It's been a busy couple weeks for me which included taking in a handful of shows. Here's a quick follow-up with some show notes.
- March 26 - My recent string of shows started off with Youth Lagoon at Union Transfer in Philly. The man behind the music, Trevor Powers, had a simple set-up including him and one guitarist. His vocals were a lot clearer then I expected based on the reverb-drenched sound on the album. One downside was the size of the crowd at the show. It would have been more appropriate in a smaller venue like Johnny Brendas.
- April 3 - A group that was new to me, Friends, opened the show with a erratic yet entertaining set. A highlight of headliner Neon Indian's set was the light display centered around a monolith-like light machine in the center of the stage. My problem with this show though wasn't the artist's performance so much as the sound quality. Whether it's the sound guy or just the system at the venue, the vocals were covered up by bass/synths and nearly inaudible.
- April 5 - This evening brought me to Northstar Bar to see Frankie Rose. The set seemed short for what you'd expect from a headliner but her performance definitely did justice to her most recent album which I enjoy a lot. Opening act East Hundred was a pleasant surprise also, although I just found out that after 8 years together the members have decided to go their separate ways. East Hundred, I hardly knew ye.
- April 7 - Alabama Shakes completely blew me away at Ramshead Live in Baltimore. Fresh off the release of their debut album they're making a big splash in the music world anchored by amazing live performances. They concluded the show with a Led Zeppelin cover (How Many More Times) which was a pleasant surprise.
- April 12 - It was a spur of the moment decision to go see Diego Garcia at World Cafe Live-The Queen when a friend offered me an extra ticket. The decision paid off as I witnessed an intimate acoustic show. Diego shared stories behind the songs and interacted with the crowed throughout the show, at one point even playing an improvised version of 'Happy Birthday' for one of the attendees. The set also included a cover of one of my favorites, 'Harvest Moon' by Neil Young. My concert-buddy Erin even snagged an autograph from Diego after the show.
