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Concert Review

Show Review: Bombadil House Show

Bombadil

When you think of a house show, you typically think a grungy basement with beer cans strewn everywhere. This show was quite different. This concert was put on by Common Chord Concerts, a self-proclaimed “network of music-lovers in Charlotte and surrounding communities that share an interest in original acoustic, Americana and folk/rock music.” Common Chord has only been in existence for a couple months, but has put on some incredible shows so far with a strong line-up of shows in the coming months.

After walking into the Common Chords founder’s wonderful home, I knew this show would be anything but ordinary even by Bombadil’s standards. The atmosphere was very light-hearted as show-goers brought snacks to share and mingled with the band members and other fans. The turn-out for the show was quite impressive for this being Common Chords’ third event. As 8 o’clock approached, everyone made their way into the living room area where the band had set up their equipment. Some moved to the kitchen and others to the balcony to get a better view as everyone geared up for the concert that was about to take place in the living room.

Everyone cheered as the band members made the transition from socializing to taking the makeshift stage space in their usual eccentric clothes. James announced that it had been a while since they had played a house show and they were really looking forward to the intimate opportunity. This show was to be my first time seeing them as a three-piece since their guitarist Bryan was off finishing his graduate studies and unable to join. They are each incredibly talented songwriters and musicians, so I was interested to see how their show would hold up with the absence of a band member. I was not disappointed. The performances were incredible and the atmosphere made for some great story-telling about the origins of the songs. The narratives made for one of the most intimate shows I had been to as Daniel shared his hardships of trying to continue writing songs while he was suffering from nerve damage several years back. The stories covered everything from sweet tea to cross country unicycle rides as the entire audience listened and laughed along.

There seemed to be no real set list as they continuously called out songs to each other as well as asking the audience for requests. They played a good mix of songs that spanned their entire career. From “Jellybean Wine” and “Johnny” to new songs such as “Have Me” and “Boring Country Song” from their upcoming album Metrics of Affection due out July 23rd. Everyone in attendance was singing along and enjoying the incredible performance. To make the night even more personal, they relocated to the kitchen to perform an a cappella version of “Get to Getting On.” At one point, Daniel made Stuart perform his new solo piano song “What Does It Mean” as he joined the crowd in the rows of folding chairs and couches. Although they seemed to have played every song in their repertoire, the show ended all too quickly with an extraordinary performance of “Honeymoon.” They barely finished bowing before someone in the kitchen started chanting encore. As a form of payback, Stuart then joined the ranks of chairs as he made Daniel give a stirring rendition of “Marriage” as everyone sang along. After the applause faded, they took their places at their instruments one last time for the song “We Were Meant to Be.” After thanking the audience and the hosts, the house once again transitioned from venue to house party as everyone milled around and socialized after the mutual experience. Although it was not quite your typical concert, the unique atmosphere made for one amazing night with the always impressive Bombadil.

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Concert Review

Show Review: Jeff Mangum at the Brooklyn Arts Center

This was my first opportunity to see Jeff Mangum and I jumped at the chance to see him by purchasing my ticket months before the show. Although this will not be his final tour, he does not plan to return to the same cities he has already played during this solo acoustic tour. This might explain his decision to play the quaint little Brooklyn Arts Center in downtown Wilmington.

The show was opened up by folk rock duo, Tall Firs. After their set, Jeff Mangum took the stage and the crowd was elated. His performance was very stripped-down with just his voice and guitar. Although he kept apologizing for having to ask his sound guy to continuously tweak the levels after every song (he admitted to skipping the sound check earlier that day) nobody really seemed to mind. I think his almost neurotic behavior about the quality of the sound made everyone appreciate him a little bit more. Jeff revisited songs from all of Neutral Milk Hotel’s albums including “On Avery Island,” “Everything Is,” and the most famous “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.” His raw voice echoed off the refurbished cathedral ceilings while he carried out the last word to the lyrics “Can’t believe how strange it is to be anything at all,” sending chills down my spine.

Jeff would switch between a number of different acoustic guitars surrounding him on stage (I counted five) and you were able to hear a new perspective to the songs. With this raw performance, you could listen with a newfound appreciation for the lyrics. Jeff thanked the crowd several times throughout the evening for coming out to see him by explaining that he was still just used to just playing for his friends in a living room. Even though he has been playing these same songs for the past sixteen years, sometimes at huge venues, I get the feeling that this was the atmosphere he prefers. I can’t wait to experience another heart-felt performance from Jeff Mangum.

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Concert Review

Abuse. Winter Mini-Tour Write-Up

For three days I hit the road with Raleigh’s own Abuse., a vicious hardcore act that plays brutal power violence with no time left between songs – just a stripped down, speedy hellstorm of chaos. Being one of my favorite Raleigh bands, I knew I had to hit the road with these dudes once they announced that they would be going on a 3-day mini-tour over winter break. The dates were announced: the dudes would first play in a basement in New Brunswick, New Jersey, another basement in West Philly, and a record store in DC by the name of Smash Records. After the out-of-town dates, they would play a homecoming show at The Berkeley Cafe.

The first day we woke up at around 8AM and filled up the van the guys had borrowed from a friend. After 2 ½ hours of listening to nothing but black metal and hardcore, we were in Richmond. Richmond, being an awesome place for records, was a stop we had to make on the 9 hour trip to Jersey. After scoring a bunch of sick finds, we were back on the road.

Making hardly any stops, we took on the next 6 hours of the trip and landed ourselves in a residential area by a university in New Brunswick. The guy who lived at the house helped us bring in all the gear and get familiar with the house. The bands that played that night were Godswallower (NJ), Loose Ends (NJ), and Abuse. Moving between the merch table and the show room, I was able to catch most of the sets. Godswallower played a nice mix of blown-out grind and heavy doom. Not bad at all for a first show! Loose Ends was a local hardcore act that drew in a lot of local ragers. Abuse.’s set was super tight and brutal. Considering the show was in a basement, the sound was pretty good!

After the show in NJ, we went and got some of the most delicious (and cheapest!) Mexican food I’ve ever had with a friend who had been selling records out of his distro at the show. He was nice enough to let us stay at his swanky apartment and use his shower. He kindly sold me an awesome old Green Day EP. Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough time to flip through his extensive record collection – we had to get up early the next morning to go to New York City.

Although there were no Abuse. dates in NYC, we found it necessary to go since 2 of us had never been before. Driving in Jersey was difficult, but finally we made it to a small parking lot by the Newark train station where we could park for 12 dollars for the whole day. After much confusion, we managed to make it on the train to Brooklyn from Newark. Though cold and drizzly, we all managed to have a great time in NYC. We went to Generation Records, Trash and Vaudeville (some “punk” store we had heard about on TV that we wanted to visit for laughs), Times Square, and a whole bunch of other places in the city. Times Square was incredible – I found myself constantly taking pictures, not caring at all that I looked like the biggest tourist ever. We took a bunch of funny pictures, one being a picture of all of us in Times Square with the Marines. A friend commented on the picture when it was posted on Facebook: “The few, the proud… Abuse”.

Abuse. , Me, and The Marines

This LED-flag in Times Square was SO bright that it sucked all the light out of the picture – this was taken outside in the middle of the day!

We made it out of the city at around 3:30 PM so that we could make it to the Philly show. Although we didn’t see Fresh Prince, we did manage to have a great time at the show. It was in a basement with a bunch of awesome local bands: Callous, Congenital Death, and Bad Side. Callous played grimy sludge, Bad Side played fun hardcore punk, and Congenital Death had a great mix of crushing female screams and speedy fastcore. The crowd turnout and reaction were both GREAT and I can honestly say it was (crowd-wise) the best night of the tour. After the show everyone came up from the basement and danced to Funkadelic. I would definitely like to go to Philly again, especially since by the time we had arrived there that afternoon it was too dark to get a good look of the city.

Click here if you want to watch the full set from Philly!

After Philly, we had plans to stay at a friend’s house in D.C. 2 ½ hours later, we finally made it to D.C. and crashed immediately. We had plans to see a little bit of D.C. and take a look at the record stores in Baltimore the next morning. Waking up at about 10 AM, we headed straight to Sticky Fingers Bakery after having a nice chat with one of the dudes who lived at the house. I got myself a delicious quesadilla while the other dudes had some bagels. Sticky Fingers is definitely a must-stop in D.C. for vegeterians and vegans!

After getting a bite to eat, we made our way to Baltimore to check out Celebrated Summer Records. To say I was astounded by their selection in vinyl is a total understatement… From new releases to the rare record you always wanted but could never find, Celebrated Summer has it. Shout out to the owner for having the coolest record store ever and to the super nice employee for giving us the inside-scoop on the Baltimore music scene.

Spending most of the day in Baltimore, we tried our best to beat traffic so that we could make it to the D.C. show at Smash Records. On the bill was Vile Faith (a bunch of cool high school kids playing their first show) and raging hardcore act Human Shield. The turnout was great and we had the opportunity to check out the records. Alex, Abuse.’s vocalist, got a superb copy of Bathory’s “The Return…”, which I was (and still am) extremely jealous of. Human Shield’s drummer got Morbid Angel’s “Domination” – also an awesome find! Smash Records is definitely one of my favorite places to go to whenever I visit D.C., so I was glad to know that the show was there. The set Abuse. played at this show (music-wise) was definitely my favorite of the whole tour. It was nothing but pure, hateful hardcore. I shamelessly raged from behind the merch table. The dudes who lived at the house we had stayed at the night before were kind enough to let us stay the night again. After the show we got food and chilled.

The next morning we left bright and early at about 7AM because the vocalist had to make it to work by 2PM. In addition to that, Abuse. also had the homecoming show that night with touring bands Recide (TX), Breakout (TX), Manic (GA), and Desist (local ragers, first show!). The show that night was awesome! The touring bands were super nice guys. I missed Manic the last time they came through Raleigh… that was definitely a mistake. Recide, Breakout, and Manic were some of the best hardcore punk bands I’ve seen in a long time. Desist put on a great show as well. I can’t wait to go to future shows with them on the bill.

To round things up, I had an incredibly fun time being sweaty in a van with 4 other guys for 3 days. Abuse. are the coolest guys ever and I am very thankful to have been their merch guy on this tour. Thanks to everyone who gave us a place to stay, the other bands that played, and of course the people who came out to the shows. We had the best time going up north and being treated with superb hospitality. Thank you so much.

-Possessed

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Concert Review Local Music

Show Review: Local Band Local Beer – Toon & The Real Laww

Toon & The Real Laww

This week’s Local Band Local Beer was an awesome yet insanely odd one.  First off, any time I get the chance to see live hip-hop I’m naturally going to jump all over it, it’s just an incredible experience through and through…especially when you’ve got a live band joining in as well.  Toon & The Real Laww were joined by The Band (not that that The Band), comprised of members of LiLa’s rhythm section and a keyboard player that was twerking like his life depended on it, the combination of a live band with the booming bass brought by DJ Shahzad was what made Thursday night at Tir Na Nog truly special.  While the crowd was filled with an abnormally large amount of bougie folks dressed to impress, that didn’t stop the crowd from raging like nobody was watching.

Toon & The Real Laww have been building up quite the reputation for themselves, drawing a lot of attention from a heavily acclaimed Hopscotch set and various other local performances, the group is swiftly being mentioned with names like Kooley High, King Mez, and The Beat in terms of top local rap artists.  Toon’s clever lyricism and wordplay bounce perfectly off of the precision and finesse of The Real Laww’s flow.  Both have bukus of charisma, engaging in practically every audience member in arms reach, and often times a few more.  From free styling with the aid of a few words written by crowd members to the massive amounts of crowd participation, Toon & The Real Laww were an engaging and exciting act, a fantastic to spend a study-filled Thursday.  While the dance party continued on after the set, the dense crowd gave me no room to cook in so I unfortunately had to bounce.

 

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Concert Review

Show Review: O’Brother bring an ear-ringing, bangover inducing show toKings

It’s been over three years since O’Brother played in Raleigh and two since I’ve seen the mind-blowing post-punk-rockers put on their dazzling live show.  In those past few years the band has been busy playing sold out shows with the likes of Manchester Orchestra and Thrice all over the continent, but alas the Georgia based group is finally making their way out on a headlining tour for the first time in what feels like ages.  Since my last encounter with the O’Bros the band had put out a highly acclaimed debut full-length and signed to Triple Crown Records, a wonderful feat for a band I once sat cross legged for along with fifteen or so others in my hometown of New Bern.  These years of busting their asses on the road and in the studio have clearly payed off though, the band practically up-ended their old style of melodic post rock to a far heavier end of the spectrum, turning what used to be subtle nuances towards a heavy influence has now morphed into a barrage of fast paced, in-your-face post-punk with the occasional yet breathtaking melodic break.  I was anxiously awaiting this show, and having last seen the band as they were beginning to play out with their Beneath Your Garden Windowmaterial , I wasn’t quite sure of what to expect from this set.  Plus opening act Harvard (or their newer, vowel-less name HRVRD) has been a band on my radar for quite some time and was just coming off of the sold out opening spot for fun. at The Ritz this past Thursday, making this the perfect chance to check out a band that I may be becoming very familiar with soon.

The night started off with the Raleigh locals of Octopus Jones, a band whose work I’d skirted around before checking out the end of their set here at Kings.  While the band brings a fun and upbeat blend of psychedelic surf rock with punk rock undertones, the melodies and lyricism seemed a bit lacking and couldn’t really hook in this listener.  Vocalist and guitar player Danny Martin was doing a great job of hamming it up on stage though, adding to the quirky and upbeat vibes given off by the bands self-described “spank-wave boogie”.  I only got to catch the last four songs from Octopus Jones before it was onto HRVRD and one step closer to seeing the o’bros!

HRVRD

Before I delve into HRVRD I must admit that I’ve got a thing against bands without vowels in their name, and while I’ve embraced a select few thus far (SBTRKT and TNGHT being glaring standouts), I’m always a bit apprehensive to check a band out…especially if they used to have a name that didn’t read like a sixth graders notebook cover.  Personal grudges aside, whatever changed about this band when they became HRVRD worked wonders for them, the Charlotte outfit used to give off a larger pop influence than the experimental and haunting tunes that were on display at Kings.  Thought vocalist Jesse Clasen was coughing throughout damn near every song and informed the crowd of his sickness, his vocals were still soaring through the invigorated crowd at Kings.  When I saw Clasen pull out a trumpet after already wowing me with the band’s overwhelming live presence I became enamored in this act.  After I saw their use of vocal loops I was sold.  HRVRD combined elements of punk, pop, and experimental music to create a compelling product that’s accessible by fans of Manchester Orchestra or Circa Survive alike.  And make no mistake, I’ve long grown out of the high pitched vocals and chuggy yet melodic guitar thing…the Circa Survive ship never came to port for this fella, but HRVRD have taken that sort of approach and turned it into an intriguing blend of styles that mesh together perfectly.

Sickness aside HRVRD could have easily stolen the show if it weren’t for me being such a fanboy of O’Brother.  As soon as the band took the stage I drew myself uncomfortably close despite their live shows being notoriously loud and known to induce “bangovers” by many attended.  Well consider me a bangover statistic, because when the band opened with an old favorite, “Ascension” I was thrust right back into my high school days of losing myself in the same ambient yet ear rattlingly heavy anthem.  The band smoothly transitioned into “Lay Down”, the track that marked the beginning of a heavier phase of O’Brother, filled with throaty shouts and heavily distorted guitars but juxtaposed with softer, melodic bridges.

O’Brother

The rest of the show can only be described as painfully awesome, the band was so loud that it was hard to discern much of Tanner Merritt’s vocals, even when he was screaming into the microphone.  This volume issue can be a bit of a draw back with a band like this, while their live presence lies heavily in the physicality of their music (you can pretty much feel the bass in your chest, it’s fantastic!) the band’s lyricism is arguably just as strong.  With a separate floor tom to add depth to the band’s already powerful rhythms along with their DIY lighting setup consisting of string lights run over all of their equipment, the on-stage ambience is an equally compelling aspect of the band’s performance.  To summarize it, it’s all great.  While the mixing at these shows could be a bit better to bring out Tanner’s vocals, it’s hard to nitpick at a show that leaves the listeners so speechless.  While I miss the melodic side of O’Brother, this band has tread into new territory with their latest releases and their intensity and talent conveys just as strongly through shouts in spurts as it did through their tamer releases.  O’Brother is an absolute powerhouse of an act both on stage and in-studio, but nothing compares to seeing these gentlemen perform live, and Sunday proved just that.

 

 

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Concert Review

Show Review: Ponderosa brings their southern psychedelia to Kings

Ponderosa

I’ve only recent caught on to the wonderful music that Ponderosa is putting out.  Based out of Atlanta, Ponderosa aren’t afraid of wearing their influences on their sleeves and adding subtle twists to their sounds to create something that’s unique in its own sense, but still straddling close to home base.  It’d be easy to say that they’re a My Morning Jacket/Band of Horses knock-off because quite frankly they’ve got astounding amounts of similarity, guitars that are laden with delay and reverb and equally ethereal vocal melodies driven home by powerful harmonies.  However, if your only drawback is sounding too much like another stellar band then my opinion is that you’re doing something right.  Studio recordings can warrant these comparisons, but when it comes to live shows Ponderosa brings an intensity that supersedes these expectations.

The show kicked off with a local act, The Cousins.  I went into this show blind to their music and not knowing what to expect, and while the band was incredibly tight for it being one of their first shows together, the tunes just weren’t really up to par for the kind of night I was expecting at Kings.  While I’m not saying lineups need to be cookie-cutter and a band should sound like their headliner, I certainly wasn’t expecting a Diet Drive By Truckers.  The Cousins combined the grit and intensity of southern driven indie rock tunes with classic rock sentiments of clean electric leads that glide in and out with the rise and fall of their mostly static melodies.  While they certainly filled the room with energy and excitement, I just couldn’t get into their music.  They did it in for me when they pulled out their Merle Haggard, “Long Black Veil” cover…and maybe that’s just because I’ve been spoiled to a personal treat of watching Mandolin Orange cover the tune with Josh Oliver and Josh Moore, but their modern-classic rock take on the country classic just did nothing for me.  There’s definitely promise within the band, but the songwriting and composition needs a bit of improvement before I go singing any praises.

Ponderosa

Ponderosa on the other hand provided exactly what I’d hoped for from their live performance.  Their full length, Pool Party has been my morning soundtrack for the past few months and I must say that they’re a band that puts it all into their live performance.  While their studio recordings are equally dynamic, still capable of evoking strong emotion and nostalgia, their live show exudes a sense of dedication and passion that can only be felt inside of a venue.  Ponderosa delicately lays out beautiful southern imagery through an echoed indie rock lens that makes for a joyous listening experience.  Tracks like “Pool Party” draw on teenage experiences of fading memories, taking the listener back to the humid summer nights that make up the life of southern youth.  "Find a bed and never sleep/Awake at night and steal the sheets", Ponderosa’s simplicity is oftentimes the reason that you can connect so deeply with this band, they’ve taken away all of the filters that can be found within a songwriter’s approach and the result is a beautifully honest and relatable record.

While they made a bold leap from the blues driven tunes found in their debut, the new loud/soft/loud psychedelic sound that they’ve adopted fits them perfectly.  Vocalist Kalen Nash is capable of soft spoken melodies that sweetly fill the airwaves or a startling shout that matches the sudden intensity of tracks like “Navajo’”, which boasts a booming chorus and low-key verses.  Ponderosa left my floored, they’re a stellar band that has truly re-invisioned themselves between releases, something that was made evident when they came out for an encore of older tunes.  While the tracks were far more blues driven, they contained equal amounts of intensity and honesty.  Ponderosa is a band that can package themselves however they wish, but the passion and talent will always bleed through no matter what.  And that’s what makes the mark of a fantastic live band, a title that Ponderosa can proudly wear upon their chests.

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Concert Review

Show Review: Conor Oberst at the Warner Theatre

Sitting just three blocks from the White House in downtown D.C. is the extravagant and elegant Warner Theatre. Never had I imagined getting the chance to see the notable Conor Oberst, let alone at such a remarkable venue. This had to be one of the most memorable Thursday nights I have experienced in quite a while, which made the four and a half hour journey to get there all the more worth it.

Opening up for Conor Oberst was Daniel Johnston, a legend himself. A shaky performance by the well-known artist was much appreciated by the entire crowd. He ended his set with the great “True Love Will Find You in the End.”
Although best known for his band, Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst’s music career also includes Monsters of Folk, Desaparecidos, and Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band. Even though on a solo tour, Conor played songs from almost every one of these bands. One might think that the lack of variety in instruments and voices that normally accompany him would take away from the overall quality of the show; however, none of these were really missed and it’s what made for a truly special performance. His emotional vocals filled the entire theatre as the audience sat and listened to songs such as “Milk Thistle,” “Land Locked Blues,” “June On The West Coast,” “Map Of The World,” and of course “Lua.” He would stop once in a while to explain how he wrote the preceding song when he was fifteen years old and how it made him feel slightly embarrassed. This made me remember an interview where he stated that he does not usually play these old songs, which made this particular performance even better.

Conor Oberst on stage

He also played a couple new songs. One he dedicated to his brother’s second child and the other told the story of an old friend. It was these personal connections and his lyrical improvisations that kept the crowd captivated creating a truly memorable night. His two-hour performance was all I had expected and more.

The good news is that everyone in the triangle can experience some Conor Oberst magic for them selves in February when he stops by the Cat’s Cradle on the 17th with his band, Desaparecidos.

Desaparecidos

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Concert Review

Show Review: A Very Sufjan Christmas!

Sufjan Stevens

Throughout the past decade Sufjan Stevens has cemented himself as one of the most talented and unique artists of our generation, with a diverse array of talents ranging from classically inspired folk pop to the aural adventures of the past few years with Age of Adz and BQE, it’s a toss up as to what direction any new music from Stevens is going to take.  When he announced his most recent release, Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10, I wasn’t too sure of what to expect…especially with the lead-off single of “Christmas Unicorn”.  The track was as bizarre as it was insightful and infectious (especially the seamless transition into Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”), which can pretty accurately describe the three plus hours of Christmas inspired material on Silver & Gold.  Shortly after the album announcement came news of the “Surfjohn Stevens Christmas Sing-A-Long: Season Affective Disorder Yuletide Pageant On Ice” tour, a string of shows which would feature good ol’ “Sufjy Pants” spreading Christmas cheer by way of his modern takes on Christmas classics as well as his incredible new holiday inspired originals.

While some of the Christmas inspired material is brief and zany, like “Happy Family Christmas” a jaunting yet melodic track wishing that “Just this once for Christmas I want us all to be like one great big happy family”, and while the holiday is exactly a month away, Sunday at Haw River Ballroom felt like a gigantic family Christmas gathering.  With hundreds of concertgoers decked out in festive sweaters and unicorn horns, Sunday provided one of the most unique and magical show experiences one could ever wish for.  While opener Sheila Sapputo (better known as singer-songwriter Rosie Thomas) donned a Santa suit for a quirky Portlandia-esque bit of dry comedy, the highlight of the show could be nothing other than the marvelous display put on by Sufjan and company.

The show was broken up into bits of Sufjan originals and highly enjoyable breaks for Christmas classics from the Wheel!Of!Christmas!, a Price Is Right style spin-wheel designed to randomize the carols we’ve all grown to know and love.  Upon entrance we were all given a songbook, endearingly referred to by Sufjan as our “book of hymnals”, and these carols provided for some of the most memorable concert moments in recent memory.  While Sufjan originals like “Sister Winter” and the aforementioned “Christmas Unicorn” stood out amongst the set, the true highlights came from the innovative takes on old classics.  An electronically driven version of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” was a show-stopping performance, featuring vocoded Sufjan vocals and spastic electronic melodies that excellently juxtapose the calm and soothing stylings of the original.  After the Wheel of Christmas selected “Joy to the World” early on in the set, Sufjan brilliantly transitioned into a refrain from “Impossible Soul”, a track from Age of Adz, inducing shouts of approval from the crowd.

Sufjan himself described the show as, “running the gamut of Christmas from the profane to the insane”, and with inflatable unicorns being thrown out at the same show as inflatable Santa’s I’d say it’s a pretty accurate description.  The end of Sufjan’s set was haltered by the second fire alarm of the evening, but the band took it all in stride and led the crowd in an a cappella rendition of “Silent Night” divided between males and females in the first two verses followed by a harmonious ending as monitors blasted back to life and the set came to a beautiful end.  A roaring ovation from one of the most dense crowds I’ve seen at Haw River resulted in a three song encore of Sufjan originals from Illinois and Michigan.  Starting off his encore with a beautiful take on “Concerning The UFO Sightings Near Highland, Illinois”, the crowds anticipation was rapidly rising and greeted with “For The Widows of Paradise” which started as a solo banjo track and blossomed into a full band performance.  Closing with fan-favorite, “Chicago”, Sufjan thanked the crowd for being so wonderful and patient, but all thanks is graciously pointed towards Sufjan, the band, and the fine folks of Haw River Ballroom for housing such a beautiful show.  It’s very rare to build a sense of community within a single show, but the “Surfjohn Stephenopolous Sing-A-Long” certainly achieved just that.

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Concert Review Local Music

Show Review: Local Band Local Beer – Phil Cook & His Feat w/ SumnerJames

Phil Cook & His Feat

Two side projects shone bright on Thursday at Tir Na Nog, as Phil Cook and James Phillips shed their usual full-time bands for a more stripped down and intimate performance for the weekly Local Band Local Beer.  James Phillips (of Bombadil) made his first solo outing with the help of Elyse Thebner (Some Army, JKutchma & The Five Fifths) to fully flesh out his minimalistic electronic act inspired by his stay in Oregon earlier this year.

A far cry from his work in the quirky folk act of Bombadil, Phillips’ set up consisted of a laptop from which to blast beats and an array of synths to produce the dense soundscape that sets the somber yet hopeful tone of his solo work.  Joined by fellow local musicians like Stuart and Daniel of Bombadil and Christy Smith of The Tender Fruit, Sumner James transitioned surprisingly well for a debut live act.  Closing with the album’s lead-off single of, “Home”, James was borderline shouting his heart out on “Losing his mind” in the state of Oregon.  These tunes can be just as therapeutic to the listener as it evidently was for Phillips, much like the deep emotion and soul poured into the mostly instrumental tunes of Phil Cook.

Phil Cook is usually just accompanied by his feet on percussion, but with the addition of Yan Westerlund (brother of Megafaun drummer Joe Westerlund and regular drummer for Bowerbirds) on drums, the fans at Tir Na Nog were treated to a tight and blues driven performance from a vastly underrated local act.  In a mostly electric set, Phil Cook jammed out on open tunings that were oozing with emotion, notes were being bent to his will and captivating concert goers to move and shake like an old revival show.  From instrumental blues jams to a rootsy lullaby sung for his young son, Phil Cook displayed his breadth of talent with dobro jams and a strong sense of musical connectivity with Yan who provided simplistic yet driving rhythms for songs he was mostly unfamiliar with.  For a low key show from local side projects, these two acts displayed vast amounts of talent and promise, making for a fantastic way to spend a Thursday evening.

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Concert Review

Friday Night Hardcore at Katmandu’s

Both touring bands and local ragers destroyed Katmandu on Hillsborough Street the night of November 9th. The bill for this devastating display of hardcore and grind madness was BrainXToilet (first show!), Mad Dog, Last Words, and Cheap Art, from Atlanta, Georgia.

BrainXToilet – Photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Opening this killer show was BrainXToilet, a refreshing mix of blistering, technical grindcore and crushing breakdowns from Greensboro, NC. This band features members of another grind band from Greensboro, Priapus. Jordan, also the vocalist of Priapus, stomped in a fit of rage, pushing bystanders away as he yelled into the microphone. Jeremy, guitarist of Priapus, blasted away on his drumset while the guitarist shredded with ease.

Mad Dog – photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Mad Dog made the crowd go wild as Ira, Mad Dog’s drummer, unleashed his raw, speedy drumming. Mad Dog is a high-energy powerviolence act from Raleigh, NC. Being a year since their first show, it’s great to see how much they’ve progressed musically. Ace, the guitarist, also plays bass in Abuse, another Raleigh powerviolence band. Despite minor technical difficulties, Eli’s harsh vocals were loud and clear.

Last Words – photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Another Raleigh favorite, Last Words, played yet another unforgettable set packed with high-speed riffing and crucial moshing. Marina, vocalist, made it clear that not moshing was absolutely not an option! For not a single second did the crowd go dull.

Cheap Art – photo by Will Butler. Used by permission.

Cheap Art, a ripping hardcore band from Atlanta, killed their set with poser-crushing, chaotic female-fronted fastcore/powerviolence. The songs were short and sweet. A 20-minute set of high-energy, crushing blasts riddled with mosh parts was all they needed.

Hopefully there will be more hardcore shows at Katmandu’s. Really enjoyed this one.