Tag Archives: sam bonds

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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