Music
Grand Marais arts Festival July 13 & 14, 2013
Celebrating fine art on the shore of Lake Superior
The Crackling Storms Thunder Bay Story and Photo by Tyler Sklazeski
W
ith the familiar intensity of a summer storm, The Crackling’s sophomore full-length release, Mary Magdalene, offers steady, smouldering tracks that build into a furor by the final moments. Their June 17 show at Black Pirates Pub lived up to the unpredictable, melancholy feeling of the record as the group cut their way through a laundry list of regret and trepidation, belting out lines like “Keep me drunk, keep me wandering,” lead singer Kenton Loewen traversing a wide range of vocal territory. From soft melodic whispers to harsh and raspy roars, their performance was reminiscent of Johnny Cash with the ethereal darkness of Tool’s Maynard James Keenan. The Crackling’s weapon of choice is a gritty folk-rock sound that is occasionally tempered with country tones on songs such as “Sold the Children” and “The Cold Sky.” Guitarist Gord Grdina’s solos on songs like “Ashen” (featuring friend & tourmate Dan Mangan on the album version) were a welcome surprise, though the live performance would have been well complemented by the haunting synthesizer and piano pieces featured on the album, thanks to keyboardist Tyson Naylor. The band’s presence on stage was irreverent, and while Loewen recognized that this isn’t a band that gets people into a frenzy, the music is well-constructed and the group’s live performance has obviously benefited from extensive touring with indie-rock sweetheart Dan Mangan. However you spin it, these gentlemen were seasoned killers on the stage, and while a bit heavy on the bravado, Loewen’s showmanship was entertaining.
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The Walleye
Original Handmade Artwork • Artist Demonstrations • Live Music • Lakeside Location GrandMaraisartColony.orG • Grand Marais • MN • (218) 387-2737