The Shouting Matches- Turner Hall Ballroom 8/1/13

If you and your close pals formed a band, what would it sound like?  For Justin Vernon, the answer to that question is a power blues trio, that goes by the name "The Shouting Matches."  Playing only a handful of shows in support of their first full-length album, Grownass Man, Vernon and his band mates, Phil Cook (of Megafun) and Brian Moen (of Peter Wolf Crier) delivered an evening of rock 'n roll in its purest form. In many ways, despite Turner Hall being as full as I recall ever seeing it, the show itself felt like you were seeing a friend's band in a small club-- equal parts intimate, friendly and accessible.

This was a no-frills rock how at its finest, featuring three very talented and engaging musicians who spent the evening enjoying one another's company and playing darn good foot-stomping music in the process.  The evening kicked off with the Grownass Man opener, "Avery Hill," which got the sold-out crowd grooving.  Heavier numbers like "Mother, When?" and "Bear" (from the limited release EP- Mouthoil) could easily have been inserted on a Black Keys record.  "I Had A Real Good Lover," sounded like bluesier classic Rolling Stones material (with Vernon singing falsetto for the only time during the evening).  "Heaven Knows" featured Cook ripping it up on harmonica over Vernon's pounding guitar riffs which brought back memories of seeing local blues man Jim Liban do likewise at the Up a Under.  My favorite track from Grownass Man, "Gallup, NM" featured Cook on organ and sounded like vintage Wallflowers.  These tracks were all accessible to the listener and pleased the audience.



 What impressed me the most about this band was the sheer musicianship exhibited on stage.  For a band who has only played a handful of shows together, it felt and sounded like these guys had been touring  for years.  Moen is a terrific percussionist, much in the same style of The Black Keys' Patrick Carney.  Cook is an accomplished organist and rhythm guitarist who held the band together.  As for Vernon, he was a real "wow" as an axe man.  His work with Bon Iver would never have given the impression that Vernon was as accomplished as he is on guitar.  His jam on "Gallup, NM" channeled Warren Haynes and even sounded a bit like the late Jerry Garcia.

Overall, this was an impressive evening of music and I felt very grateful to be able to see a rare show by a talented band.  In many ways, I liked this show just as much as the Bon Iver show I saw at the Riverside a few years ago, but for very different reasons. One thing's for certain, Justin Vernon is one talented dude and has a great career ahead of him.

Grade: A


All photos courtesy of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch.  

 Some pics of the merch:  You'd be surprised how many people in he audience were buying the "Grownass Man" take top (I was not one of them, fortunately for my wife).  This shirt is somewhat ironic in my opinion.


I also got a chuckle out of the cassette tapes.  Haven't seen one of those on sale at a show for many many years!