Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Pipes's Picks of 2015: Live Music Highlights

As many of you know, seeing live music is one of my favorite hobbies.  2015 didn't disappoint, with a myriad of great live shows.

Here is a recap of some of my favorite musical moments.

Show of the Year: My Morning Jacket- Riverside Theater, June 20-21st
photo by Stephen Bloch

Two blistering shows with fantastic lights and spot-on performances of songs both new and old made My Morning Jacket's two night run at the Riverside an easy pick for concert of the year. Over the two nights, the band played 43 different tunes, creating two uniquely awesome nights of music.  "The Jacket," in my humble opinion, is the best live act on the planet these days and their concerts are truly unique and special musical experiences.


photo by Stephen Bloch

photo by Stephen Bloch
Certain musical moments will forever be etched into your memory, and the Eaux Claires festival was one of the coolest experiences I've ever been part of.  Two sweltering hot but gorgeous days in the Chippewa Valley yielded some extraordinary performances. The National's headlining set, Slyvan Esso's sweaty dance party- which made a tent of thousands bounce in unison, the etherial charm of Phox, the heartfelt performance by Sufjan Stevens, and the triumphant return of Bon Iver were just the tip of the iceberg of the highlights from this festival.  This was a superbly special musical experience that I am continually thankful to have attended.  

photo by Stephen Bloch

photo by Stephen Bloch
photo by Stephen Bloch







































Breakout Show of the Year: Nikki Lane, Cactus Club, Feb 13th 
Nikki Lane played no less than five shows (that I know of) in Milwaukee this year.  They ranged from headlining gigs at the Cactus Club in February, August and November, to opening gigs this summer for Jenny Lewis and Social Distortion.  Lane certainly turned heads in the alternative country community last year with her All or Nothing record, and her relentless touring made her a household name around these parts this year.  I happened to see Lane and her band three times, my favorite of which was her Valentine's Day weekend show.  I can't wait to see what her third LP will contain when it's released in 2016, as she continues to hone and refine her craft as a songwriter.

photo by Stephen Bloch
Best Musical Discovery:  Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, Anodyne Coffee Roasters May 17, 2015
In terms of exceptional musicianship, there is little room to argue that Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen are not the creme de la creme of the modern bluegrass scene.  Mixing together original compositions and well-positioned covers, this band is the best thing I've seen in the bluegrass genre since vintage Bela Fleck shows from nearly a decade ago.
photo by Will Piper


Best Local Shows: Twin Brother and Buffalo Gospel
photo by Will Piper

Milwaukee is lucky to have a plethora of great acts playing out live these days.  Two up and coming Americana acts top my favorite local shows of the year.  Twin Brother features singer songwriter Sean Raasch who continues to refine his songwriting and craft.  He and his band played a stellar opening set for Water Liars at Cactus Club this past July. With stand-out tracks like "Fire Fire Fire" and "Heart and Soul," the sky's the limit for this group who are working on a new record for 2016.




photo by Will Piper
Buffalo Gospel is about as good of a roots Americana act as you'll find anywhere.  Seeing two of their shows this year, it is clear that this act improves each time it plays and is able to provide fresh takes on older material to keep it interesting to fans.  In addition, Ryan Necci's songwriting continues to take focus on their most recent EP, Waiting for the Lights To Go Out released last month.


Saturday, December 19, 2015

Sam Cassidy- Club Garibali, 12/18/15

photo by Will Piper
Minneapolis song smith Sam Cassidy brought his all-American rock 'n roll train to town for a stop at Club Garibaldi's for an evening of good tunes and great times.  Cassidy's soulful voice was backed with a terrific band, the Red Daughters, which featuring two additional guitarists, a bass player, drummer and keyboardist.  The large ensemble brought a full sound and raw energy to a set of material which largely highlighted Cassidy's stellar debut release, 2014's Debts.

Cassidy's music harnesses a new take on a classic Minneapolis sound paved by acts like the Replacements and the Jayhawks.  A stalwart storyteller, Cassidy creates tunes with characters in mind and injects the listener into their tales. "Hard Road," describes hopeful perseverance in the face of adversity.  The jangly optimistic tracks "Hallelujah," "Caffeine," were other stand-outs.  Ruckus set closer, "Valley Below" showcased Sam Cassidy and the Red Daughters's biggest strength- the ability to tell-tales and put on a juggernaut of a rock show rock all at the same time.   Cassidy and his band mate's playful banter and humor was well-received, and the band seemed very relaxed and energetic in their performance.


Opening for Cassidy was Milwaukee singer-songwriter and Twin Brother bandleader Sean William Raasch.  Raasch performed a handful of newer tunes showcasing his passionate vocals and guitar playing.  Raasch mentioned working on a new record with Twin Brother next year and we can't wait to hear how that turns out.
photo by Will Piper





Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Pipes's Picks: Best 15 Albums of 2015

Honesty, soulfulness and word-smithing embodied the music I enjoyed the most this year. From juke-joint boogies to painful laments, thoughtful songwriting paved the way for a year of great music in 2015.


Pipes’s Picks: The Top 15 of ‘15
You can check out a playlist of these and other great music from this year on my Pipes's Picks of 2015 Playlist on Spotify:

As the frontman for Lifter Puller and most notably the Hold Steady, Craig Finn has developed a unique style of vocals and songwriting in which listeners are transported into the lives of his characters and their adventures, often set in Minneapolis.  Branching out as a solo artist, Finn provides a greater depth, insight, and maturity that is reflective in his compositions.  Faith in the Future is perhaps the record that Hold Steady fans were yearning for as Finn proves that it is in reflecting on the past that we can build and improve on the future.   



14. El Vy- Return to the Moon

Powered by one of my favorite songs of the year, the title track, “Return to the Moon,” the side project of the National’s Matt Beringer and Brent Knopf of Mnemonea and Ramona Falls delivers a collection of quirkily infectious tunes.  These are songs that get stuck in your head and stay there- both lyrically and sonically.







Soulful country singer, Chris Stapleton’s deeply passionate vocals and superb lyrics make this release one that transcends genres.  In many ways, Stapleton epitomizes the classic country songwriter in his ability to transport his listeners into the midst of his songs and stories. Traveller provides a powerful antithesis to much of the "bro country" that has dominated the genre in recent years and is a marquee record for the country-Americana genre.
 





The red dirt band from Oklahoma City put out their finest collection of fiddle-driven ditties with their third record, this year's self-titled release.  Even Felker’s lyrics have evolved, allowing the Troubadours to truly shape their tunes in the spirit of classic American country artists. With innovative, staggered instrumentation the Turnpike Troubadours both branch off from and holds true to a classic Americana sound simultaneously.







Fast-paced catchy garage rock riffs with raw power chords serve as the backdrop for the witty, rambling lyrics and stories penned by Melbourne’s Courtney Barnett, an artist who many will consider the break-out new star of 2015.  Barnett’s songs tell stories of sensational things happening at mundane times, and are engaging listen after listen.






10. Alabama Shakes- Sound and Color

In their sophomore release, Alabama Shakes steps up as a mainstream southern rock force driven by Brittany Howard’s soaring vocals.  With a more soulful and refined sound, Alabama Shakes prove that they are a force to be reckoned with with this intense soul and rock record.







9.  Wilco- Star Wars

Jeff Tweedy sings, “I don’t want to go, and I don’t want to stay,” in “You Satellite,” somewhat encapsulating the sentiment of Star Wars, a collection of heavily nuanced shorter songs, that takes the band in a different direction than their previous work- yet staying true to form, all at the same time.  The star of this record is Nels Cline, whose highly textured guitar work brings life and intrigue to many of the tracks.






With Currents Tame Impala deepened and expanded their sounds, making the psychedelic quartet from Perth, Australia a bona fide top tier indie rock act.  Top to bottom this album is powered by deep grooves, catchy melodies, and soaring vocals that create a sweeping sonic quilt of a record.  







With a voice, smooth as chocolate mousse and a sonic quality that at times feels like it belongs on the Time-Life Records A.M. Gold compilation, Matthew E. White delivers a fresh take on a soulful sound, punctuated by personal storytelling the draws the listener in.  With a foot in the lounge sound and another in the soul camp, White delivers a powerful collection of tales set to an almost timeless soundtrack.  





A true feel-good record that has something for everyone is hard to come by, but Phil Cook harnesses the power of a hybrid country-rock-soul-folk sound with Southland Mission.  The soaring harmonies of “Ain’t It Sweet” will hook you into this exceptional record from the opening seconds of the first track.  Genre redefining, Cook varies his compositions from country to folk to rock to bluegrass to soul and back to rock all in the course of a single track.  Yep, he’s that good.



It’s hard to listen to Father John Misty without the image of Josh Tillman in his vintage leisure suit slinking around the stage.  A consummate storyteller, Misty takes you on a melody driven journey into the lives of intriguing characters in an album that sees him continue to hone his skills and evolve as an artist.







4.  My Morning Jacket- The Waterfall

With their strongest studio release since their breakthrough record  Z, which was released a decade earlier, Jim James and the boys from Louisville deliver a collection of tracks that build upon their multi-layered rock tapestry.  “Believe (Nobody Knows),” “Compound Fracture,” “In Its Infancy,” “Springtime” and “Tropics” have all become instant classics as part of their live set.






Indie folk’s stalwart road man, Nathaniel Rateliff’s venture into soul music provided one of the most fun, insightful and powerful listens of the year.  Rateliff’s vocals are rich and textured and accompanied by a top-tier rhythm and blues band, the Night Sweats, make this record both a living incarnation of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in The Blues Brothers and a cathartic autobiography about aging, searching for purpose, and life on the road all at the same time.  





With deeply personal narratives about childhood, family, loss and redemption. Stevens most intimate release delivers a true gem of a record for an artist with a penchant for telling remarkable stories. The raw, more minimalist compositions on Carrie & Lowell transport the listener through tales of childhood, family dysfunction and ultimately hope.







There are storytellers, and then there is Jason Isbell.  As an artist who has mastered the concept of allowing space between his lyrics to allow for listeners to draw their own conclusions, Isbell delivers arguably his finest collection of eleven songs this year.  From the the jangly poppy, “If It Takes a Lifetime,” to the reflective “24 Frames” (tied with El Vy’s “Return to the Moon” as my favorite song of the year), to the powerful “Children of Children” and rocking “Palmetto Rose,” Isbell paints a tragically hopeful picture  in his album about searching for a greater existence and growing up, amply titled, “Something More Than Free.”



Sunday, December 6, 2015

Buffalo Gospel, Hello Death, Christopher Porterfield- Anodyne Coffee Roasters- December 5, 2015

photo by Will Piper
About half-way through their set, Ryan Necci, frontman of Buffalo Gospel, stopped to thank the crowd for being so respectful and listening. Loud jabbering and side conversations between audience members were a rare sight to find at Andodyne Coffee Roasters, and rightfully so, as fans enjoyed the musical nuances and subtle fills that define the Buffalo Gospel sound.

Buffalo Gospel concerts are truly special events- feeling on one hand like a group of friends gathered around a living room for some good ol' fashioned Americana music, and on the other hand they have a feeling of a big deal show to their devout fans.  While Buffalo Gospel may still be considered by many Milwaukee's best kept musical secret, judging by the capacity crowd at Anodyne Coffee Roasters in Waker's Point, it is clear that word of mouth is spreading about this remarkable act.

photo by Will Piper
It is evident from the audience perspective that the five members of Buffalo Gospel who took the stage really enjoy playing with one another.  The playful interplay between singer-songwriter and guitarist Ryan Necci, mandolinist Ryan Ogburn and guitarist Christopher Porterfield was evident throughout the night, as the band put new spins on older tunes and tied together jams in newer numbers. Following the release of their EP Waiting for the Lights to Go Out this past week, Buffalo Gospel delivered a robust set highlighting both newer and older material.  The two tracks off the EP, "Waiting for the Lights to Go Out," and "Garden in the Gave," were both set highlights and very well received.  In a surprise move, Buffalo Gospel even managed to channel the Grateful Dead in their set, performing "Hoarse as a Crow," and then flowing the rousing song into "Friend of the Devil" and back into "Hoarse as a Crow."  The set closer, "Mule," (my personal favorite of the Buffalo Gospel catalogue), was especially poignant, leaving the crowd gently singing along to the chorus, "You never know when a little love is all you need until a little love is all you got."  

Opening for Buffalo Gospel were two other highly talented Milwaukee acts.  Hello Death is a minimalist folk group whose name fits their style of music well.  Haunting harmonies, softly eerie compositions and a general sense of beautiful moroseness surrounded their set.   Upright bass player Nathaniel Heuer's deep baritone vocal sets the stage for the darker timbres that surround the sonic quality of this act.

Kicking off the night was an extraordinary set by Christopher Porterfield who played several cuts off of Field Report's latest release Marigolden which he has toured both by himself and with his band in support of for over the past year.  "Fergus Falls" from his first record and a new tune, "Summertime Songs," also made their way into the set.   I've had the pleasure of seeing Porterfield on several occasions, and I find that he is an artist who continually improves.  His guitar playing with his solo set was excellent and showcased the musical talents of this stellar songsmith.

As always, Anodyne Coffee Roasters remain a five star venue in Milwaukee- with a great room for Americana music.

Buffalo Gospel Setlist:
The Western (the Devil in Me)
18 Wheeler
Letters to Georgia
Hard Labor Side of Gettin' On
The Northern
Waiting For the Lights to Go Out
High Time to Hang Fire
Hoarse as a Crow ->
Friend of the Devil* ->
Hoarse as a a Crow
Hill Outside My home
When God's Away on Business
Garden in the Grave
Old I Do of Mine
Son of a Gun
Mule
Encore:
Here Lies Our Lovin'
If I Was the Last Man

*- Grateful Dead cover







Saturday, November 21, 2015

El Vy- Turner Hall Ballroom, 11/20/15

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
Gone was the charcoal gray three piece suit and bottle of red wine, and in its place was a crisply pressed white shirt and matching white slacks when charismatic baritone vocalist Matt Beringer took the stage on Friday night in front of a sold out crowd at Milwaukee's Turner Hall Ballroom.  El Vy, is the collective side project of longtime friends, Matt Beringer (of The National) and Brent Knopf (of Menomena/Ramona Falls).  The duo were joined on stage by drummer Andy Stack (of Wye Oak) and a bass player for an energetic hour-long set which featured performances of all eleven tracks off of the duo's debut release,  Return to the Moon.

El Vy is very much it's own project.  Summed up in one word, El Vy is clever.  Beringer's distinctive low haunting voice and signature crouched stance over the microphone was ever-present, but lyrically and musically, this project is a stark contrast to The National.  The brooding, longing laments of The National are replaced with brighter songs focused on catchy wordplay and electro-pop melodies.  My personal favorite, the title track "Return to the Moon," starts off with the line "I scratched a ticket with the leg of a cricket and I got triple Jesus," an image that just seems to stick in your head.  Pair this with in infectious guitar hook and melody, and you've got yourself one of the best songs released this year (in my opinion).  Many of the songs off of Return to the Moon also translate well live.  "I'm the Man" is perhaps the most musically adventurous number, with a driving bass line and multiple layers of sounds and samples going over it.  In many ways it sounds like a lost track of Beck's from the Odelay era.   Other slower tracks like "It's A Game" and "Silent Ivy Hotel" had their own distinct sway and swagger to them.

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
Adding to the performance was a top-tier light show, not something you often see with side-project bands, which often draped Beringer and Knopf in rainbow-like halos during the tracks.  Each song was lit differently adding more depth to the performance.

As an added treat, El Vy covered Fine Young Cannibals's 1989 smash, "She Drives Me Crazy," which was an interesting choice to hear Beringer sing the vocals in a low voice when the song was originally performed in falsetto.

Before their last number, "Need a Friend," El Vy thanked the Pabst Riverside Theater Group for their support, generosity and kindness, and especially called out another Matt Beringer (this time the Matt Beringer who helps manage the theater who has the same namesake as the singer of The National and El Vy who apparently has gotten emails for the National front man in the past).  As a member of the audience, I too have to give major props to Matt Beringer (from the Pabst) and his team for bringing great, interesting acts like El Vy to town.  The only complaint that was felt in the audience is that we wished to hear more of El Vy (even thought they played all of their numbers), as many audience members lingered around after the show wanting to hear more from this eclectic act.

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Boch

Setlist:
Careless
It's a Game
Sleepin' Light
Sad Case
Happiness, Missouri
Silent Ivy Hotel
Return to the Moon
Paul is Alive
I'm the Man to Be
She Drives Me Crazy* Fine Young Cannibals cover
No Time
Need a Friend
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Nels Cline and Norton Wisdom "Stained Radiance" with Sam Amidon- Collectivo Coffee Back Room, 11/6/15

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
"I've painted thousands of paintings in my life and haven't seen to have gotten it right... perhaps one day I will," artist Norton Wisdom exclaimed with a warm smile, wiping his mop of hair off his forehead when I thanked him for the performance on Friday night at the intimate Collectivo Coffee Back Room after his "Stained Radiance" performance with virtuoso experimental guitarist of Wilco fame, Nels Cline.  

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

I must say that the "Stained Radiance" performance was like nothing I've ever seen before and like nothing I'll ever see again, even if I attended another show on the same tour with the same artists.   The shows are meant to be one-of-a-kind "happenings" of sorts.  The theoretical artistic concept behind this performance art experience (as I would be remiss to call it a concert) is rooted in Wisdom's artistic philosophy that nothing is ever truly permanent or precious.  To set the stage, Cline and artist Norton Wisdom teamed up to create "Stained Radiance," a performance where Cline uses the guitar and a cornucopia of effects pedals, knobs, and even a mechanism that allows him to manipulate his voice over the strings (never seem that before) to create a musical tapestry of sounds, while Wisdom serves up his art on a large plastic canvas where colors are blended, spritzed with a water bottle to bleed, and squeegeed into one another to take on compositions, shapes and, when coupled seamlessly with Cline's guitar work, stories.  The show was a continual piece, rather than a collection of songs, which spanned the emotional range from disturbing to clever to humorous all within the span of the hour plus performance.  Being seated in the front row, right in front of Wisdom, there was a certain "mad scientist" element going on with Wisdom and Cline.  I'd liken it to Andy Warhol meeting Young Frankenstein, if that makes any sort of sense at all.  Neither Wisdom nor Cline spoke during the performance, and it was rare to even see a grin from either... they just did their thing.  The incredibly engaged audience soaked it in, and this, I think was the purpose of the performance more than anything else... just to take in what was happening at the time, and then to think about it later (if you chose to do so).  

The evening opened with Sam Amidon, a Vermont-based experimental folk artist who I missed at the Eaux Claires festival, but was delighted to see here at the Collectivo Back Room.  Amidon is an incredibly vibrant and clever singer-songwriter whose songs could be best described as traditional ballads layered over experimental sonic pallets, which for this particular evening, were created by Nels Cline.  In fact, barring the first two songs which Amidon played by himself, Cline shared the stage with him for the rest of his set, punctuating his songs with his unique sonic landscapes, which added an entirely complex layer to Amidon's chords and vocals. Unlike the headlining performers, Amidon was quite the verbal storyteller on stage, and spun humorous anecdotes about being in a holistic healing salt water tank and having trouble getting out, before his performance of "Blue Mountains," a track off of his 2014 Lily-O album.  Amidon also fondly recalled a driver's ed lesson where his teacher described the highest level of driving as being "unconsciously safe" which he claimed to experience this week on tour driving in the Midwest in his rental car.  I'll take Amidon's word for it, and from my own experiences driving to northern and western Wisconsin, can somewhat relate.  Rotating between acoustic guitar, banjo, and even violin, Amidon's rich vocals and finger picking were a uniquely fitting contrast to Cline's unique sonic fills.  On paper it would seem strange, but on stage it worked out beautifully.

Put together, Amidon, Cline and Wisdom served a performance that challenged traditional notions of what exactly is a coffee house concert.  A day after the show, I'm still thinking about it, and am grateful that folks like Gary Witt and the Pabst Theater Group are able to provide our community with shows like this, that are extraordinary experiences, even if they only last for one night only. 

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch



Friday, October 30, 2015

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats- Club Garibaldi, 10/29/15

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

Well, that is precisely the feeling I had after the 75 minute soulful boogie woogie party provided by Boulder residents Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats this past Thursday at Club Garibaldi.  


Thursday's stop at Club Garabaldi was sold out for months, and tickets were extremely hard to come by, given the venue's limited capacity.  Fans that were able to attend were treated to a truly special evening of music.  Sean Raasch, Club Garabaldi promoter and frontman for Milwaukee's Twin Brother, introduced the show, stating that we were all in for a special night of music from a band who will clearly be playing bigger venues in the future.  Sean was spot on.

My friend, Brooke Van de Kamp wrote the following piece for OnMilwaukee.Com which first appeared on 10/20/15 and which I've reposted with her permission below.  Her prose captures the raw emotion, unbridled energy, and sheer joy that exuded from the pours of the seven piece band on stage, as well as the 150+ sweaty dancing fans, grinning contagiously from ear to ear during the set.   Call it neo-soul, throw back rhythm and blues, new-school gospel, or what you will, there is no denying that there is a love of life and music that emits from the powerful guitar licks and soulful howls Rateliff delivers on stage with the Night Sweats.  Hard times can be overcome by joy, and good music triumphs over all to move the soul.

Nathaniel Rateliff and company deliver a soulful song sermon at Club Garibaldi by Brooke Van de Kamp


Considering that Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats could have easily sold out any one of a number of larger Milwaukee venues on Thursday night, it certainly seemed as though there’s no place the no-frills, folk rock/gospel-esque/neo-soul band would rather be rocking than Club Garibaldi in Bay View.

The seven-piece Denver-based ensemble looked right at home on the cramped stage, ready to all but sermonize to the expectant audience congregated in the neighborhood bar. It seemed that everyone was getting ready for a revival.

"We were here years ago," Rateliff started, "there was no one else here." The crowd roared and Rateliff and company wasted no time in delivering their best. The Night Sweats – which included an organist and a hardy three-piece horn section – launched into a euphoric "I Need Never Get Old," the opening track of their just-released eponymous debut album from Memphis' recently revived Stax Records. It came as no surprise after hearing just a few Rateliff chords that the gritty, sixties soul sound of The Night Sweats and their charismatic front man fit in perfectly with the iconic label whose legends include Booker T. & The M.G.’s, Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes.
There are few bands that sound nearly as good live as they do on an album, but Rateliff & The Night Sweats are clearly an exception. From the raspy, visceral "Howling at Nothing"; the raw, supercharged "Trying So Hard Not to Know"; the bittersweet soul of "Look It Here"; and the Redding-like strummed ballad of "Mellow Out", the live versions stood out as not only worthy comparisons to the album cuts, but in most cases, superior interpretations of the originals largely due to Rateliff’s unapologetic unleashing of pure emotion.


"Shake," typically one of Rateliff’s slower, groovier tunes, evolved into a romping affair with a soulful and aggressive mix of shakers, organ and guitar, and the crowd was more than willing to join in the funk. More than once throughout the evening, Rateliff would close his eyes, then look up and point emphatically to the ceiling. It feels like he is searching for something.

When Rateliff started humming the first few bars to introduce the now radio-famous, sing-along, stomp your foot gospel anthem "S.O.B," the crowd was already fully on board and enthusiastically clapping and "hmmm-mming" along. Band introductions commenced – Joseph Pope III (bass), Patrick Meese (drums), Luke Mossman (guitar), Mark Shusterman (keys), Wesley Watkins (trumpet) and Andy Wild (sax) – while the crowd collectively clapped, snapped and continued to hum along in lieu of song lyrics.

photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch
Rateliff asked for audience participation, and the crowd couldn’t help but deliver. "S.O.B" 
continued to build to a thunderous crescendo until suddenly the band quieted to just a mild snapping beat. "Thanks again for coming out," said Rateliff, "We love Milwaukee." The band quieted down, briefly, before revving back into the chorus and bringing the crowd back with them. "Thanks again so much."

The band exited the small stage while cheers rowdily continued from the crowd. A long minute later, Shusterman and Meese returned to revive the melody and coax the rest of the band back on stage. The reassembled band then deftly moved into a cover of The Band's classic "The Shape I'm In," then closed the loop by coming back to the chorus of "S.O.B." one final time. Rateliff takes off his guitar, looks and points to the ceiling. It feels a little like vindication.
photo courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch

By the end of the roughly 75 minute top-to-bottom soul-shaking renaissance of a gig, Rateliff and his band, with their sleeves rolled up and clothes soaked in perspiration, had earned the right to bask in the adoration of the densely packed crowd.

There is no doubt that as Rateliff’s popularity continues to rise. His throat-searing, heart-wrenching proclamations will continue to win over audiences both big and small. There are moments in musical history where those in attendance will have a story to tell of seeing an immensely popular band at a small venue. Tonight's show had that feeling. Any show-goers lucky enough to get one of the most sought after concert tickets of the year will be the envy of those who came up empty handed. Club Garibaldi and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were a match made in heaven and one that likely will never be experienced again.
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Opening for Nathaniel Rateliff and the Nightsweats was the fellow Colorado band, Land Lines, an intriguing trio of cellist, drummer and keyboard/organ player.  I was quite impressed with their unique sound which at one times felt surreal like Portishead and other times outright funky.  They were a nice contrast in styles to Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and performed an energetic and engaging set that was sonically quite unique.