pacificlectic : concert reviews & eclectic music news

Sam Bond’s Garage is a small venue with good pizza and beer on tap. Small venue meant having to show up early (ugh). I showed up at around 8:30 for the 9:30 show. Alas, the band, Talkdemonic, was all set-up and ready to go. Score!

Then… around 9pm three guys walk in, talk to the guy up front, and then go tell Talkdemonic that they are the opener and need to set up. So, Talkdemonic need to move their stuff from the stage so this other band (Heavenly Oceans) can set-up. Unscore?

By 9:50 or so the Heavenly Oceans were playing. They are a three-piece instrumental band from Eugene… guitar, drummer, and percussion/ blowy-toy-piano guy. Kind of a surf-rock-meets-exotica band. To explain (as my wife didn’t know what I was talking about, I figure others won’t either), “exotica” can be easily called “spy movie music” (Ennio Morricone, et al).

Anyway, I dug (the) Heavenly Oceans a-plenty. They sell these their vinyl albums with these things called “compact discs” in them… which is a nice treat for an audiophile who also wants to be able to rip the music to an iPod. :) Alas, I didn’t pick up their record on Saturday (I was short on cash), but I shall hunt it down sometime in the near future… so, not unscore… Score!

Talkdemonic, went on next… I got into them while browsing the racks at Gem City Music in Dayton, Ohio, a few years ago. Talkdemonic is a two-person band from Portland, Oregon. It’s Lisa Molinaro on viola and Kevin O’Connor on drums. They also have a laptop with pre-recorded beats, banjo, whatnot. They also busted out a blowy-toy-piano (what the hell’s it called?). Antithetical to their naming, they are instrumental (not talky) and quite delightful (not demonic*). They play what might be called electroacoustic chamber rock, or post-rock.

They were much rockier than expected… I even had to bust out the earplugs due to scoring such a close seat. :-) I’m horrible with their song names (as I am with most other post-rock outfits). I do know that they played “Final Russian” and “Manhattan ’81.” I also think they played “White Gymnasium” and “Cascade Locks.” They played a great mix of songs, regardless of my knowledge of names (*blush*). They also played some new songs from their forthcoming third record (due out later this year). Seeing as Eugene’s only 1.5-2 hours away from their homebase, I hope I’ll see more of Talkdemonic in the future.

*- assuming a standard definition of “demonic,” mind you… some people do indeed find demonic music delightful. I may even be considered one of those people from time to time.

The required linkage:
http://www.myspace.com/talkdemonicmusicmaking
http://www.myspace.com/heavenlyoceans

Next shows:
* Ornette Coleman @ PDX Jazz Fest, 2/15
* SFJazz Collective (with Dave Douglas, etc) @ PDX Jazz Fest, 2/15
* Glen Phillips (of Toad the Wet Sprocket) @ WOW Hall, 2/21
* Belà Fleck, the Flecktones, and the Oregon Symphony Orchestra @ PDX Jazz Fest, 2/23

word,
Dan – np: Ornette Coleman – the Pulitzer Prize winning Sound Grammar