An emblematic moment was laughingly offered Friday night at Bottom of the Hill when the bearded, shirtless bassist of O'Death walked to stage-side to hand the equally bearded, though still clothed, percussionist of Hillstomp a dark shot glass, explaining, "It's... something." Together along with The Theater Fire, the three loosely cordial, mutually supportive acts offered a revelrous brew of blues, country and contemporary American lo-fi simultaneously celebratory and somber. The receptive audience, far from the music's Appalachian influences, responded with enthusiastic west coast interpretations of southern hollers and barn stomps. Their readiness compounded the bands' own ardor, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to have a good time while singing the blues.
A gut-bucket "garbage esthetic" was quickly set by The Theater Fire, complete with washboard vest, spoons and spontaneous beer keg percussion. Of seven players, all except the steadying drummer and bassist fulfilled revolving instrumental and vocal roles, if nevertheless remaining more controlled than improvisational in service of deliberate song atmosphere. Regular tour companions with O'Death, they similarly adapted traditional blues structures to a modernized, expanded format. Their motifs proved more orchestral than macabre, however, and modest though full compositions presaged subsequent variations on such themes that would not be quite so decorous.
This is not to imply that Hillstomp was an impolite pair, and the two Portland, Oregonians were among the most vocally acclamatory of their fellow bands, yet their Delta-style blues are intended to evoke haggard realities and rough spiritualism. The slide guitar and "bucket & can" duo cited T-Model Ford and R.L. Burnside, and neither guitar/banjo player Henry Kammerer's hat nor percussionist John Johnson's glasses survived through the opener. Due perhaps to the relative proximity of Portland, compared at least to Fort Worth and New York, the crowd was most familiar with their material, leading to a brief call and response that seemed to surprise even the band. The rapid succession of coarse gospels and North Mississippi trance blues fit almost like a prefatory revivalist offering before O'Death's songs of pronounced mortality.
After shirts were removed and further Newcastle Brown and Jameson secured, O'Death maintained the pace of Hillstomp's asthma-inducing set with a sense of comfort fostered by recent years of constant performance. Bassist Jesse Newman careened amicably across the stage as singer/guitarist Greg Jamie, banjo player Gabe Darling and electric fiddler Bob Pycior synchronized waist-deep bows in time with the Gothic country breakdowns. The set included a new song, "Lowtide," "Crawl Through Snow," "Travelin' Man," and others from Broken Limbs, Hymns and Skin and Head Home. The morbid enthusiasm apparent on their albums translated well to a relaxed dance-hall environment, making the potentially somber more paradoxically fun.
Facilitated by the Bottom of the Hill's compact but capable sound system, reasonably priced drinks and informal mis-en-scene, The Theater Fire, Hillstomp and O'Death provided a united, uniquely exultant blues show that was something both anachronistic and revitalizing.
Previous MCMB coverage:
Tonight in Rock - O'Death
Weekend Picks #8 - "Lowtide"
0 crazy comments:
Post a Comment