I missed the set by Shades last Sunday, which made me especially eager to catch their set this night. The presence on the bill of two bands unknown to me added to my interest in this show.
Except for a few people out on the patio, the Red Room was all but deserted when I got down there around 9 pm. However, much to my surprise, more and more people arrived as the night wore on. Maybe they all came over from the Crux after the Awful Truth/With Child/A Seasonal Disguise show wrapped up.
The Portland-based band Fanno Creek started off the night's music. Their mix of sweet folk-country melodies and harmonies, jangly guitar drone and steady beats made me think at first of Buck Owens if he fell in love with the Velvet Underground. Then they started letting rip with some solos while their rhythm section bobbed and weaved. After that, they just made me think of Fanno Creek.
Up next was Animal Eyes from Alaska (seen here with Fanno Creek pitching in on percussion). Their glittering guitars, pounding basslines and percolating drums took the night from Bakersfield down to Africa. Then the rhythm section hit overdrive and they rumbled around the indie-rock superhighway for a while. It made me glad to see the crowd really start to build around the time of this set.
Unfortunately, midnight had rolled around by the time that Animal Eyes finished and Shades began setting up their gear. I got the feeling that I'd have to wait a lot longer to see Shades play, and since I needed to work in seven hours, I called it a night. Sorry about that, folks. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to see them again sometime soon.
You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online. Special thanks to Wes Malvini and the Red Room.
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