Pipes's Picks: Best of 2017

When driving home from school one recent grey December day Gracie (my daughter- age 9) stated,  "Daddy, you've listened to a lot of sad country songs this year."  She was incredibly on point.  2017 was a year where I gravitated as a fan and listener toward acts that offered more introspective songwriting.  Reading over my picks this year, there is a common theme of reflection and hope that permeates each of the releases on this list.  Hope you enjoy my top 13 album favs of '17 and let me know what some of your favorite music of the year has been.

1. Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett: Lotta Sea Lice
Incredibly clever wordplay and a natural chemistry between two phenomenally gifted songwriters made this one the tops of '17.  Lyrically this album is a blast, and the tenderness between the two "intercontinental friends" comes across both on the record and when I had the pleasure of seeing the songs performed live.  From the quirky juxtapositions on "Blue Cheese" to the laid back trading off of lines and licks on "Over Everything," and everything else in between, Vile and Barnett hit a home run with their debut dual release.

2. Hiss Golden Messenger:  Hallelujah Anyhow
MC Taylor's poetically poignant lyrics have made him one of my favs of recent years.  His soulfully catchy tunes showcase a sense of hope in a time of uncertainty.  Backed by a stellar band which features Eau Claire native Phil Cook, Hiss Golden Messenger has honed their craft both in terms of lyrics and music. This record, Hallelujah Anyhow,  in particular swung for the fences on finding the beauty and joy in simple things around you.  Stand out tracks including "Lost in the Darkness," "Jenny of the Roses," and "Caledonia, My Love" power Taylor's finest work to date.

3. Joseph Huber: The Suffering Stage
Some of the finest music of the year was made right here in our fair city of Milwaukee.  Released in April, Joseph Huber's The Suffering Stage was perhaps my most listened to record of the year, and one that continues to grow on me after each subsequent listen.  It has captivated me as a listener in a way no other record by a local musician has since Field Report's masterful Marigolden dropped in 2015.  Heartfelt, humble, soulful and unapologeticly earnest, Huber tackles the current state of affairs in a way that makes his songs feel like they're being sung by an old friend around a campfire.  Stand outs include the toe tapping, "Playground/Battlefield," the epic wandering "The Suffering Stage," and the yearningly reflective "Souls Without Maps."

4. Strand of Oaks: Hard Love
Timothy Showalter created another stellar heart-felt, reflective, and utterly enjoyable rock 'n roll record on  Hard Love.  The follow up to 2014's outstanding album, HEAL, Hard Love delivers a collection of nine tracks that take the listener on a roller coaster of a ride.  The Strand of Oaks experience is a face melting juggernaut that I had the pleasure of seeing twice live.  Stand out tracks include, "Radio Kids," "Everything," "On A Hill," and what would be my bullpen intro song if I was a relief pitcher for the Brewers in 2017, the rocking "Rest of It."

5. Father John Misty: Pure Comedy
J. Tillman is at his finest on his third release as Father John Misty.  The bombastic "AM Gold" sound reigns supreme on Pure Comedy, perhaps his most ambitious release to date.  "Ballad of a Dying Man," is a new classic FJM anthem.  Tillman varies his songwriting on this record alternating between more shorter form songs as well as some stellar longer numbers like "Leaving LA" which clocks in at over 11 minutes.

6.  Spoon: Hot Thoughts
Spoon has established themselves as one the most consistent rock acts in the past two decades.  "Hot Thoughts" shows Spoon as a constant innovator of a band pushing their sound forward with a plethora of electronic effects and ideas.  "Do You Have To Talk Me Into It," the anthem title track, "Hot Thoughts," and the slacker swagger of "Can I Sit Next To You," cement Hot Thoughts as a stellar Spoon record even given their stellar catalogue

7. Ryan Adams: Prisoner
Ryan Adams's latest release may be his most personal and reflective to date.  A pioneer in ushering in the era of "alt-country" in the late 90's and early 2000's. Adams delivers a masterpiece break-up album on Prisoner.    With tracks like "Do You Still Love Me," "Prisoner," and "Doomsday," Adams solidifies himself as a Jedi Master of writing personally poignant tunes.

8.  The National: Sleep Well Beast
The National are America's voice for melancholy jams with Matt Beringer's superior vocals offering up the tales and imagery of the disenfranchised proletariat.  The National's connection with Justin Vernon and the Eaux Claires festival collaborations is evident in the ways that the band has expanded their sound.  "Day I Die," "The System Only Speaks in Sudden Darkness," and "Nobody Else Where Be There," punctuate the spirit of the record. 

9.  The War On Drugs: A Deeper Understanding
Adam Granduciel delivers another stellar compilation of tracks on A Deeper Understanding.  The follow-up to the outstanding 2014 Lost In A Dream.  The 60+ minute record delivers some sweeping soundscapes including, "Up All Night," "Pain," and album stand out "Clean Living."

10.  Turnpike Troubadours:  A Long Way From Your Heart
"Red Dirt" music went mainstream with Turnpike Troubadours best release to date.  Evan Felker and company released a gem which translates to listeners with some of their best narrative song writing to date.  Felker's raw emotion brings listeners into the intimate surroundings of his songs like "The Housefire," "A TornadoWarning" and "Sunday Morning Paper."

11. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit: The Nashville Sound
Isbell, his wife Amanda Shires, and the 400 unit deliver a balance of reflective ballads and ruckus rockers on The Nashville Sound.  Highlights include "Hope The High Road," the beautiful "If We Were Vampires," and "Last of My Kind."

12. Valerie June: The Order of Time
Valerie June has had an amazing musical journey in recent years, going from playing small clubs to much larger venues.  June is about as earnest and honest a songwriter as they come, and also one of the more hopeful beacons.  A singer with an amazing vocal range, June tackles everything from blues to gospel to Americana on The Order of Time which features tracks like the goose bump inducing "Astral Plane," and the "get down and boogie" track, "Shakedown."

13. Chicano Batman: Freedom is Free
Innovating retro sounds of funk and soul with a new modern twist, Los Angeles's Chicano Batman delivered a unique commentary on the times with this year's Freedom is Free.  Powered by slinky tracks like "Friendship (Is A Small Port in The Storm)," "Angel Child," and the title track, "Freedom is Free," Chicano Batman knows how to deliver some quality soulful funk.

Buffalo Gospel with Nickel and Rose, Anodyne Coffee 12/22/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Buffalo Gospel shows at Anodyne Coffee have become a thing of legend and lore in this city.  Just as you can count on Lexus trying to get you to buy a new car with a red bow around it this time of year, you can count on Ryan Necci and the boys to always bring their A+ game whenever they play.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Their recent show at Anodyne was no exception, and showcased how 2018 will undoubtedly be a huge year for the band.  Heartfelt.  Earnest.  Powerful.  Soulful.  These are words that come to mind when thinking about Milwaukee Americana outfit, Buffalo Gospel.  The audience knew that they were in for a treat with Necci starting the show solo on stage performing the classic Buffalo Gospel track "Mule" from 2013's We Can Be Horses.  From there each member of the band came on stage to join Necci as the song built to a climax with most of the room hanging on every word as Necci belted out the refrain, "you never know when a little love is all you need when a little love is all you've got."  Necci's vocals are incredibly powerful and his range and performance remains a cornerstone of Buffalo Gospel's unique sound.  

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

The quintet, which features the phenomenal Nick Lang on percussion, Kevin Rowe on upright bass and vocals,  Michael Rossetto on guitar and banjo and newest member Andrew Koenig on electric and acoustic guitar were rock solid as the band played a healthy mix of older material as well as tracks from the band's forthcoming record, On the First Bell, set to be released this coming May.    The group was noticeably more guitar heavy which made the honky tonk "Hard Labor Side of Gettin' On," come to life live.  Newer numbers like "Homeless" and "When Lonesome Comes Calling," were especially well received, as well as reworkings of classic cuts, "Hill Outside My Home" and "If I Was the Last Man."

However, what was perhaps the most memorable part of the evening was the encore, an unplugged stripped down rendition of "The Northern," and "Letters To Georgia" with Necci and company performing in the middle of the crowd with fans circled around them.  This was a goose bump inducing moment that left the crowd leaving Anodyne happy and yearning for more music.  We expect big things in 2018 from Buffalo Gospel.

Opening for Buffalo Gospel was the duo Nickel and Rose, who performed with the exceptional Ernest Brusabardis IV on fiddle.  Nickel and Rose's sound had a deep jazzy and bluesy feel which provided for a unique take on songs performed by guitarist Carl Nichols and upright bass player Johanna Rose. Performing a set that featured a heavy amount of material from their stellar 2017 release Oh My Sweet Love, Nickel and Rose did a great job of engaging the crowd before Buffalo Gospel took the stage.

Setlist (courtesy of Ryan Necci)

Mule
18 Wheeler
High Time to Hang Fire
Hard Labor Side of Gettin' On
Homeless
When Lonesome Comes Calling
Old I Do of Mine
Hill Outside My Home
Hoarse as a Crow
If I Was the Last Man
Guitars, Cadillacs*
The Western (the Devil is Me)
Lonestar
Son of a Gun

The Northern
Letters to Georgia

Buffalo Gospel Gear Up For Another Classic Show at Anodyne

Buffalo Gospel is a band whose sound cannot be reined in or confined.  At times it's raw and rowdy- with tracks that make you want to kick up your boots and stomp on the dance floor.  Other times it's painful and yearning with tunes that make your heart ache.  And at all times, Buffalo Gospel is at its core, a soulful band with the unique ability to blend lead vocalist Ryan Necci's deep wail with nuanced music on a wide array of classic Americana instruments including upright bass, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins and banjos.  Rooted in Ryan Necci's introspective lyrics that put his listeners into the souls of his characters, Buffalo Gospel delivers powerful music that rivals any Americana act out there in terms of poise, professionalism, and outright masterful songwriting.

Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Buffalo Gospel vocalist Ryan Necci as the band prepares for another fantastic performance at Anodyne Coffee Roasters in Walker's Point this Friday evening, December 22nd.

MKE Rocks: With 2017 coming to a close, what have been some of your highlights of the year as a band?

Necci: The best part of my year, musically, has been (as it always is) making music with the folks in this band. They’re incredibly talented and professional. They’re open to ideas. They’re patient with my weird non-music-theory-knowing music theory. There aren’t words to describe how lucky I feel to get to create with them. We’ve played more shows this year than any other year and I’ve really found a love for performing that I thought I had lost. I had played a lot shows in old bands and grown burnt out on traveling and grinding through performances. I’m definitely an introvert so it doesn’t come naturally to me but the support we’ve been getting from audiences has been pretty fantastic. We are making the music we want to and things on stage are clicking. It’s just really fun again. 

MKE Rocks: Americana and roots music has become increasingly popular both on a local, regional and national level?  Can you please comment on how the rise in popularity of Americana has influenced your band at all or your shows? 

Necci: Just the fact that people are getting passionate about songwriting again is wonderful. I would be making this music even if nobody wanted to hear it but the fact that they do is really a blessing. We’ve always operated with the simple belief that if we write songs that we think are good, others are probably going to dig them too. 

MKE Rocks: You have a new track out that is getting considerable buzz online, "The Hard Labor Side of Getting On."  This one's a foot stomper live.  Can you comment about how you chose to record this song and also the unique video that you created, pairing the song with Ub Iwerks‘ “Puppy Love” cartoon from 1932?  

Necci:  We recorded this one at Brian Joseph’s studio in Eau Claire, WI during the sessions for our new full length record. We basically played it two or three times live as a full band until we had a take we believed in. Then we brought our friends Shauncey Ali (fiddle) and Haley Rydell (vocals) in to add some color to it. It was a pretty simple, live process which is how we like to operate, if possible. 

As far as the video goes, it kind of felt like an old song to me, already. New, fresh video didn’t really seem to fit the vibe so I started looking for public domain footage. I stumbled across that cartoon and it really didn’t need too much editing. It seemed to line up pretty well and the story worked with the story in the song. We trimmed a few things here and there to make everything work really well from a timing sense but it was a pretty quick process. 

MKE Rocks: As a songwriter, what is your approach to crafting your songs-- are you lyrics first or music first?  Can you comment please on the process of Buffalo Gospel's songwriting.

Necci: It’s always been a cathartic process… almost like therapy to me. I collect ideas constantly on my phone and in a small notebook. These can be anything from a word that somebody says, a phrase I hear, something I read on a billboard, a line from a movie — really anything that resonates with me. Then when I sit down to write, which I try and do on a pretty regular basis, even if I’m not necessarily inspired, I’ll pull those ideas out and start fitting things together, trimming, reworking and building off them until something viable starts to take shape. From there it’s rounds and rounds of editing, usually, until I’ve got something I feel good about. I’m definitely my worst critic so if something makes it on stage, it’s definitely gone through the ringer a few times and I feel pretty good about it. There have been a few times where I’ll sit down with blank page and write something, start to finish, in like 15 minutes but that’s pretty rare for me. I can’t explain it when that happens but I won’t complain when it does.

Once I’ve got a skeleton of a song — lyrics and a general melody and structure — I’ll take that to the guys and we’ll work together to add muscle and flesh to it. They’re all classically trained musicians so I put a lot of faith and trust in them when it comes to finishing a song. It’s fun to sit back and watch people like that work together when they have relatively free reign to create. We all enjoy working together a great deal and rehearsals / writing sessions are actually really fun. 

MKE Rocks:  Buffalo Gospel shows at Anodyne have gained an epic reputation for outstanding performances.  Could you comment about what it's like to headline Anodyne... I have often stated that there is no venue in town that smells better than Anodyne, and on place to hear music and get a great cup of coffee too.

Necci: Well, that’s very kind of you to say. I can’t speak to how others feel about them but I will say there does seem to be something special about that stage for us. There’s always a little extra energy / passion that we can tap into. I’m not sure why. They’ve always treated us very well at Anodyne and made us very comfortable. That could have something to do with it. We just feel free to create up there. It’s also usually a very good crowd that has come out to listen as opposed to a bar where you might end up being background music. I know that I thrive off of audience energy and if they’re into it, I’m going to get more into it. It’s really a symbiotic relationship. Whether it’s 30 or 300, people really have a tremendous power to make or break a show and Anodyne crowds have been very kind to us in the past. 

MKE Rocks: Throughout the recent years Buffalo Gospel has had the pleasure of having a lot of amazing musicians from the area join the band at live shows.  Who will fans have the pleasure of seeing when they come out for the show on the 22nd? 

Necci: First and foremost, we'll have the incomparable Nickel & Rose starting the evening out. We're all big fans of theirs and are thrilled to share the stage with them. Buffalo Gospel will be  Nick Lang on percussion, Kevin Rowe on upright bass and vocals, Michael Rossetto on guitar and banjo and Andrew Koenig on electric and acoustic guitar. I will be there, too.

MKE Rocks: What lies ahead for Buffalo Gospel in 2018?  I know many folks, myself included, can't wait to hear the new record due out in May.  It's also awesome to see you playing the Blue Ox Festival in Eaux Claire, which has quickly become one of the premier Americana festivals in the nation.

Necci:  First and foremost, we’re really excited to finally put this record out. It's called 'On the First Bell,' and it’ll be out 5/4. We’ve had some personnel changes and some personal life things come up that have caused us to delay the release a bit but the songs and album still feel fresh and we all care about it a great deal. It’ll be really great to finally share it. 

Beyond that, we’re looking to play as much as possible next year. We’ve got a few festivals booked for the Spring/Summer and are working on a bunch more. We are also planning to hit a lot of spots in WI, MN, IA, IL and MI in the spring. 

Fans can expect to hear some new tracks from the forthcoming record, On The First Bell, as well as BG classics from their stellar previous releases.  Shine your boots and see you at Anodyne this Friday for what is sure to be a banger of a show by Buffalo Gospel and Nickel and Rose.

Joseph Huber Brings the Soul of Americana to the Cedarburg Cultural Center

photo by Franziska Abe

Make no mistakes about it, 2017 has been a marquee year for Joseph Huber and his band.  Dropping their finest release to date, The Suffering Stage, in April, Huber and his bandmates Jason Loveall (fiddle) and Eston Bennett (upright bass) have traversed the States bringing their down-home, foot-tapping, hand-clapping, smile-inducing, and all together fun and reflective music to fans near and far.

Most recently, the band embarked on an incredible series of dates across the pond, completing a whirlwind tour of Europe performing nineteen shows in eighteen days.  Soulful, reflective, introspective, humble, and unapologetically real, there is no act quite like Joseph Huber and his band.  Recently MKERocks had a chance to catch up with Joseph Huber to hear about their epic year of touring and their experiences bringing their music to fans far from their Milwaukee home.

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MKERocks: Since The Suffering Stage came out this past April you’ve been on the road quite a bit.  Is this your most extensive tour to date?  Can you share any highlights of the tour?

Huber: This is certainly near the most extensive touring I've done in my life. My former band, 357 String Band, played longer tours as far as consecutive days in a row, but I'd say our current schedule supporting The Suffering Stage album is equal to those days, but now with a more spread out and dispersed schedule with shorter tours. We've had great runs out to various regions of the country in the beautiful hills of Vermont to the mountains West Virginia and on over to the backroads of Montana and northern Idaho. We don't get to experience tourist-levels of attractions in each area where we go, so usually the highlights are the distant scenic beauty we take in, and then the folks we meet after playing the shows every night. Usually the highlight is always the live show that you came out to do in the first place as well as meeting the people that appreciate it and make you want to keep coming back. 

photo by Ma Nu

MKERocks: You recently returned from playing a series of shows throughout Europe. Was this your first time playing there?  If so, what was it like to take your music across the pond?  Any fun experiences you’d like to share about bringing your tunes to a new/different audience?

photo by Michael Foto

Huber: I've been to Europe about four or five times with .357 String Band and one more time after that completely solo. So, this was a first as far as showcasing the new songs with my guys, Jason Loveall and Eston Bennett, making sure that the songs sound how they were meant to sound in a live situation instead of a solo, stripped-down situation. Europe is strangley both stressful and extremely well-organized and structured at the same time. In the U.S, we've maintained at the DIY level and make due with doing a lot on our own, or looking to the friends we've made out there to help us along the way. By that I mean there are no free meals and free hotel rooms that come along with 90% of what we do. We're comfortable over here, but also very self-sufficient. In Europe, you're in a foreign land and your slightly awkward and out-of-place as far as understanding basic things, and yet there is a "built-in" culture of supporting the arts and music, where every night we have a hot meal and free lodging supplied by each venue that curbs the edge of every other area where you are still finding your feet. But, overall, as long as I've been going to Europe playing music, I've experienced so many different types of folks being excited and grateful about us making our way over there. From punks and metalheads to children and grandparents, we've got them either clapping or dancing, and that makes me feel that we are doing something right with our music.

MKERocks: What has been the most fun thing about touring this year?

Huber: Touring is extremely hard work and it's hard on the body and mind equally. As much fun as there is, the main thing that people who see it from the outside don't know is that it's an extremely hard way to live... period. Having said that, it's fun to see old friends wherever you go as well as meeting new and interesting folks wherever you go. It helps give constant renewed perspective on the number of interesting and good people in this world. So, it keeps you grounded while being a very untethered sort of living. As I mentioned before, the reason we do it is for the music, and the actual shows every night are the most fun aspect and the reason we do it at all. 

MKERocks: This weekend you kick off the Rebels and Renegades series at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  This series features some all-star performers from around the area.  You’re paired with Chicago Farmer, who did a great job playing at the CCC last spring with Willie Watson.  I know that Chicago Farmer is a pal of yours. Can you share anything about your past experiences seeing him or playing with him?

Huber:  Cody Diekhoff (Chicago Farmer) always surprises me with his calm and collected way of holding himself and performing, which is then blended and mixed seamlessly with a humor and wit both in his songs and in-between songs that makes folks loosen up. When you see him, you can't help but know that his mind is clear, and that you are seeing a true seasoned professional. I've seen him perform in front of weekend theater-sized audiences that he had in his back-pocket; clapping; laughing; singing along...and...I've seen him play in Milwaukee on a weekday only to a handful of Milwaukee traveling musicians that happened not to be on tour themselves and are 'in-the-know' enough to not miss his show. Either way, he makes it fun. Folks in Illinois and surrounding areas are already 'in-the-know' about him, and it's good to see that Wisconsin folks are now catching on also.

MKERocks: How does it feel to kick off the Rebels and Renegades series at the CCC?  

Huber: It feels mighty fine to be taking part in it, and we very much look forward to kicking it off well with Chicago Farmer.  

Joseph Huber's music may go into your ears, but it burrows deep within your soul.  Telling tales of travel, love, loss, sadness, and joy, there are few artists that are able to resonate with fans quite as well as Joseph Huber and his band.  You are also going to be hard-pressed to find an artist more committed to his craft than Joseph Huber and his bandmates.  

You won't find a better double-bill of epic storytelling and Americana goodness than Chicago Farmer and Joseph Huber this Saturday at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  With great people, fine hospitality and an intimate environment, the Cedarburg Cultural Center is a great place to catch these two marquee Americana performers. Get your tickets here: http://cedarburgculturalcenter.org/Huber.html  Trust me, your soul will thank you!

Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile- Thalia Hall, Chicago 10/27/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Combining witty lyrics laden with completely odd, intriguing, and catchy metaphors, masterful guitar jams, and a stage chemistry that showcases a genuine enjoyment, admiration and love of playing together and you have a recipe for a great duet group.  That formula was evident before a capacity crowd at Thalia Hall in Chicago on a brisk Friday evening when Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile took the stage with their combined all-star band "Sea Lice."  The intercontinental friendship of the two stellar songsmiths hailing from Melbourne, AU (Barnett) and Philadephia, PA (Vile),
was evident from the opening laid back groove of "Over Everything," the single and first track off of their stellar album together, Lotta Sea Lice.  What makes Lotta Sea Lice such a treat of a record is how it balances the songwriting strengths of both Barnett and Vile, two writers who tend to focus on the quirky nuances that define the human experience.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

On "Let It Go," Barnett and Vile literally finish each other's sentences while building a lush soundscape of blues inspired guitar licks around them.  Barnett is an incredibly powerful vocalist, and her lead on "Fear is Like A Forest," a tune penned by her partner and opening act Jen Cloher, has a haunting delivery that plays well against trippy guitar work of Vile. 

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Likewise, when given the chance to take lead vocals, Vile delivered with his signature laid back swagger on tacks like "On Tour" (off of Vile's Smoke Ring for my Halo album from 2011) and "Life Like This" (from 2015's, believe i'm going down) 

While Barnett and Vile were exceptional when taking the lead on tracks, they were even more powerful when their songs were done together.  "Continental Breakfast" was the highlight of the show with masterful duet roles in the characters in the songs, coming from "a hotel in East Bumble, Wherever, somewhere on the sphere around here."

Special props go to Janet Weiss, the former Sleater Kinney drummer, who did a phenomenal job delivering powerful beats on the skins. 

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Opening for Barnett and Vile was Jen Cloher, a fellow Melbourne song smith.  Playing music by yourself on stage with just a guitar can be a challenge to engage the crowd, but the audience was greatly appreciative of Jen's clever lyrics and fun stories between songs that dotted her thirty minute support set.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Chicano Batman with Khruangbin, Turner Hall Ballroom, 9/29/17

Turner Hall Ballroom's floor was bouncing last Friday night as Los Angeles's Chicano Batman and Houston's Khruangbin invaded Brew City for a night of funk, soul and jams.

photo courtesy of Pabst/Riverside Theater Group

photo courtesy of Pabst/Riverside Theater Group

Khruangbin was one of the most engaging support acts I've had the pleasure of seeing this year.  Their band name means "airplane" in Thai, and the group consisting of virtuoso guitarist Mark Speer, bass player Laura Lee, and drummer D.J. engaged the Turner Hall crowd with an innovative set of jammy tunes inspired by 70's Thai funk music (a genre not often explored).  Lee, in particular served as a band leader laying down layers upon layers of thick and heavy bass lines, connecting with D.J.'s drum licks and allowing Speer the freedom to dance the guitar parts over the grooves to create stunningly unique music.  

If I can describe Khruangbin in one word it would be groovy.  Khruangbin played newer material alongside well-traveled cuts from their 2015 record The Universe Travels Upon You.  With a trippy back drop and light show complimenting Khruanbin's set, it was easy to see how this act has developed a reputation amongst the jam band and funk communities as one not to miss.  Speer's guitar licks both had a throw back and progressive quality simultaneously which, in many ways epitomized Khruangbin as a band that looks in the review mirror on occasion while driving its modern and slinky funk sound forward.  Highlights of the set included "People Everywhere (Still Alive)" and "The Man Who Took My Sunglasses," both of which were tracks off of The Universe Travels Upon You. 

photo courtesy of Pabst/Riverside Theater Group

Next up, Chicano Batman took the stage to a warm reception from the audience, making their second Milwaukee appearance in the past three months.  The Los Angeles quartet, joined by two captivating instrumentalists and supporting singers, blended together a potpourri of Latin jazz, funk, soul and rock music.  Front man, Bardo Martinez is about as engaging performer as you'll find touring today.  At one point in the set he leapfrogged his keyboard rig, and at another point climbed up the band's speaker stack and jumped down to the stage while singing.  Chicano Batman has been riding a wave of success touring in support of their recent release, Freedom is Free.  A highlight of their set was the soulfully funky, "Angel Child."  In addition, bass player Eduardo Arenas cane to the front of the stage for a lifting version of "La Jura" sung in Spanish.  Current singles, "Freedom is Free" and "Friendship (Is A Small Boat in the Storm)" further captivated the audience and sent the enthusiastic crowd happy.  Based on the intensely engaging showmanship of Chicano Batman, I expect great things to come from this band in the future.  

photo courtesy of Pabst/Riverside Theater Group

Broken Social Scene with Frightened Rabbit- Pabst Theater, 9/27/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Canadian indie rock juggernaut Broken Social Scene brought their nine piece multi-instrument party to the Pabst Theater, playing a blistering nearly two hour set on Wednesday night.  Touring for the first time in nearly six years in support of their most recent release, 2017's Hug of Thunder, Broken Social Scene brought out all the stops and played a career retrospective of tunes. Arguably one of the most dexterous bands around, Broken Social Scene's members frequently traded off instruments and lead vocal duties.

With founders Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew front and center, the super group ripped through classic tracks like "KC Accidental," off of 2003's You Forgot It People and "7/4 (Shoreline)" from 2005's self-titled release to kick off the show.  New front-woman Ariel Engel's superbly soulful vocal range helped replicate the magic of former Broken Social Scene members, including most noteworthy, Leslie Feist, as she dove head first into older material.  While Engel did a stellar job reinterpreting older tracks, she stood out even more on the smattering of tracks Broken Social Scene from Hug of Thunder, .  The poppy "Halfway Home," and slinky "Hug of Thunder," and softly introspective "Skyline" were stand outs of Broken Social Scene's most recent material.

The highlight of the concert, however, was the ending of the main set, where Kevin Drew quipped with the crowd, "Alright folks, here come the jams," before Broken Social Scene launched into a set finale with a ruckus rendition of "Almost Crimes" transitioning fluidly into "Cause=Time" from You Forgot It People, and then ending the main set with "It's All Gonna Break" off of Broken Social Scene.  The combination of these three tracks weaved together created a solid tapestry of sound that had the crowd bobbing their heads, throwing fists in the air, clapping along, and enjoying a heavenly state of pure rock catharsis.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

For an encore, Engel tackled Broken Social Scene's arguably most well-known tune "Anthem for a Seventeen Year Old Girl" (also dusted off from You Forgot It People) before closing the entire show with, "a song to make you want to go out and make a difference in the world," per Kevin Drew, the foot stomping show stopper, "Meet Me in the Basement" from 2010's Forgiveness Rock Record.  For the encore, Broken Social Scene invited Radio Milwaukee's Amelenda Burich to join the band on viola.  She did an amazing job using her classical chops to enhance the songs.

Opening for Broken Social Scene was Scotland's Frightened Rabbit.  Frightened Rabbit made a point of complementing Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall Group's chef extraordinaire, Kevin Sloan, before launching into a forty five minute set which included a cross section of new tracks from this year's EP Recorded Songs, along with a retrospective of earlier material.  Having seen Scott Hutchinson and company before, Frightened Rabbit brings an emotionally gripping level of intensity to their performance.  Highlights included "Get Out,"off of 2016's Painting of a Panic Attack  and their most well-known hit, "Woodpile" off of 2013's Pedestrian Verse.  While it was a little unusual to see Frightened Rabbit in a support role, they performed a solid set and provided great support to get the crowd engaged before Broken Social Scene.

photo courtesy of Pabst/Riverside/Turner Hall Theater Group

Click here for Broken Social Scene's Setlist from their Milwaukee show on 9/27/17

Spoon- Riverside Theater, 9/13/17

At the inaugural Eaux Claires festival in 2015, Justin Vernon and company created a field journal for the festival with brief descriptions of the artists performing.  For Spoon, Vernon and his crew simply wrote: "Category: American rock band. Category closed."  There is no better description really to describe Spoon.  They are all things rock 'n roll, with melodies that burrow deep into your ears, a front man, in Britt Daniel, who oozes rock 'n roll swagger while remaining unbelievably humble, and a band that has endured more than two decades of performing and recording to get them to this point in their career.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Simply put- Spoon are masters of rock.  Being one of the most consistent bands of the past two decades, it is arguably impossible to find a Spoon album that disappoints listeners.  This year's Hot Thoughts, like the six other Spoon records released from 2001 on, will make frequent appearances on many music fans' top albums of the year lists, including mine.  Building on the increased production and nuances that punctuated tunes on 2014's They Want My Soul, Hot Thoughts delivers a collection of well-crafted, infectious tracks that deal with trying to find meaning amidst the confusion found in our modern world.  Hot Thoughts, also sees Spoon creating more soundscapes to pair with their catchy guitar driven tracks, and may be their most ambitious record since 2005's Gimme Fiction, in terms of sonic risk taking.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

The increased emphasis on production translated well into Spoon's live performance, as they delivered the most memorable show I've seen them perform to date.  With screens, lights, and rock star effects, Spoon entered the Pabst, not as a buzz band, but as a bonafide rock 'n roll jugernaught. New tracks from Hot Thoughts stood up masterfully amid a plethora of career spanning songs during Spoon's hour and forty-five minute performance.  Hot Thoughts highlights included set opener, "Do I Have To Talk You Into It," which got the crowd on their feet with heads bopping.  "Pink Up," a track that employs some "Radioheadesque instrumentation" and heavy layering, translated even better live than it does on the record, and was a jaw dropping performance to witness live.  Spoon had so much confidence in this experimental track that they saved it until the encore.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Moreover, other tracks from older Spoon releases got revved up re-workings to fit with Spoon's new production set up.  "The Beast and Dragon, Adorned," perhaps my favorite Spoon track, off of 2005's Gimme Fiction record was performed under heavy layers of red lighting.  Likewise, fellow Gimme Fiction stand-out "My Mathematical Mind" was draped in green hues of light and turned into a poignant mid-set jam.  "Don't You Evah" and "The Underdog" sounded fresh and rejuvenated even though they've been Spoon set list staples for a decade.  With an encore performance that featured a show closing, foot stomping rendition of "Rent I Pay," off of 2014's They Want My Soul, the jam-packed capacity crowd buzzed amongst themselves while exiting the Pabst Theater, knowing that they experienced something special-- an American rock band at the height of their powers.

Opening for Spoon was Twin Peaks.  They provided a solid set of high octane pop punk and garage rock tunes that jammed.  Twin Peaks, in many ways, was a perfect opener for Spoon as the Chicago, Illinois based quintet also oozed rock 'n roll at its pure essence.   The reckless abandon of guitarist and vocalist, Caiden Lake James made Twin Peaks a most enjoyable band to watch.  Their set featured a heavy amount of tunes from their most recent release, 2016's Down in Heaven.  Twin Peaks received a loud and appreciative reception from the capacity crowd at the Pabst, the majority of which were standing up admiring the raw energy of a hard-working band on the rise.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Beck- Riverside Theater 8/16/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

There are few artists who have covered more ground in music than Beck.  From grungy folk to hip hop to disco to funk to Americana to rock, Beck has established himself as the resident musical chameleon genius of our generation. The man born in 1970 as Bek David Campbell, and known simply as Beck as an artist, is the prime example of a musical innovator.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloc

Backed by a seven piece band, Beck delivered a career-spanning retrospective of material in front of one of the most amped-up crowds I've ever seen at the Riverside Theater.  The crowd's enthusiasm was greatly justified.  I have had the pleasure of attending Beck's other two performances in Milwaukee proper... and they were in 1995, when he played at the Rave with the Melvins right after his record Mellow Gold was released, and in 1997 when he played at New Rock 102.1 Fest in a mid afternoon set.  It's been a long time coming for Beck to return to the good land of Milwaukee, and his audience was at a fever pitch for his entire ninety minute performance.

With a new record Colors set for release this October, Beck played some new compositions, but kept to a very well-produced set of career spanning material, highlighting hits from many earlier albums, and performing a set that engaged the audience every step of the way.  Beck is an unlikely front man... his short thin stature and trademark hat do not scream, "rock star."  However, with his constant dancing, wailing on guitar, audience interaction and unique sense of style, Beck had the crowd won over from the opening licks of set opener, "Devil's Haircut" (off of 1997's Odelay).  "If this is how you guys are on a Tuesday (Beck had his days of the week jumbled- as the show was on a Wednesday), we'll need to come back here and play on a Friday," he quipped part way through the set, remarking about the insane amount of energy in the crowd.  The capacity crowd certainly will hold Beck to that promise after 20 years away from Milwaukee!

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloc

Beck's ability to create a concert experience showcasing his different styles was innovative and well-done, with each song getting a unique visual treatment.  Black pixel silhouettes danced behind the band during "Black Tambourine," (off of 2005's Guero), explosions of color like one would see in the Indian celebration of Holi burst behind Beck during "Think I'm In Love" (off of 2006's The Information) and a wacky kaleidoscope of colors and images emerged during show closer "E-Pro" (off of 2005's Guero).

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloc

Before Beck's latest single, "Wow," he talked about the need to be present in the moment.  "Never again will all of us be assembled in this place at this time enjoying each other," Beck remarked.  The slinky beats that propel "Wow" were greeted with a myriad of funky visuals with the word "WOW" being showcased whenever the singer sang the refrain.  This wild display played very differently than the equally powerful portion of the set where Beck slowed things down mid set to perform several tracks from his more acoustic and soulful records, 2002's Sea Change and 2014's Morning Phase. The tender "Say Goodbye" (off of 2014's Morning Phase) and heart aching "Lost Cause" (off of 2002's Sea Change) were equally as engaging and powerful as Beck's more upbeat tracks.

For an artist as prolific as Beck, the only challenge with the concert is that after 90 minutes, the crowd was still clamoring for more... a nod to the musical dexterity and prowess Beck possesses.

setlist 8/16/17- thanks to Tara Beyer