Posts Tagged ‘St. Vincent’
October at Bogart’s: Shows to Know
October 5th, 2009
Posted in Concerts
Saturday, October 10 (9 pm)
Keller Williams, a self-taught multi-instrumentalist, is known as a “one man jamband.” The former Deadhead began playing music in the early ’90s, combining elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, jazz, funk, electronica and dance. His live shows are an incredible thing to witness, as he has mastered the process of live looping, bouncing back and forth from guitars, percussion and synthesizers. He has released several solo albums, but as a respected musician in the jamband community, he has performed and worked with a number of bands and artists like the String Cheese Incident, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, Michael Franti, Charlie Hunter, Bela Fleck, Fareed Haque, Steve Kimock, John Molo, John Scofield and Victor Wooten. He often works cover songs into his show, putting interesting spins on songs from Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, the Grateful Dead, David Bowie, Michael Jackson, Van Morrison and the Sugarhill Gang. Prior to releasing his latest effort this past August, he spent much of the summer releasing tracks from the album every week. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Wednesday, October 14 (8 pm)
Speaking of multi-instrumentalists, Andrew Bird rolls into town this month. A classically-trained musician since the age of four, Bird has also mastered the process of live looping, and the use of instruments like violin, guitar, mandolin and glockenspiel, as well as the art of whistling. His first taste of commercial success came with the band Squirrel Nut Zippers, with whom he performed with in the mid-to-late ’90s. He has worked in various settings, from assembling different bands, to only solo, to working with other artists that include Neko Case, The Verve Pipe, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Bobby Bare, Jr., Ani DiFranco, Charlie Louvin, Loney, Dear and Thao with the Get Down Stay Down. He released Noble Beast very early this year, which is considered his best material yet, receiving high praises from Paste, Pitchfork, Spin and Rolling Stone, to name a few.
Joining Bird on the tour is yet another multi-instrumentalist, Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent. She attended the Berklee College of Music, only to drop out after three years. That may have actually been a wise decision, because shortly after she joined the massive, twenty-piece psychedelic/symphonic pop band, the Polyphonic Spree. After a few years with the Spree, she would go on to work in Sufjan Stevens band, and finally would release her debut, solo album in 2007. Earlier this year she released the follow-up, entitled Actor, which also received high praises, debuting at #90 on the Billboard 200. This show is one of my favorite picks of the entire year.
Saturday, October 17 (9 pm)
The theme for October at Bogart’s certainly seems to be “have your mind blown/have your face melted.” I can’t believe that all these shows take place in just a week’s time. The last show of that week period will truly knock you flat on your butt. Grammy Award-winning outfit, The Mars Volta, are bringing their insane, intense, chaotic mix of prog, experimental, jazz fusion and Latin and Salsa music. Formed by Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, the Mars Volta rose from the ashes of the popular ’90s punk band, At the Drive-In. There was a band called De Facto, which is often thought of as the Mars Volta in its earliest form, although they were heavily influenced by dub and reggae, and the music of King Tubby and Lee “Scratch” Perry. Named Rolling Stone’s “Best Prog-Rock Band of 2008″, the Mars Volta are considered to have one of the best live shows in all of the current and hottest non-mainstream, commercial bands. This should be a great week for Bogart’s.
Get Yer Tickets Now, Vol. 1
July 30th, 2009
Posted in Local Music
Here’s a look into what’s happening over the next several months:
Indie, punk rock band, the Gaslight Anthem, is coming back to town for the second time within a year. The last time they were here, they played a crowded Mad Hatter, but on Wednesday, September 9, there will be a lot more rock and better yet, more room to rock. They’re playing Bogart’s with another pretty big band you may have heard of – Murder By Death. A post-punk band from Indiana, with a wide range of styles from instrumental, punk, alt. country and gothic. But the aggressive, rock and roll doesn’t stop there. Make sure you get there early enough to catch Philly Americana punk band, Loved Ones, and country, folk-punk act, Ninja Gun.
Built to Spill returns to the Southgate House on Friday, October 2. As one of the more popular bands in the indie rock movement of the ’90s, the best may actually be yet to come for the band. Vocalist Doug Martsch states that “I do think Built to Spill could be something better than ever just because our lineup is better than ever…I think there is potential for the five of us to collaborate on something that is just way better than anything that I have ever come up with by myself or that we have done in the past.” Martsch cites a ton of bands as influences, ranging from older acts like Dinosaur Jr., Neil Young, Pavement and Camper Van Beethoven, to newer acts like Modest Mouse, the Strokes and Death Cab for Cutie. But you can also discover some of their influences in the selection of cover songs, like Elliott Smith, David Bowie, The Cure, Captain Beefheart, Cheap Trick, The Clash, Brian Eno, The Smiths and Talking Heads. Built to Spill is preparing their seventh full-length album, There is no Enemy, to be released in October of 2009. Opening the show is the Swiss indie-rock band, Disco Doom.
Multi-instrumentalist, Andrew Bird, will be coming to Bogart’s on Wednesday, October 14. Not exactly the type of venue you would expect someone like him to play in, it’s a venue designed perfectly for hardcore and metal bands, both with the sound system and the spacious and disgustingly sticky floor. But this show will be one for the ages nonetheless, particularly because of the amazing talents that Bird possesses. The classically-trained, indie-folk musician has a style all his own, bouncing around from the violin, guitar, mandolin and glockenspiel, not to mention he’s pretty much the greatest whistler of all-time. He’s able to use several instruments in just one song, because he’s become a master of live looping. Opening the show for Andrew Bird is Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent. Also a multi-instrumentalist, Annie was previously a member of both the Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band. Her first bout as a solo artist came with her debut album, Marry Me
Philadelphia’s psychedelic, indie rock band, Dr. Dog, comes to the Mad Hatter on Thursday, October 15. Strongly influenced by a wide range of bands like the Beatles, Tom Waits, Pavement and Roy Wood, they combine folk, blues, soul, bluegrass and a lot of harmonizing. Nearly twenty musicians have been a part of the band at different times over the past ten years, but for the most part Dr. Dog remains a five-piece. These five members have taken to being called by their odd nicknames: Taxi, Tables, Text, Thanks and Trouble. They recently signed with Anti-Records, and will be releasing an album this fall.
Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of the Scottish alternative rock band, Travis, make what I believe is their first trip to the Southgate House on Wednesday, October 21. Dubbed “A Chronological Acoustical Journey Through the Travis Back Catalogue”, expect to hear stripped down versions of songs like “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?”, “Sing”, “Love Will Come Through” and “Selfish Jean.” The influence that both the Beatles and Oasis have had on the band is uncanny, and Travis are often credited with having paved the way for bands like Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol. I’m pretty excited about this show because Travis was one of my favorite bands of the early 00’s and I think the last time I saw them was 2001 at Bogart’s. Tickets go onsale this Saturday.
Quite possibly the scariest band of all-time, The Misfits, will return to the Southgate House just in time for Halloween. The hell-raising happens Tuesday, October 27 with Oxboard Drain opening. Good luck trying to find out who that band is. I’ve searched the internet high and low and can’t find anything. Named after Marilyn Monroe’s final movie, the Misfits have withstood the test of time, creating a legacy and making history when they set out to make an impression. They’ve inspired way too many bands to count, but you might notice their influence in bands like Slayer, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Slipknot. There’s been a huge rotating cast in the band’s thirty-plus year career, most notably founding members Glenn Danzig and bassist, Jerry Only, who is the only remaining member. Head to the Southgate House this Halloween holiday to scare or be scared. You might even want to dress up too – you know the Misfits will be looking scary as hell.
On Tuesday, December 8, Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys comes to the Southgate House with his other band, The Fast Five. Also on the bill, is the Americana singer/songwriter son of Steve Earle, Justin Townes Earle, and the nineteen-year old Alt. Country and Folk singer/songwriter, Jessica Lea Mayfield. Auerbach is still on the road in support of his solo debut, Keep It Hid
Other Shows to Look Out For
Southgate House
Gil Mantera’s Party Dream with Eat Sugar and Enlou – Sunday, August 2
Deerhunter/Dan Deacon/No Age – Tuesday, August 4
The Breeders with Times New Viking – Wednesday, August 5
Son Volt with Cary Hudson – Friday, August 7
Bad Veins with now, now every children and Hazle Weatherfield – Saturday, August 8
Langhorne Slim with Low Anthem in the ballroom and Trevor Hall with Alex Carruthers in the parlour – Monday, August 10
The Duke and the King (featuring Simon Felice of the Felice Brothers) with Wonky Tonk – Tuesday, August 11
Iris DeMent with the Tillers – Thursday, August 13
Cowboy Mouth in the ballroom and Lord T & Eloise in the parlour – Thursday, September 10
James McMurtry – Friday, September 11
Sea Wolf with Port O’ Brien and Sara Lov – Sunday, October 4
Ten Out of Tenn Tour with Madi Diaz and Kyle Andrews - Tuesday, October 6
The Raveonettes with the Black Angels – Saturday, October 24
Vic Chesnutt Band (featuring Guy Picciotto of Fugazi) with Clare and the Reasons – Wednesday, November 4
Northside Tavern
Gringo Star – Tuesday, August 25
Bus Driver – Wednesday, September 9
Why? with Serengeti and Polyphonic – Thursday, September 24
Mad Hatter
Airborne Toxic Event with Hazle Weatherfield – Wednesday, August 5
Bogart’s
Silversun Pickups with Cage the Elephant and Manchester Orchestra – Monday, September 14
Mute Math – Tuesday, September 22
Bonnaroo 2009 Artist: St. Vincent
March 20th, 2009
Posted in Bonnaroo 2009
Annie Clark, otherwise known as St. Vincent, is a mult-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter, and was a member of both The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens’ touring band.
Referred to as an “adorably spunky guitar prodigy” by the Boston Globe, the 26 year-old has opened for such acts as Arcade Fire, Death Cab for Cutie, The National, Sufjan Stevens, John Vanderslice, Midlake and Xiu Xiu.
While studying at the Berklee College of Music in 2003, Clark released an EP with fellow students entitled Ratsliveonnoevilstar.
Fast forward to 2006, where she was beginning to catch a break. Joining Sufjan Stevens’ touring band for a European tour, her EP Paris Is Burning, earned her a spot opening those shows.
Over the next year, she would join the cast of The Polyphonic Spree, appearing on The Fragile Army, as well as releasing her debut, full-length album entitled Marry Me. Her solo album features appearances from Mike Garson (Bowie’s longtime pianist), as well as Louis Schwadron and Brian Teasley, both of the Spree.
Things just kept getting better for St. Vincent. In 2008, she was nominated for three PLUG Independent Music Awards, taking home the Female Artist of the Year award.
Though her next effort, Actor, won’t be released until May 4, the buzz has already begun building. Just a couple of days ago, she debuted songs from the album at the South by Southwest Music Festival.
For those of you currently in Austin for the festival, you can catch St. Vincent tonight at midnight at Antone’s. Nomo, Mirah and Theresa Andersson are also on the bill.
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