Concert Review: LKB, Bonesetters & She Does Is Magic at White Rabbit Cabaret
Saturday night at the White Rabbit Cabaret was all about growth. Laura K. Balke, She Does Is Magic, and The Bonesetters all have advanced their talents, which is a great sign for any musician. After chatting with members from each group I am convinced that they all have the opportunity to gain fans outside of our Indianapolis scene. Smart, talented, and kind are a few words that come to mind when describing the bands that provided me entertainment on Saturday evening.
Each of the three performers is an entrepreneur at heart. By marketing themselves and continuing to create a terrific product, they all show signs of thinking like an owner. My hope is that this kind of dedication and determination will continue to be recognized as more people come to their shows and buy their music. These musicians provide an excellent representation for our Indianapolis scene.
Laura K. Balke opened the night with her electric guitar and soothing songs. Balke was comfortable on stage and confident as she spoke to the crowd. In between songs LKB told the crowd “This is the most attentive crowd that I have ever played for.” While this was a compliment for those it attendance, it should be more of a highlight to the captivating sound she offered to visitors. Song, “Two Ships” (not “Two Shits” as she joked) was the highlight for me. Rich song writing allowed my mind to sail and get caught in the moment. After the show, I purchased her latest album, Rumors & Legends on vinyl. A true artist in every sense of the word, the hard-cover release displays prints of Balke’s hand-drawn artwork accompanying each track. Check out Record Geeks review of this pressing.
She Does is Magic provided a solid first impression for me as this was my first time seeing them live. Band member, Mark Walker described their songs as “fun music” and I completely agree. They are an extremely easy band to not only approach, but also become a fan of. I am excited to watch this band grow as they plan to release their debut full-length sometime later this year.
Blog favorite, The Bonesetters closed the night out with their strongest performance to date. Their timing was perfect and stage presence was improved. The song writing and delivery of front man, Dan Snodgrass initially drew me to this band. During this performance I was drawn to the talent of drummer, Cody Davis. Exceptional fills and impeccable timing has helped build out the Bonesetters brand for me. The Bonesetters are true rock and roll and local readers of the blog should fill up venues any time they are on the bill.
Here is the set list from The Bonesetters:
Housefires
Sundowners
Xanax
Golden Youth
Mama Prays
Maypole
Jesus
You are Shaun Gannon
Bruises
Savages
Encore:
Mushroom Clouds
Aloft
Waltz #2 (XO) (Elliot Smith Cover)
As I strolled out of the White Rabbit Cabaret on Saturday night I felt a sense of pride for talking about these bands in the depth that we do here. There needs to be more types of these events on a more consistent basis. Take advantage of the talent that Indianapolis offers. It does not disappoint.
Written by Brett McGrath
Photos: An Evening with Alabama Shakes
Last week, MOKB Presents brought the Alabama Shakes to town for a sold out show at Fountain Square’s Radio Radio. Local photographer and friend of the blog Matt Beuoy was on hand to capture a few moments from the special performance. The up-and-comers treated fans to 7 or 8 new tracks beyond the four songs from their debut self-titled EP. Matt has a sharp eye and we’re hoping to drag him out to document more shows in the future. Click on the thumbnails to see their full-size. We hope you enjoy!
Cockrell in a rare moment of intensity.
Lead singer Brittany Howard quickly patches a broken guitar string.
Howard kept the crowd entertained throughout.
Howard teaching the crowd a thing or two.
The Alabama Shakes
All photos by Matt Beuoy
Written by Rob Peoni
Concert Review: Friends / Ganglians – Cincinnati, OH
I’m not a writer or a music critic, although I’d like to be. So what I lack in literary talent, I will attempt to make up for with strength of content on Thought on Tracks. As Rob has graciously allowed me to put my thoughts on his blog, I will do my best to cover my own musical interests along with the music scene from Cincinnati, Ohio.
The latest 2011 buzz band to hail from Brooklyn, Friends, has made a name for themselves over the past few months releasing stellar pop tunes. The quintet is lead by Samantha Urbani on vocals and features Lesley Hann (bass, percussion, backing vocals), Nikki Shapiro (guitar, keyboards, percussion), Matthew Molnar (keyboards, percussion, bass), and Oliver Duncan (drums). While the band has yet to release an LP, infectious dance pop singles “Friends Crush” and “I’m His Girl” show the promise of what is to come.
Opening up for Friends at Mayday was Ganglians, a four-piece psychadelic pop band from Sacramento, California. While I haven’t heard all their albums, I was delighted with their sound. Highlighted by catchy guitar riffs and loud drums, these guys put on a fun show. The two songs that stood out as their best include “Jungle” and “Hair”. With each, take that volume knob and turn it up. Listen and download “Jungle”:
Friends hit the stage after and did not disappoint the hype. I love pop music because it invokes feeling, be it happiness or misery. Samantha’s vocals have a certain darkness to them, like she is longing for something(one) in every word she sings:
I wanna be your friend . I wanna ask your advice on a weekday. I wanna plan something nice for the weekend.
We all can relate to wanting friendship and interaction with another and the excitement that comes with meeting someone new. The angst and longing to learn more, to reach the core of that person’s soul. “Friends Crush” puts this feeling front and center.
The stories in your hair that you carry all around . I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t wanna hear ‘em now . The stories in your hair that you carry all around . I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t wanna tear it out.
In all, I came away extremely impressed with Friends. While their set was short, all their material gets your feet moving and it left me with the post-show euphoria any concertgoer can relate to. They engaged the audience with Samantha even venturing out to dance in the crowd. And if you aren’t convinced Friends is a band worth listening to yet, they finished off their set covering Ghost Town DJ’s 90’s hit “My Boo”. Can you really ask for anything more? Look for their first LP to drop in March of 2012.
Connect with Ganglians via MySpace | Twitter | Facebook
Connect with Friends via Bandcamp | Facebook
Written by Greg Dahman
Thought on Tracks 