Tater Famine, Stoneseed and Jan Summerhays @ Neurolux (1/29/13)

I'd heard of Stoneseed--I'm friends with them on Facebook, as a matter of fact--but I'd never actually heard their music before.  On top of that, I'd never heard of either of the other acts on this bill before.  This gave me all the reason I needed for checking this show out.

I counted about thirty-five people when I got down to Neurolux.  A few more people showed up as the night went on, but not too many.  Not bad, all in all.  Given the rootsy slant to the night's music, the Atomic Mama and Joy Division songs on the PA system felt a bit incongruous, but hey, I wasn't gonna complain.

Local musician Jan Summerhays opened the night.  I remember thinking that this lady's gently urgent strumming and breathy, tender vocals would've been better suited for the High Note Cafe or an Idaho Songwriters Association showcase.  All I really meant by that, however, was that I wanted the people behind me to shut up.  In any case, Summerhays's lovely folk melodies and haunting, thoughtful lyrics ensure that I'll keep an eye/ear out for her from now on.  Gentle and tender, yes.  Weak or fragile, no.

Stoneseed played next.  Ty Clayton's strong baritone drawl and sure sense of rhythm, Lindsey Hunt Terrell's sultry harmonies and moaning violin solos and Bennett Barr's smooth, steady djembe earned some big cheers from the crowd.  Their bluesy tunes and conversational lyrics felt as lived-in as their groove.  Maybe there's something to be said for blindly accepting friend requests after all.

Tater Famine closed out the night.  This Santa Cruz trio admonished themselves throughout their set to keep their language radio-friendly.  However, that was pretty much the only concession that they made to gentility.    John Dodds's nasally snarl and fierce strumming, Matteo Brunozzi's ripping mandolin and Laurenzo Burman's fat, pounding basslines winningly fused bluegrass and punk.  Between their brawny, rough-and-ready music and lyrics and their loving but not overly reverent take on Americana, they shot right to the part of me that loves the Pogues.  The only shortcoming of this set was that there weren't more people there to dance.  At least a handful of folks had the right idea.

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