Lazy laundry Sunday was a perfect day for football as the Chargers beat the Chiefs. I headed up to the Belly Up when there were 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, realizing that I might hit stadium traffic if I waited. I listened to the end of the broadcast while I drove to Solana Beach. At the Belly Up, I got my tickets at will call (leaving one for Jason since Joanna Newsom cancelled at the Casbah) and then made sure to buy my tickets (no service charges!) inside for the upcoming Greg Laswell, Rhett Miller, and Cold War Kids shows. Since Eric Bachmann had not started, I ordered a Stella and went to the back patio. When he did finally play, the crowd stayed their usual 8 feet from the stage and I wandered from one side of the stage to the other then toward the front, trying to take pictures as respectfully as I could without using the flash. I’ll try to get those pictures up later.
Eric was onstage with 2 women who played a multitude of instruments: cello, drums, keys, violin, guitar and also lended their beautiful voices as backing vocals. Troy Johnson described the music as “backwoods folk” and I guess that’s as good a description as any. All I know is that I loved the performance and could definitely picture myself listening to the CDs while I work or hang out at home. The funny thing that occurred to me while I was watching them play was that I’ve actually seen Crooked Fingers before, and liked them enough to buy the CD and have it signed, I just have no idea when or where it was that I’d seen them. Somehow it was one of those CDs that you buy when you have so much other new music that you never get around to giving it the attention it deserves. I’m glad this show reminded me to take a listen to the old stuff and look into getting the newer folkie stuff.
Also, I should mention, I am a blogger because I am a fan of live music, but in no way consider myself a journalist or music analyst, which is why you’ll see a beer in my hand before you see a pen and paper. Still, I felt the urgency to write down a lyric that caught my attention and made my heart sink a little remembering lovers past: “I would change for you, but Baby, doesn’t mean I’ll be a better man.” That sentiment probably could’ve saved me a lot of heartbreak through my twenties.
The Belly Up crowd had grown and in typical fashion, everyone rushed the stage as Eric left the stage, posting up for DeVotchka without realizing how fucking rude that is to the opening artist. Jason and Bianca were finally there, and Billy and his friend Katie were there, so we hung out a while and then I kinda hopped around the venue getting different vantage points for listening and taking photos.
The first time I ever heard DeVotchka, I heard one song and didn’t like it at all. I guess there was no context within which to place the sound for me. After a friend at work told me about the amazing show they’d played at the Casbah, I knew that I would have to check them out. I am glad I did. I don’t even know how to describe their set. The singer’s vocals sound classically trained, the girl with the lit up tuba was amazing in her talent but also what other tuba player have you ever seen carry that monstrosity of an instrument while dancing in 3 inch pumps? Tom on violin was amazing and added a beautiful layer to the music while the drummer was just insane. They played a long set of their own version of both fast and slow gypsy music, which really to me sounds like the mariachi music I’d listen to in my grandpa’s house as a kid and the Polish polka music my dad would torture us with on road trips that we eventually grew to love.
I don’t know if DeVotchka is the kind of music I would listen to at home or in my car or while I’m working, and their catalog of CDs at the merch table was intimidating, because really, where do you start? Still, I know that I won’t ever miss them when they roll through San Diego again.
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