Quixotic- A Show Like You Have Never Seen Before

Posted on January 24, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Saturday February 9, 2013 @ 7:30 pm

By Danny R. Phillips

Quixotic preview photo by Hilarious Arson.

Photo by Hilarious Arson.

Quixotic is not your run of the mill band or music performance.  In fact, it is not your typical anything.  Quixotic is its own animal, a moving world of curiosities, a thing of confusion and bewitching creativity, as if Cervantes’ great dreamer Don Quixote had his head burst open and had all his dreams and fantasies rushed to be center stage.

On February 9th at the beautiful Missouri Theater in St. Joseph, Missouri, you’ll have your chance to see the mad wonder of Quixotic first hand.  Formed in Kansas City by percussionist/director/composer Anthony Magilano and Assistant Art Director Mica Thomas in 2005, Quixotic was a way to challenge themselves as artists and by extension, changing the way people perceive art and the artistic experience.  Quixotic, as a group, push past convention, past just a band on the stage, to entertain all the senses.

In addition to the main members (Magilano, Thomas, Shane Borth, Noel Selders, principal aerialist Megan Stockman and principal dancer Laura Jones), there are accordionists, cellist, violinists, visual/audio effects, fire, lighting installations (Thomas did has graduate work in lighting design at Penn State), groundbreaking compositions coupled with high grade technology.  All of these elements and imagination work together to create an experience that is all-inclusive, completely enveloping and mesmerizing for the members of the audience.

Quixotic preview photo by Hilarious Arson.

Photo by Hilarious Arson.

Quixotic can be seen as what would happen if Cirque de Soleil played gigs with The Flaming Lips or Pink Floyd but that too simplistic, a cop out of a description, lazy.  Quixotic is more than that, it is something new, pushing the imagination and boundaries in their non-stop effort to give fans something new to see,  something to dream about at night in their beds, to talk about at work.

The Kansas City collaborative have taken their carnival of wonder both far and wide, gracing the stages of the Wakarusa Music Festival in Arkansas, the TED Conference in Long Beach, the Wanderlust Festivals of Vermont, Colorado and California and the multi-genre festival Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan.

Quixotic preview photo by Hilarious Arson.

Photo by Hilarious Arson.

Elaborate production, meticulously crafted costumes, aerial feats, innovative compositions and breathtaking choreography blend seamlessly in complex and engaging ways, making Quixotic enjoyable for  the audience, be it John Q. Public, the art crowds, musicians, lovers of modern dance, performance art and classical music aficionados.

The beauty of the Historic Missouri Theater will surely add to the eclectic adventure that is Quixotic.  Open your mind, take a seat and enjoy the ride.

February 9th, 2013

7:30 pm

Missouri Theater

Tickets: $10.80-$40.00

Email: info@rrtstjoe.org or call: 1-816-232-1778

Watch their videos at www.vimeo.com/quixoticfusion

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Live Video: Dsoedean “Daylight” at the Record Bar in Kansas City, MO 1/21/13

Posted on January 22, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

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Concert Review: A Greater Tomorrow at Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph, MO 1/18/13

Posted on January 21, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

This will likely be the only article I ever write that mentions Miley Cyrus. A Greater Tomorrow is a unique band in the St. Joseph, Missouri music scene and not just because they do a Miley Cyrus song live.They play a music that isn’t all over town. It is a young man’s game playing poppy punk, but it doesn’t get much younger than A Greater Tomorrow either.

The band members are all under 20 years old and already have a pretty successful resume. They won a battle of the bands where the prize was a recording contract with Rock X Records. They recorded five songs with the prize, the Just In Time EP, released in April 2011. Their music is a direct descendant of snot-punk rock acts like Green Day, Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance. The polished poppy-punk music they play isn’t best played in bars though, much of their main audience wouldn’t even be able to get in the door at the Cafe Acoustic on January 18th because it was 21+.

A Greater Tomorrow unplugs for a show at The Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph, MO on 1/18/13.

A Greater Tomorrow unplugs for a show at The Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph, MO on 1/18/13.

The band would go unplugged for the show as well. They recently parted ways with their drummer so the band was down to a three-piece outfit. They elected to play an acoustic show because the new drummer wasn’t ready to step in yet as it had only been a couple weeks. The band is led by lead singer/guitarist Kelley Burford who has the young voice to swoon the young female audiences they are sure to draw. Guitarist Andy Malott and bass player/background vocalist Vincent Leonard rounded out the band as it’s three piece entity on this night.

They would bust through acoustic versions of their short snarky songs at a rapid pace. Burford would show his calm demeanor on stage and make high-school level humor jokes throughout the night. The band would do almost exclusively original songs. Their pop hooks and sing along choruses are hard to resist. Songs like “Enough” and “Tommy” (see video below) show how talented they are. “Last Night” is a radio ready pop song that is easy to envision alongside Pink and Miley Cyrus on playlists. Speaking of Miley Cyrus the band would cover “Party In The U.S.A.” Initially I thought it was a joke when the band announced the Miley Cyrus song but it proved to be true. The song actually fit in their set quite nicely since the target audience of Cyrus and A Greater Tomorrow are very similar. The strongest song of their set was “Never Giving Up” from their EP Just In Time. The chorus is so memorable that it sticks with you long after the final chords of the song are strummed.

The very young band has accomplished a lot for how old they are. They are on the road to more success with their solid songwriting abilities and stage presence. The good thing for this band is that their audience will grow and mature with the band, so they will stick around. It’s hard telling what is in the future for A Greater Tomorrow but right now, the sky may well be the limit.

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Concert Review: The Please Please Me / Dsoedean at Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph, MO 1/19/13

Posted on January 20, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Poster for The Please Please Me and Dsoedean show 1/19/13.

These are the good times people! Music can be fun and certain bands make it fun. The pairing of St. Joseph, Missouri rockers Dsoedean and out-of-towners The Please Please Me from Austin, Texas proved that at the Cafe Acoustic in St. Joseph on January 19th.

Dsoedean is a good-vibes outfit led by Zale Bledsoe. On this day, Bobby Floyd would be on drums and Colby Walter would pull double duty on bass and keyboards. Regular bass player Marcus Words was double booked but Walter had no problem filling the void. As Dsoedean has prepared for their upcoming first full album release, named Continue To Move, they have been on a short hiatus, without a formal show in about four months.

It was nice to hear Bledsoe once again backed by the pounding drums of Bobby Floyd. Floyd is essential to Dsoedean and his drumming really sets them apart from other similar bands. On songs like the new “Daylight” and “Parachute” from their first EP this is apparent. The band would push through many new songs set to be on the record like “Continue To Move” and what may be Bledsoe’s best vocal performance yet, “Perfect World.”  They would also play several songs the crowd for the local band would know by heart like “Shuffle Your Feet” and “Undertoe.”

Dsoedean opens for The Please Please Me on 1/19/13 in St. Joseph, MO.

Dsoedean opens for The Please Please Me on 1/19/13 in St. Joseph, MO.

The Please Please Me made their second trip to St. Joseph to a very good crowd response. The all white Christmas light strands draped along the wall fit the band perfectly as they pushed the barriers of how different sounding good pop songs can be. The trio is led by charismatic front-woman Jessie Torrisi who drives the band with her sultry vocals. She is backed by cellist Alissa Schram, who plays both conventionally and occasionally manipulates the cello as a stand-up bass or percussion instrument. Rounding out the band is the emphatic drumming of the only male member of The Please Please Me, Agustin Frederic. Torrisi herself would even take breaks from playing guitar to do a little bit of drumming of her own at points.

They would start with one of the best indie-pop songs you will ever hear, “Hungry Like Me.” It is from Torrisi’s “solo” album Brûler Brûler from 2009 and is instantly an intoxicating tune with its great hooks. Torrisi would pull her sunglasses off of her head and wear them during songs like “Runaway Train.” With her sunglasses on and her cherry red guitar shining among the Christmas lights it felt like you were on the set of a music video shoot.

The Please Please Me play live on 1/19/13 in St. Joseph, MO.

The Please Please Me play live on 1/19/13 in St. Joseph, MO.

The band would play many songs from their upcoming EP Shake A Little Harder as well. These songs would have a little less of a country tinge and focus more on enticing the audience to dance. The band would dedicate the the hazy imagery of “Dreamin'” to their opening band on the night, Dsoedean, as the openers cheered on the headliners from the crowd. The Please Please Me would even pull out a perfectly chosen cover for the band’s sound. They would borrow the song “Relator” from the Pete Yorn/Scarlett Johansson collaboration Break Up and do a phenomenal job with it.  Before performing a well deserved encore they would plug their new EP by playing a song from it “All Danced Out.”

The Please Please Me proved on this night that pop songs don’t have to come from a cookie cutter. Their completely original take on upbeat pop tunes is a perfect pairing for a band like Dsoedean and the Cafe Acoustic was the perfect environment for the meeting of bands to take place. It is always refreshing to see a band having fun making music; and it makes the songs that much better too.

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250 Word Album Review: Scruffy & The Janitors – Pino

Posted on January 18, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Scuffy & The Janitors - Pino

Scuffy & The Janitors - Pino gets 4 Stars

You’ve got to have something at the merch table. I tell it to bands all the time. I believe the way to build up a solid fanbase is by letting the audience have a recording so they can listen at home. St. Joseph’s favorite sons Scruffy & The Janitors may have rushed out their first recording, Pino, but it was an important step for them to take so early in their career.

The songs are are flat-out stellar on this debut album. The harmonica driven “Use Me Up” pays homage to music’s old blues roots while the thrashy fuzz guitar on “Post Meridian” acknowledges the 90s alternative music that defined generations. The steady stomp of “Stick Around” and “I Will Pick You Up” define the band’s sound in a nutshell. The high point of the record is Teriq Newton’s slide guitar skills on another classic blues sounding number “Poor Boy.” The record even has a much need breather in the middle with singer Steven Foster’s delicate acoustic tune “Rosie.” Pino even ends strongly as well with the reflective lyrics of “Dupe.”

The downside of rushing out a recording is the quality. The songs are strong, the sequencing of the record is great and little extra production needs to be added to the songs on Pino. It is a lo-fi recording and at times it is unfortunately noticeable. It’s hard to hold it against the young band that they couldn’t afford a better recording though. The fact is that it turned a potentially great record in to a just a very good one. We should all be thankful we have a recording of this great young band to take home.

Key Tracks: “Poor Boy” “Use Me Up” “Stick Around” “I Will Pick You Up”

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Concert Review: The Souveneers / The Early Brothers at The First Ward 1/12/13

Posted on January 14, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

The Souveneers Concert Poster

The First Ward has been the place to be in St. Joseph recently. The parking lot is always full and local bands want to play there. The bar isn’t a perfect place for a show to take place however. The First Ward lacks a stage and any lighting for the band. The sound system hasn’t quite been fully figured out either it seems. Despite these achievable problems it is the hot place to be. A weekend show there guarantees a steady flow of people and an audience for the bands.

On December 12th it was The Souveneers and The Early Brothers Band’s turn at the spot where a stage would be at The First Ward. The notorious St. Joseph brothers, Justin and Ryan Early, would be fully electric on this night and recruit Tommy Swarz to play bass and Brian Shank on drums. I had previously seen The Early Brothers as an acoustic duo and the electric version is better. Plugging in gave the band the opportunity to have a wider range of sound. Ryan Early would take full advantage by displaying his guitar solo skills often during the set. The noise level of the band would bury Justin Early’s naturally low vocals. They would blast out Neil Young distortion at times and pair it The Band styled vocals.

The Early Brothers Band playing at The First Ward in St. Joseph, MO on 1/12/13.

The Early Brothers Band playing at The First Ward in St. Joseph, MO on 1/12/13.

The Souveneers, led by Jerrad Hardin, would jam together next on stage. The expanded incarnation of the band would be present with a bass player, Dustin Hawkins on drums, Colby Walter on lead guitar/mandolin and Hardin switching between acoustic and electric guitar and even occasionally Brean Reiley adding background vocals. The band would play their brand of straight-out-the-past music well past midnight. The band’s sound is very distinct and it’s hard to finger many other bands with a similar style right now. They have the throwback grooves of Buddy Holly and the troubadour lyrics of Woody Guthrie. The only modern act that is in the ballpark might be Justin Townes Earle.

The Souveneers making feet move at The First Ward in St. Joseph, MO on 1/12/13.

The Souveneers making feet move at The First Ward in St. Joseph, MO on 1/12/13.

The Souveneers would be a little loose on this night. The normally very tight band would let their hair down a bit and be a more jammy version of themselves. They would do mostly originals like the great “I Carry Her With Me” (equally as good both times they did it on this night). They would also do a cover that made a ton of sense in “Man of Constant Sorrow” and one that made very little sense in “Chattahoochee.” The Alan Jackson country tune came as a surprise during the set and kept the crowd that occupied the dance floor on their feet, but “Chattahochee” didn’t really seem to fit the band’s music.

The group would once again prove how good of musicians they are. Colby Walter can do anything dealing with music well and his lead guitar and ferocious mandolin playing for The Souveneers are no exception. Jerrad Hardin is a strong songwriter and has a very good and distinct croon to his vocals that gives the group that little something different no other band can have. The only thing missing is a recording for this band. It is badly needed and I’m sure would be well received.

The sound was for The Souveneers in particular was maybe the best mix I have heard at the bar. As long as people keep filling the brick walls of the place who can complain about a lack of stage or other minor problems? As the venue adds to the live concert side of things it can only make a good bar get better.

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Concert Review: Andy Grooms at Magoon’s in St. Joseph, MO 1/10/13

Posted on January 13, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Andy Grooms was a bit of a mystery to me going into this night. Having caught just a small portion of his performance at The Lucky Tiger a couple months ago, I knew of him and his music but not much else. He is a local act but seems to be pretty low profile and not be well known in St. Joseph. The rumors swirled that he would do a show at Magoon’s so I was in. I got my hands on a copy of his album Grateful To Burn and started studying. It’s always excited to find a new, talented act in town.

Andy Grooms plays at Magoon's in St. Joseph, MO, on 1/10/13.

Andy Grooms plays at Magoon’s in St. Joseph, MO, on 1/10/13.

Andy Grooms took to his piano in front of the small bar audience. He would pick up on a conversation about pawn shops in the background and turn it into a request to play his song “Pawn Shop” to start things off. The epic song starts with a classic one-liner; “The saddest stories are on pawn show walls…” He would detail a pawn shop with vivid imagery like “Japanese guitars with scarred up pick guards” as he practiced his best 70’s era Tom Waits croon. Grooms would play the piano most of the night while his drummer would gently tap on his kit. The drummer didn’t add a ton to Grooms’ very lyric-focused music but didn’t take anything away either. He softly hit a lot of cymbals and added just a little bit of flair to the sound while never being loud enough to walk over Grooms’ vocals.

Grooms has country roots in his music but the piano accompaniment disguises it. He would occasionally pick up an acoustic guitar to play a few songs but mainly stuck to the piano. When he played songs like “Mississippi Parking Lot” that country side would shine through. That song is originally by Grooms’ now defunct band Pawtucket that achieved a decent amount of success as Memphis, Tennessee alt-country group, selling thousands of albums. The vocals on “Mississippi Parking Lot” would even slip into the Jay Farrar range which is very seldom to see and only added to the country sound.

Grooms hit some songs from his album Grateful To Burn that would be highlights for the evening. He would work though the gentle songs “Itch to Scratch” and “I’m Not So Sad” but the true highlight would come with the song “Decadent Eyes.” With haunting lyrics like “In some social circles parents eat their babies, wouldn’t it be best if we all ate out?” and “Love the one you’re with, it beats being alone.” how could it not be?

Andy Grroms tickles the piano keys at Magoon's in St. Joseph, MO on 1/10/13.

Andy Grroms tickles the piano keys at Magoon’s in St. Joseph, MO on 1/10/13.

As Grooms finished his set with admiring covers of the Beatles “Blackbird” and “That Lucky Old Sun,” most famously done by Frankie Laine, a song he had recently been obsessed with, he took a moment of reflection. He said something along the lines of “You can play for 100 people and feel like crap and you can play for 10 people and feel great; so thanks for sticking around.” Whether this comment was specific to this evening or not isn’t really important; it seemed sincere. I was glad I stuck around as well, I should be so lucky to discover such an interesting and talented individual every so often.

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250 Word Album Review: Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit – Live From Alabama

Posted on January 12, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Live From Alabama

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - Live From Alabama gets 2.5 Stars

A live album should represent a live concert by that artist. Jason Isbell’s Live From Alabama does not do that. Having seen 10 plus live Isbell shows, I am a fair judge and this really doesn’t remind me of them too much. Isbell is an impressive performer live and I see the reasoning behind this live album but still feel it is a bit of a misstep.

First of all why the live album makes sense: Isbell is great live and fans want a live album. Also this gives Isbell a chance to get some of his catalog with the Drive-By Truckers under his own name in the record section. The Truckers songs are often performed differently by Isbell solo so it is good to have a recording of that.

The setlist isn’t the greatest. Leaving off “Codeine” is a punishable offense for this album. To a lesser extent, also left off were “The Magician” “Go It Alone” and “Never Gonna Change.” The horn section on Live From Alabama baffles me. I’ve never seen him with a horn section; neither have most of his fans. It drastically changes the song “Goddamn Lonely Love” in an unsatisfactory way and effects other songs too.

Those complaints being heard, there are still strong moments here. The Neil Young cover “Like A Hurricane” is interesting to hear and serves as a highlight. Other high points are one of the better songs from the last 10 years; “Alabama Pines” and the drawn out storytelling of “TVA.” Overall a good record for fans but it could have been so much better.

Key Tracks: “Alabama Pines” “TVA” “Like A Hurricane”

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250 Word Album Review: Hot Fiction – Apply Within

Posted on January 9, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Hot Fiction - Apply Within

Hot Fiction - Apply Within gets 3 Stars

Hot Fiction’s Apply Within sounds like it was recorded in the musty basement of a castle along the Rhine River. The album’s heavy guitar is used sparingly to create a lot of space in the music and allow for more concentration on the lyrics.

The loud, confident vocals of Simon Miller and Andy Yeoh soar above the grungy noise made by the two piece band. The vocal range on songs like “Old News” is not only impressive but offers a very different vocal styling than other songs on the record like “You’re Not Alone.” The dirty guitar distortion by Miller coats the album with almost a midevil feel while Yeoh’s percussion varies from loud thunderous drums down to simple frequent cymbal play. It is easy to reference Jimmy Page or Dan Auerbach when considering the guitar playing on the album but the surprising part of this Hot Fiction record is how much maturity the band shows by not just playing loud and fast with that sound. They let the slow blues flow and create a definite mood for the songs.

The lyrics can be simplistic and a bit hollow at times but also can be deep occasionally too. The band jams through a ballsy 40 plus minute record summoning the ghosts of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. This may not be the most original music you’ll ever hear but it is a smooth listen made by musicians who know how to write a decent song.

Key Tracks: “Body Barely Touching Mine” “Old News”

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250 Word Album Review: Being There – Breaking Away

Posted on January 7, 2013 by VocalsOnTop

Being There - Breaking Away

Being There - Breaking Away gets 3.5 Stars

I really love late January and February for record releases. The barrage of big name labels and bands have just finished releasing their Walmart-ready albums and compilations and they take a short break. Because of all those releases being rushed out for the holidays the indie albums tend to get pushed back to the early months of the year.

Great example: Breaking Away by the UK band Being There. There is no reason this record couldn’t take off in the next year. It’s power indie-pop that sticks in your head. It’s got bouncy guitars and a thick coat of fuzz on many songs. Listening to this record it is easy to see Breaking Away doing what Tame Impala’s album did in 2012. It worked out pretty well for that band.

The chorus of “she said that anything could happen” rings in your ears on “The Radio” and Beatles sounding “17” polishes off the record on a memorable note. The strongest moment on the record is early with the thunderous drive of “Back To The Future” and the next track on the album; “Being There.” These songs let you to draw line to bands like The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala and The Lemonheads.

Power-pop is a delicate thing. If it is done well it can have a timeless feeling to it. Breaking Away may not be there yet but it shows that Being There is definitely a band to keep up with. The hazy-dream guitar sound of their first album is definitely worth checking out.

Key Tracks: “Back To The Future” “The Radio” “Being There”

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