Valerie June- Turner Hal Ballroom 2/21/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Americana is a genre that ultimately is deeply rooted in soulful music-- and there isn't a more soulful genuine performer on the scene than Valerie June.  Blending a diverse array of instruments with a goose-bump inducing voice, Valerie June delivered a unique Americana performance that paid homage to the past while delivering a hopeful sound for the future.

With a stage decorated with an array of banjos, guitars, and illuminated stars, Valerie June and her outstanding band performed at Turner Hall for a spell-binding seventy-five minutes of music. Her set featured many of her latest compositions from her forthcoming album The Order of Time, along with some stand out tracks from 2013's Pushin' Against A Stone, and some deep cuts.  June's stage presence and aura are palpable, and the crowd of over 400 people hung on her every word, deeply focused on her lyrics and performance. The crowd was silent during the songs, showing deep respect and reverence for the performer, and the illuminated glow of cell phones (a common sight at many shows these days) was scarcely seen. The folks in attendance were all about the music, and June was committed to bringing them a performance of the highest quality.

June started the show in a more solemn mood, draped in a long leopard skin cloak, as she opened with an unreleased new track, "Man Done," and then flowed into "The Hour," a bluesy number off of Pushin' Against A Stone. Once the cloak came off for "Tennessee Time," one of June's most notable numbers from Pushing Against A Stone, the crowd and June began to loosen up and become more lively, with June falling into a swagger with her banjo and guitar licks and wide range of vocals. Another stellar track from the night was the funky new toe-tappin'  number "Shake Down." In addition, June performed a three song solo improvised mini-set, part way through the show, and ended the main set with a riveting rendition of "Workin' Woman Blues" which closed the show on a high note.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

However, it was the encore in which June spoke the most to the audience.  Mainly she talked about how honored she was to be back in Milwaukee, where she is working as a guest artist at Lancaster Elementary School in MPS as part of the Turnaround Arts program.  June's success and close bond with her students was captured in a great piece by Today's TMJ4 .  The encore showcased June at her rawest and finest as a performer, playing "Somebody to Love," which featured her on her banjo-ukulele hybrid which she affectionately calls, "Baby."  In addition she dedicated perhaps her strongest new track, "Astral Plane" to her students, who June lovingly refers to as her, "little lights."

Valerie June embodies everything that is good about music- with her uplifting songwriting, gorgeous vocals, versatile arrangements and true desire to use her music to make a difference in our world at large.  The children at Lancaster Elementary are lucky to have June in their lives, and the crowd at Turner Hall was equally blessed to be part of such a stellar and special performance.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Setlist:
Man Done
The Hour
Two Hearts
Tennessee Time
Slip Slide
With You
VJ Solo- 3 song set
If And
Love You Once
Workin' Woman Blues

Encore:
Somebody to Love
Astral Plane
Got Soul

Cloud Nothings, Moon Bros., Dramatic Lovers- Turner Hall Ballroom, 2/12/17

photo by Will Piper

photo by Will Piper

The brainchild of prolific Cleveland songwriter/guitarist Dylan Baldi, Cloud Nothings have established themselves as a buzz worthy national act in the past five years, despite the band members being in their early twenties in terms of their age.  With a sound that combines the DYI attitude of Fugazi paired with a noise-rock psychedelic vibe reminiscent of Sonic Youth, Cloud Nothings delivered their unique blend of genre blending rock 'n roll on a Sunday evening in front of a strong crowd at Turner Hall.  Touring in support of their stellar Life Without Noise record that dropped just last month, Cloud Nothings delivered a blistering set of music with barely a pause between songs.  What makes Cloud Nothings an interesting act is their ability to mix together short, punkier compositions, with more jammed out tracks that can clock in at nearly 10 minutes in length.  The new material from Life Without Noise translated even better live than on the record, with "Up To The Surface," and "Sight Unseen" being two highlights.  Older stand out material also received great reactions, with a thrashy version of "Stay Useless" off of 2012's Attack on Memory release.  The set closer, "Wasted Days" ended the show with a fury of guitars and crazy drum riffs from Jayson Gerycz, whose fantastic percussion serves as a highlight of the band's performance.

photo by Will Piper

Chicago's Moon Bros brought their country-infused dreamscapes to Turner Hall, playing in the second slot of the three band bill.  The trio headed by guitarist/harmonica player Matthew Schneider, featured a bass player (who played bass licks off of a traditional 6 string guitar) and a pedal steel player.  In many ways Moon Bros, a band who performs sitting down and with more of an Americana feel, is a contrast to the "in-your-face" rock of Cloud Nothings, but the psychedelic nature of their jams instrumental interplay between musicians proved them to be a compelling opening act.



Starting off the show was Milwaukee's own super group of local talent- Dramatic Lovers.  Dramatic Lovers features members of Milwaukee rock icons Decibully, Promise Ring and Maritime, and blend together a fresh take on a power pop sound.  They are definitely a talented group and worth checking out again.

photo by Will Piper

Cloud Nothings Set List:
Up to the Surface
Psychic Trauma
Modern Act
Sight Unseen
Now Hear In
Darkened Rings
Enter Entirely
Fall In
Strange Year
Things Are Right
Stay Useless
Internal World
Wasted Days

Drive By Truckers with Kyle Craft- Turner Hall Ballroom, 2/1/17

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

A 500 person plus crowd, consisting of an overwhelming ratio of men to women, packed the friendly confines of the Turner Hall Ballroom on a Wednesday winter's eve to see the southern rock 'n roll juggernaut known as Drive By Truckers.  Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley and company have been together for over twenty years, and in that time have released a bounty of southern rock songs with a socially conscientious message, spinning well-woven narratives about challenges faced by Americans, particularly in the South.  Make no mistake about it, the five-piece ensemble from Athens, Georgia brings with it a full-wall-of-rock sound, but also does not shy away from dealing with the challenges of the times. With a large "Black Lives Matter" poster hanging from keyboardist/guitarist Jay Gonzalez's rig and the bold anthems from The Clash playing over the house PA as Drive By Truckers took the stage, it was evident that this band means business when it comes to heightening social awareness.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Drive By Truckers latest album, and arguably one of their all time finest, American Band was the focus of the evening.  The album, released around the same time as the 2016 Presidential Election tackles themes of social inequality, racism, and economic stagnation in the form of well-crafted, fist bumping rock 'n roll tunes.  Tracks like "Filthy and Fried," and "Surrender Under Protest" elicited large group sing-alongs with fists and hands with beverages raised in the air.  While the Truckers visited many songs from their expansive catalogue, the highlight of the evening was a new and poignant number called, "Ever South," which band leader Patterson Hood dedicated to a friend of his who is an immigration attorney.  In the tune, Hood wears his heart on his sleeve as he describes the immigrant upbringing of the character in his song's journey from Ireland and Ellis Island to Georgia.  

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Alongside stellar new tracks Drive By Truckers highlighted many of their classic tracks from years past including ruckus renditions of "Lookout Mountain," "Women Without Whiskey," and my personal favorite DBT track, "The Righteous Path," which featured a three guitar foray to crank the rock up to 11. 

Opening for Drive By Truckers was Kyle Craft and his band.  Craft hails originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, and his music reflects influences from everyone from Tom Petty to Bob Dylan to Neil Young.  Performing with a bass player, second guitarist, drummer and two keyboardists, Craft delivered his soaring vocals to perfection with a well-oiled band.  Craft's 2016 Dolls of the Highland record is worth checking out for stand out cuts like "Eye of a Hurricane," "Lady of the Arc," and "Gloom Girl." However, the most noteworthy track of the evening was Craft's politically angsty track "Before the Wall," which he performed solo at the end of the set as a protest song reflecting his discontent of the potential erection of a border wall between the USA and Mexico.

photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch

Both Drive By Truckers and Kyle Craft are artists who are on the forefront of modern protest music, keeping true to the spirit of their past influences.