by John Miller
Banter is an important part of any live musical experience. Good
banter can do a number of things but ultimately it’s a way to connect with
everyone; putting everyone at ease, little laughs between sets; birthing inside
jokes with strangers in the moment. But more on that later as the show last
night was quite interesting and one in particular that I haven’t seen since
beginning writing for this publication.
Ruby Fray - Last night begin with Austin natives, Ruby Fray and as the
vocals began to punctuate the music, I could tell that this particular set was
going to be good; instead of being something she is suppose to be, the vocalist
is performing the way she wants to, a way that in which she is comfortable with,
her own style. And for someone so young to have found their voice is a rarity.
“Time for two more? Time
for one more? Two more! Okay two more! We will play them really fast!”
This never happened. Ruby Fray began to play the slowest
song of the night after getting the okay for two more songs. And that was how
the set played out the majority of the night, lots of slow, doom & gloom stuff
punctuated by bursts of energy that eventually collapsed again under the
aforementioned gloom. I am reminded of X; underneath everything there are regional
influences. Some twang occasionally will find itself slipping in and co-mingling
with the finger picking, tom, and minor keys.
“I also make soap (awkward
pause) for your body”.
As I alluded to earlier, it had been some time since I had
seen an opening act like this; one that is difficult to follow.
The very first thing I noticed from tonight’s performance were
the guitar solos; their tone was excellent, crisp, and every note was played
with purpose. Coupled with the jangly rhythmic backing of James Hoare, Cooper’s
solos would sometimes find themselves meandering into jam territory as the pieces
would come to an end, helping punctuate that laid back attitude of the song
structure.
Ultimate Painting is on tour supporting their second
release, Green Lanes as they mix in earlier cuts with newer, both have a
seasonal quality, however the latter is warmer. It is no surprise that these
songs do feel seasonal in nature as Ultimate Painting could qualify as Romantic
in some circles; lots of outside imagery
sprinkles the lyrics.
“This is our last song (pause for awkward
clap). Ha, ha, nice try. We know you are
all busy people.”
A more pointed insult to this unaffected DC crowd couldn’t
have been a better way to end the night. Slacker obviously has negative connotations
associated with it, however, in this sense, it is what Ultimate Painting seems
to be aiming for; this super chill, lazy river aesthetic. Even though we sometimes
think of slackers as being unmotivated or lazy these songs are far from it. The
song writing is tight and aside from a couple of pieces tonight, quick.
Ultimately it is amazing to see a band apply those strong composing skills and
apply them to play in a style that seems to contradict their abilities as
songwriters.
2 comments:
Hey David, solid review. I also attended this show, and I have a couple comments relative to your review:
1) How come you didn't mention the set by the Beginner's Mynd, who was the second of the three acts to play on Monday night? I realize a) that band is local and b) they are very 1960s psychedelic derivative, but at least to these ears they were good derivative. Even if they weren't solid, they deserved a mention because they did play on the bill.
2) When discussing Ultimate Painting, I see where your comparison with bands like Dinosaur Jr. are coming from (and the long soloing at the end of their last song brings to mind Neil Young and Crazy Horse), but at least to me Ultimate Painting had more of a Dream Syndicate or louder Galaxie 500 vibe to them. I guess that's not overly different than Dinosaur Jr., but I just wanted to comment.
One other thought - I liked how the bill was put together. All three bands had at least some degree of a psychedelic bent to them, but each band was distinctly different than the other two. I liked all three bands (and the last songs by Ruby Fray and Ultimate Painting were particularly excellent.)
Hi Chip. Please note the byline as I was not at this show. Basically, my writer was simply not comfortable with the style and genre of the band and felt he couldn't give offer a fair take on the Beginner's Mynd's set (this is beyond good/bad). I think even in your quick comments here, you are adding a good description. I debated putting them down and saying 'not reviewed'. I've done this both ways the few times I had to leave early or come late. I am always happy when someone chips in with the things I have missed. Thanks and that is a good point about booking, too, it is really fun when you can see a common themed variety or even a building to a conclusion throughout 2-3 bands rather than just one.
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