Yesterday found me back in the lower east side. It was time to check out what was happening in the acoustic realm.
First I saw Avi Wisnia light up Rockwood Music Hall’s outstanding sound system with his smooth baritone and tight quartet. The Philadelphia artist put so many quotes into his breezy bossa nova tunes, from Stevie Wonder to Cee Lo, it was almost impossible to keep count. But his gifted songwriting made the riffs all his own.
Next was the folk gospel of Massachusetts’ Seth Glier. Starting with a soulful tune involving only a shaker and footstomps, his outstanding falsetto carried every note to the rafters. I was most impressed with his honesty, especially in his tune ‘Walk Katie Home,’ an adoring memoir of lost love. Not only is Glier’s music soulful, but he’s giving all proceeds from his tour to charity Feeding America. Right on…
After that it was time to hit up The Living Room. But first I took a quick stop at Deli’s Stomp Box Exhibit at Ludlow Guitars. It had been a couple years since I’d last been here, and I’d forgotten how many rare guitars they have in this shop. You could take your pick from vintage Fender mustangs to Les Pauls and plug into a large array of effects pedals for as long as you wanted. It was a lot more fun (judging by how much time I ended up spending there) than I had thought and was a great way to add some important items to my ever-growing Christmas list.
After finally making it over to The Living Room’s upstairs stage, I saw a set from Now Now. A band that features two petite young ladies playing two large guitars. The Minneapolis duo traded vocals back and forth along their drummer Bradley Hale, pulling double duty on kit and keys. Even without a bass, this group brought a very full sound together with most of the crowd sitting on the floor and soaking it all in.
Back downstairs, Austin’s Look Mexico was one of the loudest bands I’ve seen yet at this year’s festival. The four-piece would quiet down only to allow singer Matt Agrella time to sing a couple quick lines, then it was right back to thrash. The band just released a new record, and I can’t wait to check it out later. I should also mention that bassist Tyson Kuhlhoff sported an impressively full beard, the kind that’s been eating now for awhile. So all you Brooklynites have got some work to do on this front.
Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)