33 minute read
MUSIC
MUSIC MUSIC
The Afghan Whigs
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PHOTO: CHRIS CUFFARO
The Afghan Whigs Prepare for a Genre-Bending Homecoming in September The Afghan Whigs Prepare for a Genre-Bending Homecoming in September e Cincinnati natives will make a pit stop in the Queen City on their rst tour in four years.
BY GABE ECHAZABAL
Musical acts that defy categorization and are di cult to describe are rare, fascinating creatures. While so many artists’ styles and sounds can often be compared or harkened back to a musical ancestor or predecessor, a few make it extremely di cult to determine their musical lineage.
Take, for example, e Afghan Whigs. e band formed in the mid-80s in Cincinnati, and have been releasing superb (albeit hard-to-categorize) records since the latter part of the decade of their arrival.
Led by charismatic, passionate singer and songwriter Greg Dulli, it was almost inevitable that the group’s sound would evolve into a mélange of genres, textures and styles. Raised and reared simultaneously on heavy doses of R&B, punk-rock, jazz and rock and roll, Dulli’s appreciation for music as a whole is clearly evident both through his recorded works and in conversation.
After a long hiatus (the band’s last full-length album, In Spades, was released in 2017), Dulli and e Afghan Whigs are on the verge of kicking o a new tour in advance of a brand new studio album—How Do You Burn?— that’s due Sept. 9.
Below, Dulli addresses a variety of topics from his base in California ahead
Musical acts that defy categorization and are di cult to describe are rare, fascinating of the band’s live dates. creatures. While so many artists’ styles and sounds can often be compared or harkened back to a musical ancestor or predecessor, a few make it extremely di cult to determine their musical lineage.
Take, for example, e Afghan Whigs. e band formed in the mid-80s in Cincinnati, and have been releasing superb (albeit hard-to-categorize) records since the latter part of the decade of their arrival.
Led by charismatic, passionate singer and songwriter Greg Dulli, it was almost inevitable that the group’s sound would evolve into a mélange of genres, textures and styles. Raised and reared simultaneously on heavy doses of R&B, punk-rock, jazz and rock and roll, Dulli’s appreciation for music as a whole is clearly evident both through his recorded works and in conversation. After a long hiatus (the band’s last full-length album, In Spades, was released in 2017), Dulli and e Afghan Whigs are on the verge of kicking o a new tour in advance of a brand new studio album—How Do You Burn?— that’s due Sept. 9. Below, Dulli addresses a variety of topics from his base in California ahead of the band’s live dates.
A lot of artists have their own unique
A lot of artists have their own unique version or their own take of what the pandemic did for them in terms of creativity or what having time o from touring was like for them. What did the pandemic do to you? Did it give you more time to write or to re ect? What was that like for you personally? Well, I had just put a record out the last week of February of 2020. I put out my rst solo record [Random Desire]. I was getting ready to y to Ireland to start a tour when it was like, “It’s the plague! version or their own take of what the pandemic did for them in terms of creativity or what having time o from touring was like for them. What did the pandemic do to you? Did it give you more time to write or to re ect? What was that like for you personally? Well, I had just put a record out the last week of February of 2020. I put out my rst solo record [Random Desire]. I was getting ready to y to Ireland to start a tour when it was like, “It’s the plague! Everybody stay in your house!” and I Everybody stay in your house!” and I was like, “Oh my God,” you know. So in was like, “Oh my God,” you know. So in regard to that, it sort of really knocked the wind out of my sails because I had worked really hard on a record that I loved and was excited to go out and play it and then obviously, the world shut down. So, nobody knew [when the pandemic would end] but were saying “It’ll be done by June,” or “It’ll be done by July,” so I rebooked the shows for the fall of that year and then it became pretty clear that it was not going to go away. So I lmed a couple shows where I played alone and in a friend of mine’s club, and I did pay-per-view for those. As soon as I was done with that – that regard to that, it sort of really knocked the wind out of my sails because I had worked really hard on a record that I loved and was excited to go out and play it and then obviously, the world shut down. So, nobody knew [when the pandemic would end] but were saying “It’ll be done by June,” or “It’ll be done by July,” so I rebooked the shows for the fall of that year and then it became pretty clear that it was not going to go away. So I lmed a couple shows where I played alone and in a friend of mine’s club, and I did pay-per-view for those. As soon as I was done with that – that was August 2020 – I called my manager was August 2020 – I called my manager
and my booking agent and I said, “Cancel those fall shows. ey’re not going to happen. I’m going to make a new Whigs record.” We went from September of 2020 and nished it in December of 2021. So, it was written and recorded in about a year and, you know, with me and Patrick [Keeler] the drummer, living in California, and then we went out to Joshua Tree where our new guitar player [Christopher orn] has a studio and the three of us worked on it there. And then sent it to the other guys in New Orleans, Cincinnati and New Jersey. at’s a long answer to your question.
I’m always intrigued by bands that defy categorization. With the Whigs, you can’t really pinpoint what the origin is or what the exact in uence is of the music. I’m always fascinated by bands like that. But, from your side, is that kind of by design? Or is that something that just comes out naturally? I’ve heard and seen your band referred to or associated with grunge and with all these other subgenres, but I think you guys are kind of in your own sort of category. What’s your take on that?
Well, I mean I’m an omnivorous music person, so I listen to a lot of stu and always have. I grew up listening to Motown, pop music, Rolling Stones, whatever the older neighbor kids were listening to, Zeppelin and AC/DC. But my grandmother and my aunts and uncles, they were [in] Kentucky and West Virginia, so I was listening to a lot of country music. And then when I got to college, like, I got turned onto jazz, I got turned onto punk-rock and all that. And not to mention my high school metal years and my absolute love of Lynyrd Skynyrd, one of my favorite bands of all time. So I was the kid who listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, and George Jones, so I like a lot.
I just like a lot of di erent stu . So that’s the best way I can describe it. My songwriting is like a bird, making a nest: there’s some newspaper, there’s some hay, there’s a fucking fast food bag – whatever I can nd to get myself a styling vehicle or home or a place to rest. at’s how it’s going to happen. So I feel like, rst of all, thank you for saying so, but I can easily say we sound like e Afghan Whigs and nobody
I have to give my condolences for the loss of former bandmate Mark Lanegan. at had to be pretty tough. I know you’d done so much work with him in the past.
One of the greatest people I’ll ever know. One of my absolute most beloved and beautiful friends and friendships that I have ever or will ever have. But, you know, in the words of eodor Geisel, “Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it happened.” [Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, said, ‘“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”] And that’s how I’m going through this particular thing. I will miss Mark forever. He just was such a good friend of mine – such a kind, intelligent, incredibly funny, wildly talented person. One of the greatest singers to ever fucking walk the planet. I appreciate your condolences.
So it’s been awhile since you guys have done a tour of the extent of the one you’re about to embark on. Tell me a little bit about the show and what you have planned. Are you going to focus on the newer stu ? I know you always like to go back and throw some surprises in your setlists. What can the audience coming to see you at Bogart’s expect?
Notwithstanding, I haven’t played a concert in front of people in four years. at’s the longest since I was 20 years old…even longer than that probably – since high school. Keep in mind, I was about to do a tour two years ago and it got pulled out from under me, and then we had basically two years o . So, yeah, it’s been four years, but, to the point of your question, we have the album coming out in September. We have this second song coming out before the album.
And, while I love to play new stu , I don’t want to drown people in it and say, “Hey, what the fuck is this?” I mean, by the time that we start playing on my birthday, the world will have been able to hear two of the songs, and we’ll play both of those, and we’re going to play one other one from the new record and then stu from the last two records. I’m going to slip a song from my solo record into the show that everybody in the band wants to play. ere will be a generous helping of some ‘90s highlights from almost all of the old records.
is story originally was published by CityBeat sister newspaper Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
The Afghan Whigs will perform at 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville. Info: theafghanwhigs.com.
BY BRENT STROUD
Mol Sullivan performs with Rae Fisher at Hexagon House.
PHOTO: BRENT STROUD Mol Sullivan performs with Rae Fisher at Hexagon House.
PHOTO: BRENT STROUD
One of Cincinnati’s newest and most varied venues sits on a hilltop in Northside, hosting carefully curated performances and events from musicians from a variety of genres and backgrounds.
It’s called Hexagon House, and it’s also the home of venue curator, Liz Wolfe. Surrounded by the colored glow of carefully positioned lamps and paper lanterns, acts perform from a deck to an audience spread across her back lawn in the open air. In some cases, shows take place in the house itself among more lights and eclectic decor.
Originally from California, Wolfe moved to Ohio with former partner and Cincinnati native musician Josiah Wolfe in 2008. In 2013, the couple purchased the Northside home that would become Hexagon House for its seclusion and proximity to the city. Wolfe worked in food and beverage hospitality while creating music under the name Dream Tiger, the electronic, dream-pop project she has since put on hold to focus on establishing Hexagon House.
Wolfe says that as a touring musician herself, she noticed a huge need for better representation in venue programming and ownership as well as in the overall concert experience.
“As a woman, it just left me feeling salty and dirty the way most venues are maintained, the way they treat musicians and the absence of personal care for all aspects of live entertainment both on stage and in the audience,” Wolfe tells CityBeat. “So I made it my mission to work towards opening my own venue.”
Wolfe had time to move toward that goal in the summer of 2020, thanks to the pandemic-imposed shutdown. With both Wolfe and her partner sidelined from work, the team began preparing their home to host events by building a deck, painting and landscaping.
“It’s a natural part of me and my creative expression to curate my physical environment,” Wolfe says. “Since people respond positively to that, it made sense to use what we already have to bring our community together to experience live music in a safe and well-cared-for outdoor space.”
After separating from her partner, Wolfe has been curating and hosting Hexagon House events along with setup, promotion, ticketing, sound and breakdown. For events with larger audiences of more than 100 – like that of July’s stripped-down with local duo WHY? – she hires friend Emma Roberts to help out. e rst Hexagon House performance took place Aug. 29, 2020. Wolfe says there were nine shows in that series and 12 in 2021. is year will bring Wolfe’s longest series yet, she says, with events occurring regularly.
Wolfe’s events are perhaps more ambitious than a normal house show or those in DIY spaces, both of which give musicians, like-minded artists and audiences alternatives to traditional bars, clubs and venues. She says she’s always looking to bring a complete and thoughtful experience to artists and music lovers.
“We only have a few clubs and venues that get it right in terms of sound, quality of programming and intentional listening. ere is usually, at least, one of those elements sacri ced, and I aim to challenge that.” e artists and Wolfe’s audiences are treated as what they are – guests at her home.
“Liz is a gracious host that cares deeply about her guests and the artists, as well,” says longtime Cincinnati experimental ambient guitar player Pete Fosco.
“ e space itself is incredible. Liz spares no expense in energy when it comes to aesthetics,” adds Cincinnati alt-pop singer/ songwriter and three-time Hexagon House performer Mol Sullivan. “Everything is lit very intentionally and beautifully. On the hillside, she puts little tabletops on stakes so that you can have a at surface for your drinks.” e atmosphere Wolfe curates makes a di erence, musicians say.
“ e sun was setting and insects were buzzing, and there was something enchanting in the air,” Fosco says. “Hard to describe, but some places just get it.”
Audiences seem to be pleased with their experiences, as well.
“I think that one of the best things about the Hexagon shows so far has been the reception of the audience,” Sullivan says, noting that audiences are invested and committed to the evening by the very nature of ticketed house shows.
Diversity also is important to Hexagon House, Wolfe says.
“I know for myself and many artists, we do not feel welcome, safe, comfortable, or – at the very least – feel the programming is diverse enough that there is something there for them and their community,” Wolfe says about shows in traditional venues. “I am really intentional about that.”
Wolfe says she puts care into spotlighting di erent genres, such as local alternative neo-soul band Freedom Nicole Moore & e Electric Moon, experimental percussionist and visual-artist Ben Sloan, rapper/activist Siri Imani and world-traveling performer pianist Brianna Matzke. She hopes to book more touring artists but must rst nd funding to give them a
One of Cincinnati’s newest and most varied venues sits on a hilltop in Northside, hosting nancial guarantee. “If you’re reading this and you are that carefully curated performances and events person, please hit me up!” Wolfe suggests. from musicians from a variety of genres “I’m very interested in securing funding and backgrounds. and collaborating for acts that honestly
It’s called Hexagon House, and it’s also don’t usually come through Cincinnati the home of venue curator, Liz Wolfe. Surbecause we don’t have the right venue for rounded by the colored glow of carefully them.” positioned lamps and paper lanterns, acts Hexagon House shows also often feature perform from a deck to an audience spread local up-and-comers like multi-instruacross her back lawn in the open air. In mentalist Bailey Miller or singer/songsome cases, shows take place in the house writer Rae Fisher as opening acts. On a itself among more lights and eclectic decor. recent night with a threat of rain, Sullivan,
Originally from California, Wolfe moved her band and Fisher performed inside the to Ohio with former partner and Cincinhouse together in a special one-night-only nati native musician Josiah Wolfe in 2008. collaboration, with Fisher backing Sullivan In 2013, the couple purchased the Northon vocals while 50 or so attendees loosely side home that would become Hexagon crammed into the open space.House for its seclusion and proximity to Hexagon House has a number of events the city. Wolfe worked in food and beverlined up, including the third installment age hospitality while creating music under of runway show Nite Lewks on Aug. 27, the name Dream Tiger, the electronic, and Whited Sepulchre Records Festival on dream-pop project she has since put on Sept. 3 and 4, featuring local and national hold to focus on establishing Hexagon artists such as Airport People (IndianapoHouse. lis), Midwife (Los Cruces, N.M.), Cincin-
Wolfe says that as a touring musician nati’s Breanna Kelly and Bailey Miller and herself, she noticed a huge need for better others. representation in venue programming and Wolfe says that Hexagon House is just ownership as well as in the overall concert the beginning – she ultimately wants to experience. open a location that serves as a venue,
“As a woman, it just left me feeling salty club and art space. She adds that she’ll and dirty the way most venues are mainschedule Hexagon House programming tained, the way they treat musicians and until she sells the Northside house – curthe absence of personal care for all aspects rently planned for spring – at which point, of live entertainment both on stage and in “I’ll have the next location/iteration of HH the audience,” Wolfe tells CityBeat. “So I ready to go.”made it my mission to work towards open“Taking the next step from DIY to an ing my own venue.” intimate but highly curated and profes-
Wolfe had time to move toward that sionally executed nightclub is my goal,” goal in the summer of 2020, thanks to the Wolfe says.pandemic-imposed shutdown. With both Wolfe and her partner sidelined from work, the team began preparing their home to host events by building a deck, painting and landscaping. “It’s a natural part of me and my creative expression to curate my physical environment,” Wolfe says. “Since people respond positively to that, it made sense to use what we already have to bring our community together to experience live music in a safe and well-cared-for outdoor space.” After separating from her partner, Wolfe has been curating and hosting Hexagon House events along with setup, promotion, ticketing, sound and breakdown. For events with larger audiences of more than 100 – like that of July’s stripped-down with local duo WHY? – she hires friend Emma Roberts to help out. e rst Hexagon House performance took place Aug. 29, 2020. Wolfe says there were nine shows in that series and 12 in 2021. is year will bring Wolfe’s longest series yet, she says, with events occurring regularly. Wolfe’s events are perhaps more ambitious than a normal house show or those in DIY spaces, both of which give musicians, like-minded artists and audiences alternatives to traditional bars, clubs and venues. She says she’s always looking to bring a complete and thoughtful experience to artists and music lovers. “We only have a few clubs and venues that get it right in terms of sound, quality of programming and intentional listening. ere is usually, at least, one of those elements sacri ced, and I aim to challenge that.” e artists and Wolfe’s audiences are treated as what they are – guests at her home. “Liz is a gracious host that cares deeply about her guests and the artists, as well,” says longtime Cincinnati experimental ambient guitar player Pete Fosco. “ e space itself is incredible. Liz spares no expense in energy when it comes to aesthetics,” adds Cincinnati alt-pop singer/ songwriter and three-time Hexagon House performer Mol Sullivan. “Everything is lit very intentionally and beautifully. On the hillside, she puts little tabletops on stakes so that you can have a at surface for your drinks.” e atmosphere Wolfe curates makes a di erence, musicians say. “ e sun was setting and insects were buzzing, and there was something enchanting in the air,” Fosco says. “Hard to describe, but some places just get it.” Audiences seem to be pleased with their experiences, as well. “I think that one of the best things about the Hexagon shows so far has been the reception of the audience,” Sullivan says, noting that audiences are invested and committed to the evening by the very nature of ticketed house shows. Diversity also is important to Hexagon House, Wolfe says. “I know for myself and many artists, we do not feel welcome, safe, comfortable, or – at the very least – feel the programming is diverse enough that there is something there for them and their community,” Wolfe says about shows in traditional venues. “I am really intentional about that.” Wolfe says she puts care into spotlighting di erent genres, such as local alternative neo-soul band Freedom Nicole Moore & e Electric Moon, experimental percussionist and visual-artist Ben Sloan, rapper/activist Siri Imani and world-traveling performer pianist Brianna Matzke. She hopes to book more touring artists but must rst nd funding to give them a nancial guarantee. “If you’re reading this and you are that person, please hit me up!” Wolfe suggests. “I’m very interested in securing funding and collaborating for acts that honestly don’t usually come through Cincinnati because we don’t have the right venue for them.” Hexagon House shows also often feature local up-and-comers like multi-instrumentalist Bailey Miller or singer/songwriter Rae Fisher as opening acts. On a recent night with a threat of rain, Sullivan, her band and Fisher performed inside the house together in a special one-night-only collaboration, with Fisher backing Sullivan on vocals while 50 or so attendees loosely crammed into the open space. Hexagon House has a number of events lined up, including the third installment of runway show Nite Lewks on Aug. 27, and Whited Sepulchre Records Festival on Sept. 3 and 4, featuring local and national artists such as Airport People (Indianapolis), Midwife (Los Cruces, N.M.), Cincinnati’s Breanna Kelly and Bailey Miller and others. Wolfe says that Hexagon House is just the beginning – she ultimately wants to open a location that serves as a venue, club and art space. She adds that she’ll schedule Hexagon House programming until she sells the Northside house – currently planned for spring – at which point, “I’ll have the next location/iteration of HH ready to go.” “Taking the next step from DIY to an intimate but highly curated and professionally executed nightclub is my goal,” Wolfe says.
Hexagon House, Northside, Hexagon House, Northside, facebook.com/hexagonhouse. facebook.com/hexagonhouse.
SOUND ADVICE SOUND ADVICE
Interpol
PHOTO: ATIBA JEFFERSON Interpol
INTERPOL AND SPOON WITH WATER FROM YOUR EYES Sept. 1 • Andrew J. Brady Music Center
Are there two more consistently onbrand musical out ts over the last two decades than Interpol and Spoon? Masters of angular guitar grooves, each rose to prominence at the turn of the century — Spoon with 2001’s Girls Can Tell, the band’s jump from arty, minimalism inspired by the band Wire to songcraftcentric hook machine; Interpol with its 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights, a visceral, uncommonly mature e ort that melds myriad post punk in uences with a particular strain of post-9/11 desolation. Subsequent recorded e orts from each have been variations on their aesthetic — deceptively simple tunes marked by interlocking guitars, driving rhythms and male singers with modest but distinctive deliveries.
It should then come as no surprise that the two are teaming up for the “Lights, Camera, Factions” co-headlining tour. Both acts have made multiple stops in Cincinnati over the years. Spoon has delivered terse, sharpededged shows at venues from long-gone staples of the scene (the iconic Sudsy Malone’s Rock & Roll Laundry and Bar and the equally beloved original Southgate House) and opened for Beck at Riverbend Music Center in 2019.
PHOTO: ATIBA JEFFERSON INTERPOL AND SPOON WITH WATER FROM YOUR EYES Interpol’s rst local stop — at a sold-out Southgate House in January 2003 — was Sept. 1 • Andrew J. Brady Music Center Are there two more consistently onbrand musical out ts over the last two decades than Interpol and Spoon? Masters of angular guitar grooves, each rose to prominence at the turn of the century — Spoon with 2001’s Girls Can Tell, the band’s jump from arty, minimalism inspired by the band Wire to songcraftcentric hook machine; Interpol with its 2002 debut Turn on the Bright Lights, a visceral, uncommonly mature e ort that melds myriad post punk in uences with a particular strain of post-9/11 desolation. Subsequent recorded e orts from each have been variations on their aesthetic — deceptively simple tunes marked by interlocking guitars, driving rhythms and male singers with modest but distinctive deliveries. It should then come as no surprise that the two are teaming up for the “Lights, Camera, Factions” co-headlining tour. Both acts have made multiple stops in Cincinnati over the years. Spoon has delivered terse, sharpededged shows at venues from long-gone staples of the scene (the iconic Sudsy one of the most buzzed-about shows of that era, occurring a few weeks after Pitchfork crowned Turn on the Bright Lights the best album of 2002. It seems Interpol also has an a nity for Bogart’s, with almost every local gig since occurring at the longtime Corryville venue. Both bands have new albums that no doubt will in uence their current setlists, which are sure to include songs from across their histories. Interpol has e Other Side of Make-Believe, a tweak on their formula that nonetheless remains true to form, while Spoon serves up the stellar Lucifer on the Sofa, as ear-pleasing as anything in the band’s long and fruitful discography. “We did a little bit of touring in September and October (of 2021), and I was warned it would not be fun,” Spoon frontman Britt Daniel said in a recent interview with e Austin Chronicle. “It was actually just as fun. All of the essential elements (were there) — a lot of people cramming together and having a shared experience with really loud music. at’s probably the most important part of the deal, right? And that was still there.” Interpol and Spoon perform at 7 Malone’s Rock & Roll Laundry and p.m. Sept. 1 at Andrew J. Brady Music Bar and the equally beloved original Center. Doors Open at 5:30 p.m. Water Southgate House) and opened for Beck from Your Eyes will open the show. at Riverbend Music Center in 2019. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Jason Gargano)
Interpol’s rst local stop — at a sold-out Southgate House in January 2003 — was one of the most buzzed-about shows of that era, occurring a few weeks after Pitchfork crowned Turn on the Bright Lights the best album of 2002. It seems Interpol also has an a nity for Bogart’s, with almost every local gig since occurring at the longtime Corryville venue.
Both bands have new albums that no doubt will in uence their current setlists, which are sure to include songs from across their histories. Interpol has e Other Side of Make-Believe, a tweak on their formula that nonetheless remains true to form, while Spoon serves up the stellar Lucifer on the Sofa, as ear-pleasing as anything in the band’s long and fruitful discography.
“We did a little bit of touring in September and October (of 2021), and I was warned it would not be fun,” Spoon frontman Britt Daniel said in a recent interview with e Austin Chronicle. “It was actually just as fun. All of the essential elements (were there) — a lot of people cramming together and having a shared experience with really loud music. at’s probably the most important part of the deal, right? And that was still there.”
Interpol and Spoon perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 1 at Andrew J. Brady Music Center. Doors Open at 5:30 p.m. Water from Your Eyes will open the show. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Jason Gargano)
The Black Keys
PHOTO: ALYSSE GAFKJEN The Black Keys
PHOTO: ALYSSE GAFKJEN THE BLACK KEYS WITH
THE BLACK KEYS WITH BAND OF HORSES
BAND OF HORSES Sept. 3 • Riverbend Music Center Before becoming global sensations, the Black Keys were home-state garage blues heroes who ultimately made several lasting connections in the Cincinnati area. e Akron duo of guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney had music in their DNA from the start – legendary cult guitarist Robert Quine was Auerbach’s cousin, and saxophonist Ralph Carney, who played with Ohio art rock unit Tin Huey, Tom Waits and many others, was Carney’s uncle – but they Sept. 3 • Riverbend Music Center Before becoming global sensations, the Black Keys were home-state garage blues heroes who ultimately made several lasting connections in the Cincinnati area. e Akron duo of guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney had music in their DNA from the start – legendary cult guitarist Robert Quine was Auerbach’s cousin, and saxophonist Ralph Carney, who played with Ohio art rock unit Tin Huey, Tom Waits and many others, was Carney’s uncle – but they quickly established their own credentials quickly established their own credentials with their rst recordings as the Keys. with their rst recordings as the Keys. e duo’s acclaimed third full length, 2004’s Rubber Factory, named for the abandoned tire-manufacturing plant which served as their recording space at the time, featured a liner note thanking “ ee Creepy Shams,” a reference to local garage rock trio ee Shams, who shared many early local/regional bills with the Keys. ee Shams, led by bassist/vocalist Zach Gabbard and his guitarist/vocalist brother Andrew, soon morphed into Bu alo Killers, and the band maintained close ties with the Keys; Auerbach produced their 2008 album Let It Ride and e duo’s acclaimed third full length, 2004’s Rubber Factory, named for the abandoned tire-manufacturing plant which served as their recording space at the time, featured a liner note thanking “ ee Creepy Shams,” a reference to local garage rock trio ee Shams, who shared many early local/regional bills with the Keys. ee Shams, led by bassist/vocalist Zach Gabbard and his guitarist/vocalist brother Andrew, soon morphed into Bu alo Killers, and the band maintained close ties with the Keys; Auerbach produced their 2008 album Let It Ride and Bu alo Killers opened for the Keys on Bu alo Killers opened for the Keys on
Thundercat
PHOTO: JESSE LIROLA
major tours. As the Keys’ sonic complexity expanded in the studio, they added a coterie of musical friends to esh out their live sound. For the past several years, the Gabbards have been vital components of the Black Keys’ touring band. e Keys also crossed paths with local polymath Brian Olive, who contributed to the sessions for Auerbach’s side project, the Arcs. Olive used Auerbach as his co-producer on his sophomore solo album, 2011’s Two of Everything, and Auerbach then invited Olive to participate as a horn player on the sessions for iconic New Orleans artist Dr. John on his Grammy-winning 2012 album Locked Down, which Auerbach produced.
Given all this, there are plenty of reasons to witness the tour for the Black Keys’ heralded new album Dropout Boogie, the latest entry in the band’s 21-year history and 11-album catalog. ere’s the opportunity to see the Gabbards in action before their own tour sets sail with the newly christened Gabbard Brothers, the o chance that Olive might pop up for a saxophone cameo, or just the thrill of seeing one of the country’s most engaging purveyors of punkish garagetinged blues and rock. e Black Keys perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 3 at Riverbend Music Center. Doors Open at 5:30 p.m. Band of Horses and Early James will open the show. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: riverbend. org. (Brian Baker)
THUNDERCAT
Sept. 6 • PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION
Stephen Lee Bruner is a curious guy. e Los Angeles native has packed enough into his 37 years of life to rival those twice his age. Better known as his performing alter-ego undercat, Bruner grew up in a musical family, learning to play bass when most kids were still messing with LEGOs. Jazz was his rst love, but, at 16, he became the bassist in the long-running thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, a nine-year odyssey that left an impression, including a taste for rock and roll debauchery. undercat’s artistic versatility has become his hallmark, moving among various projects and musical genres with uncommon acumen and panache. He’s collaborated with an array of artists over the last decade, including Kamasi Washington, Ariana Grande, Mac DeMarco, Erykah Badu, Snoop Dogg, Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar.
He’s also released four full-length studio albums and an EP since going solo in 2011, each a kaleidoscopic adventure in sound and composition drawing from jazz, hip hop, R&B, funk, pop and electro-ambient. undercat’s most recent e ort, 2020’s It Is What It Is, was less ecstatic and more re ective, no doubt in uenced by the death of his good friend and collaborator Mac Miller. His signature falsetto vocals and dexterous bass playing remain, but there’s a deeper philosophical strain that leavens the sillier tendencies of previous e orts. It Is What It Is won a Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album, which is curious given that R&B is but a fraction of what’s going on in undercat’s genre-jumping visions.
But the live experience is where he gets his real juice.
“Music is a great vehicle for emotion,” undercat said in a recent interview with NARC magazine. “ e thing with musicians is that we might create it, but it’s not ours. It’s nite, it’s just our job to wield it. It’s multiple conversations, it’s technical stu but then it’s the verbal and it’s the navigating the crowd and it’s the personal things — we try and put everything out there, because that’s human. But you just have to feel it out every night, like a stand-up comic would, it’s reading the room and reacting to it.”
Reacting to and interacting with his surroundings is vital to undercat’s way of life, which makes his live shows an unpredictable, ever-evolving adventure. undercat performs at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: promowestlive.com. (JG)
Sylvan Esso
PHOTO: BRIAN KARLSSON
SYLVAN ESSO WITH ODESZA
Sept. 7 • Riverbend Music Center
e duo behind Sylvan Esso is a study in contrasts. Singer Amelia Meath is a diminutive whirlwind. Physicality is as much a part of her performance as what comes out of her mouth. It’s as if she is shaking the lyrics from her body.
Her husband and creative partner, Nick Sanborn, is the programming/producing guru, his lithe frame and long hair perpetually perched over various electronic devices as Meath dances to the multitude of sounds he conjures. e pair’s curious dichotomy is even more evident in a live setting, lending Sylvan Esso’s hooky electro-pop a new dimension when experienced in person.
e North Carolina-based duo made its presence known through “Co ee,” an addictive, impressively textured tune from their 2014 self-titled debut driven by Meath’s versatile voice and anchored by Sanborn’s idiosyncratic way with rhythm and other sonic quirks. ree like-minded albums have followed, including the freshly minted No Rules Sandy, which the pair put together quickly in January, juiced by the fact that they were nally able play postshutdown live shows last fall. e result is more playful and less predictable, as if they are shaking free from their previous work.
No Rules Sandy is also more intimate and introspective, the work of a duo digging deeper than ever before.
“I wrote a love song to myself on this record called ‘How Did You Know’ that’s about my relationship with myself as a songwriter and as the person who’s taking care of me as I move through the world, and how it’s such an intimate and magical relationship and I’m so grateful,” Meath said in Billboard. “It’s an incredibly vulnerable, strange thing to talk about. But I nd that every time I share things through songs that are something I don’t feel has been talked about in any way, other than braggadociously, I nd that it connects.” e duo is opening for fellow electronic gurus Odezsa on their current tour, so be sure to get there early.
Sylvan Esso opens for Odezsa at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 7 at Riverbend Music Center. Doors Open at 5 p.m. Elderbrook and Nasaya also are on the bill. ere are no COVID-19 protocols. Info: riverbend. org. (JG)
