Jac Sound, Bridgeport and Technicolor Hearts @ Grainey's Basement (7/26/12)

Part of me really wanted to see Crispin Glover at the Egyptian Theatre this night, but unfortunately, I couldn't justify spending the money for the tickets at this time (yay unemployment).  I couldn't get too down in the dumps, though.  One great thing about Boise nowadays: it's not wanting for cost-effective entertainment options.

A considerable number of folks came down to Grainey's Basement this night.  Most of them didn't stay for all the music (organized by Keesha Renna's Vagabond Promotions), but happily, they stayed for most of it.  The ratio of four or five girls to one guy didn't bother me at all either.

First up this night was local musician Jac Sound.  I've always liked this guy: he's got perfect pitch, a good sense of rhythm and a great sense of humor.  I can't think of anyone else around Boise who could cover "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio and "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base in the same set and make them feel of a piece.  His originals aren't too shabby either.  He writes smart lyrics and unfailingly catchy tunes (though he may borrow from others sometimes--coulda sworn that he lifted the riff from Pink Floyd's "Money" for this one song).  His pleasant high tenor and his guitar/kick drum/hi-hat playing were in good form this night, and his overwhelmingly female audience applauded warmly.  I clapped but let the ladies do the cheering--figured that'd give the man a nice little ego boost.

After Jac Sound came Stephen Palin a.k.a. Bridgeport, whom Keesha Renna had shrewdly asked to play a set after a scheduling conflict prevented a touring group from appearing.  Palin did a good job, considering that he got this gig at the very last minute.  His gentle, charming folk-pop tunes provided an excellent transition from Jac Sound's more rocking material.  His brief set included a medley of Miley Cyrus's "Party In the U.S.A." and Blink-182's "What's My Age Again?", the latter of which went over very well indeed with the audience.

Austin-based art-pop duo Technicolor Hearts closed out the night's music.  Their thirty-minute set took a while to get started due to some technical difficulties, but it proved worth the wait.  Naomi Cherie's murmured vocals, solemn violin and skillful looping joined with Joseph Salazar's quietly arresting rhythm tracks and garage-y guitar to create truly dreamlike music.  Their twirling light show added further to the waking-dream feel of their performance.  It's too bad that more people didn't stay to watch this group.

You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online.  You can contact Vagabond Promotions at 1 (208) 283-0259 and Whatvagabond@hotmail.com.

Bridgeport, The Country Club and the Roy Kay Trio @ Neurolux (6/26/12)

Due to Wilco and Blitzen Trapper performing this same night, attendance was kinda sparse for this week's Radio Boise Tuesday at Neurolux.  I opted to check out the latter show because 1) I haven't listened to Wilco all that much (I know, I know, I will at some point...), 2) I didn't really have the money anyway, and 3) I was intrigued by the flyer I'd seen of the Roy Kay Trio dressed up as 40's/50's country stars (sequin shirts, etc.).

I spent about an hour or so hanging around Neurolux, drinking water and reading The Turnaround by George Pelecanos.  Incidentally, if you like gritty, realistic mystery/suspense stories (Dennis Lehane, The Wire, like that), check out some of Pelecanos's stuff.  I've read his other two most recent novels and thought they were fantastic--100% bullshit-free in terms of both style and content.  I just have to share a brief passage from The Turnaround about John D. Macdonald and then I'll get to the music:

He had started on the usual stoner lit, Heinlein, Tolkein, Hermann Hesse, and the like, and moved on to mystery and pulp.  He became infatuated by the Travis McGee books by John D. Macdonald, though even at the age of nineteen he recognized them as the ultimate male fantasy, write large.  No job, no family ties, life on a houseboat, the freedom to kill your enemies, the convenient death of lovers, allowing you to move on to the next Playboy-quality piece of ass... But the writing was clean and addictive.

Damn.  Right on the money.

First up this night was Bridgeport, the project of local musician Steven Palin.  His music had a good beat when he performed solo, but it really blasted off when The Ratings Battle/Godcrotch's Josh Gross and The Maladroids' Christian McKenna joined him on drums and bass.  Throughout his set, his gentle, boyish tenor provided the perfect vehicle for his super-catchy folk-pop melodies and lyrics of romance just starting up or just turning sour.


On one song, Palin brought up my friend Keesha Renna to sing harmony (which she did quite well).  As usual, the quality of this picture sucks, but I do think it conveys the cuteness of the moment.

After Bridgeport came The Country Club, a local trio featuring Sun Blood Stories' Ben Kirby on bass.  They sounded a little rough at some points, but punk and Neil Young fan that I am, that didn't bother me unduly.  Mostly, I was grateful for the chance to hear some old-school country waltz and boom-chicka-boom live.  Ben Kirby provided steady Marshall Grant-style support and chipped in with some good harmonies, Dave Manion's guitar workouts indicated that the man knows his Merle Haggard records, and Jonah Shue's weathered, nasally singing put the humourous, finely detailed lyrics across quite nicely.  I'd put his original (I think) doing-time song "Plastic Flowers" up there with John Prine's "Christmas in Prison."   Also, I had to give them bonus points for covering not just Hank Williams but Lefty Frizzell.

The Seattle-based Roy Kay Trio closed out the night's music.  These guys emulated that spartan 50's rockabilly sound so well that I could half picture them recording for Sun Records back in the day.  Their playing was tighter than Colonel Parker's cummerbund, their harmonies recalled the Everly brothers and their original songs held up fine against their cover of Hank Williams's "The Blues Come Around."  Roy Kay's confident, friendly croon fit the songs like a glove, Robin Cady flawlessly slapped out the beat on his stand-up bass and Mike Geglia's stunning guitar solos might have gotten a thumbs-up from James Burton himself.

Happily, a fair amount of folks headed down to Neurolux after Wilco finished in time to catch the Roy Kay Trio.  Mr. Kay mentioned at one point that it had been a couple years since they'd last played in Boise.  I hope that they'll come back around sometime soon.

You can find info on all of these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online.  Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Radio Boise.