To start off with – apologies for the lack of live shots. My new digital camera didn’t arrive until the day after the show. But to prove I was actually at this concert, here’s a review.
It happens every year like clockwork: students start filing into Champaign-Urbana in August, form bands, begin to play shows and, just when the buzz starts to build and people other than close friends begin to frequent their gigs – the kids all go home in May.
Luckily, just as there a few individuals (like myself) who have decided to stick out the next three months in Chambana, there are also numerous bands and musicians who take to the towns’ stages all-year-round – not just the eight months when classes are in session.
Last Thursday, I had my first opportunity to see two such local hallmarks – The Beauty Shop and The Living Blue – perform at Mike ‘N Molly’s, along with Dark Meat and Quiet Hooves, both from Athens, GA (although I apparently showed up too late to catch the opening act).
With the weather as unpredictable as it has been lately, it was a surprise (the first of many) that the evening was nice enough to allow for the show to be held outside in the beer garden. This was my first trip to the downtown Champaign bar and I have to say that it has to be the best outside venue in at least a 50 mile radius. The antique-style street lamps. The stone bird fountain. The ivy-covered brick walls. Even the hideous portable heaters that popped up everywhere after the smoking ban went into effect were a welcome addition to help combat the cool breezes which were a constant nuisance throughout the night.
Also serving to make the chilly wind a mere afterthought were the pleasantly melancholic strains of alt-country melodies produced by the trio of local musicians who call themselves The Beauty Shop. Previous to this show, my only experiences with the band came via a friend of mine who saw them play with The Mountain Goats two years ago and got me hooked on “Rumpelstiltskin Lives” for a short time soon after as well as occasionally hearing their phenomenal cover of Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” on WPGU (request it now, thank me later). But as I soon found out, the three musicians have a lot more to offer than just these two standout tracks.
Anchored by John Hoeffleur’s distinctively deep singing voice – which at times morphed into some kind of Gaelic accent – the threesome (rounded out by bassist Eric Fisher and drummer Ben Ucherek), played a fairly even mix of slower cuts (“Like I Wasn’t Even There”) and more uptempo toe-tappers (“Ambulance”). Although Hoeffleur admitted he was a little under the weather (and at one point even forgot the words to a song), I was nonetheless a little disappointed when the set came to a close (especially since it was sans “Rumpelstiltskin Lives”). If the harder-edge and faster-pace of the group’s newer cuts are any indication, The Beauty Shop’s next record might make as good of fodder for a jukebox inside Mike ‘N Molly’s as well as on its stage outside.
While the platform set up against the back wall of the beer garden was just large enough to accommodate the three members of The Beauty Shop, it was woefully inadequate to support the traveling army, err…band, that call themselves Dark Meat. Brought to Champaign by their booking agent, the Canopy Club’s own Seth Fein, the Athens, GA natives boasted an impressive fifteen member entourage of musicians (at least, that’s how many I counted before I lost track), including two violins, a trombone, trumpet and flute, two drummers, multiple guitars, and whatever else that can be used to produce music.
Decked out in war paint and an exotic assortment of costumes, the majority of the group’s members crowded onto the stage while the violinists stood in front (possibly to avoid blinding their fellow bandmates with their bows) and others walked through the crowd banging on drums and shaking tambourines. Although the set could have easily devolved into mere spectacle (on account of the lone firework set off during “One More Trip” and the contraption used to spew glitter into the air during “No One Was There”), the strength of their music was enough to keep the show grounded firmly in an appreciation for their chaotic and infinitely layered rhythms. High school band class never looked like so much fun.
Maybe it was due to the fact that the night had gotten increasingly cold, or maybe because Dark Meat had raised my expectations to an unattainable level, but for some reason The Living Blue never really succeeded in capturing my attention like I thought they would. Although, judging from the crowd (which for the first time that night filled up the beer garden), I was definitely in the minority on this opinion.
Performing for the first time in Champaign since releasing the online stream of Walk, Talk, Rhythm, Roam, its fourth full-length album, The Living Blue seemed a little too straightforward (i.e. too safe) in its approach. While a spattering of people danced in front of the stage (perhaps because they were moved by the music, or maybe just to generate some warmth), I sat almost aloof off to the side – much like the group’s guitarist did throughout Dark Meat’s set.
Ploughing their way through a set list of similar sounding songs – a scuzzed-out guitar riff here, an electronic flourish there – the quartet seemed pleased to have their new offerings receive a good reception from the hometown crowd. As I meandered my way out of the bar with chants of “One more song!” echoing in the night, I finally heard the band strike up one last chord as I crossed University. Wow, an actual unplanned encore – what more could a band ask for?
