Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Sunday, January 17th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last Night at the Woods was fun. I saw a lot of people I knew there. Even fellow blogger Jess made it out. I thought we, as Y La Bamba, played pretty well. The audience was unnrevingly quiet and respectful during the performance. It was our first real show with Scott McGee on stage. We look forward to having more of him in the mix. The the Robinsons took stage and did a really good job of putting their songs from Viva Voce and Blue Giant into a new context. They used an acoustic guitar that sometimes used a lot of effects and an electric guitar with some effects as well. They also used a tamborine, slide guitar,glockenspiel, and a harmonica. On the last song Kevin played the housed piano on a songs and just killed the number. I hope to be able to play with them again in whatever form. They have this one song called target heart from Blue Giant that I really like. Anyways, here are the shows that look good ti me tonight:

Sunday, January 17th

The Parlour is having the final night of Music to Folk To! Fest with What Can Skulls Tell Us/, Shinto, Nick Caceres, Mamma Sunshine, Ross & The Hellpets, Ocean Age, Sam Cooper, and Oh Captain My Captain. The other two days of this fest looked meh. But for the final day it looks pretty promising. What Skulls Can Tell Us is Darren of Potlatch Presents. He plays acoustic music that falls somewhere between Microphones and Love of Everything. which is to say it is kinda quirky and heartfelt and not for everyone. Nick Caceres is the folk pop project of the guy from Gatitilium he hardly ever plays in his folk incarnation any more so this is cool. Mama Sunshine is a band that Eliot King assembled. He is a guy who used to play the Zilla Open Mic back when Luz and I from Y Lamba were just getting started.He was always really good. Ocean Age is a band that I do not feel is folk but who I really like. They do used an acoustic guitar but hey also used a butt load of other instruments too. Sam Coopers has recently mostly playing instruments in Horsefeathers. His music is also very good it can be silly or sad or often times both. I like the way he talks just as much as he plays when he is performing. Oh Captain My Captain is a favorite of mine but also I do not consider folk but more of a pop band. The show is $10 and starts at 3 PM.

Rontoms is having a songwriters in the round with Ritchie Young, Grey Anne, Kyle Morton, Bud Wilson, Leonard Mynx, Kelly Blair Bauman, His Name Shall Breathe, Ryan Ziles, and Sean Battles. Songs in the round have kinda of been popular as of late I know at least three unrelated people who have been setting this kind of show up. But I want to say, right off the bat, this is a risky show model. Unless everyone is really good. Switching from really good performers to sub par performers is very unsettling and may cause audience members to want to leave. I know that I have wanted to leave one of these before. Lucky for you, I know that most of these songwriters are very good. Ritchie Young is of Loch Lomond. Kyle Morton is of Typhoon. Bud Wilson is of aan. Those of you who read this blog know that some of my Portland favorites are represented here. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

Satyricon is having a show with Nana Grizol, Max Levine Ensemble, Foot Ox, and Scum Grief. Nana Grizol is an Elephant 6 related band and therefore have many members and are based out of Athens. Some of those members were in bands like Neutral Milk Hotel (gasp). They are really good and I have been told that I have to see them by a friend who has impeccable taste. The Max Levine Ensemble is a punk band from D.C. Seems to be pretty good. Foot Ox is one of those folk punk bands. Though I guess folk pop punk would be more accurate. Over all this seems like a good time. Plus I have not been to Satyricon in literally years. The ALL AGES show is at 8 PM.

If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". I am the guy with the beard.

-Ben


Grey Anne is in good company tonight at Rontoms for FREE.