Last night the house show I played was great. The show started with a band that I hadn't heard of called Your Canvas. They were good especially when playing laid back pop songs like the one they have on their myspace, "Telephone". Then Feral Child played. If you had seen Eric Benick before as Tender Bear, then you probably were not surprised. He explained that he felt he was too old to play as Tender Bear. That being said he has not decided to play as Feral Man yet. Anyway, his songs are literary overflows of words stuffed into simple yet hooky pop structures. Then I played. It was pretty nice for me because Sam Cooper (most recently of Horse Feathers) jumped in to play violin on several numbers. Maddy one of the girls who lived at the house also played a bit. I had never really played with strings on my songs. It felt good. Then at the end Michael Kitson (Arch Cape, Y La Bamba, etc…) jumped in on some vocals and drums (thanks Jermey). Then sadly most of the people left which made for a very intimate Grey Anne set. She started the night with a song I had not heard. Then ended in a requests session. The highlight, I felt was when she made and controlled the loops for her song "Chinese New Year" which was song by Padriac Finbar Hagerty-Hammond. It was a real good time. Anyways, here are the shows that look good tonight:
Globe is having a show with Lynnae Gryffin and Hazel Rickard, Full Moon Radio, William Carpenter, and Padriac Finbar Hagetty-Hammond. I heard about this show last night at the house show I attended last night. Lynnae was there. She mentioned it in passing. I had not heard her music before. I looked it up to write about. I mean I was going to mention the show. Padriac Finbar Hagerty-Hammond is one of my favorites. He songs are beautiful and sweet and sad and funny and just great. But anyways, I checked out her song on the Apes Tapes Mixed Ape 2 and thought it was very unique. It is not traditional by any means. Yet it is also not wildly experimental. Sometimes it recalls some of the vocal work of The Dirty Projectors. Sometimes the guitar work is a mix of noodly and folky. She has a strong voice. The tack I listened to "Maker's Hands" was an intimidating six minutes long. But it didn't seem like it. She mentions Hazel Rickard playing with her. I never had heard of this Hazel, but after listening to her website. I think she is good. I hope that she plays her own stuff as well as collaborating with Lynnae. William Carpenter used to play folkier stuff. But lately his stuff is on the verge of the kind of pop that Alan Singley makes. I think he is playing solo tonight, so he may play the older quieter stuff. Or maybe not. Either way it will be good. The shows is FREE and starts at 7:30 PM.
Mississippi Studios is having something called Train Whistle Fest. Basically it is a show put on by the Train Whistler Test podcast. The thing will be split in to an acoustic section with Jon Gary Williams with Brian Kunkel, Jared Miles, Huck Notari, and Sea Bell and a band section with Kelly Blair Bauman and On the Stairs. The show like the podcast is created to showcase some of the more under appreciated Americana artists here in Portland. You probably recognize some of the names from this blog. Especially those bands. Kelly Blair Bauman and On the Stairs. I really think they are good. Click on their links please. Plus their are lots of the acoustic acts that I don't know too well. The show is $7 and 7:30 PM.
Rontoms is having one of their shows with Pigeons, Joseph Giant (Seattle), and Wild Ones. Pigeons is a great band that I have written about ever since I found that out. It is full of energy. I hate to say Arcade Fire when describing because that seems to be the go to band to describe other bands, but honestly if those Canadians were more country it would probably come across like Pigeons do. Joeseph Giant makes Americana usually with a driving rhythm. I like it. A good fit with Pigeons. Wild Ones is the band started from former Eskimo & Sons members Danielle Sullivan and Thomas Himes. It soon added fellow former Eskimos & Sons bassist Clayton Knapp and former Eskimo & Sons former new Eskimo & Sons band Congratulations! drummer Andy Parker. Basically it is pop music with keyboards as the central instrument. It is not the epic arranged pop of those former bands, but once you get over that, you will find that it is pretty good. This is only their second show. I really like Danielle's voice and I am glad to see that there is a vehicle for it. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.
If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". It would be wonderful.
-Ben
PACIFIC | WILD ONES from Calvin Waterman on Vimeo.
Wild Ones plays tonight at Rontoms for not money!
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