This is a music review that I wrote for Pucknation,... enjoy
Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
Lucero with Murder By Death, Vedera and The Ladybirds
7/1/06
The show started off as many shows do. A local band, and this time it would be no different. This time with a twist, it would appear as if they had connections. On lead Guitar you have Max Balliet, brother of Sarah Balliet of Murder By Death, who were co-headlining with Lucero. The Ladybirds took the stage and started off good enough. I started to notice something though, something that started to bother me. It may have just been me, but they just sounded to period perfect for what I felt they were trying to accomplish. I could be wrong? When you play rockabilly you stradle a fine line between period, and somewhat modern rock. I really couldn't get a lock on what they were trying to do. Their lead singer Sarah (not Balliet) seemed to be in character. Which if you are going to play a character,..... great, go for it. If you are going to play a character it better be out of this world, and outlandish, like Unknow Hinson or something of that nature. I just didn't feel the emotion, but to their credit I think I was in the minority.
The second band to play, Vedera, from Kansas City, was a suprise to say the least. They didn't really fit what I felt the bill was, but they were very entertaining. I should actually say their lead singer, Kristen May was entertaining. Wielding a Guitar, a Keyboard, and a voice that I can only discribe as a mixture of Bjork, and Natalie Merchant. The way Kristen belted out the songs you could see that she felt every word. Granted alot of the material had the same melodic structure, I just really loved her voice, and her stage presence.
Finally, Murder By Death, the band I went to see. Having never seen Lucero, I didn't know what I was in for there, but MBD is a band that I have seen several times and loved them, and this time would be no exception. The way they bring that dirty western saloon sound to the stage has to be attributed to the very interesting brooding voice of lead singer Adam Turla. I think his voice also got the help of a few whiskey shots that were served to them as they played. Whiskey is something that comes up in MBD songs quite a bit, and they seem to know their stuff about whiskey as well. As Adam took a shot, and smiles at the server, and says "Mmmmm Makers Mark". What is also interesting about MBD's sound is the cello of Sarah Balliet. Watching her play the cello with her blonde hair flying wildly around is something to see for sure. They are one of the few bands that I can say sound as strong in person as they do in the studio. With all the look alike bands that are out there right now, It is refreshing to see a band not really falling into any particular genre. No one sounds like Murder By Death.
Being from Louisville I am almost ashamed to say I had never seen Lucero before, but now that I have I can see the hype. They exude the hard ways of the road life, and Louisville loves them for it. They refer to MBD as Musicians who drink, and themselves as Drinkers who happen to play music. As they took the stage and played the first song I was witness to the biggest display of alcohol abuse I have ever seen. Everyone in the crowd who had a drink emptied it by throwing it's contents onto the stage. I shit you not, I saw the guy in front of me empty a whole beer by tossing the contents at the stage, dropping the bottle, only to do the same to a second beer. From what I have heard this is a "Louisville Thing" at Lucero's shows. After the first song singer Ben Nichols smiles, as he dries himself, and his guitar off, "Not that I don't appreciate the enthusiasm,.....", and he never really finished the sentence. He just smiled. They are a road house band with a sound that can only be described as country punk. Broken beer bottles everywhere. You don't just go to see Lucero, they pull you into that hard life of drinking, and loving the wrong woman. I look forward to seeing them again, but I refuse to waste a beer, and as big of drinkers as they are, I am sure they appreciate that.
Score: 8 (of ten)
Louisville, KY Headliners Music Hall
Lucero with Murder By Death, Vedera and The Ladybirds
7/1/06
The show started off as many shows do. A local band, and this time it would be no different. This time with a twist, it would appear as if they had connections. On lead Guitar you have Max Balliet, brother of Sarah Balliet of Murder By Death, who were co-headlining with Lucero. The Ladybirds took the stage and started off good enough. I started to notice something though, something that started to bother me. It may have just been me, but they just sounded to period perfect for what I felt they were trying to accomplish. I could be wrong? When you play rockabilly you stradle a fine line between period, and somewhat modern rock. I really couldn't get a lock on what they were trying to do. Their lead singer Sarah (not Balliet) seemed to be in character. Which if you are going to play a character,..... great, go for it. If you are going to play a character it better be out of this world, and outlandish, like Unknow Hinson or something of that nature. I just didn't feel the emotion, but to their credit I think I was in the minority.
The second band to play, Vedera, from Kansas City, was a suprise to say the least. They didn't really fit what I felt the bill was, but they were very entertaining. I should actually say their lead singer, Kristen May was entertaining. Wielding a Guitar, a Keyboard, and a voice that I can only discribe as a mixture of Bjork, and Natalie Merchant. The way Kristen belted out the songs you could see that she felt every word. Granted alot of the material had the same melodic structure, I just really loved her voice, and her stage presence.
Finally, Murder By Death, the band I went to see. Having never seen Lucero, I didn't know what I was in for there, but MBD is a band that I have seen several times and loved them, and this time would be no exception. The way they bring that dirty western saloon sound to the stage has to be attributed to the very interesting brooding voice of lead singer Adam Turla. I think his voice also got the help of a few whiskey shots that were served to them as they played. Whiskey is something that comes up in MBD songs quite a bit, and they seem to know their stuff about whiskey as well. As Adam took a shot, and smiles at the server, and says "Mmmmm Makers Mark". What is also interesting about MBD's sound is the cello of Sarah Balliet. Watching her play the cello with her blonde hair flying wildly around is something to see for sure. They are one of the few bands that I can say sound as strong in person as they do in the studio. With all the look alike bands that are out there right now, It is refreshing to see a band not really falling into any particular genre. No one sounds like Murder By Death.
Being from Louisville I am almost ashamed to say I had never seen Lucero before, but now that I have I can see the hype. They exude the hard ways of the road life, and Louisville loves them for it. They refer to MBD as Musicians who drink, and themselves as Drinkers who happen to play music. As they took the stage and played the first song I was witness to the biggest display of alcohol abuse I have ever seen. Everyone in the crowd who had a drink emptied it by throwing it's contents onto the stage. I shit you not, I saw the guy in front of me empty a whole beer by tossing the contents at the stage, dropping the bottle, only to do the same to a second beer. From what I have heard this is a "Louisville Thing" at Lucero's shows. After the first song singer Ben Nichols smiles, as he dries himself, and his guitar off, "Not that I don't appreciate the enthusiasm,.....", and he never really finished the sentence. He just smiled. They are a road house band with a sound that can only be described as country punk. Broken beer bottles everywhere. You don't just go to see Lucero, they pull you into that hard life of drinking, and loving the wrong woman. I look forward to seeing them again, but I refuse to waste a beer, and as big of drinkers as they are, I am sure they appreciate that.
Score: 8 (of ten)
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
kaos:
admitourmistakes:
blah blah...