pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

FYI… PHOTOS of the SHOW at the BOTTOM

(despite these pictures, this show was not a head-scratcher)

Last night, the Mississippi Studios in Portland had a triple-bill tour de force.  Almost two and a half hours from three wonderful musicians – violinist indie-rapper Emily Wells, folk-pop songwriter Erin McKeown, and Portland-based singer Timmy Straw.  All three were showered us with great music (both old and new)…

Timmy Straw hit the stage late and quickly went into the first number.  Timmy’s vocals were gorgeous, in that gristly-yearning kind of way.  Songs were mostly haunting piano numbers, but there was some electronic-infusion on a song or two.  I picked up Timmy’s equally gorgeous debut CD, 2009’s State Parks.  Timmy only had a little banter during the set, playing fairly straight from one to the next (playing about 6 or 7 songs in a half hour).  Songs I did catch names for are “Rock of Ages,” “Scoops,” and “Herakles.”  I highly recommend State Parks. I think you can only get it at shows at this point (if someone has other info, please pass it along).

Erin McKeown went on around 10 and his us with a lot of gems from her latest album, Hundreds of Lions, out on Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records.  I’d seen her a couple times prior (in Cincinnati), and she was just as adorable and delightfully charming with her stories and music as she can be.  My wife noted (and I agree) that Erin has such great stage presence and spark.  She’s a ball of joy and it comes through in her songs…

Erin’s Setlist: ~45 mins

• “Manifestra” (new song)
• Cinematic
• Santa Cruz
• You, Sailor
• (Put the Fun Back in) the Funeral
• Queen of Quiet
• Didn’t They
• “Train of Steel” (new song)
• Lullaby in 3/4

Emily went on around 11 and started swinging with her crowd-pleasin’ hip-hop numbers.  She employed Doug from the Portland Cello Project during half of her set.  I saw her play with the PCP last summer, and it’s what had me sold on her music.  She switched between violin and various other toys in her arsenal (toy pianos, drum loops, toy microphones, guitar, ukulele, etc).  She relied a lot on looping – which is always fun, as far as I’m concerned.  The hour-long Emily Wells “solo/live remix” included some of her Symphonies, her über-fun Notorious B.I.G. cover, as well as some newer songs… oh, and she was sportin’ some bling…

Emily’s Setlist: ~1 hour

• If You Love Me, Really Love Me
• Symphony 1 In the Barrel of a Gun
• Symphony 6: Fair Thee Well & the Requiem Mix
• Juicy (Notorious B.I.G.)
• Mama’s Gonna Give You Love (new song)
• Give Ya Everything (new song)
• Let Your Guard Down (new song)
• The Fire Song (new song)
• Passenger
• Encore: Symphony 9 & the Sunshine

Emily has a new album coming out later this year, and also a project with Dan the Automator called Pillowfight.  Check her out on the MySpaces to keep in the loop.  We headed back home to Eugene around midnight… tired, but content.

many more photos below

The Appropriate Linkage:

• Emily Wells on MySpace
• Erin McKeown’s Site
• Erin McKeown on MySpace
• Timmy Straw on MySpace
• Mississippi Studios

~Dan – np: Ozomatli – Fire Away
no download or free torrent mp3 flac available
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EMILY WELLS, ERIN McKEOWN
& TIMMY STRAW PHOTOS
all pictures (cc) 2010 Daniel Temmesfeld and Margaret O’Brien,
you may use freely under a creative commons attribution

(click for larger)