Tag: live music

Show #2 – Overseas and Monahans at Live Oak

[Note: this is part of my “concert a day” challenge]

Knowing I’d be busy early Friday evening at a scotch tasting, I needed a local show I could get to quickly. Thank goodness for living five blocks from Live Oak. I showed up still a little buzzy from sipping on 18 year old scotch for the better part of the evening. Paid my cover, received my wrist band and entered halfway into Monahans‘ set to a fairly packed house.

The main draw for this show were two indie rock legends: David Bazan and Will Johnson. Bazan made his name in the mid to late 90s as Pedro the Lion, and Will Johnson still puts out music with his Centro-Matic bandmates. The two joined with two other indie veterans to form Overseas.

Overseas‘ sound is interesting, combining what Bazan does best, downtempo ballads that fit his limited baritone range, and Johnson’s low fi rock with frenetic hooks. One song, the bass would lead a pop-like dirge, and in the next, the distorted electric would crank to 10. Early in the set, a short, honey blonde woman made her way to the front. Her eyes, facial expressions and catcall of “welcome back, Dave,” made it clear she was a Bazan fan.

I wish I had arrived earlier to catch more of Monahans’ set. Their sound of rock uses atmosphere, reverb and harmonies over a driving tempo, made for some cool arrangements.

David Bazan of Overseas at Live Oak

2013-08-03
Show #1 – Terry Rasor and Michael Hearne at Chubby’s

[Note: This is part of my “concert a day challenge“]

For my first show, I scanned the listings on fortlive.com searching for something free. In the West Fort Worth section, I spotted a gig at Chubby’s Burger Shack. A little Googling checked out that Terry Rasor is a veteran Texas singer song writer with a standing gig on Chubby’s patio, called “Raz and Friendz”.

Patio shows are typically free, but waitstaff get grumpy if you’re not buying food or drink. Seeing that Chubby’s was a contender in the 2013 DFW Burger Battle (they lost in the first round), and I’d never been there, it seemed like a good pick.

A buddy met up with me a little before 7pm and the patio remained empty. And the outside temperature held fast at 100 degrees. We opted to enjoy our burgers with air conditioning and then venture to the patio. We finished and ventured outside, and it appeared Terry “Raz” and his partner for the night, Michael Hearne, had yet to play a song. (Sidenote, a waitress stopped by our table, asked if we were going to order anything, and we said no. She ignored me for the remainder of my 45 minute stay.)

Within a few minutes, the duo took to the front of the patio and Terry began to play while Michael sat, leaned forward with his guitar and listened. Terry’s sound, with his voice and a guitar, reminded me of John Prine or late era Merle Haggard–an earnest guy who’s played hundreds of shows and enjoys strumming his guitar and delivering life truths with a grizzled voice. Michael Hearne complimented Terry, with Hearne’s songs more Americana and country. One song, (I found to be called Evergreen) reminded me of Nick Drake, a light melody that floats up with the chorus, made the entire patio stop talking as if this was a moment to truly take in.

Terry Raz Rasor and Michael Hearne at Chubby’s Burger Shack

2013-08-03
A concert a day in August

Sometimes we need projects to challenge us. Make a thing a day. Learn a word a day. Appreciate an aspect of life a day. The point is to do something and be persistent. For the month of August, I’m going to see a concert a day.

That’s 31 live music experiences during summer’s hottest month. I’ll be doing more work than 535 congress people.

To clarify, for a show to count, it has to be a group or performer putting on a show. Thus, church choirs, curbside troubadors and collective drum circles won’t count. And I have to be there for at least 45 minutes or one set. This is to give an act time to play, especially if it’s an opening act, and also, gives me an out if the music does not move me. Lastly, I can only go to the same venue once a week. I live five blocks from Live Oak, and could hang out there four to five nights a week. This will force me to venture to other venues that I may not typically go to. If I can, I’ll try to meet the acts, and will post a writeup a day to keep track of where I go and who I see. Pictures will be included. If you’re on Twitter, I’ll probably post live commentary.

Already, there will be challenges. I work a day job with long days and I’ll need to plan shows around currently planned engagements. I won’t be jammin’ at 11:30pm on a Tuesday, and during the weekends I’ll be looking for day time gigs to attend. And my wallet will demand free shows, too.

For shows, I do intend to seek out an assortment of genres. Amongst the blends of country and rock, Fort Worth has a rap/hip hop scene, as well as a dedicated core of metal heads that rock out. DFW.com, fortlive.com, Fort Worth Weekly and Google will be my main planning tools.

Anyways, It’ll be fun.

[display-posts tag=”august concert a day”]

2013-07-31
Telegraph Canyon at the Levitt – 9/17/2010

Fort Worth’s Telegraph Canyon played Arlington for the first time at the outdoor amphitheater, Levitt Pavilion. The band played an energetic, swirling and full set with songs off their 2009 The Tide and the Current. This is a band that sounds better live with performances to match. Rich textures and instrumentation ebb, flow and build in songs like Into the Woods and Reels and Wires. Welcome to the Night becomes raw and tender and pulsating.

This is the second time I’ve seen them and they’re there to play and rock out in their own way. Lead singer Chris Johnson interacted with the crowd a few times, but all six band members where there to play. No theatrics or showmanship. I would like to see them throw in a cover just to see what they could do with someone else’s material. By then end of the show a line had formed at their merchandise table and I could overhear conversations about how impressed they were with the band.

2010-09-25