Thao and the Get Down Stay Down

Last week I got to see Thao and the Get Down Stay Down. The show sold out, and there were many people in line outside when the show began. I saw many of them pumping their fists with smiles, because of the window, they could still see and hear the show. Wow, her band sure looks humorless in my drawing. They do seem to be concentrating on the music while they play.

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Here are some drawings I made. I left a lot of the pencils in, because they contribute a great deal of excitement, action and fun. Image

Also, I drew Thao and her guitarist Kyle three times each. She doesn’t have a band made of clones, as my illustration might suggest. Her band plays very tight, I caught them play in Austin at SXSW at a show at 2pm with Phox. 

A highlight of the show was “Holy Roller” from her new album. It was especially fun when she got out an electric guitar and placed it on a keyboard stand and played it like a pedal steel. I do listen to her album “We Brave Bee Stings and All” all the time at home and it would be transplendent to hear her perform that album from front to back, but I really don’t mind her new material. She certainly performs with passion. Her crowd was enthusiastic. She played a fun 60s girl group pop song for a second encore.

In a bizarre coincidence, she is doing a show with my favorite comedian, Maria Bamford but it is in Minessota.

 

 

Deep Sea Diver also played. I liked them too; pop rock. Jessica Dobson played with the Shins, and Spoon. They are from Seattle. Alex on guitar is friends with Ian LeSage of Whisky Tango

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Crushed Out!

So this wicked cool band played in my neighborhood the other night. They are called “CRUSHED OUT” and they used to be called Boom chick.

 Moselle saw that I was drawing the previous band (Tango Alpha Tango) and said she drew too. I told her I came to see them and we talked a little about art and I helped her put her drums on the stage.

 

They are based in Brooklyn but tour the south and the west coast. Their album art and posters were exceptionally cool. Moselle does all the art, I think. She was an art student, now she’s a kickass drummer. She said “the critics all say, you sing like Patti Smith meets Neil Young, and I say thanks, but that’s my husband, not me.”Image

 

What did they sound like? Well, its fun and a little child like- the White Stripes comes to mind. Also the Velvet Underground. They call themselves Honkey Tonk Surf Rock. They play a kooky, energetic style of garage rock. Very short songs, and played a few covers, Bo Diddley, the Ventures, it was all very fun. I was impressed, if they come to your town, RUN to see them play! Lovely people, beautiful music. And their videos online are very similar to their live show. Their album is free to stream here. its awesome. Image

 

 

 

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Trapper Creek Music and Arts Fest ’13

I drew people and things at Trapper Creek. I played as a 3 piece band, Bernie Bousa on drums and James Brookes on Bass. we played songs from the new album, and some paper scissors classics.

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I also drew lots of people and things. Here are some of my drawings.

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the sound booth

the sound booth

The Stage

The Stage

End of the Road  Coffee

End of the Road Coffee

I submit these as evidence that beautiful girls are not the only things I draw.

The gutter Shieks (one member not pictured)

The gutter Shieks (one member not pictured)

I didn’t draw the other member because I already drew him and when He takes a photo of the drawing that he took from me and emails it to me i will post it here.

Unicorn Justice. (that's not the name of the band)

Unicorn Justice. (that’s not the name of the band)

This cute band was led by ANgie, but Hunter played some 90s covers- “for the kids” including Soul Coughing (yes!)

girls at trappercreek

Jo the Coffee Girl

Jo the Coffee Girl

redheadcutie Angie of Unicorn justice

Angie from Unicorn Justice

I also got a chance to see “the No Chance Charlies” a very kooky band made up of nearly all of the members of the Overby Family Band, but they are dressed in dresses, heels, makeup and flirt with the audience more. I do prefer the Overby’s set, because the clarinet and trombone were so fun, but I can understand wanting to mix it up. I played with a band so as to not repeat the same performance from the May Trapper Creek.

Of course, Slaughter Daughters, Saucy Yoda, Corrine Rose and The Phineas Gage put on fantastic shows.

I even got to play a little with Jake from Goat Rodeo at the second stage.

Now I am off to Eugene. I hope to play some music there, maybe it will be in the cards to travel to Seattle, Portland, Bend and ?? to play shows there. If you know of somewhere I could play, or a library where I could do a comics workshop, please let me know!

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Nokie Edwards

Nokie Edwards

Nokie played at Ferguson Field Stage closing night of the fair with Marc brown and the Blues crew as his backing band. He played several surf hits from the Ventures and his originals, some from his new cd of Latin music. It was a delight to hear those tunes as the sun set and hippies and children danced on the grass with the smell of fried food and kids screaming from carnival rides off in the distance.

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Corrine Rose

Corrine Rose

Maria Mabra and Co play fast fun country fried rock that reminds me of Southern Culture on the Skids. Their boy/girl vocals and storytelling make the songs resemble minature aucio plays. Their bass player chugs along with the country bass walk and your feet just jiggle and itch to dance. The guitarist is overdriven and strikes a balance between precise and sloppy and reminds me a tad of Jack White’s style. This is a good band! they play at Trapper Creek August 18.

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Slaughter Daughters, Gary Sloan and the Valley River Boys

Slaughter Daughters played a slew of shows in Fairbanks. Cece, Ari, and Sterling play FAST bluegrass, rockabilly style, the banjo is not twangy, just sharp and high pitch, and it is all so fast. Their hands are blurs and the sound is awesome.

They commented “its so nice to play for children, because they don’t judge” They played the marlin thursday with Sofa Kings,s Ferguson Field stage Friday, at a house party with circle the sun that night, then the golden Eagle ON Saturday and back at the fair at the Beer Tent with Corrine Rose on Sunday.

We have to thank Nathan Harris of Sofa Kings/Avery Wolves for letting us borrow his stand up bass. That gave Sterling something to play.

 

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Gary Sloan  lives in Kansas now, but played blues in Alaska in the 60s and helped bring up Charlie Musslewhite and John Lee Hooker. He even opened for Jefferson Starship back in the day. He and his buddies put on a fantastic show. It was truly original psychedelic blues

 

Garysloan

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Feeding Frenzy

Feeding Frenzy

Feeding Frenzy played at the Beer tent at the Tanana Valley State fair. Their blend of pretty sounding folk with wild punk energy is a perfect mix. Songs that are sentimental, meaningful and poignant. Excellent musicianship and stage presence to spare. I’m proud to know them and consider them my friends.

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Ezza Rose House party

Ezza Rose House party

This band from Portland Oregon can play songs that sound like 70s radio rock hits, Gorgeous Americana Folk, uppity ukulele happy pop songs and even played a jazz song “Crazy He Calls Me” made popular by Billie Holiday (actually by Carl Sigman and Bob Russell), and traded solos like a jazz band. The addition of Tony on trombone was fun. They have more shows in the state. I recommend them!

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Jazz at the Blue Loon.

Wonderful show- Barney Mcclure and Clipper Anderson play amazing together. Keith Karns rocks the Trumpet, Greta Metassa, wow! and Darrin Clendenin had great chops too! I liked their cover of “Don’t talk at all, Show me!” and “Summertime.”  James Yoshizawa played a “call and response” percussion solo with Diamond Fuller that brought the house down!

James Yoshizawajazzattheblueloon

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The Beatles Review at the Silver Gulch

The Beatles Review at the Silver Gulch

A great group of musicians led by Bobby And Eustice played Beatles songs to a crowd of about 200. It was fun when they did a soul “remix” of “Help.”

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