny
sober songs were balanced by Nick’s easygoing intelligent croon, and then
Cameron Blake’s astonishing sepulchral intonations. Mr. Blake is a gentle
scarecrow of uncommon emotional intelligence, and he would be bigger than this
town in an era where the music industry hadn’t imploded. He sings the kind of
songs where your cheeks are damp when they’re done and you don’t remember
weeping. Of the three, Nick has the lightest touch, though he’s not a pushover:
songs about family and friends and better times were welcome and
appreciated. I can’t make many of these
Sunday sessions due to work, but I moved heaven and earth to get to this one.
10 23 18 JOSH ROSE/SANDRA EFFERT/NEIL JACOBS/ANDY BAKER/JOE
ROLLIN PORTER/NADIA PIOTROWSKY/HOWARD & SKYE/ANTONIO ANDRADE/J. OSCAR
BITTINGER One Trick Pony, Grand Rapids I was feeling too sick for work, but not too
sick to sit and listen, so I came out for this (bizarrely sparsely attended)
Tuesday showcase of performers from the Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM)
conference happening that weekend at a hotel out by the airport. Three sets of
three in-the-round performances, an embarrassment of riches for the 20 or so
non-performers in attendance. Josh Rose looks eerily like my cousin Todd, same
handsome flinty expressions, but decidedly more musical: what if your junior
high track coach could sing like a bird? A different perspective than I usually
hear, and a welcome one. Sandra Effert, the youngest of the nine, played
pleasant indie pop, kind of Nellie McKay as an introvert. Only person to use a
keyboard instead of a guitar. Neil Jacobs, a guy from Grand Haven you wouldn’t
glance twice at, was a secret guitar wizard; having traveled Europe with
gypsies and served in UNESCO, he combined Spanish and Macedonian styles to make
a HUGE sound. Only non-vocal performance
of the night. With an injured finger, he was giving up his weekend showcases,
making this the ONLY place to hear him play that week, and I felt lucky. Nadia
Piotrowsky, who also plays under the name Summerland, had a confessional,
earthy coffeehouse vibe, and had come all the way from Oklahoma for the
conference. Lyric snapshot: “the beast has to set himself free.” Joe Rollin
Porter, the only non-writer of the night, played some folky blues, and some
bluesy folk, in a highly theatrical style that reminded me of nothing so much
as John Belushi as a Folk Brother. Andy Baker was the closest to an old school
earnest folkie tonight, with an excellent song called Skywriting. J. Oscar Bittinger: apologies for the
shorthand, but, what if Dustin Hoffman was Paul Simon? Antonio Andrade, who
hails from the Silent Hill-inspiring burning town of Centralia, PA, offered a
line in gruff nostalgia and the funniest tunes of the night. Do we seek forgiveness
in a church or a bar? “She’s A Savage”
was naughty fun. Howard & Skye, a married duo, sang a love song to Texas,
making them possibly insane but the harmonies sure were purty. All in all, I picked a great night to play
hooky from work.
10 26 18 POWELL-McFERRIN-McCOY Barn Brewers, Lawton Josh Rose #2/ED DUPAS/Kaitlin Rose
#8/Lexi Adams #2 Old Dog Tavern,
Kalamazoo Carrie sings alone, she sings with Matt Borr,
and she also sings with Mike Powell and Tom McCoy as a harmony trio. Unlike the two other acts, this one is
strictly covers (except for Mike’s one excellent song, Smoldering Wick). I
admit a prejudice toward original acts, but the harmonies between these three
are otherworldly. Between the two men as
well, because Carrie was out talking to friends for half of the hour I was able
to spend out there before heading into the city. Almost everything they played
during that hour was somehow Neil Young related, and it all sounded phenomenal.
On to Old Dog for a songwriters night, divided into male and female sets. Saw
Josh Rose for the second time in four days, a relaxed and engaging performer
with a great song about dinosaurs. In my
notes, inexplicable: “Chocolijah.” Ed
Dupas was a thoughtful writer and excellent guitar player with an
out-of-nowhere southern accent and an epic beard. Highlight: Whiskey Bones. Lexi Adams was more confident than the last
time I saw here, possibly due to the more familiar venue and company, and
played more of her originals; she will have product for us very soon. More
country than I usually go, but sold with sincerity and brio. Kaitlin Rose: she had a song, and indeed has
a career, in defense of fear. Fear is a
good thing. Fear keeps you alert and
motivated. Fear may keep you in Kalamazoo, but it motivates you to bring the
rest of the world in and kick its ass one by one. Spoiler alert: she’s gonna
win.
10 27 18 JON SHAIN/Darcy Wilkin #14 Kal-Tone Instrument Co., Kalamazoo Big Dudee Roo #7/PHIL BARRY ELECTRIC
BAND Old Dog Tavern, Kalamazoo Another in the industrial house shows held in
the “Sandbox” at Kal-Tone, a guitar building/refurbishing shop. Darcy opened with her melancholy folk tunes
and a lot of conversational humor, with a slight breakdown after Beyond All
Repair when she got verklempt over the guitar solo added by the headliner, Jon
Shain. Hailing from Nashville, I
think? He is also Darcy’s guitar
teacher, and wow is he a master of the instrument. I cringed a little at the beginning over the
affected accent in one song, but quickly recovered as the show went on. Some really
nifty tunes, but mostly, like Mark Stuart whom I saw here, they’re frames to
hang guitar wizardry on. Highlight: 10 Days Without You, reminiscent of Spencer
Davis’ I’m a Man. This show was early, so there was plenty of time to get over
to Old Dog for The Rawk. Phil Barry is very busy, but he wanted an outlet for
some more rowdy sounds, so this was the debut of his Electric Band, which
featured his Thunderbolt & Lightfoot partner Sarah on bass again
anyway. Suggested calling this
Thunderbolt & Leadfoot. He can’t let loose like this playing with May! I didn’t get to hear anything off his
excellent solo album from a decade ago, Between The Carolinas (get it on
Bandcamp), but the sound was big and brash yet elegant and Maximum Phil. Big
Dudee Roo is the closest on the current scene to the bands I used to watch slug
it out on the local circuit fifteen years ago:
head down, meat n potatoes American rock n roll of the type that only
lives on “classic” radio now. Max Lockwood’s songs have nuance, and emotion,
and depth, but they are delivered right down the middle of the bowling alley,
with panache and power. Justin Dore will
bludgeon you with melody, especially when he takes the mic for War Pigs. Daine Hammerle will just bludgeon you. 35
years ago, everyone would have owned a Big Dudee Roo 8 track. Now they were
selling their latest EP as a download only.
Times change, but if you’re lucky, the sounds can be similar.
Labels: Music Logs
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