This show excited me because it gave me the chance to see two Treefort alumni again: the Utah band Desert Noises and Nampa singer-songwriter Aaron Mark Brown. I caught Desert Noises' show at the Flying M back in June and had a great time. I'd also been very impressed by Brown's set on the first day of Treefort but hadn't seen him since. Put these two acts together and you had a show that I didn't want to miss.
The crowd looked pretty thin when I got down to the Neurolux at 7:20 pm. I counted thirteen people inside the bar and some more out on the patio. Thankfully, more and more people wandered in as the night progressed. By the time that Aaron Mark Brown and his band played their set, I counted over sixty people watching them.
Nampa group Mickey the Jump started off the night's music. If Nate Berrian's frail vocals didn't always sound up to the task of putting his well-crafted pop melodies across, they got by overall on their restrained earnestness. Besides, between his own clanging guitar, Chad Bryan's high harmonies and vrooming basslines, their new drummer's hard-hitting work and especially Nathan Walker's serene keyboard and searing guitar solos, Berrian had plenty of muscle backing him up.
Aaron Mark Brown played next and definitely lived up to my fond memories of his Treefort set. In fact, he and his band (which included Nathan Walker on bass) played so tight and on-the-money that they reminded me a little of the Soft White Sixties. Brown wrapped his warm, friendly tenor around his strong, rootsy melodies and his smart, goofy, good-hearted lyrics while his backup pitched in with sharp guitar solos, McCartney-esque basslines and fierce drumming. Watch out for this guy--he's got some major talent.
Desert Noises played last and sounded even better than I remembered. Frontman Kyle Henderson's strong, nasal voice made the lovely melodies soar. His bandmates joined in with twangy, jangly riffs, soulful harmonies, undulant solos and basslines and rock-of-ages drumming. "You guys ready to dance?" Henderson asked the audience at one point. Indeed they were, and they didn't quit until the set wrapped.
You can find info about these bands on Facebook and elsewhere online.
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