Beerland
Austin, TX
July 7, 2007

It was decided among my besty Andrea and myself that it was payday, and high time we raised some hell. And what better way to do that than to do these three things:

1. Go to Beerland
2. Drink pints of Fireman 4
3. See the Flametrick Subs

When we arrived at Beerland, we didn’t wait in any kind of a line, and the tiny room wasn’t very densely populated. The doormen were welcoming instead of surly, and we waltzed in, grabbed our beers and walked to the front of the room. Black Irish Texas had just started their set, and the crowd was settling into their Saturday night places on the floor. The band has been around for a few years, gigging fairly consistently, but with an inconsistent lineup of members. That night’s set was entertaining, but nothing special. My friend and I were more entertained by the appearances of the motley crue (middriff-baring metalhead bass player, pretty boy fiddle player with a black mohawk) than byt the band’s musical prowess. Now, I love a good Irish punk band as much as the next European mutt, but it just didn’t seem like Black Irish Texas was up to snuff. The vocals were rough; jagged rockabilly at best, and I found myself sort of yearning for a better show. Something that would make me want to learn to jig and/or order shooters of Jameson for everyone at the bar.

I wouldn’t have normally even attempted to write a review of Flametrick Subs, but they have a new guitar player. And SHE happens to kick ass. Minus, of course, the out-of-place HotTopic reject goth corset dress milady was wearing. ANYWAY, she kind of made me wonder what the old guitar player even sounded like. She fit in beautifully with the Subs remaining members and Satan’s Cheerleaders, smiling coyly and giving good smirk right on cue during old Subs favorites like Little Miss Riding Hood.

Mohawk
Austin, TX
May 31, 2007

I used to catch Single Frame in San Marcos when I went to Texas State. It seemed at the time that San Marcos was privy to a revolving cast of bands who frequented the town twice a year, like clockwork, and Single Frame was one of them, back when “Ashtray” was the suffix to the band’s name. Quality stuff, from what i remembered. They were one of the supporting bands the other night at Mohawk, and mixed with one of my Texas favorites, Faceless Werewolves, I was SO there.

Single Frame’s set was cushioned with visuals by Super! Alright! studios (a 1950s scuba film and free 3D glasses). It was a cool touch, but most of the audience wore their blue and red lenses on their heads rather than their faces throughout the show.The drummer/lead singer faced the crowd with pride, never flinching and banging those drums the whole time. Most singers can’t even take their eyes off the ground, let alone play their instruments, sing, and make direct eye contact all at once. There was a moment of freestyle and jamming, but most of the set had a decidedly pop feel, of course following a rough, indie outline.

Next up was the evening’s headliners, Faceless Werewolves. I went to their CD release party last fall at Longbranch Inn and I was pleased to see a band that didn’t have a gimmick and was also 2/3 women. Alright! They don’t have a bass player…but that’s why the Werewolves have a badass chick kickin’ the hell out of her bass drum. She’s got a small kit that is always on fire, furious and creative. It’s like if the White Stripes had a little more estrogen and a lot more grit. The band has whining sex appeal that doesn’t quit through the whole set. They’re still one of the most inspiring live acts in the area, each member trading turns singing on different songs. The Werewolves played a few new songs, that were much different than what Austin is used to hearing from them. More multi-dimensional and dynamic, I can’t wait to see these new tracks a on an upcoming album.

Mohawk
Austin, TX
April 28, 2007

I was in the mood for martinis and music, so I called a couple of gal pals, and we met up at Club DeVille. Two extra-dirty martinis later, we headed next door to Mohawk. For just six bucks, the lineup was delicious and all-local: the experimental Low-Line Caller, adventurous Loxly, white-hot White Denim, and hometown favorites The Lemurs were just a few of the collected bands. The very-low cover charge and the dazzling array of acts was certainly due to it being the birthday bash of Mohawk’s booker, Rosa, but then again, I’d be hard-pressed to recall a night when I paid more than eight dollars at Mohawk. This is probably one of the reasons why the club is one of Austin’s top see-and-be-seen indie venues. As our group of three walked through the entrance, White Denim was rounding out their set. I’d heard rumbling about them since SXSW and was thrilled that I got to see what I did. This was reckless, sweaty, and powerful. The crowd was massive at this point in the night, and it seemed as though nobody was interested in the hipster fashion show around them. White Denim was in control. On a side note, I noticed a few fellas in the audience sporting WHITE DENIM. Awesome.

As The Lemurs set up, the crowd thinned a bit, but at this point it was about 12:30 am. I knew that they had already played a block party at The Rio Grande Restaurant that day, and was sort of marveling at their stamina. During SXSW this year they were all over the place, playing multiple shows in the same day. These guys know how to promote themselves. Just before the set began, the breeze kicked up, and the guys launched into their first song. The great thing about going to see the Lemurs is kinda like ordering your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant: you always know what you’re going to get, and you always know you’re going to be satisfied. Mmm! The girls and I danced our asses off, enjoying all of the set, even though we all had seen them before. It was interesting to see which members took their bartender-delivered Jaeger shots, and which didn’t (I’ll never tell!) The music became a little less tight as the set carried on; I’m sure the day was catching up with them at what was now 1:00 am. But they played until the latest possible moment, and there were smiling faces throughout the bar at the evening’s close.

I first caught wind of these guys in Austin playing with Will Taylor and Strings Attached. When we discovered they would be in Houston the following week, we put the show on our iteniary. Am I glad we did.

porterdavis consists of Daniel Barrett on guitar, Mike Meadows on percussion, and Simon Wallas on Harmonica. Barrett carries most of the singing chores, but they all contribute vocally at one point or another. The Strings Attached show where I first saw them was a blues revue, but it is hard to pigeonhole them in that genre.

They are certainly tinged with the blues but their sound is much more complex and layered than that. First, you have to understand that Meadow’s percussion is unlike traditional percussion. Meadows and Barrett got their start in Boston playing in the subway stations and drums weren’t allowed. So Meadows played anything that looked sounded like a drum. This includes the simple tamborine, a frame drum, and a box drum. Watching him play is a lot like watching a magician. You keep thinking that the harder you stare at him the easier it will be to understand how he makes all of those sounds. Dream on. I finally just gave up and concentrated on the sound. It was still magic.

Barrett’s guitar playing is rock solid, harder than it looks, and the centerpiece of the group. Few musicians understand the power of constraint, but Barrett seems to have learned the lesson. If anyone is interested in studying his technicque, he’s opening the Red Leaf School of Music in Austin. If it was closer to Houston, I’d drive up and take a guitar lesson or two. Hell, I may do it anyway just as a treat for myself.

The third component to this wonderfully multi-layered band is Simon Wallace. A national UK harmonica champion at age 17, he’s a great addition to the group. He is precise, inventive, and adds sounds that you have a hard time reconciling with a harmonica.

I liked almost all of their songs but tunes like Smack You Back, Diamond Eyed One, and White Freightliner stood out as did their performance of Hank William’s Jambalya. The latter was probably the best version of that song I’ve ever heard. I really hope they commit it to (I was going to say vinyl, but I suppose that’s passe)…. Well, I hope they record it.

This is a group to watch.