Maria's Benefit Baby Shower @ the High Note Cafe (3/10/13)

I found out about this show a couple of weeks before it happened.  As soon as I did, I marked it down on the calendar.  Local musician Dale Cavanaugh had set up this deal to help out Maria Bahruth, who owns the High Note Cafe and is expecting twins.  As a big fan of the High Note Cafe--they serve good food and host good musicians--I wanted to show my support in my own small way.

I got to the High Note at about 3:45 pm.  There were only eight people when I arrived, but that was okay--plenty of folks came and went over the five hours that I spent there.  I sat in the back, did my best not to drink too much of the free Red Chair and watched Maria Bahruth walk around serving food and chatting with the customers.  Man, what a trooper.

Musicians I saw:

Kayleigh Jack: Aside from last year's Leonard Cohen Birthday Bash at the Record Exchange, I'd never seen her play solo before.  She'd definitely be worth seeing again.  Her sultry, bluesy voice did right by both her well-schooled originals and her sharp covers (who woulda thought that Cheap Trick's "I Want You to Want Me" would make such a great bluegrass song?).  Nice little moment: when her brother called in the middle of her set, Kayleigh Jack answered, set the phone on the music stand and kept singing.  Just hope she has weekend minutes.

James Coberly Smith and LeeAnn Town: I'd wanted to see this duo for a while.  Smith has an interesting history, and he's been doing commendable work with his TVCTV show Boise Song Talk (check it out here).  As it turned out, he's not too shabby a songwriter himself: funny, tender, spunky, political in an agreeably strident way.  His smooth, slightly nasal baritone knew how to handle the songs too.  Meanwhile, Town's gorgeous harmonies called to mind Emmylou Harris, and her terse guitar solos called to mind Don Rich or Ron Wood.  She had some songwriting chops as well: her bluesy "Dirt," which mixed gardening with geopolitical conflict, earned some whoops and hollers from the crowd.

Lee Penn Sky: I'd figured he had more good songs than the one he played at that Idaho Songwriters Open Mic.  He proved me right.  Given the circumstances, the heartwarmer that he wrote after learning that his wife was expecting their first kid was especially appropriate (the number of families in the crowd at that point made me smile).  Penn Sky's gritty, rich baritone and good sense of rhythm did nicely by John Prine's "Angel from Montgomery" too.  This set also featured Kayleigh Jack on fiddle and harmonies on a couple of numbers.

Dale Cavanaugh: Seeing as how he'd organized this show, I might've given him a pass even if he'd played a whole set of Barry Manilow covers.  His set of John Prine covers worked much, much better for me, though.    I appreciated his dedicating "Please Don't Bury Me" to all organ donors, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I sang along to "Illegal Smile."

Whitaker and Oliver: Glad I wasn't too hyperbolic in my last write-up on this duo.  Mary Beth Whitaker's warm, lustrous voice reminded me once again of Sandy Denny or Joan Baez.  I can't recall Denny or Baez sounding sexy, however, and on a couple of jazzy, insouciant numbers, Whitaker most certainly did.  Meanwhile, Scot Oliver's finely weathered croon and deft, elegant guitar work held up his end of the deal.  Their originals sounded just fine next to their beautiful Bob Dylan and Mindy Smith covers.

Johnny Shoes: This gentleman's dry, friendly vocals and sly, detailed, lived-in songs both sounded in fine form.    I especially liked "Whisper in the Wind," a number about the past and present of Idaho that called to mind Carl Sandburg if not Walt Whitman.  You'll get a chance to hear it soon enough: Johnny Shoes told the crowd that "Whisper" had made it onto the upcoming Boise 150 song compliation.

You can find info on these artists and the High Note Cafe on Facebook and elsewhere online.

Negative Approach, Bad Antics, Raid and 1d @ the Venue; Sun Blood Stories and Ronnie and the Reagans @ the High Note Cafe (2/15/13)

I was seriously pumped for this show when I first heard about it.  Initially, the headliner was OFF!, the current project of former Black Flag/Circle Jerks frontman Keith Morris.  Then word spread that they had canceled the gig due to health issues and that tickets would be refunded.  That bummed me out in a big way.  Not long afterwards, however, I received word that the other acts on the bill would still play.  Since a couple folks whose taste in music I respect were more excited to see Negative Approach than OFF! anyway (they've got a pretty impressive history too), I said what the hell and headed over to the Venue.

I only counted about twenty people in the crowd when I arrived.  That number would build to about fifty-six or fifty-seven as the night progressed.  Not the number that would've turned out for Keith Morris, I imagine, but respectable enough.

Local hardcore band 1d opened the show.  Their buzzing and squealing guitar, their rumbling basslines and their flailing drums all sounded sharper here than they did at the Rich Hands show.  Nonetheless, their yelping-dog vocals, manic stage presence and haphazardly constructed songs still felt too rote and received.  Granted, it's a bit unfair to ask a bunch of teenagers to have all their crap figured out.  Also, the fact that they're getting out there and doing something like this is probably a good in itself.  Maybe I'm just getting cranky and impatient in my old age.

Local band Raid played next.  See?  I'm not that hard to please.  It's enough for me if you at least create the impression of coherence.  I caught exactly one lyric out of this entire set: "I WON'T GO QUIET!"  They weren't howling Dixie there.  But anyway, the solid rapport between their buzzsaw guitar, twangy bass and rampaging drums persuaded me that the songs would make sense with the volume turned down.  It helped too that their songs showed some sturdy construction and that their lead singer could bellow loud enough and clear enough that I could kinda make out the words.

Bad Antics, a four-piece outfit from Placentia, CA (it's to the northeast of Anaheim), played next.  I thought about describing Raid as hyperkinetic, but then I heard these guys and figured I oughtta save the adjective for them.  This band's piercing scream, furious drums, greased-lightning bass and face-melting guitar called to mind Motorhead's joyous relentlessness.  With all his strutting and hair flailing, their lead singer showed enough energy for two mortal frontmen.  The crowd matched him pretty well even if some of the folks in the moshpit started to wilt near the end.  Oh, and in case you were wondering what the lead singer's face looks like...

You're welcome.

Negative Approach closed out the night.  This old-school hardcore act didn't fool much with your standard jerky tempo shifts.  Maybe they figured that that crap would dilute their rage.  The only thing more fearsome than frontman John Brannon's slit-eyed glower was his blood-curdling growl.  His bandmates backed him up with some machine-gun drumming and yowling guitar noise.  As brutal and unyielding as their music was, however, they still managed to work in some tunes and a groove.  The crowd became a maelstrom of moshing, roaring and crowd-surfing during this set.  Brannon seemed to express his approval with a curt nod. Coming from him, that was downright heartwarming.

After Negative Approach wrapped up, I swung by the High Note Cafe to see if I could catch part of the show there.  I counted over fifty people, which made this far and away the best-attended show that I've seen at this place.  I managed to catch the tail end of Idaho Falls band Ronnie and the Reagans' set.  What I heard sounded pretty good: an arty, slightly skewed take on blues, folk and country.  Have to watch out for these guys in the future.

Sun Blood Stories played next.  The body heat was all-consuming as the enraptured crowd hollered and grooved to the hot molasses of the band's blues-rock.  The strobe light flickering behind the band added to the set's psychedelic feel.  Primal, sexy stuff.  Prophetic too--I just know that this is what it's gonna be like at Treefort.

photo by Keesha Renna

You can find info on these groups on Facebook and elsewhere online.

Finn Riggins, And And And and Little Tiny Little People @ Neurolux; the Hardluck Cowboys @ the High Note Cafe (12/8/12)

This show interested me because it featured the return of yet another Treefort alumnus, And And And, and a headlining set by Finn Riggins, who probably don't need an introduction.  Part of me was tempted to head across the street from Neurolux and check out the Idaho Songwriters Association show at the Gamekeepers Lounge.  I'd already made arrangements to attend this one, however, and I figure that a man oughtta honor his commitments.  Besides, I can't complain much about seeing Finn Riggins again.

Apparently, not many others can complain either.  I counted around seventy people when I made it down to Neurolux.  By the time that Finn Riggins played, there had to have been well over a hundred.

Kicking off the show was a new local group, Little Tiny Little People.  Their music proved about as cutesy-poo as their name: fragile vocals, jaunty folk melodies, gently swinging beat, pleasant trumpet and straight-ahead, down-strummed guitar.  Maybe a bit too twee for my taste, but not bad.  At least they've got a decent drummer.  Also, the crowd certainly didn't seem to mind.  Especially the ladies--got a little swaying going.

And And And played next.  This Portland band's jangly drones, whooshing distortion, bouncy basslines, malleable drumming and solemn trumpet all sounded as pleasant as I remembered.  Unfortunately, Nathan Baumgartner's pitch-challenged whine also sounded as irritating as I remembered.  Don't get me wrong, I got nothing against pitch-challenged whines in themselves (I'm a huge Neil Young fan, remember).  The rub, I think, lay in a certain smug insularity that seemed to lurk behind it.  The man sounded too cool or too bored to bother with staying on key.  Just as it did at Treefort, however, the music saved the day.  And this night, it got help from some trippy, creepy montages from antimagic, which helped give the set a 90's alt-rock video feel.

Finn Riggins took the stage next.  It occurred to me that up until this show, this group hadn't played a headlining slot around these parts in a while.  They took the opportunity to stretch out and experiment, tossing in some marimba, some moaning and screeching distortion, some dub-like echo and some extended instrumental passages.  No matter how far-out the music got, however, the songwriting and the playing held it all together.  Aside from a slight stumble and some unintentional feedback in the middle of the set, all three members brought their A+ game.  The videos playing on the screen behind them, which came courtesy of antimagic and others, knocked the energy level up a couple of extra notches (I especially liked the dancing children and elementary school paintings for "Benchwarmers" and the 8-bit incarnations of FR for "Big News").  The mix of sound and vision whipped the crowd into a nice frenzy--lots of dancing and cheering.  Overall, an outstanding performance.  I just wish I had a picture of the little dancing miniature of himself that Eric Gilbert placed on his synthesizer.

After Finn Riggins wrapped up, I headed over to the High Note Cafe to catch part of the set by the Hardluck Cowboys a.k.a. local musicians Johnny Shoes and Speedy Gray.  It was a great pleasure to hear these gentlemen trade songs and solos again (especially in Johnny Shoes's case--hadn't seen him in way too long), but it was an even greater pleasure to see a solid crowd of people applauding the same.  Speedy Gray unveiled a song from his upcoming solo album, Z.V. House and Karen Singletary stepped up to play a couple of numbers, a young musician did some pretty good Tom Petty covers and Johnny Shoes wrapped his sly, weathered vocals around my favorite Townes Van Zandt song, "To Live is to Fly."  A wonderful coda to my night: warm, loose, collegial.

You can find info on these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.  Special thanks to Eric Gilbert and Duck Club Presents.

The Alex Richards Band, Greg Wiggins and Alturas @ Neurolux; Whitaker and Oliver @ the High Note Cafe (12/7/12)

At least a couple of people have asked me recently, "Have you seen the Alex Richards Band?"  Considering the people who were asking, I figured that I should make some time to do so.  I'd made plans to check this group out a couple of times before, but they fell through for some reason or another.  When this last Friday rolled around, however, everything finally aligned.

There were only about twenty-five people at Neurolux when I arrived.  A few more folks trickled in, but I still wondered for a while what the hell this town was coming to ("The Lux can't even attract thirty reprobates on a Friday night?  WTF?").  Then I remembered that John Waters was at the Knitting Factory this same night.  That's a perfectly acceptable reason, but it's still kinda too bad that there weren't more people here.

 

Local blues group Alturas opened up the night.  I didn't know how this group was going to turn out when I saw their washboard player and bongo player setting up.  Thankfully, my fears were alleviated when I heard their slinky grooves, sly harmonica, elegant guitar solos (courtesy of Alex Richards) and pleasantly rough vocals.  Their originals sounded good, but their taste in covers was superb: Robert Johnson's "Crossroads," Johnny Cash's "Folsom Prison Blues," Willie Nelson's "Bloody Mary Morning," Bob Dylan's "You Ain't Going Nowhere."

Up next was local musician Greg Wiggins.  I can't tell you how many times I've had a beer with this guy at Neurolux over the years.  He emailed me a few of his songs a while back, and it made me smile to hear him play them live.  The man looked and sounded pretty awkward--he told me later he got asked to do this at the last minute--but his raunchy humor made up for it.  With his gruff vocals, crude guitar and songs like "Steady Loving Man" ("We can't work no more?  Well, that's all right with me./ Roll around in bed collecting disability.") and "Kiss My Country Ass," he came across as one part Lightnin' Hopkins and one part Blowfly.  He told one groan-worthy joke about the Japanese holding "erections" in November, but that's just par for the course with Greg.  Besides, his growling cover of Robert Johnson's "Kind Hearted Woman Blues" made up for that.

The Alex Richards Band closed out the show at Neurolux.  It makes me happy when my friends don't steer me wrong with their recommendations.  This group's catchy tunes, surging basslines, fluid drumwork and jangly riffs made me think a little of the Old 97's.  Alex Richards had a strong belt-and-drawl on him, and his guitar shot off more than its share of fireworks.  The modest crowd got some good whooping and hollering going.  That made me happy too.

 

After the Neurolux show, I stopped by the High Note Cafe for some food and got to hear part of a set by local folk duo Whitaker and Oliver.  I swear, sometimes I feel as if I can't fall on my face without coming across good music.  Mary Beth Whitaker's warm, tender vocals called to mind Sandy Denny, and she found able support in Scot Oliver's sharp guitar and low, thoughtful harmonies.  They played some solid original songs, and while a LOT of people have done "Hallelujah," how often are you gonna hear a Michelle Shocked cover?  A fine coda to my evening.

You can find info about some of these acts on Facebook and elsewhere online.  Whitaker and Oliver are set to play the High Note Cafe again on January 4th.  If you get the chance, stop by and give them a listen.

Speedy Gray and guests @ the High Note Cafe (8/18/12)

I'd planned originally to check out a show at Nampa's Flying M last Saturday night until Speedy Gray sent me a message.  He had set up a gig at the High Note Cafe and invited a bunch of fellow musicians to come on down and play a few songs.  I decided to change up my plans because I've wanted to write about this new venue for a little while.

The High Note Cafe opened just a month ago and has apparently been a bit slow finding its footing.  That's somewhat inevitable, I suppose, given its location on the edge of downtown Boise (it's on 5th St. between the Flying M and Guido's where WilliB's used to be) and this economy.  I do hope that more people get hip to this place: it serves good food and beer, it boasts some excellent artwork on its walls and some solid local musicians have already performed there.

The crowd was pretty thin when I arrived around 10 pm.  Happily, more and more people wandered in as the night wore on, giving the Cafe some brisk business.  A sign of things to come?  Fingers crossed.

Folks who performed this night:

Speedy Gray--It's always a pleasure catching one of Speedy's acoustic sets.  I enjoy it when he kicks out the jams with Like A Rocket, of course, but playing acoustic gives the spotlight to his thoughtful, well-worn, quietly powerful singing.  Also, his lyrics sustain interest without the extra accompaniment.  You really oughtta hear his song about the man trapped in jail after Hurricane Katrina destroys the paperwork on his arrest.

Dave Manion--Manion supported Speedy Gray with some of the fluid, inventive guitar work that he brings to the Country Club and New Transit.  After that, he took the lead on a couple of songs.  His conversational baritone croon hit Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" right between its tear-filled eyes.

Wayne White--I'd never heard of this gentleman before this night, but I'll keep an eye/ear out for him from now on.  His astonishingly nimble guitar playing made his lovely instrumental tunes skip and soar.  He seemed to have just a little bit of trouble with the Peanuts theme song but still did far better with it than you'd expect.

Megan Nelson--This lady has what you might call a phone book voice.  That is, she could sing the phone book and make it sound great.  Nelson didn't sing the phone book, but she did grace her well-crafted original songs and a surprisingly sharp cover of Britney Spears's "Toxic" with her warm, strong, full-bodied vocals.  Very, very promising.

Z.V. House and Karen Singletary--Playing without his compatriots in A Seasonal Disguise (except for Singletary), Z.V. House revealed that actually, yeah, he is a good singer.  His rhythmic strumming provided further proof of his guitar-playing skills.  Singletary's harmonies made me think of clear streams and tall pines.  I was grateful for the chance to listen to House's intriguing lyrics, and their spot-on "Human Highway" cover made me feel like less of a presumptuous ass for all the Neil Young comparisons.

Jeff Shaw--Another newcomer to the Boise scene, Shaw's idiosyncratic drawl and guitar playing had an undeniable appeal.  He tacked on a humorously absurd spoken-word outro to the Pixies' "Where Is My Mind?", and his bluesy original song held up fine next to that alt-rock classic.  A unique dude.  It'll be interesting to see how he develops from here.

You can find info about these acts (or their bands) and the High Note Cafe on Facebook and elsewhere online.