After many hours of bribing bands (with delusions of endless online print), bribing venues (by telling them we were Paste Magazine), chasing whiskey with more whiskey and generally wondering whether or not anyone cared at all or might come to the first ever Deli Portland (and the Days of Lore) sponsored Portland music showcase, we’re happy to announce that it was a great success! We can’t thank the bands – or our generous hosts at The Woods – enough for being so accommodating to the interesting lineup we garnered (mental note: might not be best to position the psych-math, pedal-toting power trio before the emotive folk-rock troubadour, followed by the synth-rock starlet…). But, you know what? That’s pretty much what the Deli Portland is about anyway, not to mention the Portland underground music community in general. There are no barriers, there are no oil and water genres (unless maybe we tried to land the next showcase at Satyricon) and good tunes is good tunes.
We’re working on the July and August showcases as we speak. Be sure and go visit our dear (old) friend Mark Lore at The Days of Lore blog site. We’d love to see you at the next one. Here are a few live shots from last night:
Wax Fingers (above) wowed the crowd as openers, exacting a systematic aural assault with lots of effects pedals, tight bass tracks, two guitars and drums. Vocalist/guitarist Pete Bosack employed breakneck finger-tapping, anchoring the squal of the trio’s massive, swirling, razor-sharp roiling rock. You can help fund their upcoming album via the band’s Kickstarter site.
mbilly (above) brought in a full band, filling out his sparse, somber folk rock with a more raucous sheen. Culling from a healthy helping of tunes from his recently released full-length, Mr. Nobody Baby (buy it here), mbilly parlayed revved-up renditions of his catalogue with austere, passionate abandon. You can tell he means what he sings, and that he loves to sing what he means, and that made for a wonderful audience reponse.
Jen Moon (above, with guitarist Jesse Bettis) took the stage to round out the show, and immediately showed why her local stock is rising so quickly. Gooey pop melodies dripped rivulets from Moon’s vintage Moog, cascading waves of peppy synth, slick guitar leads, minor-key mauling, and a blistering rhythm section to appease the swaying hips of a now-standing crowd. Ripping through a balanced set of ska-tinged rockers and No-Wave confessionals, Moon and Co. impressed with a command of the subtleties inherent in all non-angst-ridden compositions – making sure the songs didn’t have time to spiral, filling the gaps with delectable dallops of taste and precision. It’s a wonder how the crowd refrained from cutting up a rug, the curtains, the very shirts off their backs.
Download her 4-song demo for free here.
Stay tuned for details on the next Deli Portland showcase. We have a feeling you’re going to dig what we have in store.
– Words and Photos by Ryan J. Prado