The Lone Bellow & Fort Frances- Shank Hall, 1/23/14

With a fire going in the Shank Hall fireplace, music fans hunkered down on a bitterly cold Thursday evening for performances by two bright up-and-coming acts: Chicago's Fort Frances and Brooklyn New York's The Lone Bellow.

Aaron Kiser on drums

Fort Frances kicked things off with a 40 minute opening set.  Fort Frances was last in town at Club Garabaldi's this past November in a headlining role for about 50  people. This time, there were at least double that amount of fans who were in attendance when the band took the stage, and more who eventually meandered their way up to the front during the set.  The sound mix in Shank Hall was perfect for this trio, and the drumming provided by Aaron Kiser was spot-on and became the standout performance of the show.  The band's set provided a mix of old and new tunes. Older numbers like "Ghosts of California" and "Cities in Dust" were well-received and played with precision and great energy along side newer tracks like "Habits" and the set closer, "Plastic Heart."  Fort Frances cleverly snuck in cover of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince's "Summertime" (as an ode to warmer weather and a fulfilled promise for a certain cousin of the band's bass player who also happens to run this blog ).  The "Summertime" cover featured David McMillin with a nice jam on the keyboard.

Jeff Pipes rocks on "Falling Down"

However, the highlight of the evening was a reworking of an older tune, "Falling Down," featuring both
bassist Jeff Piper and drummer Aaron Kiser on solo tom drums, adding a rich layer of percussion which added depth and originality to an already strong track.  Fort Frances was firing on all cylinders and by the set's close had the crowd at Shank Hall thoroughly engaged in their music.  No wonder they and The Lone Bellow recently sold out a 900 seat theater in Chicago together.

David McMillin on guitar/vocals

lead vocalist Zach Williams 

The Lone Bellow's set was a tale in passionate musicians telling passionate stories.  This trio, featuring lead vocalist and songwriter Zach Williams, mandolin player, Kanene Donehey Pipkin and guitarist Brian Elmquist, is known for its masterful harmonies and eloquent vocals.  They were backed by a touring bass player and drummer.  The Lone Bellow's self-titled release last year was a remarkable album of alt-country/Americana tunes.  However, their live show really showcased the spirit of this band.  Tunes like  "Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold," and "Bleeding Out" were packed with glorious harmonies and fast paced riffs.  "You Don't Love Me Like You Used To," featured a soulful vocal by mandolin player Kanene Donehey Pipkin.  The band covered John Prine's "Angel From Montgomery" masterfully as well.  All in all, The Lone Bellow provided a wonderful set of music where the band played Shank Hall with the energy and passion you'd expect if they played Caregie Hall.  This band will undoubtedly be moving up the alt-country/indie rock ranks in 2014.

The beautiful Kanene Donehey Pipkin on vocals

Brian Elmquist on guitar

All photos compliments of Steven Bloom

San Fermin- Turner Hall Ballroom 1/19/14

While the band hails from New York City, it felt like somewhat of a homecoming show when San Fermin took the stage at the Turner Hall Ballroom, as touring lead vocalist Rae Cassidy is originally from Brookfield and guitarist Tyler McDiarmid from Menomonee Falls.  San Fermin is somewhat of a challenging act to describe... fronted by two vocalists, Cassidy and Allen Tate, two virtuoso horn players, a keyboardist (Ellis Ludwig-Leone, who is the songwriter and composer of the seven-piece band), a violinist who sings back-up vocals, and a drummer, San Fermin produces a wide, dramatic and eclectic sound. Some numbers are more rooted in pop, others in jazz, and still others ("Oh Darling" to be specific) have almost a bluesy-lounge sort of vibe, but when put together these accomplished and talented musicians delivered a remarkable performance, and one of the best "Pabst $10 Shows" I've seen in years.

The band is touring in support of their 2013 debut album which dropped in September, and kept their setlist to their album (aside from a Strokes cover for an encore).  While the album is a solid listen from front to back, San Fermin's live performance of the songs surpasses the album for the most part, as you can see how much passion and precision the band has.

It is hard to take your eyes off of Rae Cassidy on stage.  She delivers vocals with a tremendous range and operatic style, not unlike some of Joss Stone's work.  At her side, Allen Tate's deep baritone vocals remind me a lot of a cross between Bill Callahan, and Matt Berringer of the National.  However, with all the different sounds blending around in San Fermin, it often fell to the horn section of John Brandon and Stephen Chen, to glue the whole sound together. After all, with no bass player, it was often up to Chen to keep the beats in line with the drums.   

Highlights of the set included a riveting rendition of "The Count," which had an amazing horn solo that brought the tune together, "Sonsick," the band's biggest hit to date, and set-closer, "Daedalus (What We Have),"  which sounds like it could have been penned by Sufjan Stevens.  San Fermin is an act oozing in talent like a slice of Rocky Rococco's pizza oozes with cheese.  I'm quite curious to see how San Fermin progresses in the future.  Their future is very bright.

Setlist compliments of Piet Levy and TapMilwaukee:

THE SETLIST

1. "Renaissance!"
2. "Crueler Kind"
3. "Casanova"
4. "Sonsick"
5. "Methuselah"
6. "Torero"
7. "The Count"
8. "Bar"
9. "Oh, Darling"
10. "Daedalus (What We Have)"
Encore
11. "Heart in a Cage" (The Strokes cover)