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Alberta Cross/Hacienda | 02.08 | PA

February 18th, 2010 | No Comments

Words & Images by: Jake Krolick

Alberta Cross/Hacienda :: 02.08.10 :: Kyber Pass :: Philadelphia, PA

Alberta Cross :: 02.08 :: Philly

Sneaking into Philadelphia between two massive snowstorms was no easy task. Yet, San Antonio rockers Hacienda and Brooklyn-based rising stars Alberta Cross pulled it off without as much as a hitch. Alberta Cross was the driving force that packed the Kyber Pass to the gills with a well bundled posse of onlookers and fans on a snowy Monday night. This Philly show was the tour closer before Alberta Cross packed their bags for Europe, and it was clear from the start how much practice and heavy touring have paid off.

Opening many of the shows on this tour was aforementioned Hacienda. No slouches themselves, these guys were plucked by The Black Keys‘ blues rock virtuoso Dan Auerbach. He produced the band’s debut album, Loud Is the Night, and recruited them to play as the backing band on his solo effort, Keep it Hid. Playing with Auerbach has definitely impacted the sound of Hacienda. Their set came out of left field as a lively, throwback garage rock romp that complimented Alberta Cross’ psychedelic blues beautifully. Hacienda was powered by a trio of brothers – Abraham (keys), Jamie (drums) and Rene Villanueva (bass) – all originally from way up in the Pacific Northwest now transplanted to San Antonio.

These fiery Texans offered more pizzazz and gusto on a Monday night than most bands can muster on a Saturday. The spunk exhibited and dynamics between guitarist Dante Schwebel and the Villanueva brothers accentuated all the various things that live music dreams are made of. These guys had a strut to their playing and they showed it from the opening tune, a smoldering, bass-driven builder that bounced with Rene’s bass whacks and dirty echoing strums from Schwebel. Their raw riffs brawled with sleek ’60s harmonies that flowered from Abraham’s electric organ. The band rattled off three homespun songs that recalled the likes of The Beach Boys and Dr. Dog before raging on a cover of “Louie Louie.” Abraham was right on when he said that this cover was a version all their own. It was a rowdy reading smothered in red sauce and Tex-Mex styling that would have made Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs proud. “Hear Me Crying” showcased one of Hacienda’s melodic, heartfelt rockers, offering an even greater depth to their danceable rock sounds. They finished the set with “Mama’s Cookin” dedicated to their friends Dr. Dog. This tune sounded as if it could have been a Dr. Dog song as Schwebel and Rene drenched the rock ‘n roll standard in a passion that made our pulses rise as they plowed through the raw metaphor for gettin’ it on.

Hacienda :: 02.08 :: Philly

With a few feet of snow blanketing the streets outside, the bar quickly became a sardine tin. The crowd was anxious for Alberta Cross, a band that seemingly sprung up from nowhere. I had caught one of their first large gigs at the Camden Download Festival in 2008 with few in attendance. Their latest tour has been a whirlwind as they traveled North America in support of their debut album, Broken Side of Time. In Santa Barbara the venue was so packed that they played two separate sets for two different crowds. They sold out L.A.’s Troubadour, Schubas in Chicago and The Basement in Columbus. DC, NYC, VT – almost every show on this tour was packed or sold out. As we listened to them work a very traditional blues rock sound it was easy to see why the crowds love them.

Onstage, Alberta Cross lives up to everything you hear on their albums and then some. Petter Ericson Stakee, their ex-Swede frontman, sung with one of the clearest and most listenable crowd friendly tones since Kings of Leon and Jim James (My Morning Jacket). His prevailing approach lacked grit or throatiness as his voice poured out pure, clear excitement. Stakee’s performance showed that he’s an accessible frontman whose range is a star-crossed version of a slew of artists past but still tells his own story. He can hit the high notes without trouble plus he has that cadenced knack that makes a singer great.

Alberta Cross :: 02.08 :: Philly

Just like their leader, the band produced a most comfortably familiar sound that hearkened back to many different decades. Listening to the cool ’70s folk rock fused with guitar blues of “Lucy Rider” was like settling into your favorite pair of sweatpants. Even the people not there for the show took notice and left their spots at the bar to see what was going down. Apparently, Alberta Cross had played a gig at the Kyber Pass before and when Stakee inquired who was here years ago, to his delight several people applauded before he wound us through another pleasing passageway filled with bent guitar riffs and even more evocative singing. The intense guitar solos on “ATX” and the grimy, ringing sound of “The Thief and the Heartbreaker” surely melted snow on all sides of the venue. These were clearly the crowd favorites that silenced the repeated shouts from spectators not satisfied with the setlist until they had a chance to sing-along.

There were tender sides of Alberta Cross during “Low Man” and raging moments during “Broken Side of Time.” Both were fun and satisfying, but it was “Rise from the Shadows,” described as a gospel tune by Stakee, that truly stirred the blood and separated the men from the boys. He stoked the front row as he leaned over his mic stand and dipped his torso into the crowd. Stakee, silhouetted by a lone orange light that played tricks with the brim of his Stetson hat, banged on a tambourine and kept the tempo at a slow stroll while Alec Higgins sashayed along on the keys during an extended intro. Then, building like a rogue wave in the ocean, Terry Wolfers trudged in with some ridiculously hard thudding bass, producing blasts from the stacks that made us actually feel the music. The twisted gospel song caught us by surprise and a cheer erupted as they woke up the sleeping rock & roll giant and paraded it around the cramped venue. It was a perfect shift in styles, moving the music from a lulling gospel number to a head shaking, thrust inducing screamer of a rock song. Stakee lurched back towards drummer Austin Beede and then over to lock horns with Sam Kearney‘s guitar. This lively exchange grew and grew, making the seven-minute album version fade into oblivion as they rocked us for over fourteen minutes.

The guy next to me kept muttering how this band has teeth, and he was right. Alberta Cross was able to connect with the audience and perform better than we could have hoped. Before calling it a night, Stakee and company jumped back onstage to leave the rest of their energy in a two-song encore. After laying down a wonderful tour closer in Philly, they played a surprise set a few nights latter at the former CBGB’s with Guns N’ Roses (details here). Their next visit to Philadelphia is in April at the TLA, so those who saw Alberta Cross in February should feel lucky because I’m guessing that this was one of the last times they will play a stage that small.

For more on Alberta Cross see our exclusive feature interview here.

Alberta Cross tour dates available here.

Continue reading for more pics of Alberta Cross and Hacienda in Philadelphia…

Alberta Cross
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Hacienda
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JamBase | Pennsylvania
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St. Vincent | 02.08 | California

February 12th, 2010 | No Comments

Words by: Kyle Fortinsky | Images from: myspace.com/stvincent

St. Vincent :: 02.08.10 :: Great American Music Hall :: San Francisco, CA

Annie Clark – St. Vincent

There’s something to be said for a 75-minute set of music that allows the audience to leap through a gamut of feelings and cascade down a breadth of wonder. Cohesion is everything. The venue, the crowd, the songs – this flowing, cyclical trifecta is what makes a show memorable. It’s what causes one to actually “feel” the mysterious and often-elusive artist/audience connection – one where banter and smiles are exchanged while mutual appreciation is shown through respect and understanding.

Everything was in place for such an experience on this misty Monday night, as the alluring madness of Annie Clark and her group St. Vincent brought in a sold out crowd to San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Packed in at 8:15 p.m. (an hour before the band’s scheduled start time) the crowd aggressively, but politely, nudged and pushed for a clear view of the stage. Swedish openers Wildbirds & Peacedrums catered to the organized chaos with a short set of impressive, experimental, drum/synth combinations and bellowing, powerful vocals from Mariam Wallentin.

As the lights dimmed at exactly 9:15 p.m., Ice Cube’s “It Was a Good Day” continued to play over the PA system while Clark and co. sauntered nonchalantly out onto the stage, chuckling about something we’ll never discover. Throwing her guitar over her shoulder, nodding her head to Cube’s final verse as she looked out into the whooping crowd, her four-man touring band assembled and tuned their collection of drums, basses, violins and woodwind instruments (most notably the flute and clarinet).

“God, I love this place,” quipped Clark.

Annie Clark – St. Vincent

With little more than a glance to one another, St. Vincent launched into “The Strangers,” the lead track from 2009′s critically acclaimed Actor. The soft yet upbeat initial two verses were interrupted by a volcanic, building guitar riff before dipping down again into the clarinet-led chorus. Leaving about five seconds for applause, the band then drove into Actor‘s second track, “Save Me From What I Want.” By now everyone was bobbing, finding some minimal elbowroom and completely transfixed on Clark.

“Laughing With a Mouth Of Blood” followed – soothing and coating in the way the first spoonful of ice cream sometimes feels off a plastic spoon. Then things got loud with the guitar-distorted, horn-driven “Actor Out Of Work,” seeing Clark get substantially frantic behind the microphone for the first time of the evening. Being slightly partial to this aspect of her style, along with what seemed like many in attendance, these actions consistently resulted in the crowd’s loudest sounds of approval.

Throughout the night, each time Clark retreated from the microphone for a similar guitar jaunt, her mannerisms reflected a low-voltage electric shock. Choppy abdomen jolts and dipping neck snaps complimented her oft-closed eyes during these explorations. “Jesus
Saves, I Spend” and “Just The Same But Brand New” allowed for more of this craved, edgy showmanship, before the group slowed things down on “The Bed.”

Following this segment, Clark’s band left the stage for what would be her only solo offering of the show, “These Days.” While she tuned her guitar under dim, blue lighting and amid a churning dry-ice machine, the crowd reciprocated with complete silence, staring at Clark as if she held the answers to everyone’s life-altering questions. Clark took this opportunity to express her admiration for the city of San Francisco.

“You know, I always see the most interesting things here,” she began. “Last year, there was a gentleman, um, sitting down on the sidewalk, and… he was picking his scabs and eating them,” she said with a laugh, as the crowd clapped and chuckled as if to say, “That’s nothing!” Clark continued, “And yesterday, I saw another, ah, fine gentleman peeing on a tree in broad daylight by City Hall. That’s why I love this city – those are the flavor crystals.”

“These Days” concluded its crooning sentiment and the band returned to the stage for the ferocious double shot of “Black Rainbow” and “Marrow.” All aspects of St. Vincent culminated in these two songs – harmony, volume, instrumentation, oddity and variation. Again showing her command and versatility, one moment Clark was nearly punching the
guitar’s head and slashing at the fretboard during “Rainbow’s” dramatic, song-ending build, and the next she was poignantly standing at the microphone, swooning the first ambient verse from “Marrow,” a sound worthy of any vocalist’s admiration.

St. Vincent

Set closer “The Party” brought the entire experience together, the song’s choral crescendo mixing perfectly with the thick, red lights. As Clark strummed and leaned to her left towards the frets of her guitar, the crowd subconsciously leaned to the right, ears nearly touching their shoulders – perhaps the closest an artist and their audience can get to harmonic convergence. Following the song’s abrupt ending, flowers were given to Clark from the front row and the band appreciatively exited the stage.

An emphatic, resounding round of cheers and foot stomping beckoned St. Vincent back out for an encore. They answered the call with a blistering, downright demonic version of “Your Lips Are Red.”

With two albums of material (Actor and 2007′s Marry Me), a St. Vincent setlist won’t catch you off guard. Compensating, however, is the ease with which any of the 22 released tracks translate to the live setting. The band seamlessly satiates with a contrasting mix of mellowness and horn-driven grunge, no doubt a testament to extensive touring the past three years.

“I just love coming here and playing the Great American,” said Clark late in the set. “I think it’s my favorite venue in the country… well, the world actually.”

You’re welcome here anytime, Ms. Clark.

St. Vincent :: 02.08.10 :: Great American Music Hall :: San Francisco, CA
The Strangers, Save Me From What I Want, Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood, Actor Out Of Work, Jesus Saves I Spend, Just The Same But Brand New, The Bed, These Days (solo), Black Rainbow, Marrow, The Party
E: Your Lips Are Red

St. Vincent Tour Dates available here.

JamBase | Saintly
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Them Crooked Vultures | 02.08 | NYC

February 11th, 2010 | No Comments

Words by: Ryan Dembinsky | Images by: Dino Perrucci

Them Crooked Vultures :: 02.08.10 :: Roseland Ballroom :: New York, NY

Jones & Grohl – Them Crooked Vultures :: 02.08 :: New York

Despite being a supergroup comprised of rock royalty best known from the southern California desert, the United Kingdom, and Seattle, when Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) took to the Roseland Ballroom with Them Crooked Vultures on Monday night, it felt decidedly New York City. To be clear, we’re not just talking about a skinny Jim Carroll nodding off in a booth at Max’s Kansas City or a Lester Bangs taking stealth pulls of Romilar at CBGBs. Rather, we’re talking about that weird mix of wise-beyond-their-years high school kids, ultimate fighting champions with razor sharp facial hair, unstoppable hipsters, and the occasional girl that congeal together to form the unmistakable smell of Slim Jims – that kind of New York City.

Both band and fans alike shook off their Super Bowl hangovers, including Grohl, who according to frontman Josh Homme “drank JÃ¤germeister until 5:30 in the morning. He’s such an alcoholic,” and still rattled the very foundation of the always-overcrowded ballroom.

From the get-go, the Vultures played one jam-heavy rager after another, hardly letting up long enough for inhabitants of the stuffed sausage floor to catch a breath or grab a drink to cool down from the visceral hot mustard being liberally applied. The band kicked it off right, as the evening’s second tune, “Scumbag Blues” – the best cut in their catalog – reached epic proportions with John Paul Jones showing his most dexterous bass work and quickly putting to rest any potential complaints that we’re reviewing just another indie band here at JamBase. All night, in fact, the band could have easily been classified as a jam band if only they weren’t so jaw-droppingly loud and heavy.

Homme & Johannes – Them Crooked Vultures :: 02.08

Beyond “Scumbag,” the band essentially tackled its entire catalog, which comes as no surprise as said catalog encompasses only one album, though they did perform the unreleased tune “Highway One,” which serves in part as a slight oasis from the pulsating loudness and a vehicle for Jones to morph an effected mandolin bluegrass run into a slick rock riff. Other highlights included the giant climax of “Warsaw or the First Breath You Take After You Give Up” and Homme’s Zep-esque blazing lead riff on “Elephants.”

Make no mistake, Grohl and Jones hold the star power, but Homme serves as the frontman. And while some criticize Homme for not stacking up to the likes of JPJ or Grohl, Homme’s strait-laced, square appearance and whimsical personality serve only to focus the attention on the music. Of course, his vocals do not resonate anywhere close to the likes of a Robert Plant or a Kurt Cobain, but his searing guitar work does and he makes for a charismatic bandleader.

Homme joked amicably before going into “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” that when the band played Saturday Night Live two days prior, in classic rock fashion, he slipped in three expletives without the censors even noticing before highlighting, “This one’s a song about being tricked.” Homme continued to incorporate good comedy throughout the evening.

As for Grohl, it’s almost worth the price of a ticket just to witness one of the most passionate drummers in the business at work. There’s something about seeing that trademark breakneck hair flipping in person that feels like a must in every diehard music fan’s concert scrapbook. Furthermore, you really can’t get the full sense on a record of his uncanny ability to lead a jam from “meander” to “climax” by pounding at the same fill, adding extra hits when needed and working a pair of cymbals the size of an elliptical orbit, without seeing him in the thick of it.

Dave Grohl – Them Crooked Vultures :: 02.08 :: New York

Guitarist Alain (Eleven and a Desert Sessions veteran), who turns the touring band into a quartet, serves sixth-man duties so-to-speak, adding largely rhythm guitar and trading subdued licks and solos with Homme, but he also adds a more notable dimension at times. In particular, the band flourishes when he steps to the Clavinet and takes the band away from thrashing and into the heavy funk, again most successfully on “Scumbag Blues.” He also showed off his desert rock chops when the three members proper left the stage, giving Johannes the spotlight for a unique guitar solo perfectly suited for a Joshua Tree walkabout.

Last but not least, JPJ really shines in this band, not only on bass but also on keys, mandolin, keytar and a crazy ass custom made bass slide. What’s particularly compelling about Jones in this mix is how he consistently steals the show, effortlessly and without the spotlight as he works with Grohl to build a thundering rhythm section. At other times, he’ll stealthily blaze through virtuoso chops on any one of his instruments, where you almost forget to notice him, until you do.

Finally, the lights made a subdued, but notable contribution. A backdrop of white diamonds provided a base setting, but the use of shadows and darkness set the tone. At times, the lighting director projected huge silhouettes of the musicians on the walls to each side of the stage; a nice alternative to the excessive lasers used by most lighting directors these days.

Given the nature of the beast, it’d be easy to size up Them Crooked Vultures for what they are not, namely Led Zeppelin or Nirvana, but that would be slighting. Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones exhibit honest to goodness chemistry – like Bangs and his cough syrup, NYC and its melting pot – this band is its own thing. Against the odds of a Monday night show on the day after the Super Bowl, Them Crooked Vultures put on a rock clinic and New York City took notes.

Them Crooked Vultures tour dates available here.

Continue reading for more pics of the Them Crooked Vultures in New York City…