The Guys-Who-Lead-Other-Bands Show

Tonight I went out to a show featuring three guys-with-acoustic-guitars-who-normally-lead-other-bands, and some fourth guy-with-an-acoustic-guitar (-bass hybrid). The show was at Towne Lounge, an interesting little place. It's got this air of a prohibition-era speakeasy, invisible from the street, only marked by a signboard on the sidewalk when they have a show (and by a backlit plastic sign over the door that simply says LOUNGE, which initially convinced me it was another of Portland's many strip clubs when it first opened near my old apartment). This speakeasy vibe is enhanced by the ornate, heavy wooden door with a swing-open little window in it. With the window closed, it looks just like a very elaborate door. With the window open, you expect furtive eyes to look out, and ask you for the password. (Cheese it, it's the cops!) Luckily, since I didn't have a password, I only had to give the guy at the table inside six bucks instead. Inside, it's got some interesting elements, including the funky coved ceiling and the hand-carved-looking piano that reminds me of the piano in the made-for-tv version of The Piano Lesson (that sentence, in retrospect, amuses me greatly). Sadly, though, for the most part, it's a smoky shithole. I don't know what it is that the smoking-allowed music venues in town all seem to be covered in crappy sharpie graffiti (though here it's primarily confined to the dingy bathroom). For christ's sake, it's a tiny acoustic music venue, what's with the graffiti? And in this tiny room, I'm pretty sure I was the sole non-smoker in the whole place. I was all excited, because I'm broke right now, and I remembered that Towne Lounge used to have the stubbie bottles of Session for two bucks...but no longer. Their cheap beer is Miller High Life in a can. Uh, no, thanks. Really.

I got there just as one of the musicians took the stage. I had, most likely, missed the first guy, then. Lucky for me, they didn't play in the order they had been listed. I missed the one guy that isn't associated with another band. I was reading the WillieWeek on and off during the show, and they actually previewed this show, pointing out that the one I missed, Justin Power, played some sort of homemade guitar-bass hybrid. I was disappointed I missed him just because I would have liked an image in my head to go with that phrase. The guy who played when I got there was Nicholas Delffs, who heads The Shaky Hands. His voice is unmistakable. Interestingly, once you take the pop and rock elements out of the equation, and it's just him and an acoustic guitar, he almost sounds less like a hippie than he does with the band. I really enjoyed the set. It was all folk-rock...well, ah, no, that's not quite it...rock-folk...shit. Have you ever tried to describe Neil Young before? Turns out you can't do it without making him sound wimpy and annoying. Apparently words don't do him justice. So I'll describe Delffs by saying he sounded a hell of a lot like Neil Young throughout the set. But like Neil Young's prettier, more wistful sounds, not his angry-young-man (become angry-old-man, but not of the "get off my lawn!" variety) stuff.

The next guy, by process of elimination, must have been Ryan Sollee of The Builders And The Butchers. See review of them below. Of the three guys I saw, he was the only one who didn't sound so distinct that I could immediately associate him with his band. Of course, I've only seen TBATB once, but their "swamp-blues" (WillieWeek's words) stomp-along dark wildness had little in common with this straightforward 70's-ish white-boy blues/blues-rock. It was okay, mostly just kind of cliched. The guy would have an interesting, unique voice, except that it sounds just. exactly. like some other voice in 70's white-boy blues/blues-rock, but I could never quite put my finger on who. Eh. It was okay.

Last up, Justin Ringle of Horsefeathers. I didn't recognize any of the songs, but I only own the very early HF demo, so I don't know if he was playing HF songs or not (Delffs did not seem to play any Shaky Hands songs, and I don't know about Sollee, but he did play a couple of requests for songs he hadn't played in years). But he sounded just exactly like he does in Horsefeathers, with that incredibly unique warm-fuzz voice and perfect pretty-folk, but even more spare without violin, saw, and another voice. Beautiful, and soothing (which was great, since the smoke and the smokers were making me irritable). And what the hell was the WillieWeek talking about, his voice sounding like....oh, damn you, WillieWeek. I might never have heard that if it weren't for you. Tracy Chapman. I didn't hear it until a handful of songs in, and then I could never quite shake it. Thanks a lot, WillieWeek. Crap. I preferred it when all I heard to compare it to was Sam Beam's voice (of Iron and Wine). But still, it was lovely and a nice note to end on. He also noted that they're just finishing up a new HF disc, which is definitely something to look forward to.

With four sets, I expected the show to go quite late, but there was little changeover time (how long could it take to get your acoustic guitar offstage and get the next acoustic guitar set up?) and they were all fairly short sets, so I was pleasantly surprised to be home by about 12:30. And I'm ready to do it again tomorrow, same time, same place, for Nick Jaina!