Krista Polvere @ Jammin Java, Vienna VA 05/09/2010
written by Lancifer
The lights were low in Jammin Java as Krista Polvere stepped out on stage here in Virginia. It was the perfect setting for the music Krista was to perform for us. The Australian musician was tasked with opening the show for Aqualung, which she did just fine.
Being the opening act for the evening, it’s rare for an artist to give anything more than a glimpse into what they are about unfortunately in many cases. Krista however was able to demonstrate her ability to serenade a crowd with a style touching ever so softly on the country genre without breaching over into the twang that gives the style a bad name. The acoustic folk with a twist of alternative country brought out her voice, which at times seemed reminiscent of Hope Sandoval, if Hope had a bit more intensity. I think it was the way some of the words to Krista’s songs were drawn out and soft on the ears that drew that connection for me.
Given the comfortable size of the café gathering, Krista was able to connect with the crowd, joking of her recently developed fear of having an open fly, double checking as soon as her hands were free from playing a song on her guitar. The performance Krista gave was short and sweet, leaving me satisfied, though desirous to hear more. I’m certain Krista gained a few new followers in the crowd, as I myself developed a stronger appreciation for the honey smooth vocals over acoustic guitar melodies.
- Gin Wigmore @ 9:30 Club, Washington DC 05/01/2010
Written by Lancifer
I’ve taken the time to familiarize myself with Gin Wigmore’s recent full-length album, Holy Smoke, and have even come to have favorite tracks from the album. Nothing could prepare me for the live experience however. Gin’s voice is unique, to say the least.
The clock turned 9pm, and Gin stepped out on stage with touring band mates, one taking the keyboard, and the other on a stripped down drum set. When a cute, petite girl takes the stage to sing, you would instantly expect a voice to match. Something along the lines of Regina Spektor, or perhaps Meiko… but what we got was something far greater than expected. Hearing the voice come from Gin’s mouth up on stage not only took myself back, but it seemed most in attendance was with me. It may have been my own reaction from surprise, but I think I heard a gasp from others around me. The best I could do to describe Gin’s voice would be to say that you wouldn’t expect it from someone so young. At 23 years old, Gin was blessed with a voice so mature and beautiful, that you would assume it was from someone twice her age.
For approximately the next thirty minutes, the New Zealand born musician performed a selection from Holy Smoke, and the crowd absolutely loved it. Up until this show, I was always getting irritated at the crowd, who seemed to converse loudly through the opening band, and even headlining act, treating the show as more of a social event than a musical concert. Tonight was different however. Gin had everyone’s attention, as she definitely deserved it. It was exciting to see the pleased reaction from Gin as the crowd cheered her on every time she stepped up to the microphone. I’d never seen a crowd welcome someone so warmly before. Surprised herself, Gin stated that she thought she was going to pee herself. It is great to see musicians enjoy the work they do while on stage, and though it seemed the grin might have been partial embarrassment from the over-enthusiastic crowd, it was obvious Gin loved performing. Although I believe the music is the most important thing of all, sometimes there’s nothing better than a genuine smile coming from the mouth singing the songs.
Written by: Doodah
Venue: The Crocodile Seattle, WA – 3/31/10
A quick glance at the pedal-board of the violinist of Timber Timbre got me anxious. A Boss Looper, an Electro Harmonix Holy Grail, and an Electro harmonix Memory man. I get absolutely giddy at all that reverb and delay. I was anxious to hear how it would all come together without sounding overdone or cliche.
It’s one thing when the sound is great, but Timber Timbre fused hot echoey goodness with a haunting bluesy wonder that was more a hypnotic lullaby then anything else.
From the outset this creation emerges from an individual and not a collective collaboration. Taylor Kirk sits partially hidden from a drum set with his telecaster as a swampy, bluesy, honey oozed from his mouth with such effortless rhythm the music had a palpable, edible round quality. Though spooky in it’s dark themes, there is a familiarity in the blues rock that is comforting, and each and every song maintains a fine edge that refuses to allow you to completely relax. It soothes for a moment, then comes to an abrupt halt and takes it’s slow time building up again.
The show was so inspiring, accessible, and the most pleasant surprise of a band I’d never heard in years. I completely forgot myself and felt thankful for such individual expression. Timber Timbre’s greatness is in it’s lonely singular haunt that forces you to take a step back and behold it’s beauty. I’ll be searching out their music and will fight the temptation to reverse engineer it and leave it be. They’re a must see.
The Low Anthem – Show Review by: Bear
The Low Anthem’s name didn’t quite fit their stage presence last Friday night when they headlined Seattle’s uber-lumberjack rock venue The Crocodile. With a history of show stoppers having graced their stage over the years The Low Anthem had some big boots to fill. The band rocked the place as hard as a four piece old soul country band could possibly rock it. While in the midst of them “rocking it” I wanted to bang my head, but instead I did my old school emo body sway dance – it still survives. You know you do it too.
Depending on the song each member could be found switching up instruments. The crowd was witness to amazing musicianship that had us in the palm of the bands hands. Waiting on their every sweet chorus, instrument swap and the ever amazing stand up bass runs, we stared in reverence as the members stood in a tight circle at the front of the stage singing songs to uplift your soul. And uplift us they did.
- Written by: Lancifer
Karnivool @ The Quarter, Baltimore MD 03/30/2010
Arriving at The Quarter, I was under the impression that I was going to see Karnivool open for Fair To Midland. Being a huge fan of both bands, I was okay with that. I soon learned that it was Fair to Midland however, that would be opening for Karnivool. Would this be better? It’s hard to say. Is it better to eat your dessert before a great meal? In either case, it’s a win-win situation. Knowing that Karnivool was here from Australia, therefore not as likely to make as many frequent tours in the US, I think things worked out for the best.
Fair To Midland did a great job at warming the stage up for Karnivool. The first time I saw Fair To Midland was when they opened for Serj Tankian a couple years ago, after signing on with Serjical Strike Records. As before when seeing them, I was just fascinated with watching their stage performance. Plenty of new material was performed, hopefully hinting at a new album sometime in the near future.
Karnivool is huge in Australia. If you’ve seen the video online of them performing in front of an ever-extending sea of people at Australia’s Big Day Out festival, you would probably be shocked to see them performing in front of a relatively small crowd of people at a bar in Baltimore. Of course in such a setting, a stage setup has to be scaled back significantly, so it’s no surprise that a stripped down show with just the members of Karnivool and their instruments were the extent of the performance. Given such a performance however just added to the intimate setting in which the crowd was able to see this brilliant band focus on the intricate details of their music.
Selections from both albums, Themata and Sound Awake made the set list for the evening. Often, band’s live performances are compared to how their studio albums sound, and though there are benefits for similarities and differences, Karnivool is equally as precise live. Considering the size of the crowd, having a place right up near the stage allowed me to see the music being played, as opposed to just the movement of their bodies. Each guitar string that Andrew Goddard strummed, and each fret that was compressed, seemed to add to the appreciation that I already had for these brilliant musicians. There is a lot of debate as to whether Karnivool is considered progressive rock or not, and I myself don’t know exactly how I might describe them. Karnivool has so much depth to their sound, and tracks that are layered with complex melodies and rhythms, topped off with the amazing vocals from Ian Kenny. They deserve a listen by anyone who appreciates rock, in order to make up their own mind as to what they might be. Kenny has a stage presence unlike anything I’ve seen before. At first glance, the thick black-rimmed glasses cast questions as to if this is the man singing on the albums. Once he gets started, there’s no question, as he sings each word with emotion. Seemingly worried less about a rock star appearance than making his equal contribution to the band, frequent smiles confirm that it’s something he truly loves. I’m not one for singing along with groups, as I don’t go to a concert to listen to the crowd or myself, but seeing the satisfaction on his face as a large portion of the crowd sang the lyrics I couldn’t be upset.
It still blows my mind that Karnivool hasn’t made as big of an impact here in the states as in their homeland Australia, but perhaps it’s only a matter of time. Sound Awake is definitely an album that could convert some new fans, and hopefully with a quick tour around the states they can get the word spread of their musicianship. For anyone looking for a show that focuses on the music as opposed to an image, this would definitely be the tour to see, as Karnivool and Fair to Midland continue on through the states for the next couple weeks.
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