Two Gallants

w/ Morning State and The Snake, The Cross, The Crown

Thursday, June 14 @ Tasty World

originally published June 13, 2007

San Francisco country punk duo Two Gallants has a reputation for putting on a raucous and high-energy live performance. But armed with a new EP, titled The Scenery of Farewell (Saddle Creek Records), Adam Stephens (vocals, guitar, harmonica) and Tyson Vogel (drums, vocals) take on a somewhat mellower tone from that of their previous endeavors - at least for the moment. The five songs that make up The Scenery of Farewell present a much more sensitive and bare-bones side of the group’s songwriting. From the slurred and exhausted vocal delivery in “North Country Bound” to the barreling harmonica in “All Your Faithless Loyalties,” this batch of songs flourishes in the post-Bright Eyes milieu of heartache and lyrical narration.

The ear-cleansing field holler that kicks off the opening track “Seems Like Home to Me” makes way for a slow, acoustic ballad that sets the tone for the rest of the disc. Stephens and Vogel’s voices ring out loud and clear in the mix, and in light of the stripped-down instrumental arrangements, it’s the upfront lyrical content and presence that shines brightest. Each of these songs developed out of various interludes, sound checks and radio broadcasts amidst the group’s 2006 itinerary, which boasted some 200 shows around the country. (You may remember a Houston, TX, show last fall which included a run-in with the cops and a video that was subsequently posted on the Internet, making the bandmembers minor online stars for a couple of days). As such, the tie that binds each of these numbers together is an underlying element of sparseness and desolation that arises in the down time while sitting in a van, barreling down the lonesome highway.

But underneath every note and every subtle nuance on the EP, the same spark that has fueled Two Gallants’ fiery shows over the years is still burning. And even though the new material is a bit slower and a bit more reflective, onstage these songs could explode.

Chad Radford

The Honor Roll

w/ Guff, Allison Weiss & the Bandits, Five Seconds From Falling and Pilot Coat

Saturday, June 16 @ Tasty World

originally published June 13, 2007

Downtown Athens isn't particularly friendly to music fans under the age of 18, but with the CD release show for its debut self-titled EP, local emo band The Honor Roll's looking to remedy that shortcoming by catering to the under-represented with an early all-ages show.

"Honestly, especially in our genre, we have a lot of younger fans," says Honor Roll vocalist Donny Roll via email, "and it's not fair to them not to be able to see us since they aren't old enough to drink. Bottom line, Athens is a college/ party town, so clubs NEED to sell alcohol to make money. [I'm] not saying that's a bad thing, 'cause God knows we love to party just as much as the next band. But there are also [high school-age] kids around here who never get a chance to play at places downtown… I think an all-ages venue with high-school street teams would do well here."

Allison Weiss, also on the bill with her backing band The Bandits, agrees. "High-school kids are some of the most dedicated fans a band could ever have," she says. "They'll come to every show and cheer you on with no shame. Athens is a college town, so I think it's just assumed that the majority of people attending shows will be of-age. And that's probably true. But I wish there were more opportunities to play all-ages shows like this. I've got a lot of fans who would be willing to drive over an hour to come to a show, but they can't even get into the venues, so they don't bother."

Today's all-ages show costs $6 and starts early, at 5 p.m., with the bands wrapping up by 8:30 p.m. in time for a later show. And take note, show-goers - it's a no-alcohol show, so even if you're over 21, you won't be able to get a drink; the intoxicating effects of youthful enthusiasm will have to do.

Chris Hassiotis

The Slip

w/ Bobby Bare Jr.

Monday, June 18 @ 40 Watt Club

originally published June 13, 2007

During his farewell address to the nation in January, 1961, President Eisenhower cautioned that, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.”  Nearly 50 years later, it’s safe to say that the ignored warning more closely resembled prophecy, and had the general public realized Ike was channeling his inner Nostradamus, maybe our sociopolitical landscape wouldn’t be marred by the corporate-sponsored erosion of liberty and justice for all. 

The members of Montreal- and Boston-based three-piece The Slip titled their most recent studio effort Eisenhower, and I’d like to think their motivation was found in the aforementioned quote.  If not, perhaps they felt a debt of gratitude to the former Commander in Chief who began the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, without which relentless touring acts like The Slip could not (or at least would less comfortably) exist. In any event, Eisenhower, produced by the trio with Matthew Ellard (Elliott Smith, Morphine), has catapulted the band from its uncomfortable place on the periphery of the jamband community to a new home right between the throbbing temples of indie-music consciousness. Of course, these guys haven’t abandoned their roots, as this evening’s 40 Watt performance is the fortunate result of Bonnaroo routing.

Siblings Andrew (drums) and Brad Barr (guitar) along with high-school chum (and bassist extraordinaire) Marc Friedman have been fearless explorers of sound since the inception of The Slip, and Eisenhower is no exception, combining the group’s penchant for penning creative compositions with a peppering of social commentary and obscure references. Perhaps their graduation from the jam ranks was inevitable? After all, lyrically name-dropping Dylan Thomas in those circles gets more "did we go to high school with that guy" responses than it inspires provocative discussions of poetry and prose.

David Eduardo