Dawes Plays the Ryman Auditorium

From a balcony seat.

Last week things went silent here at TMI as I was in Peoria, IL most of the week doing bridesmaid duties at my college roommate's wedding. It was an intense weekend capped off by a quick flight home Sunday and a trip to the Ryman Auditorium that night to catch Dawes. 

The show was great for a couple reasons. For one, this was my third Dawes show this year and it was definitely the best. They seemed genuinely happy and appreciative of the significance of playing the Ryman. It's holy ground. The vibes were just so good and the audience was particularly vocal. They were basically hitting on the band the entire night. It was great. The other reason it was a memorable night is that it was my Dad's first Ryman concert. I thought it was a good match with Dawes' Ryman debut. Plus, it's a band that we both can agree on.

Dawes played about 19 songs. You can check out a Spotify playlist the Ryman made here. They mostly performed tracks from Stories Don't End and Nothing is Wrong, throwing in "When My Time Comes" and "That Western Skyline," which they used to close out the show because it's the first track from their first album North Hills. They played pretty much everything I wanted to hear: "From a Window Seat," "Most People," Time Spent in Los Angeles," "Peace in the Valley" etc. "Something in Common" was particularly nice. They put a little echo on Taylor Goldsmith's vocals and tamed the arrangement on the verses, making the song even more desolate and heartbreaking than usual. Dawes also performed "Moon in the Water," which they said they don't normally trot out because it's a quieter song that needs an audience responsive to the song's tone.

Midway through, Goldsmith brought out Jonny Fritz (formerly Corndawg) to sing "Goodbye Summer" off his recent album Dad Country, which Dawes played on. Fritz is something of an odd and interesting figure in these parts, so it was fun to actually see him sing live. He was wonderfully quirky and sort of scooted/shuffled around the stage and off it when the song ended.

Another quick point– opening act Shovels and Rope is worth your attention.

So, that was that. I'll stop here before I start to gush. Dawes remains one of my favorite bands to see live, if not my favorite. From the first few notes of opening song "From Window Seat," I marveled how strong they are as a band, even though it's a fact I know well.

Catch a show if you can.

Avett Brothers Play the Bridgestone Arena

I found a few videos of the show on YouTube. 

It's been quite a weekend here in Nashville. On Saturday night, I found myself at the end of a six-year quest to see the great Avett Brothers live. By more than a few twists of the universe, I've managed to miss them for one reason or another more times than I can count, and across two different states. Even though these misses have driven me half crazy, I don't think I'd trade in Saturday's show for an earlier one because it so well punctuated a weekend that was marked in other ways by endings and shifts.

The Avett Brothers played a sold out show at the Bridgestone Arena. Though their reputation for wildly energetic concerts is well known, I was unprepared for just how much power they generated. They could give any rock band a run for its money. From the second their silhouettes appeared on a curtain at the front of the stage, they blazed through the show with a musicianship both scary precise and crazy raucous. Their set incorporated songs mostly from their past three albums, several traditionals, and a Buck Owens cover– The Avetts slid between amped up bluegrass and deafening rock, with just a little church in there to stay on the good Lord's good side.



When the show was originally announced at the beginning of the year, I wondered what might be lost in the move from playing a venue like the Ryman Auditorium, to playing the mammoth Bridgestone. The concern was unfounded. I love the Avett Brothers in part because for me their music is a little ragged and always poignant, much in the way Scott and Seth (who each did a traditional) sing with gravel and purity respectively. When they played "Down with the Shine," Scott Avett singing "Things change and get strange with the movement of time, it's happening right now to you" while gesturing at the crowd couldn't have affected me to any greater extent. The same is true for the sound of the arena singing "I and love and you" together back to the band. All those voices sounded so much sweeter than I could have guessed.

There were several moments when I could hardly believe I made it out to the show. When they played "Salvation Song," it felt so surreal and so good to hear what I've always thought to be something of their mission statement: "We came for salvation, we came for family, we came for all that's good, that's how we'll walk away. We came to break the bad, we came to cheer the sad, we came to leave behind the world a better way." And that's why I've chased them for so long. I can't think of another band that manages aspiration against life's struggles and confusions with more heart and reassurance.

I caught my white whale, which is proving to be slightly melancholic as things tend to be when they end. But most of all, I think how much I enjoyed this show and how far it surpassed my hopes, and it casts back a really nice hue on the past six years.

Here's to endings.

'Ramona' : Night Beds

This spring I've kept bumping into a band called Night Beds. At first, the name struck my ears because I saw a band called the Night Beats in March, and you know things go. Anyway, Night Beds are country-ish, a little bit alternative. They don't hit you over the head either way, but what you get is some really reflective, wistful music, lightly arranged and beautifully layered. It feels like more and more bands are occupying space in between genres, and I think it's a great thing. Damn the neat little labels, right?

Night Beds' newest album Country Sleep came out in February. They recorded it in a cabin here in Nashville that used to be Johnny Cash's guest house. How's that for a talking point? Happily, the group is putting roots down in my dear city. Take their music video for "Ramona," shot at Ocean Way Studios (above). And if I can direct you to one more thing, check out their cover of Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" for the A.V. Club's Undercover series. Frontman Winston Yellen could very easily channel some Brandon Flowers with his vocals. And for any Nashville folk, Night beds are going to be at the Mercy Lounge on May 24 with Tristen and Good Buddy.


Night Beds cover Robyn

Dawes Play Grimey's Too

Props to my friend Emily for taking this for me.

For weeks I've been looking forward to catching Dawes play an in-store performance at Grimey's Too here in Nashville. So after standing in a line outside in the cold, 150ish people crammed into Grimey's new indie bookstore extension where it was considerably warmer and brighter. Dawes played for just about an hour, opening with "From a Window Seat" and hitting a bunch of new tracks from their April 9 release Stories Don't End, including "Just My Luck," "Something in Common," "Hey Lover," "Someone Will," and "Most People." They also worked in "Time Spent in Los Angeles" and closed with "A Little Bit of Everything" from Nothing is Wrong. 

There was a lot to enjoy about the afternoon. For pre-ordering the album earlier in the month to get a spot at the show, the audience also recieved really nice screen press posters to get signed. It was also exciting to see these guys in a smaller space. Since they've just announced a Ryman show June 9, I get the idea it's all up from here.

Dawes is an easy band to love. Especially after seeing them live, you get a picture of how solid their musicianship is. Plus, the lyrics. They always get me. There's so much music I like, but Dawes' songs fall into the category of music I react to. I'm particularly crushing on "Most People." There are a couple of lines that go "Most people don't talk enough about how lucky they are. Most people don't know what it takes for me to get through the day." That's some good drama.

Anyway, if you weren't there, you can hear several songs the band played earlier in the afternoon for local radio station Lightning 100 at a secret show.

The Zombies Play Nashville's War Memorial

Made this with Cinemagram. 

A quick dispatch tonight (this morning?). I got to see The Zombies at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium. If you don't know, The Zombies are a British group that started recording in the early 60s and are probably best known for their hit song "Time of the Season" though they have many other popular and notable tunes like "She's Not There" and "Tell Her No." The remaining members are Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent, both solid performers who had solo careers of their own when the band broke up. Without getting into a ton (because it's late and I'm tired), it was a great show. Both Argent and Blunstone seemed so satisfied to be performing for a receptive crowd. It was also cool to hear them weave in some of their history in between songs, especially since the audience was by no means solely comprised of Baby Boomers. But wouldn't you know in room full of gray hair, I got stuck next to three elementary-aged kids. Well. Good for them. This would have been a heck of a first concert. Besides sampling the hits and other favorite tracks from the past, they also played new material off 2011's Breathe Out, Breathe In. As someone who is not overly familiar with all of their work, I couldn't distinguish between which songs were old and which were new.

I really want to go on about how Argent wailed on the keyboard, or how Blunstone nailed "Summertime" by George Gershwin, or how the other guys in their band were pros... or even how Nashville's own The Ettes opened and their drummer has to be the hardest working drummer I've ever seen, but really the best way to wrap this up is by saying this: Fifty years later, and The Zombies are still kicking.

Adventures in: A Week in Music

Oh my God. The Alabama Shakes.

One of the entertaining parts of having a blog is occasionally jabbering about yourself. That and coming up with your own house style... but that's a separate bag of j-nerdiness you probably don't care about. That said, I thought I'd write up a week in music that was more eventful than most. 

+Monday: I broke out of the house and caught a CD release show at The Basement here in Nashville, for a charming Irish duo called The Lost Brothers. My reoccurring thought throughout the night was "I'm so glad I'm not covering this." Words fail me. But I'll keep typing. It was everything that makes Nashville the best city to see a show. The Lost Brothers are very good live. They're even better when accompanied by top flight musicians including a talented lap steel player, trombonist, and violinist. Brendan Benson joined them on stage for a song to play washtub bass, and then touring partner Glen Hansard popped up to sing a few songs as well. The night went like this: "Hey Jim, you out there? Did you bring your guitar? Come on up here."  I never want to see an arena/stadium concert again. 

+Tuesday: The new Mumford and Sons record came out and much to my dismay, Target sold out of the deluxe version, which has three bonus tracks, including their cover of "The Boxer" featuring Paul Simon and Jerry Douglas. Really, this little story has more to do with saving a few bucks thanks to Amazon. I ordered it for $11.99 instead of Target's $13.99. Shipping is free with my Prime account, and then Amazon kicked me back a buck to put toward a future purchase. Unless I'm able to get Grimey's, Amazon– I'm all yours. 

+Wednesday: For the past few weeks I've been slowly crafting a mix (well, Spotify playlist) for a mix club some folks I know started. I was ready to launch yesterday, but for some reason friends can't see certain tracks on my published playlists, and it's not a matter of Spotify not having the music. Anyway, I'm crossing my fingers that the good folks at Spotify shoot me an email back soon with a magic solution. And speaking of said mix, does it ever weird you out when there's a song you like and you can't find out anything about the band? More on that later. 

+ Thursday: I went with some people to see The Alabama Shakes at Live on the Green, a great free outdoor concert series put on by the illustrious Lighting 100. Got there late, left early, had about 10,000 people in my way. This night I also found myself thinking "I'm so glad I'm not covering this." On the bright side, I got to hear "Goin' to the Party" and "Hold On." On a related note, I'm like to commend LOTG. The top of the stage structure looked stunning. 

And Friday? Well. Basically nothing happened Friday. Anyhoodle, that's what's happening in these parts. Until later. 

First Concert: Matchbox Twenty

First concerts are magic. That's why I suggest adding Gigs Reflex to your Google Reader, or whatever you use to keep up with your interweb reading list. To borrow the tag line, it's a Tumblr devoted to "First concerts. Concert firsts." And now my own first concert tale is happily housed there. Check it out and read all about how Matchbox Twenty and Sugar Ray set me musical track I'm on today.

First concert: Matchbox Twenty

Dawes at the Cannery Ballroom

Photo: The Musically Inclined

Dawes returned to Nashville and the Cannery Ballroom Sunday night, headlining the venue for the first time.

Frontman Taylor Goldsmith remarked that the band has gotten used to introducing themselves and their songs to unfamiliar audiences, but playing in Nashville it felt like "we know each other." The show had that kind of ease of familiarity to it, like the highest goal was not so much to win fans as it was to please the ones who came out. Even from opener Simone Felice of the Felice Brothers, who brought Nashville's own Apache Relay out to sing tribute to the late Levon Helms via "I Shall Be Released," the night sprawled from a place of community and comfort.

Seeing Dawes perform live certainly brings out a greater appreciation for Taylor Goldsmith's guitar skills. He gets a chance to showcase more than his voice and his songwriting. It's a kick watching him play. Goldsmith moves at the mercy of the music, balancing on his toes or side hopping across the stage.  A live show also means the audience gets the most out of songs like "When My Time Comes" and "How Far We've Come," which naturally demand crowd participation.

Fun fact: Taylor Goldsmith is actually this blurry in real life.

The set list consisted mainly of songs from their last album, Nothing is Wrong, with a handful from their debut album North Hills. They also played two songs, "Something in Common" and "From the Window Seat," off their next record. The latter is about getting "a case of the fears" after being in an airplane for too long, Goldsmith told the crowd.

Early in the set John McCauley (Deer Tick and Taylor Goldsmith's Middle Brother bandmate) joined the band for a few songs, taking verses on "Million Dollar Bill" and "When My Time Comes."

Dawes spaced out well the tunes from their repertoire that best let them jam and expand, like "Peace in the Valley" and "My Way Back Home." Those songs were also a good chance to watch drummer Griffin Goldsmith's intense drumming faces.

Thank you, Google Images. 

For the encore, Dawes played three more songs including "The Way That You Laugh" and heartbreaker "Moon in the Water." Then came those chords we'd been waiting to hear. Cannery Ballroom went into full singalong mode and Felice came back on stage and perched by the drum kit to belt along with everyone else: "You've got that special kind of sadness! You've got that tragic set of charms!" For a band from across the country, it sure felt like they were playing on home turf.

Here's to hoping they'll be back soon.

Tallest Man on Earth Packs the Cannery Ballroom

No full review here, but I do want to take a second to blurb a rare great concert moment. On July 23 I caught The Tallest Man on Earth at the Cannery Ballroom, here in Nashville. It was a solid show. Until I saw Kristian Matsson (The Tallest Man) take the stage, though, it never occurred to me what great security performing with a band must provide versus stepping out alone. Luckily, Matsson and his guitar can hold the wonder of a crammed venue. And crammed it was with a crowd that included everything from hipsters to pooka shell-wearing frat boys.

Matsson seemed genuinely surprised at the the crowd, which brings me to that moment. Every now and then at a show you'll catch something that has nothing to do with showmanship or entertainment. When Matsson launched into the final chorus of "The Gardener," he stopped singing and let the crowd finish out the line "So I could stay the tallest man in your eyes, babe." I'd say it was like every other time a artist lets the crowd sing if it were not for the way he scanned the audience in disbelief of how so many people knew every single word. I could be wrong, but that experience had to have been pretty cool.

Death Cab for Cutie Returns to the Ryman

By Erin Carson | Created with cinemagr.am

When Ben Gibbard took the stage of the Ryman Auditorium and immediately launched into "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," we knew to expect a different kind of Death Cab for Cutie show. Gibbard played the popular song, which typically surfaces late-show in acoustic form, without his bandmates and without most of its usual moodiness. The performance set the tone for a concert that, while pulling songs from all their albums, leaned mostly on older tunes and deeper cuts, with a very light smattering of the year-old Codes and Keys.

For anyone who caught Death Cab's 2009 Ryman appearance, last night's show felt like a completion. Instead of go-tos like "The Sound of Settling" or an epic rendition of "Transatlanticism," we got "Technicolor Girls," "Amputations," and "Lowell, MA." That's not to say the band ignored favorites– nothing sounded as sweet as the entire Ryman erupting in "ba da"'s for "Soul Meets Body," but the show had a different type of depth to it.

And Death Cab pulled off that deep cut-heavy set list thanks in part to an unusually warm and responsive Nashville crowd. When the band turned "We Looked like Giants" into the extended, momentous, tightly-played masterpiece of the night, the crowd stayed with them every second, and even threatened to out sing Gibbard on songs like "Marching Bands of Manhattan."

It felt good to be at the Ryman last night. When Death Cab took finals bows, there was a rare sincerity between them and the audience. If they were happy to be there, the crowd was happy to have them.

Watch Gotye on Jimmy Kimmel Live

When a friend first tipped me off to Australian artist Gotye a few months back, I didn't know he was on the brink of breaking through in America. Apparently he was, and I learned this steadily through December by catching his tunes playing in a favorite restaurant of mine, seeing his picture featured on Lighting 100's homepage, and now by watching his American television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Gotye (né Wally De Backer) didn't just make a little studio appearance, he had a gigantic stage and a (newly, I'm guessing) devoted crowd.

Check out Gotye and Kimbra singing "Somebody That I Used to Know."

Amos Lee at the Westcott

Meant to post this last week. It's another show review I did for the Newshouse. This time around, I got to see the ever soulful Amos Lee wade against the most obnoxious bunch of middle aged people I've ever witnessed.

Amos Lee Survives Westcott

Spin Doctors at the Westcott

Here's my latest for The Newshouse. I got to see the Spin Doctors on Friday night at the Westcott Theater here in Syracuse. It was so much better than I expected, and after a crazy week and a stressful day, really loud 90s music was the best possible way to spend the evening. P.S. Somehow I managed to memorize the complete trajectory of their career, so if you have Spin Doctors questions.... I'm your girl. Also, here's a link to their appearance on Sesame Street back in the day because I think you need that.

Spin Doctors bring 20 years of Kryptonite to Syracuse

Best Coast on the East Coast

Because I didn't get my fill of student media in undergrad, I'm now writing for a snazzy student media outlet at Syracuse called The Newshouse. Check out the review I wrote of West Coast rockers Best Coast, who performed at the Westcott Theater here on Friday. Props to my producer for adding in the phrase "profane mumblings about Bambi." Much respect, sir.

Surf-rocking to a new school year

Hammered Dulcimer Music at the NY State Fair

Many of you good folks out there know I moved up to Syracuse, NY two months ago. Here's a article I wrote yesterday for a class on some really unique musicians I met at the New York State Fair. Normally I don't post class articles, but this was pretty cool.

Amid the chatter, buzzers, rings, dings and whirs of the New York State Fair, there’s another sound that floats out onto the midway. It’s the sweet sound of the hammered dulcimer, a string instrument dating back to the Persian Gulf around 2,000 B.C.

 For the past 12 years, nationally recognized hammered dulcimer player Dan Duggan, along with friends and accompanying musicians Tom Hodgson and Henry Jankiewicz, have been bringing traditional music showcasing the dulcimer to fair crowds from across the state.

 “The sound comes right up at you,” Duggan said. That’s one quality that attracted him to the instrument when he first heard it in college. After 25 years, the dulcimer is Duggan’s full-time gig.

 He loves the uniqueness of the instrument. That uniqueness is also appealing to many fair-goers. They wander by the Agriculture Building, where the trio will be stationed through Sept. 4, and get a look and a listen at an instrument somewhat unfamiliar.

 “We get to play for people we normally wouldn’t play for,” guitarist Tom Hodgson said of the “eclectic mix of people” who stop by.

 For Duggan, it’s a chance to spread the word about the dulcimer, particularly because it doesn’t have a home in more modern mainstream music like rock or country.

 Audience members will hear primarily traditional music, fiddle player Henry Jankiewicz said. He also said an important distinction to remember is that traditional music comes from a variety of countries and regions like Ireland, Canada, Scandinavia, not just the American South.

 Or as Hodgson put it, “It’s the music passed down through oral tradition.”

 Traditional music isn’t everything, though. Duggan has numerous albums in his catalog, some solo works and others collaborations featuring his own compositions, both traditional and modern. His music can be heard in films and even on Paul Simon’s 2000 Grammy-nominated studio album, “You’re the One.”

 “Writing for the dulcimer isn’t any different than any other instrument,” he said, “it’s a little bit more percussive.”

 “Dan’s very open to having other musicians play with him,” Hodgson said of the collaborative nature of their work. “He’s very well known among musicians.” Typically, Duggan will put together an ensemble based on an event or project.

“It’s as much about the informal playing as it is professional playing,” Hodgson said. “Some of the best music is made around kitchen tables.”

 That sense of community is also part of the basis for Duggan’s latest album, “For Love of Friends. ”All the songs were “written with people in mind,” Duggan said.

“They’re for all the friends who supported us [he and his wife] through neck cancer treatments.” 

Duggan was diagnosed with neck cancer in early 2009. He and his wife Peggy Lynn started a blog and friends helped out, even to the extent of raising money. But as Duggan blogged in September of that same year, “After ten months, three surgeries and 35 radiation treatments, several chemotherapy treatments, six and a half months with a peg tube... I am cancer free.”

 The radiation made it harder to grow back his once bushy beard, but otherwise he is doing fine. “I looked like a teenager trying to grow a beard,” he said.

 Now it’s back to traveling from show to show and bringing the story of the dulcimer to the masses. 

“It’s wonderful to enlighten them,” Hodgson said. Weaving history into the set, Duggan told the crowd,

“This is the instrument the West was won with. They weren’t hauling pianos out there.”

 He also told the crowd dulcimer players have an old joke. They spend half of the time tuning their instruments and half of the time playing out of tune.

NPR, DCfC, Sasquatch and Other Strange Letters

In honor of the release of Death Cab for Cutie's Codes and Keys, out today, I thought I'd remind you that NPR is posting live recordings from the Sasquatch Music Festival like it's their job. (Wha?)

That said, here's Death Cab for Cutie, live in concert, courtesy of NPR. Enjoy.

Who Said the Office Was for Work?

I don't pretend I'm not madly in love with NPR's All Songs Considered. So, taking cues from them, some friends and I at the Belmont Vision launched our very own version of their Tiny Desk Concerts, by inviting Belmont artists to come and play in the office.

So far we've done two and will probably do one more before getting sucked into the whirlpool of college graduation, but I just wanted to direct your attention to our nifty little project. Last month we did a shoot with a local band called The Westbound Rangers, and recently we worked with a fellow named Robert Gay, who just put out an EP in January. Take a look.

Tonight: Bob Dylan

The past several weeks have been downright stellar in terms of live music. Between the many bands of Next Big Nashville and The National, tonight's Bob Dylan concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashvegas will be the cherry on top.

Going in, I know that a Dylan concert isn't going to be like hitting shuffle on my small collection and sitting back to enjoy. I know its going to be more a matter of an auditorium of people crowded around this little old guy-- and we'll be infringing on his world.

I'm not expecting to hear "Like a Rolling Stone," at least in any recognizable form. I'm not even expecting to be able to understand what he's saying half the time. I'm expecting to see Bob Friggin' Dylan and his beady eyes peering out over the audience, and man am I excited.

Thought that was worth mentioning.

Peace.

So, You're Not at Bonnaroo

First off, take a moment to note the fresh smell of the people sitting around you. Next, hop over to NPR's All Songs Considered blog. Starting this afternoon, they'll be streaming various shows, including The National's set tonight at 5:45 p.m. central. Check the link above for the skinny on which bands you can hear live-- or hear archived in case you can't get out of that hot date. (Yeah, we know how it is.)

If audio isn't your thing, Youtube is also streaming a ton of performances.

Here's what TMI's going to try and catch:

Michael Franti and Spearhead
The Avett Brothers
The National
Kings of Leon
Weezer

Here's what TMI's going to avoid like hell:

Dave Matthews Band

Hey, never said the lineup was strong. Anywho, enjoy your air-conditioned, well-hydrated, clean-smelling, hippie-free (not that we don't love hippies, it's the dancing that's the turn-off) Bonnaroo experience.

Peace.