Poor Bailey
Cafe Du Nord was chock full bands I adore last Wednesday. Seeing Poor Bailey perform a full set of old favorites and new tunes was something I was looking forward to considering they’ve been releasing new material over the past month. The night also featured fellow Bay Area acts Foxtail Brigade and il gato, two of my many favorite rising local bands.
il gato
il gato
Opening was the folk-baroque act, Il Gato. While Il Gato has been making waves across the blogosphere, they have yet to gain the audience they deserve. However, it didn’t take long for the sparely attended crowd to divert their attention to this very special band. The most noticeable aspect of Il Gato was how well oiled and tight they were, like they have been playing together for several years. Particularly with songs like Burning Red and On Feathers & Arrows, there seemed to be level of experience that surpassed bands that take years to achieve that point of confidence. I have a good feeling about these guys.
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[mp3] il gato – On Feathers & Arrows (on Burnt Pine) from All these Slippery Things (2010)
Foxtail Brigade
Foxtail Brigade
Foxtail Brigade
Next up was the organically playful yet haunting Foxtail Brigade. Featuring the likes of Laura Weinbach and Judgement Day / The Devotional’s Anton Pazner, Foxtail strips everything down to a sparse drum kit, a dry acoustic guitar and a violin mingling with Laura’s sweetness. Lead singer-songwriter Laura Weinbach’s lyrics are smart, wonderful, and direct. This is orchestral pop that’s immaculately performed and quite fun, even at it’s most somber moments. Throughout the set I could pin-point influences ranging from Joanna Newsom, Edith Piaf (one song involved lyrics sung in French), and the orchestration of Yann Tiersen with bits of cabaret and gypsy-polka. The creativity was bursting from the seems and anyone there to witness it was more than likely impressed. I know I was.
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[mp3] Laura Weinbach – Anton Patzner – When The Ships Sail from Reverie (2010)
Poor Bailey
Poor Bailey
Poor Bailey yet again brought their revealing folk rock to the closing of the night with as much honesty and slum as you’d expect from the group. Oakland wunderkind Scott Allbright performs his songs so heartfelt and gritty they make you feel like a voyeur just listening to them. This precocious singer croons with the astonished intensity of a heavy-traveling vagabond singing for his supper. Performing several songs from their October Project (they released a song for every day of the month of October, see here) as well as new songs from the upcoming Excerpts from the Happy Dead as well as 2007′s deeply unique Pyrite & Gold. The band was even selling cassette tapes with download codes for the entire 31-song October session for a low price. If Poor Bailey continues to set the bar this high for themselves in regards to releasing new and original music as well as performing at peak level, I can safely say that I’m excited for what’s next from this genuinely passionate band.
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[mp3] Poor Bailey – Falling In Love With A Monster from The October Project (2010)
Poor Bailey / click picture for more photos from the show