Coming Soon: J. Boozer’s return to St. Joe!

Posted on May 27, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

J. Boozer at First Ward in St. Joseph, Mo poster

WHO’S PLAYING?  Jay Boozer (St. Louis, MO) Two Piece Animator (St. Joseph, MO)

WHAT TO EXPECT?  A one man band!…  and a four piece band with “two piece” in their name…

Two Piece Animator is hitting local venues hard with their mix of indie rock and love of 90’s alternative. The group’s unique vocalists give the group a one of a kind sound backed by superior musicianship. The group (fresh with a new bass player) is inching closer to the release of their first full length album and rumor has it that there is some vinyl in the works as well.

J. Boozer is a one man band that not only carries a few different instruments with him but also is always towing a good time. The self-proclaimed “drunkest band in the world” brings a very loose approach to his shows and uses alcohol as a weapon making it an asset to his show instead of letting it hinder him. The songs will make you laugh if you pay attention and possibly even if you are too drunk to pay attention. The fast strums of an acoustic guitar paired with various ways of making drum sounds create a high energy punkish mix that is sure to entertain.

WHERE IS IT?  The First Ward House, 2101 St. Joseph Avenue, St. Joseph, MO 64505

WHEN IS IT?  Saturday, June 1st, 2013; 9:00 pm, 21+ $5

WHY SHOULD I GO? Two Piece Animator is looking to continue to build and audience and will prime the crowd for the craziness to ensue afterward. Animator will be tight and nail their songs, like always.

J. Boozer will get drunk. If one thing is for certain it is probably that. He will likely be at one point on the floor flailing around and the possibility of him getting hurt is pretty good. The First Ward should do pretty well at the bar and I’m sure they will have backup cases of alcohol for the event. What better stress relief could you have than this?

Oh, one more thing, a quote from the man himself:

“O IT’S ON MUTHA F*CKERS!!!!!!!!!!” – J. Boozer

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Concert Review: Old 97s and Drive-By Truckers at The Crossroads in Kansas City, MO 5/25/13

Posted on May 26, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

The less than thrilling poster for the Drive-By Truckers and Old 97s show at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Mo on 5/25/13.

The Old 97’s and Drive-By Truckers are two of the most sure things you will get when you buy a concert ticket. Each band is completely professional on stage and deliver a solid show with the chances of disappointment being on par with winning the Powerball. The Old 97’s have had the same four members for right at 20 years while the Drive-By Truckers trotted out a new lineup on this tour once again leaving in their wake something like 15 former band members.

The first act would be John Henry & The Engine out of St. Louis, Missouri and they would strut their clout as a solid opener for the two heavyweight acts. If you like the Old 97’s and Drive-By Truckers; John Henry is right up your alley. You can hear the influence of Neil Young in some songs while the pop sensibility of Tom Petty shines through on others. One song even found the singer crooning like The Wallflowers’ singer Jacob Dylan on “God Don’t Make Lonely Girls.” They would get the timeslot with the sun shining from the west and easily work up a sweat and win over most of the audience that made it out early to the show.

John Henry & The Engine soak up the sun at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13.

John Henry & The Engine soak up the sun at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13.

The Old 97’s would be a bit hurried and have a shortened set so they came out of the gate strong with “Barrier Reef” to get the crowd going. They would quickly burn through a 16 song collection that possessed many of the usual suspects. Lead singer Rhett Miller would display his patent helicopter guitar strumming method during anthems like “Won’t Be Home” while drummer Philip Peeples would show off his best skills during a thunderous version of “Four Leaf Clover.” Murry Hammond would happily slap his bass while singing a delightful surprise addition to the set in “Can’t Get A Line” and Ken Bethea would lead the charge on the Old 97’s custom closing number “Timebomb.”

The abbreviated set would leave a few big songs off that are almost always played like the tender “Question” and the rowdy “Murder (or a Heart Attack).” These negations weren’t as noticeable because of the inclusion of performances of the brilliant “Lonely Holiday” with the great lyrics “I’ve thought so much about suicide; parts of me have already died.” and the sing-along favorite “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You).” The band would quickly rush off stage like they had to skip town (which I think they actually did) to make time for the Drive-By Truckers to let the night come through.

Ken Bethea, Rhett Miller, Philip Peeples and Murray Hammond on stage as The Old 97's at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13.

Ken Bethea, Rhett Miller, Philip Peeples and Murray Hammond on stage as The Old 97’s at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13.

Old 97’s setlist for The Crossroads in Kansas City, MO 5/25/13:

  • Barrier Reef
  • Won’t Be Home
  • Brown Haired Daughter
  • No Baby I
  • W. TX Teardrops
  • Victoria
  • Champagne, Illinois
  • Four Leaf Clover
  • Stoned
  • Let The Whiskey Take The Reins
  • Lonely Holiday
  • Big Brown Eyes
  • Can’t Get A Line
  • Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)
  • Rollerskate Skinny
  • Timebomb

A new bass player would join the Drive-By Truckers, Matt Patton, and surprisingly change the group’s sound. Patton would perch right in middle of the longstanding three members of the Truckers Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and drummer The EZB while multi-instrumentalist Jay Gonzalez would flank the group on the side. The band’s two singers, Hood and Cooley, would alternate songs throughout the entire 21 song setlist.

A mundane reading of “The Man I Shot” would start things off with Hood on vocals and Cooley would run out of the gate with a grungy version of “Gravity’s Gone.” Hood retaliated with a much darker version of his song “Puttin’ People On The Moon” from The Dirty South record that would proved to be one of the evening’s highlights. This is where I first started to notice the effect Patton had on the band. Mike Cooley would have a very good night as he picked some of his best songs for the outdoor show. He would play a raunchy version of “Where The Devil Don’t Stay” a calm, reflective version of “Women Without Whiskey” and get the crowd bouncing with “Self Destructive Zones” and “Get Downtown.”

Mike Cooley solos during a Drive-By Truckers song at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13 with Patterson Hood, Matt Patton and The EZB in the background.

Mike Cooley solos during a Drive-By Truckers song at The Crossroads in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/25/13 with Patterson Hood, Matt Patton and The EZB in the background.

Patterson Hood would have a little more of a “deep cut” approach with the songs he sang it would seem. He tackled “Heathens” and “Ronnie and Neil” to surprise the crowd while “Goodes Field Road” was a particularly funky version which almost seemed like a bit of a psych song thanks to Mike Cooley’s guitar experimentation. Hood would belt out a couple Warren Zevon covers with “Play It All Night Long” and fitting in a bit of “Ain’t That Pretty At All” in the middle of it; complete with the lyrical alteration: “…and Zevon’s got cancer just like everybody else…” as a tribute to the late, great singer-songwriter. A very jammy take on “Hell No I Ain’t Happy” would lead into the encore, with the song jamming on for what had to be close to 10 minutes. The light man for the Crossraods would consistently blind the crowd with the stage-lights during the song causing me, and I’m sure others, to want to see if both my hands could fit around their neck.

The encore would feature Cooley’s “Zip City” and “3 Dimes Down” and a Hood led cover of Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen.” Hood would also do a little storytelling during the Truckers ultimate anthem “Let There Be Rock” doing plenty of 70’s bands namedropping including some newer additions like The Clash and The Replacements.

The Old 97’s trotted out the same four members that have played every show over the last 20 years while the Truckers had a new lineup every bit as effective. The Drive-By Truckers will never recover from the loss of guitarist Jason Isbell but the songwriting of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley still make them one of the better rock bands you can currently see. The Old 97’s didn’t lack any in matching the Trucker’s energy either; the same group of guys still put on the same great, energetic show they have done every night I have been in attendance. It was great to see two headlining bands share the same ticket price on such a nice night at the Crossroads.

Drive-By Truckers setlist for The Crossroads in Kansas City, MO 5/25/13:

  • The Man I Shot
  • Gravity’s Gone
  • Puttin’ People On The Moon
  • Space City
  • Heathens
  • Where The Devil Don’t Stay
  • Play It All Night Long > Ain’t That Pretty At All (Warren Zevon covers)
  • Uncle Frank
  • Tornadoes
  • Ghost To Most
  • Goode’s Field Road
  • Women Without Whiskey
  • Ronnie and Neil
  • Get Downtown
  • Drag The Lake Charlie
  • Self Destructive Zones
  • Hell No, I Ain’t Happy
  • encore
  • 3 Dimes Down
  • Let There Be Rock
  • Zip City
  • I’m Eighteen (Alice Cooper cover)
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Concert Review: Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman at the Alamo Drafthouse Theater in Kansas City, MO 5/19/13

Posted on May 21, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

A unique night that promised to be strange and unpredictable turned out to be exactly that. The premise was to build a concert around a screening of the documentary Body of War in support of that film’s centerpiece Tomas Young. Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman was due to perform live at the event and any details beyond that were sketchy making for an air of uncertainty around the event.

Body of War poster

The evening would start off pretty casually with typical pre-movie shorts on screen before Tom Morello would come and address the crowd. He would explain the cause and give a basic rundown of the evening. The first thing would be the highlight of the show for me: Ike Reilly would perform. The Chicago area singer flew from a show in Maryland the previous night to play this show in Kansas City. He would perform all of one song before he would retire from the stage after playing the very relevant song “Broken Parakeet Blues.” Morello would announce Reilly flew thousands of miles to play just the one song and introduce the next act, Jacob George. George is a veteran who travels the country playing war protest songs on his banjo. He would play two songs, one of them in the style of a military cadence. All of this taking place on the stage foreshadowing the events to come with Morello’s guitars proudly on display sporting the slogans “Arm The Homeless” “Black Spartacus” and “Whatever It Takes.”

Ike Reilly performing at the Body Of War screening in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/19/13.

Ike Reilly performing “Broken Parakeet Blues” at the Body Of War screening in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/19/13.

The documentary would then play and change the tone of the evening dramatically. The narrative follows Tomas Young’s life after being permanently paralyzed by a bullet on his fifth day of deployment in Iraq. Since that time Young has fought to get better care for disabled war veterans and has relentlessly fought against sending soldiers to unnecessary wars.The documentary produced by Phil Donahue, who was also in attendance  also profiled “The Immortal 23” that voted against giving then President Bush the power to declare war against Iraq without needing approval of other governing bodies. The measure passed in the Senate 77 to 23. The struggles of Tomas Young were an exclamation point of this story and a five minute update on Young’s condition was shown right after the movie.

Morello would take the stage immediately after for a well scripted set of war songs from The Nightwatchman’s catalog. He would start with “Battle Hymns” and “Flesh Shapes The Day” and continue a slow, brooding tone for most of the night. He would invite his bandmate from The Nightwatchman’s Freedom Fighter’s Orchestra, Carl Restivo, to help him with the duet “Save The Hammer For The Man” and Restivo would remain on stage helping him for much of the 11 song set. Morello would sing a song he wrote especially for Tomas Young with “Stray Bullets” retelling Young’s exact story.

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman performs live in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/19/13 at a special screening of Body of War.

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman performs live in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/19/13 at a special screening of Body of War.

The bigger reaction would come near the end of the politically charged set when the audience’s intensity would build from Morello’s energy. “The Road I Must Travel” got the attendees stirring and singing along then Morello would say “I brought my electric guitar; perhaps I should play it.” and really getting the audience going. He would do some of his signature guitar playing during “The Ghost of Tom Joad” which even included him playing the guitar with his mouth. The Bruce Springsteen cover would work as a lead in for a sing-along version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.”

Morello would then invite everyone to get out of their seats and come down to the stage area to join him. As the audience gathered around it became more intimate than the 197 seat capacity theater had started at the beginning of the night. It was quickly apparent that this was the way the entire show should have been. A big sing-along to “Worldwide Rebel Songs” would then ensue as a seemingly fitting closing moment. The Nightwatchman thankfully felt compelled to do one more song and performed an emotional version of his song “Until The End” that thanks to the audience and Tomas Young joining in from his home on the computer left Morello in tears as he finished the final lines of the song.

Tom Morello performs some acoustic songs in the Alamo Draft Movie Theater at a benefit for Tomas Young.

Tom Morello performs some acoustic songs in the Alamo Draft Movie Theater at a benefit for Tomas Young.

Morello would quickly regain focus and lead a Q&A session between the audience and Young. Young would announce to the filled theater including his mother and brother that he plans to stay alive as long as he can stand the pain in contrary to his recent announcement he made that he would end his life. The event would conclude with an emotionally drained audience trying to take in the special events they had just witnessed as Morello posed for pictures and talked to the crowd near the stage.

Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman’s setlist from the Alamo Drafthouse theater in Kansas City, Missouri 5/19/13:

  • Battle Hymns
  • Flesh Shapes The Day
  • No One Left
  • Save The Hammer For The Man
  • Stray Bullets
  • “Obama signed with a rubber stamp”
  • The Road I Must Travel
  • Ghost of Tom Joad (Bruce Springsteen cover)
  • This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie cover)
  • Worldwide Rebel Songs
  • Until The End
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250 Word Album Review: David Bazan – 2013 Spring Tour EP

Posted on May 21, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

David Bazan - 2013 Spring Tour EP

David Bazan - 2013 Spring Tour EP gets 4.5 stars

David Bazan has seemingly escaped the dark shadow of Pedro The Lion. Bazan was always the mastermind of the band but took a big step forward in using his own and name and now is a couple albums and EPs into a “solo” career.

The 2013 Spring Tour EP is an art print with a digital download code the back. The collection of 5 cover songs make a pretty striking collection and the tracks are very sought after by Bazan die-hards because he has performed them periodically live over the last few years. Bob Dylan’s “The Man In Me” is a focal point with Bazan’s gentle delivery and his take on Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” seems to fit his style perfectly. He dramatically changes the Radiohead song “Packt Like Sardines In A Crushed Tin Can” to completely alter the vibe of the song to where it is almost unrecognizable. The originally very electronic song is stripped down to a singer/songwriter skeleton highlighting aspects of the song that may have passed you by thee first time you heard it.

The true gem of the 5 tracks however is a cover of Vic Chesnutt’s “Flirted With You All My Life.” The Chesnutt penned song is essentially a love note to death and was originally performed by Bazan as a tribute to his recently departed friend. The song is one of the most personal and heartbreaking songs you will hear and it is great that it will find a larger audience thanks to this cover version.

Key Tracks: “Flirted With You All My Life” “The Man In Me”

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250 Word Local Album Review: Dsoedean – Continue To Move

Posted on May 18, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Dsoedean - Continue To Move

From the opening notes of “Daylight” to the closing sounds of “Continue To Move” Dsoedean’s first full-length album is a carefully planned out group of songs that doesn’t cut corners anywhere. The unique drumming of Bobby Dean Floyd laces the Zale Bledsoe penned songs with the perfect backdrop for this autobiographical album. Marcus Words’ subtle poppy bass lines let Colby Allen Walter wander on keyboards and additional guitars to texture the songs and add an appropriate weirdness to each track.

On songs like “Perfect World” Bledsoe stretches his vocals to the edge of their range while having a personal tone anyone can relate to. The experimentation on several songs like “When The Bankers Go To Lunch” and “Find A Way” keep Continue To Move from turning into a mountainous affair while songs like “Daylight” and “Shuffle Your Feet” could easily flow through radio airwaves instead of whatever the richest label is pushing.

This album is carefully crafted, recorded well and has the mixing punch of any national record you will hear. Seeing these songs develop live over the past year or two live has made the release of Continue To Move all that much more special for me. This is a great listen from beginning to end and has the legs to gain popularity far beyond its local beginnings. Maybe I am too close to the situation to fairly judge this record or maybe Dsoedean has made the finest, most professional damn record St. Joseph has ever seen.

Key Tracks: “Daylight” “Perfect World” “Continue To Move”

You can pick up Continue To Move at the This Tall Records bandcamp page, you can pre-order the cd or a limited edition cassette here: http://thistallrecords.bandcamp.com/album/continue-to-move. Also watch out for a 7″ vinyl single very soon (rumor has it that it will be clear.)

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Concert Review: Hanni El Khatib at The Riot Room in Kansas City, MO, 5/9/13

Posted on May 12, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Jack White and Dan Auerbach’s influence is being painted all over modern music. These two visionaries spearhead this latest “update on the blues” and their disciples are sprinkling the music scene as we speak and audiences are eating it up. Going hand-in-hand with the resurgence of vinyl records; this is the sound of now; this is the sound the cool kids want to hear.

A direct result of all of this is guitar-slinging bluesman Hanni El Khatib. Khatib’s momentum from his recent release of his second full-length record, Head In The Dirt, carried him through Kansas City to the hot, packed Riot Room where he would sweat out about four pounds during his hour long set along with opening acts The Devil and St. Joseph’s Radkey.

Hanni El Khatib poster for The Riot Room in Kansas City, MO 5/9/13.

El Khatib would naturally be headlining so two opening acts were due up first. The Devil would grace the stage the earliest with a slow burning metal sound made by three women and one guy. The bass and drums held ground for the male guitar player to add most of the texture to the music while the group did their best to emulate a brooding Black Sabbath. The lead singer would attempt to lose herself in her vocals but appear a bit tense; she couldn’t have been too nervous with the outfit she was wearing however because it was showing more skin than you’ll see during the average concert. Their dark music (matched by the stage lighting drenched in dark orange) seemed to stay in first gear all night and could have benefited from a couple faster musical breakouts.

The Devil would at one point naturally pimp that they had t-shirts for sale and ask people to find them on facebook. This is a very great task to ask with a generic name like “The Devil.” Try putting “The Devil” into google and finding them; it is a horrible selection of a band name. They will go on the list with the all-time hardest bands ever to find on the internet. Among these are The The, The Band and the all-time worst band to find on the internet; Live.

The Devil (the band, not the ruler of the dar) soak up the orange stage lights at The Riot Room.

The Devil (the band, not the ruler of the dark) soak up the orange stage lights at The Riot Room.

Radkey is one of the hottest names in the Kansas City area right now and they would hit the stage next. They were recently added to regular rotation on 96.5 The Buzz in Kansas City and two of the regular on-air personalities (Lazlo and Slimfast) were even on hand to see Radkey and of course El Khatib. Being a veteran of over a half dozen Radkey shows now I knew exactly what to expect and that is exactly what I got. Their punk sound is only accented by their costumes that they don at each show: the flannel, the cut-off jean jacket and mo-hawk. All the mic time in-between songs would belong to bass wielding Isaiah involving much of the same banter I’ve heard before and a not very surprising little shot at their hometown of St. Joseph.

Radkey’s set led off with “Out Here In My Head” and “Mind Ride” to get the exuberant crowd bouncing. “Is He Alright?” has a slightly different feel than other songs by the band and is a nice addition to their set to break things up a bit. The audience was buzzing and had a few people that obviously just showed up for Radkey. The response for “Cat & Mouse” was particularly emphatic because of its recent plays on 96.5 The Buzz. They would end with the catchy “N.I.G.G.A. (not okay)” and seamlessly move into a cover of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” a song that I once heard them say was for St. Joseph only. Everyone in the crowd that I talked to was seeing Radkey for the first time; they blow first time viewers away nearly every time and this show seemed to be no exception. It will be interesting in the future to see how people respond to the band after they have already heard the songs, listened to the banter and saw their uniforms before.

Radkey continues to kick open doors so hard they tear the hinges off. Lead singer Dee Radke (above) playing at The Riot Room opening for Hanni El Khatib.

Radkey continues to kick open doors so hard they tear the hinges off. Lead singer Dee Radke (above) playing at The Riot Room opening for Hanni El Khatib.

Radkey setlist for 5/9/13 at The Riot Room in Kansas City, Missouri.

  • Out Here In My Head
  • Mind Ride
  • Is He Alright?
  • Little Man
  • Spirals
  • Pretty Things
  • Cat & Mouse
  • Red Letter
  • N.I.G.G.A. (not okay)
  • Hey Ya (Oukast cover)

Hanni El Khatib took the stage for a rare headlining gig on his 2013 tour. He is in the middle of a set of dates opening for The Black Angels and El Khatib had just this and one other date with his name in the largest copy on posters for this tour. The small, 240 person capacity Riot Room was very close to a sellout if it wasn’t. It was shoulder to shoulder with sweat beading up on everyone’s skin by the time El Khatib found the stage lights. He would hammer into his set with one of his best songs early in “Build, Destroy, Rebuild” with its very New York punk feel that got the crowd all stirred up. He would follow with a newer song, “Nobody Move” that proved he wouldn’t be playing venues the size of The Riot Room much longer.

Hanni El Khatib would carry three other band members with him; a drummer that would make the bass drum bounce so hard on the stage you thought it was going to walk off, a bass player and a guitar/keyboard player. Ultimately even though El Khatib’s music is very guitar heavy; the songs with keyboard seemed to come across better than having dueling guitars. The show didn’t have the soaring guitar work I expected. It was no slouch by any means but I expected a little of the “guitar masturbation” that is common with this type of music. A crowd favorite would be “You Rascal You” getting a good response but the track ultimately pales in comparison to his other songs. The doo wop of “Dead Wrong” was a brilliant change of pace for the set giving a nod to the 50’s sound that you can hear in his music if you listen carefully.

Hanni El Khatib gestures to fans at The Riot Room in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/9/13.

Hanni El Khatib gestures to fans at The Riot Room in Kansas City, Missouri on 5/9/13.

The set would roll through many songs from his new record Head In The Dirt and the presence of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach on those songs could be heard on nearly all of them even though he wasn’t in attendance. El Khatib has certainly used the cross of The White Stripes and The Black Keys to form his bluesy sound for his new album. He would play nine of the eleven tracks off of that album including “Pay No Mind” “Can’t Win Them All” and “Save Me.” He would also hit the record for the shows slowest moment with the song “Penny” as well as the song with the best legs for radio play “Family.”

In lieu of an encore he would remain on the hot stage and power through the set mainly because there is no backstage and he would have to fight the crowd to get off and back on. The encore set would be two songs and include “Family” followed by “Loved One.” The jangly, hit powered “Family” probably would have made for a more climactic finale but it would be the first of the two songs. After the song the band would hit the side door to go outside and try to dry their sweat-soaked clothes. It was obvious at this show’s end that this bluesy rock style of music has a loyal audience and is here to stay.

Hanni El Khatib setlist for 5/9/13 at The Riot Room in Kansas City, Missouri.

  • Head In The Dirt
  • Build, Destroy, Rebuild
  • Nobody Move
  • Sinking In The Sand
  • Penny
  • You Rascal You
  • Skinny Little Girl
  • Can’t Win Them All
  • Pay No Mind
  • Fuck It, You Win
  • Dead Wrong
  • Save Me
  • Roach Cock
  • Family
  • Loved One
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Coming Soon: Ashley Raines

Posted on May 8, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Ashley Raines poster for a show at The Dawg House in Forest City on 5/16/13.

WHO’S PERFORMING?  Ashley Raines (Colorado)

WHAT TO EXPECT?  A brutally honest show…

Raines brings a stripped down version of the New West Revue on the road for his shows. He might bring one person with him for accompaniment on stage but expect a scaled back show. Raines makes the most of his time on stage rattling off songs from his extensive catalog and often divides his show into two complete normal length sets. He is 10 albums in for his career and it seems like he writes new songs quicker than he books shows to play them at. It is the perfect time to sit back in a small bar, have a beer and enjoy a criminally underrated talent.

WHERE IS IT?  The Dawg House, 108 Commercial St., Forest City, MO

WHEN IS IT?  Thursday, May 16th, 2013; 8:00pm

WHY SHOULD I GO?  Raines is a rare treat. His dark lyrics give you just a glimpse into the madness that must go on in his head. He plays several instruments and can shock you at any time with something really different.

He plays mostly originals but every once in a while he busts out a great cover song. He is notorious for his fittingly dark version of Warren Zevon’s “My Shit’s Fucked Up.” He recently released a digital single of a eerie cover of Tom Waits already dark tune “Alice” with any luck he will be playing that song as well.

His (even newer) digital single is called “Old Time Religion” and should make a nice addition to the about 25 requests I have to bestow upon Mr. Raines during the show. I don’t look forward to many St. Joe area shows as I am this one. It is a little bit out of town but I give you my word that it will be well worth the short drive.

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Coming Soon: Care To Learn benefit with Eyelit and The Souveneers

Posted on May 6, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Care To Learn fundraiser event poster with Eyelit and The Souveneers.

WHO’S PLAYING?  Eyelit (St. Joseph, MO) Souveneers (St. Joseph, MO)

WHAT TO EXPECT?  Great original music… and prizes!

The Souveneers are a great shape-shifting band led by the throw back vocals and songwriting of Jerrad Hardin. Hardin is flanked by one, two or several other musicians that involved in the band. If you’re lucky, Colby Walter will be present adding his Dwight Yoakam-style americana guitar and exercising some demons on mandolin. Brean Reiley sometimes adds her sweet, soft vocals and ukulele  Seth Campbell will play some upright bass with the group and add an entire dynamic to the band while Dustin Hawkins works the drum kit. Other musicians may or may not be involved. This makes nearly every Souveneers performance a one of a kind show and you should be sorry if you miss any of them, I know I have been.

Eyelit will put you to sleep. Not in a bad way; their music will put you in a state of bliss that leaves you totally satisfied and wondering how such a clean, refined, quiet sound could come from this group of musicians. Led by the husband-wife duo of Austin and Dansare Marks; Eyelit is sure to leave you impressed. Austin Marks is a  great songwriter choosing every word very carefully and Dansare’s vocals will simply blow you away. Dansare Marks easily has the most beautiful voice of any member of any of the bands in St. Joseph. The backing band could pull out drums or a banjo or some instruments that only more educated people than I could tell you the name of.

WHERE IS IT?  The First Ward House, 2101 St. Joseph Avenue, St. Joseph, MO 64505

WHEN IS IT?  Friday, May 17th, 2013; 9:00 pm, 21+ $5

WHY SHOULD I GO?  For the kids…

Care To Learn is a non-profit group that help kids of different ages get the things they need. This includes health, hunger and hygiene, the most basic and most important things a child should be provided with. While there are several chapters of Care To Learn all the proceeds from this benefit will stay local. The group is run by local volunteers so 100% of the money raised at this show (and other events) will go straight to the children in need. This is the first (and right now) only chapter in Northwest Missouri and is organized by Union Star’s own Mindi Phillips.

You can check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/CareToLearnUnionStar?fref=ts

There will be prizes as well. Gift cards and from what I am hearing a lot of other really cool stuff will raffled off and there may even be silent auction if you aren’t feeling so lucky. You can get a sneak peak at the items by visiting the above link and while you’re at it give their facebook page a like.

For the slim cost of $5 you can see two great local talents and know your money will go to buy needy children anything from toothbrushes to wheelchairs. Donations will also be accepted from patrons with especially warm hearts. The true prize will be getting to hear these two great original bands play tons of original music. Watch out in particular for The Souveneers to play “I Carry Her With Me” and “Blood Diamond” and Eyelit to play “Motionless” and “High.”

 

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VOT concert posters!: Andy Grooms Living Room

Posted on May 5, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Andy Grooms Living Rooms poster for his series of shows at Piatto 614 during May 2013.

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Concert Review: Tracy Huffman at Magoon’s Delicatessen in St. Joseph, MO 5/1/13

Posted on May 3, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

The best songwriters can pierce you to the bone with just one line. Hidden among the lore of Jesse James and the Pony Express in the town of St. Joseph, Missouri lies one of these songwriters. Tracy Huffman has been out to the California coast to soak up the sun after starting with humble beginnings in the Midwest and has comfortably found his niche right here where he started.

Huffman strolls into Magoon’s Delicatessen wielding not much more than his black acoustic guitar case and after prepping for the show sits down to glance up through his long black hair to see a small audience ready to linger on each word he has to say. It is an every Wednesday occurrence for Huffman to setup shop for about 3 hours in the downtown bar. The buses will visibly zip by in the window behind him and occasionally a police car or ambulance will create the closest thing Huffman will ever have to a light show in the small venue.

Songwriter Tracy Huffman raids his songbook at a weekly show at Magoon's in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Songwriter Tracy Huffman raids his songbook at a weekly show at Magoon’s in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Huffman’s biggest fan is likely the grey haired bartender Doug Snyder who can be found slinging suds from behind the bar. He happily sings along with nearly every line enjoying what is likely his favorite night of the week to work. The Magoon’s regulars all know Huffman’s music and give him requests when he looks like he is in a quandary of what to play. When a friend yells out something like “Somebody’s Buried There” Huffman takes a brief moment to take stock of the song in his head and nearly flawlessly trots it out. Huffman pulls from his entire career’s catalog to fill out his mental setlist for the night. Nothing is set in stone and seemingly nothing is off limits for him to play. He also mixes in several covers of songs you can tell the songwriter loves himself.

He plays acoustic on this night but occasionally pulls out an electric on occasion as well. He would perform a solo set for the Magoon’s crowd but on any Wednesday could pair himself with local blues legend Jerry Forney, jack of all trades Colby Walter, The Motors bandmate Sean Cleary or one of a few other musicians. His guitar playing can’t be ignored as well, he comes up with good, original licks and has no problem keeping up with whoever is on stage with him.

His strength is always in his originals however. These songs are delivered with a stark honesty that is apparent to anybody who takes a break from their conversation to listen. He has an amazing ability to deliver a knockout punch with just one line of a song. Doug Snyder’s favorite Huffman line may well be “You feel like a bomb, that never got lit.” For me personally it was a line from a song off of Huffman’s latest fantastic album Pieces, “Dark Side of the Road.” The lyrics “Take me by the hand, the way my baby never could, because my baby’s got a heart, but ain’t no damn good” hit me in a way where they are far more personal than Huffman could have ever intended.

Tracy Huffman performs live at Magoon's in St. Joseph, Missouri on 5/1/13.

Tracy Huffman performs live at Magoon’s in St. Joseph, Missouri on 5/1/13.

The brilliant singer/songwriter trolls through covers of artists like Tom T. Hall, John Prine and Randy Newman as well as hitting some songs by the most giant artists of all time. He started this particular evening’s set with “Tomorrow Is A Long Time” originally by Bob Dylan before quickly moving to a rendition of “The Needle and The Damage Done” by Neil Young. A more playful cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Listen To Her Heart” would fall later in his set. The most entertaining songs always come straight out of Huffman’s pen. The brilliant line that Snyder loves is from “The Great Unknown” and the duality of the song “Jerry” is always fun to try to figure out; in-between Huffman adds the great radio-ready pop-folk of “Jealous Boy.” A loving tribute is payed to possibly Huffman’s greatest hero with “Chuck Berry’s Red Guitar” and he pays homage to John Prine or possibly Billy Joe Shaver with his tune “Pissin’ In The Wind” then follows with a conceivable devil’s advocate to Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” with his original song “Drugs.”

The cold hard facts are that you can see Huffman with a dozen or two of your closest friends on any given Wednesday at Magoon’s in St. Joseph. The songwriter has the resume and talent to justify him playing to a crowd of triple digits every week but the small town is lucky enough have this jewel hidden away within it’s classic buildings and historical lore. The power to relate to a complete stranger with one simple song lyric isn’t a common thing; anyone who wants to pay attention to Huffman could find a shocking personal connection at any given time and should feel grateful for the opportunity.

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