Marian McLaughlin - DeenaOH - Lies About -- DC9 - Jan16 2014

Lies About - I am back to my home away from home in recent days known better as the DC9. They have some hot bookings and tonight's show has another sizable crowd that has made an excellent choice. First up are dual guitarists with a drummer. I believe they also use the name 'Lies About Butter' and from what I gather, their whimsical style can undergo quite a few shifts as well. Some may call them a bit too twee (although I bristle when some of my favorite folk artists are saddled with that), so I will say that they have a loose casual airiness to their approach that will work better for some than others. I mostly enjoyed it tonight, as the drums carried things along and the guitars were electric with one sometimes played as a bass. This is the type of band that will take me a few listens to get a full grasp of, if I ever do. That probably can be said about everyone tonight if you are seeing anyone here for the first time.

DeenaOH - This may seem a little casual with guest musicians and singers joining lead vocalist DeenaOH in different combinations for every song, but it does not take much attention to feel the steady construction of a fascinating set of music. There is frequent spacey guitar moves leading to an overall psychedelic folk vibe with great care in the vocals. They can mix in intense and dramatic moments comfortably and some sort of band combination would be a great impact at just about any serious psychedelic rock festival that has room for the quieter psyche bands. A few less covers and a steadier lineup could be quite amazing, but I will be back for whatever DeenaOH dreams up next time around, no matter how it is set up.

DC9 photo credit: Matt Laslo

Marian McLaughlin - This was a special show as Marian McLaughlin's self released album is out--click on the link here for a preview. I have always enjoyed her highly individual approach to folk music, as she has her creative spark drawing the ether from such vast time periods from the ancient psyche folk days of Vashti Bunyan and Mary-Anne (Patterson) to the modern renaissance. There was a great large crowd filled with a lot of friends to celebrate the event, but also with newer fans that have picked on the high quality songs in her repertoire. Tonight was extra special, as not only did she have her double bassist with her, but also a second guitarist on a couple of songs, violin and cello for half the set, and even some brass. The arrangements were excellent, especially in the way the strings alternated atmospheric support to high impact bursts of emphasis (especially on 'Horse'). Everything worked splendidly tonight and hopefully this will be one further step in expanding her audience. Marian McLaughlin may be not completely of our time, but there is a place and a lot of music lovers that should be taking the journey here.

Quote of the Night: From the opener... "Did you ever notice how only living things can heal themselves?... like when I scratched my guitar and it won't heal itself. My guitar is dead."