Concert photos: Shearwater and Damien Jurado at the Duck Room, Thursday, November 18

Shearwater, a 5-piece band fronted by Jonathan Meiburg that shares it’s name with a sea bird, filled the Duck Room with powerful, complex arrangements that relied on instrumental layering, rather than hooks to hold the audience’s attention. In contrast, opener Damien Jurado sat on stage with only his acoustic guitar and 2 vocal microphones. In spite of his sparse set up, the crowd was transfixed by his delicate melodies and deeply intimate lyrics.

All photos by Kate McDaniel. See more at my Flickr stream.

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Posted by | November 19, 2010 | Concerts, Photos | Comment 

88.1 KDHX DJ Spotlight: Al Becker

Al Becker

Al Becker

This Sunday night, November 21, Al Becker will be hosting his final episode of Voices in the Dark on 88.1 KDHX. Since 1987, his love of music and, especially, of jazz singers has shown through on the weekly program, and contributed significantly to St. Louis’ jazz scene.

A native of St. Louis (South St. Louis, Spring and Dunnica to be exact), Becker was born December 12, 1944. When not on air, he works with online sales for Euclid Records and is active in non-profits. He cooks for Food Outreach every week and also contributes significantly to its fundraisers. “Helping people makes me feel good,” he says.

In conversation, Becker is as opinionated and passionate as he is on air. KDHX salutes Al and thanks him for his many years of great programming.

Roy Kasten: What was your neighborhood like growing up in the ’50s?

Al Becker: Oh it was lovely. Every lawn was mowed perfectly. You wouldn’t find a piece of paper or a cup in the street. The alleys were clean. You had ash pits in those days, everything was burned. And trash was picked up on a regular basis. Nobody thought of writing on a wall or a garage door. It just did not happen. People who weren’t living in that time don’t realize how different it was. My mother was ill, she had polio when I was a year and a half, and someone had to stay in the house to take care of her, and they were always women of color. And many a time coming back from the grocery store, every third corner had a little store, the police would pull up to the curb and ask them what they were doing walking down the street. And today we’re thinking about doing that in Arizona. Isn’t it funny how things come around?

But it was a lovely area. It had gotten kind a bad, and you always want to go back to where you were born and raised and drive around. But it’s starting to pick up again, which is nice to see.

I was in St. Louis until 7th grade, then I moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and went to junior high and high school in Memphis. I’d spent all my summers in Memphis, that’s where my mother was from. I came back to St. Louis and I was in the second freshman class at UMSL. It had been open just 2 years when I went there.

What did you study?

I didn’t have the faintest idea, and I decided after I took Sociology that I’d become a Sociology major. I never used it. That’s not true, I did use it in my career. You take what you learn and you apply it to whatever you’re doing.

But because I spent my years in Memphis, growing up, I had a cousin who I became very close to later in life. People would not believe it, but white high school kids in the ’50s did not listen to white music on the radio. They listened to black music on the radio. There was WDAI when Rufus Thomas was a DJ down there, and of course Dewey Philips, the first white DJ to play black music on a white station. I’d be back in my cousin’s room and she’d be playing all these black records. So the fact that I like black music, jazz and R&B and blues, should come as no surprise to anybody. That’s what I heard. When I got back home, I’d be out in the back, and the woman who would come over would have her radio on, playing KATZ. That’s what I was brought up on. So it’s not because I’m a total liberal or anything. It’s what I heard!

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Posted by | November 19, 2010 | KDHX, Music | 6 Comments 

A drive with National Ransom

Elvis Costello National Ransom

Elvis Costello remains one of the few artists in which the nation recalls the name, but can’t recount many accomplishments by name, like Norman Mailer or Norman Rockwell or Greg Norman. At least, that’s been my experience — transitory Costello comments.

And that’s when some hip guy wearing a classy colored tattoo will jump in, “You’ve never listened to Elvis Costello. Oh, he’s great.” But my gut tells me that even ardent fans approach Costello similarly to a creperie — you love em’, but rarely go out of your way to get there.

I also suspect the average music-goer, which I admit is extremely subjective, who has heard of Elvis Costello never starts listening to him because they are subconsciously confused about how to approach. In the back of your mind, you know you’re not approaching an album, but a career. And what if you pick the wrong starting point?

But this might be one of those problems we over think, like trying to enter the Lazy River Pool during traffic without upsetting the waters. Eventually, we accept that mistakes will be made, but it’s worth jumping in. I guess that’s how I feel about National Ransom, Costello’s latest album.

On the cover of National Ransom, a wolf in top hat flees the scene of a burning crime with bundles of cash, suggesting that those citizens most responsible for the Great Recession knew their actions were both dishonest and harmful to the foundation of America. For the most part, I do not want to believe the latter — it suggests too much intelligence. But who knows? My frustration is balanced between faulty gambling techniques and a lack of complete understanding. It’s unique cover art nevertheless, and the album, complete with lyrics, is aesthetically pleasing to flip through.

Driving on Missouri Bottom Road through a time warp tunnel of psychedelic November leaves, songs about culture and politics and women burst forth from the stereo. And my interest is women — something I can at least pretend to understand.

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Posted by | November 18, 2010 | Culture, Music | 2 Comments 

Concert review: Futurebirds, Jonny Corndawg and the Dive Poets fly through country and rock at the Firebird, Monday, November 15

Jonny Corndawg & Futurebirds at the Firebird

Kate McDaniel

A Monday night rock & roll show in St. Louis has the potential to be an uncomfortable experience on both sides of the music; especially if it happens in the long, slate corridor of the Firebird, where Monday-night crowd members might feel isolated standing in that gaping space before the stage.

But, the Firebird also allows you to see some great acts up close and personal, and the Dive Poets, Jonny Corndawg, and the Futurebirds each broke down any fourth walls Monday night had put up.

Local band, the Dive Poets, played a tight, focused set coming off the release of their debut EP. At first the crowd tried nestling itself into the bar corner of the room, leaving a good 10 feet of unoccupied space between anyone and the stage. But as the Poets played and urged everyone to come closer, the crowd eased in, some people tapping their boots or swinging their beers this way and that. The Poets rung out original country ballads, some generic, power-chord rock and even a Townes Van Zandt song with ease, textured high and low with a singing fiddle and drums hammering right on top of the beat.

Jonny Corndawg took the stage next (backed by the Futurebirds) scrawny in a Canadian tuxedo and snakeskin boots, his guitar tucked up high under his arm like some cartoonish but venerable tribute to country’s legends. Corndawg’s rough, trebly voice carried his sweet, melodic, sometimes downright hilarious songs (“This one’s a little X-rated . . . I want this one to be in a Waffle House jukebox,” went one introduction), and the band sounded like a bunch of Nashville studio pros behind him. He strutted across the stage, called out for solos on every song, and turned his set into some version of a weird honky tonk revue. He even performed his final song a cappella, reaching up his hands for the gospel truth, singing high, old country melodies – and warning against cunnilingus with a stranger.

When the Futurebirds took the stage (again), it was already past 11 p.m., the crowd and the band quite a few drinks deep and feeling good. Half the band looked too young to be swigging beers, and the whole band looked too young to be playing such deep-rooted, fresh, surging country and rock & roll. There was a sense of relaxed space on stage and in the songs, like they’d been doing this since long before they were born, each of them letting one guy go off on a solo and then trusting he’d find his way back. Dennis Love looked like a lap steel guru, taking off on virtuosic solos, threading his melodies through some truly gorgeous harmonies by the band’s four singers. To watch and listen to the Futurebirds was to witness a great band, which is exactly what Johnny Corndawg had introduced them as. They were having fun on the stage: switching instruments and taking vocal leads and killing the floodlights to nail Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”

If they could play like that on a Monday in a vibeless club, there might be some form of levitation happening among members of a Friday or Saturday night audience.

Posted by | November 16, 2010 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert photos: Futurebirds, Johnny Corndawg and the Dive Poets at the Firebird, Monday, November 15

All photos by Kate McDaniel. See more at my Flickr stream.

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Posted by | November 16, 2010 | Concerts, Photos | Comment 

Concert review: Ralph’s World calls all children to rock at Off Broadway, Sunday, November 14

Ralph's World

Photo by Peter Thompson

A 3 p.m. show on a Sunday afternoon at Off Broadway drew a pint-sized crowd of 0-7 year olds and their parents. Families arrived to participate in Ralph’s World, led by veteran, Chicago-based, singer-song writer Ralph Covert and band. Off Broadway transformed from its late night bar feel into a child-friendly establishment with a bright cloth sign behind the stage proclaiming the name of this 4-piece popular children’s band.

Grandfather Stark of KDHX’s Saturday morning show, Musical Merry-Go-Round, introduced Ralph’s World after a lesson for the uninitiated audience in how and when to applaud. As a short person, this was a great show for me because I could see the stage perfectly while sitting in the back (note to self: attend more children’s music shows). Parents and tots sat on the dance floor area near the stage until Ralph quickly got everyone to their feet.

Ralph Covert’s melodic writing style, which some may be familiar with from his work with the Bad Examples, is present within these high-spirited tunes. It should be noted that Ralph was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 for Best Children’s Album. During this show, we hopped like frogs and flew like bats and tip-toed like mice and swam at the bottom of the sea. Ralph sang a song for Beatle Bob who energetically enjoyed the performance. Ralph even dedicated a song about a caterpillar named Bob to Beatle Bob. We wiggled our fingers and reveled in the wonderful energy of Ralph and the bands’ whimsical, lively performance.

Both kids and parents bounced along to the catchy hooks. Ralph invited some of the children on to the stage to share a joke into the microphone, “What do you call a witch who lives on the beach? A sandwich.” One child spoke his joke via the duck puppet attached to his hand. The result was too cute for words.

This would not be the only time for the children to share the spotlight. Ralph spontaneously invited the children back on to the stage with their parents’ cameras and told them that the only rule is, “You must behave obnoxiously by taking ridiculously close pictures of the me and the band members.” The children were more than happy to comply, snapping nose shots and ear shots of the band members.

Not only were the children invited to take the stage, but Ralph invited parents (who were much less eager to volunteer for a moment under the spotlight). Parents assisted Ralph in forming the letters of the alphabet with their bodies, “I call this Dewey Decimal Pilates,” Ralph quipped.

At the conclusion of the hour and a half long show, Ralph and the band brought all of the children back up on the stage to pretend to be band members. Children played air instruments: guitar, drums, bass and rocked the late afternoon into a joyful musical experience to be remembered.

Posted by | November 15, 2010 | Concerts | 1 Comment 

Concert review: The sparse beauty of Iron and Wine at the Pageant, Saturday, November 13

Iron and Wine at the Pageant

Photo by Meghan McGlynn

A funny thing happens when you tell someone that you are going to see a live performance of Iron and Wine; immediately, with an air of disinterest, a slight withering sympathy, it’s suddenly, “Sorry, snoozefest.”

But when I first discovered The Creek Drank the Cradle, I played it so much, my upstairs neighbor feared the worst: “Why do you always play such depressing music?” It wasn’t boring to me, though, as my co-worker complained, and though I don’t play it when I wake up or before I go out, I love the album. I loved my time with it.

If music always matched our moods, and an iTunes genius setting allowed you to put together a playlist centered on “introspection,” Iron and Wine would appear, along with Sufjan Stevens and Ray LaMontagne and an overcast afternoon of lamentation. Sometimes we need those moments; Iron and Wine can provide that soundtrack.

Most reviewers fixate on Sam Beam alone, though — the singer-songwriter cum storyteller who is Iron and Wine. Fans refer to “the band” as a “them,” and technically that’s true, since all of Sam Beam’s albums feature a full ensemble. But Beam is the sole architect behind the music. He writes alone then records much of the music at home. It’s not hard to imagine this scene with his wife and their five daughters in a town called Dripping Springs in Texas. It also makes sense that the most gripping moments of his performance at the Pageant this past weekend were when he took the stage alone, standing with only his acoustic guitar, with the earnestness of a folk singer no doubt borne from years as a college film teacher, as if he loved his material, and was just happy that someone out there cared enough to attend his class and not fall asleep.

This is how he hooks you: one man versus noise and confusion. That’s what makes an Iron and Wine concert such a fine night. The performance was stripped of pretense. It was subdued without being severe, and while there’s a distinct reverence for his own material, Sam Beam has a self-effacing style, a humility about him that invites you in while he plays. His songs are lorn evenings by the fire, whiskey in tin cups, rocking chairs.

My friend told me she had fallen in love with Sam from the third song, and then broke up with him somewhere between “Sodom” and “Bird Stealing Bread.” It was as if his earnestness had worn too thin and his tone turned as dry as a fallen leaf. Or perhaps, just like his doppelganger Zach Galifianakis, his character was in danger of being over-played, made into parody with too little presence of mind to have more fun or do something different. Sam Beam does one thing so well. The hushed lullaby.The swayed-back cradle song. The porchlight hymnal. The evening fireside medley. But it’s all one song with the same moods and the same style.

After ten songs, I wished there was more there. I felt hungry for something, like we’d gotten through the first course and were awaiting the entrée. The concert was missing something — it had all the sparse beauty only Sam Beam can create, but none of the personality that makes each of the Iron and Wine songs a story, an experience. I wanted more of Iron and Wine, but less of him, less of his band; or maybe I wanted more time alone. Like my friend who fell out of love in the course of an evening, I found myself echoing the words of my upstairs neighbor, “Sam, my friend, why do you always make such depressing music?”

To be fair, it’s not all somber. There are plenty of songs with inspiration at their core and there’s optimism to be found as well. But what comes from the man himself as he sang wasn’t this, and certainly wasn’t excitement — it was the wearied-by-walking feel of a journeyman, the tale told in lieu of a real dialogue.

I had wanted to see Iron and Wine and I got Sam Beam. Perhaps it’s better that way. Perhaps because I had so often read so much into those songs my own tales of lost love, my own wearied journeys, my own rocking lullabies, maybe it was time to give them back to their original maker. Here are your sad songs back, Sam Beam. I loved them when they were mine.

Posted by | November 15, 2010 | Concerts | Comment 

Concert review: Firebrand Showcase with the Humanoids, Kentucky Knife Fight and the Blind Eyes at Off Broadway, Saturday, November 13

Some of St. Louis’ best bands came out to play at Off Broadway Saturday night to support their favorite music playground: Firebrand Recording. The local recording label hosted its 2nd Annual Firebrand Showcase, featuring the Humanoids, Kentucky Knife Fight and the Blind Eyes. The event was a hit considering the bar’s flowing stream of alcohol and, best of all, the samplings of impressive local music that would please any rock palate.

Each band that performed seemed to outdo itself song after song throughout the evening. For a night dedicated to support Firebrand Recording and what the local music scene has to offer, all three bands acted as a great push-up bra for the label’s notoriety. The Humanoids, Kentucky Knife Fight and the Blind Eyes kept the audience dancing (2 guys actually fought over dance floor space) and singing along to their lyrics. It seemed that after each set there were more people visiting the merch table to buy CDs or t-shirts out of full interest in the music played. Despite the very long intermissions, the show ran smoothly and successfully.

St. Louis band, the Humanoids, kicked off the night with a race to the punk finish line; the band sprinted from song to song. The rough and tumble punk sound of their music was a wake-up call after the slow set up time. With vocals that cut like a razor blade and instrumentals that got my heart racing, the 5-member band didn’t disappoint as their set progressed. Somewhat resembling music that says, “Hey! Let’s beat the crap out of each other then go get a beer,” the simple, barbaric, punk rock is tough but welcoming. The only drawback of the set was the overwhelming volume, but somehow it worked with the band’s strong-willed music. Looking around the crowd, it was evident that the Humanoids had the audience captivated.

Kentucky Knife Fight’s act was about as sharp as their attire. Their southern blues/rock/punk sound kept the venue filled with soulful melodies and turned the audience into a dancing wave of people. The backyard blues style of music is reminiscent of classic rock and blues; however, the band’s music has an edge that makes it something special on the St. Louis music scene. Songs like, “Sex Crimes,” halfway into the set were smooth with a dash of sexy, judging by some couples’ dance moves in the crowd. Altogether, the band’s incorporation of banjo, harmonica, bass, guitar, drums, clapping and stomping combined a feeling of Southern chivalry and outlaw mentality.

The last band of the showcase, the Blind Eyes, gave a sweet touch to the end of the night. Named one of the Best Bands of 2009 by The Riverfront Times, the Blind Eyes are pleasant and playful with their take on indie rock. With three members leading the band, the sound is layered with old school rock and charm. Lovely in the way they sing, strum, and drum, the Blind Eyes create a certain innocence in their music that made me fall in love with their catchy songs.

As if all three bands didn’t already perform with a fire on their own, the end of the night finished off with a supergroup performance in which all 3 bands combined to play one last song. With two drum kits, three guitars, two basses, three singers and one clapper, Off Broadway thundered as the collective performed Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys are Back in Town.” The night ended on a fun note as the 11 musicians performed “karaoke style,” glancing at the lyric sheet and laughing together. By watching all of the bands perform at once on stage, it was evident that Firebrand Recording is creating a genuine force within St. Louis music.

Posted by | November 14, 2010 | Concerts | Comment 

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