Will Johnson & Anders Parker – Austin, TX, 3/30/10

Will Johnson and Anders Parker kicked off their house show tour in Austin last night and I was lucky enough to attend the sold-out show with approximately 25 other people. Hosting a house can be a tricky thing considering that you’re inviting complete strangers into your home all on the basis that they love the same music as you. It’s up to the host to create a comfortable environment for the visitors as well as the performers. The host for the evening did a great job making each guest feel at ease in his modernly designed home and even provided Chinese food for those that were hungry. The stage setup was simply two chairs and a couple of acoustic guitars. The whole tour will consist of similar scenes since Undertow was clear that no microphones or amps would be used during the house shows. All you really need with these performers is their voices, guitars and words.

Anders Parker started the evening with his blend of folk and indie pop. I’m not completely familiar with all of Anders’ work but I went into the evening knowing one of his solo albums. He fronted the alternative country band, Varnaline, back in the day and has gone on to create numerous solo albums and a collaborative project with Jay Farrar entitled Gob Iron. Parker spent some time in Brooklyn, but now resides in Vermont and looks the part with a wooly beard and hair that screams “lumberjack”. His set consisted of songs that spanned his entire discography. Quiet folk songs were played in between discordant acoustic rockers. Anders didn’t spend a lot of time talking but did thank everyone for coming out and remarked on how happy he was to be back on the road with Will Johnson. He said that before the show they were reminiscing on all of their strange tour stories but that he would let Will tell them when the time came.

The best moment of Parker’s set came at the end of a song about the owner of a bar in Brooklyn where he used to work. It was a heartfelt Irish tinged song that kept the attention of every audience member. As Anders played the last chord of the song, the homeowner’s dog let out a loud howl. The timing was perfect! Anders just laughed and stated that they had worked on the song for an hour earlier in the day. The moment was a great example of the little things that make a house show so special and intimate.

There was a brief intermission between the two performer’s sets and everyone was able to stretch and grab another beverage. Will Johnson sat at the front of the room and quietly tuned his guitar while the crowd noise grew louder. A few minutes later the host killed the music, Will started playing and everyone went silent. It’s been mentioned a few times on this blog but it can’t hurt to reiterate the importance of Will Johnson’s voice and songs. The power of his raspy voice mixed with the emotion of his songs is a combination that's hard to put into words. The mixture is one that thousands of performers try to accomplish but few actually pull off. I’ve been lucky enough to see so many of Johnson’s projects, including Centro-matic and Monsters of Folk, but nothing compares to his solo show. The first word rang out and he had the small crowd’s attention and whatever awkwardness that was in the air was destroyed.

Johnson filled his hour long set with crowd favorites and lesser known songs from his vast catalogue. Songs like “Just to Know What You’ve Been Dreaming” and “Flashes & Cables” drew the biggest pre-chorus cheers while songs from the Molina & Johnson album slowly made sense in the ears of first time listeners. Johnson played a new track, “Chorine, My Sheeba Queen”, from an upcoming collaborative album exploring the lost lyrics and words of Woody Guthrie. Jim James, Jay Farrar and Anders Parker are the other players on the album. As Will explained the album, I thought that it’s not every day that you hear someone tell a story about working with Jim James and Jay Farrar on new Guthrie tunes in a stranger’s living room. Will remarked how good it was to have a dog in the crowd as the owner’s dog made his way in and out of people’s legs. He was quick to point out that things are not so good when there are two dogs in a crowd. He then told a story involving a show in Bisbee, Arizona and two dogs that couldn’t wait for a private environment to do “the nasty”.

The crowd was attentive throughout the set and even felt comfortable enough to ask a few questions along the way. Will politely answered and then plowed through another heart wrenching song. He closed the evening with a cover of Vic Chesnutt’s “Independence Day” that was one of the most emotional performances I’ve ever witnessed. I assume that this was one of the first times that he had performed the song since Chesnutt’s passing in December. They were close friends and even toured together in the fantastic Undertow Orchestra so everyone understood the importance of the moment. The song perfectly captured the humor and poetry of Chesnutt and Johnson played the tribute perfectly. Johnson let the last chord ring out and then sat there in motionless silence for 15 seconds. It’s a moment that’s impossible to put into words so I'll just recommend listening to Chesnutt's album, Little.

Overall the night was a huge success. The performers and guests both left happy and Johnson and Parker remarked on how they hoped the rest of the tour goes as smoothly as the opening night. A big thanks to Shane for opening his home and hosting the show. Make sure you check the tour out if they come your way. As an added bonus Will Johnson has small prints of his great baseball paintings for sale at the merch table. You can find all of the dates and ticket information at the Undertow website.

Justin Townes Earle - Austin, TX, 02/04/10

“Oh my damn!” The phrase was shouted many times by Mr. Earle during his headlining set at Stubb’s. The inside stage suited him just right as he plowed through 70 minutes of old school country music full of twang, swing, and most importantly, personality. This was my first time to see Justin even though he plays in Austin pretty often. The past two shows he played the supporting role for Old Crow Medicine Show and The Pogues on the mega stage that is Stubb’s outside amphitheater. This night had the feel of a 1940s or 50s high school auditorium show due to the appearance and music of Justin Townes Earle. It didn’t hurt that the stage has a worn black curtain as the backdrop. I was instantly reminded of vintage pictures of musicians like Elvis and Cash playing old gymnasiums and halls before their rise to coliseum prominence.

Wearing a vintage suit and tie and sporting black rimmed glasses, the man of the evening took full advantage of his headlining spot. As a sidenote, I recently learned that Earle was named one of GQ's "Most Stylish Men" which was made apparent by his fancy attire. But back to the music, Earle’s band consisted of a Stetson-wearing fiddle player and a female stand up bass player. From the opening note the sound was right on; which I was worried about due to the feedback of Dawn Landes’ opening set. Earle’s vocals were strong and confident, a result of years of straight touring and playing the largest and smallest of venues. It seemed like he was glad to finally be headlining shows and playing to crowds that appreciate his songs and presence. He won the crowd over quickly and I even heard one guy exclaim, “He won me over within the first 20 minutes! I thought it would take him longer.” There were definitely some new fans at the end of the night as he played a nice selection from each of his two full lengths and even a couple from the Yuma EP. He mixed in some folk and country standards from Guthrie and the Carter Family which he dominated with his grasp of both genres. Even on the slower numbers the crowd was respectful, except for a gentleman toward the front that Earle kindly put in his place a couple of times toward the end of the night. “It’s all in good fun,” Justin explained as he compared the guy to his Mama except with a “shorter reach”. The Mama was referenced many times throughout the night, but none as clearly as when he played the standout track, “Mama’s Eyes.” The hit was one of the first tracks that I heard from him and practically answers all questions about his famous father and the mother that cared for him (interviewers take note).

Earle puts big messages in short country songs, which makes for an easy comparison to the country stars of the past. He takes simple ideas and thoughts that are easy to understand and combines them with rhythms that make you want to move. It’s at the foundation of all music but especially in traditional country, an idea that has been lost in today’s country dark ages where Nashville radio hits consist of shallow cookie cutter themes. Which brings me to my next point -- Justin Townes writes incredible songs and is an entertainer. His waltzes around the stage and Louis Armstrong facial expressions make for a wonderful companion to the tunes. He’s having a great time up there and it rubs off on the crowd. Last night was easily the most enjoyable show that I’ve seen this year. The year is still young but I’m guessing that it will have a lasting impact as the months go on. “Oh my damn” indeed.

Cold Weather for a Cold Heart

Photo: Library of Congress

It's worth multiple reads:
NPR presented a fascinating discussion on the record labels that we all love and their role in the current struggling music industry. It's worth multiple reads.

Austin blog action:
Austin Town Hall posted a great interview with David Wingo of Ola Podrida. Check out his excellent new album Belly of the Lion out now on Western Vinyl.

ATH also caught up with the always witty and quotable J. Tillman.

Recommended shows for Austin folks:
Monahans - December 3rd - Mohawk
Balmorhea with Ola Podrida & Martin Crane - December 11th - Mohawk
Dave Rawlings Machine with Gillian Welch - December 13th & 14th - Parish both days plus a free in-store at Waterloo Records on the 13th

Is there a more consistent band?
Spoon's new single, Written in Reverse, makes me happy. New album out January 19th, 2010.

Born to scream:

Cymbals Eat Guitars destroyed most of my theories on the state of music and "hyped" bands a few months ago when I saw their live show. This video almost proves my point.

Monsters of Folk - Stubb's, 11/13/09

Photo Credit: Steve Hopson

The 'Monsters' played their final U.S. date in Austin to a sold out crowd at the always awful Stubb's amphitheater. It was friday night, the weather was perfect and the crowd had just finished the latest issue of Paste magazine. But none of that mattered to me. Jim James, Conor Oberst, M. Ward, Mike Mogis, and Will Johnson were all that I cared about. At first glance the appeal is obvious -- five guys with enough talent to fill three solid hours of music with no opener. Sure, why not?

The band played almost every song from their above average self-titled debut album, but the night was more about their respective other band songs for me. I missed the tour in 2004 and have never forgiven myself. All of these musicians have soundtracked my life at some point starting back in high school, so it was absolutely necessary that I put up with the huge venue and strange crowd. Obviously the soundtrack of my life in high school started with Mr. Oberst. He may even have a song titled that. There are a handful of indie artists that are completely polarizing and Oberst may be at the top of that list. I've had the argument many times and each time I come out victorious. Or at least in my mind. There is no denying his songwriting talent. Yes, he's kind of an ass but have you ever heard of a guy named Bob Dylan? Conor has undeniably influenced an entire generation of songwriters and bands. When Bright Eyes haters start on a rant, I only ask to see their CD collections so that I can point out the bands that wouldn't exist without the Nebraskan. The Monsters of Folk show could be called the Bright Eyes show featuring MoF but that was okay in my mind since two of the five monsters call the band their home. Oberst played a number of songs from "I'm Wide Awake..." throughout the evening while James and Ward provided vocals and various backing instruments. This was the theme of the evening and provided some incredible moments especially when the songwriters gave verses to another vocalist. Which brings me to Jim James, more commonly known as Yim Yames.

It gets said in every interview and review but... Jim James' voice is an instrument. I don't know how else to put it. He is flat out one of the best vocalists in all of modern music. Once drowning his voice in silo reverb, he has now accepted his talent and taken it to new heights. (Warning: more Jim James review cliches ahead.) His simple "oohhs" and "aahhs" gave me chills. Literally my body shook. Oh, and I couldn't see him for 90% of the show. Due to Stubb's being one of the most poorly planned venues in Austin, Mr. Yames was obscured by a wall of speakers at my standing location. It didn't matter. He presented his case and I received it loud and clear. I have seen My Morning Jacket and it remains in my top five concerts of all time, but this was a different Jim. A more polished and shaved head Jim. Well at least until the last 20 minutes of the show where he almost took out the rest of the band doing what can only be described as tornado solos. The highlight of his material was "I Will Be There When You Die" from MMJ's first album, Tennessee Fire. Absolutely stunning.

Montgomery Ward, Matt Ward, M. Ward, M. It doesn't matter what you call him; the fact remains the same: He is a phenomenal guitar player. His unique style was crafted from various legendary guitarists of the past. He's created a sound for himself that is instantly recognizable and has recently taken him to a new level of fame. Ward has a refreshing amount of confidence these days and is almost a different person from the time that I saw him in 2004. Once a ball cap wearing soft spoken guitar virtuoso he is now a stage prowling crooner. He knows he has the voice and he knows people are listening to him. "Vincent O'Brien" was my favorite performance of the night and brought smiles to every performer on stage. Which brings me to my next point.

They smiled. Yes, even Conor was smiling throughout the show. An incredible achievement for a group of guys that have played thousands of shows between them. It was proof that behind all of the supergroup hype is a group of friends that are playing music together because they want to. They're touring because they want to be on the road together sharing each other's music with the masses. I don't think there is anything fake about their enthusiasm or love for each other. They were not put together by some record company executive that wanted to cash in on the indie boom. It's simply friends creating music together.

The highlight of the night for me was watching the main monsters hand over the reins to drummer Will Johnson. In my mind there is no one more deserving of getting a touring spot on the MoF tour than Will. The prolific songwriter has long been a staple of the Texas songwriting scene with his groups Centro-Matic and South San Gabriel but now he is being introduced to a bigger audience with this tour and his recent album with Jason Molina. It's better late than never but few artists have impressed me with their musical integrity more than Will Johnson. So it brought a huge smile to my face and a surprising amount of emotion to the area above my nose when Jim James introduced his "favorite son" to the crowd and handed Will the acoustic guitar. The following chords introduced the song "Just to Know What You've Been Dreaming"; the standout track from his solo album, Vultures Await. Jim James provided background vocals which created a new mountain somewhere in the Himalayas. Perfection.

The night was filled to the top with folk songs, rock & roll moments, amp standing, and the occasional man love. During one of the encore songs Conor was standing on Will's drums while Will played Conor's guitar with his teeth. I wouldn't believe it either if I wasn't there seeing it with my own eyes. While in another song the smoke framed Jim James' vocals in the most dramatic fashion. That's right I said framed his vocals.

As the decade winds down and every publication puts out their "best of the 00's" lists I find it fitting that the Monsters of Folk are touring in the last months of 2009. In 2000, these guys were playing to barely 25 people in small clubs and basements trying to make enough money to get to the next town. Now they're considered some of the best songwriters of their generation and selling out venues around the world. As Jim, Conor, Matt, Mike, and Will took their final bows I thought about what each of their top moments of the decade were and then realized that it was probably happening right before our eyes.