whatbreesees

I got to chat with uber talented ZZ Ward yesterday afternoon. She was at a laundromat doing laundry on her day off. Life on the road is definitely not as glamorous as we might think. At least her adorable terrier puppy, Muddy Waters, is along for the ride. ZZ was very kind and I appreciate her taking the time to answer some questions for me (and my students!). ZZ will be playing at Port City Music Hall in Portland, Maine on Saturday, June 15. You can get your tickets here.

Thanks, ZZ! Thanks to Brooke for putting us in touch! Keep scrolling to see what we talked about.

xo,

bree

I took feverish notes. Here’s the gist of our conversation:

B: Hey, ZZ! How are you?

ZZ: I’m good, how are you?

B: I’m doing realy well! How’s Muddy Waters?

ZZ: She good. She has the hiccups right now, but she’ll get through it.

B: So she gets to go on tour with you?

ZZ: Yeah, she’s on tour with me right now.

B: That must be so much fun for everyone.

ZZ: Everybody really likes it. We have to pull the tour bus over for her sometimes. She’s a little diva. But she’s great. We love having her on tour with us.

B: And she’s pretty young.

ZZ: Yeah. She’s five months old. I just got her.

B: The town I grew up in in Maine is actually bigger than the one you grew up in in Oregon. I wonder how the transition to big city life in LA is going for you?

ZZ: Well I’m not there much. I live there, but I’m on the road all the time. Moving from a small town was really intimidating. The biggest thing was driving. If you’re from the city you might not even comprehend what I’m talking about. If you’re from the country you’re used to leisurely driving and LA has five lane freeways. It’s really intense. I remember when I first moved down there that I had a friend call and invite me to The Viper Room. I asked him to pick me up and he was like “don’t you have a car?” And even though I did, I wasn’t sure that I could make it down there. It’s the most terrifying thing. So, big changes.

B: You talked about being on tour all the time. Do you prefer songwriting, recording, or touring?

ZZ: I enjoy all of them. The creative process is very different than the live show. With live shows you’re out there interacting with people and fans who love your record. That compared to being in the studio writing songs about my life is very different than being on tour. But I like both in different ways. I love to write, though. That’s my favorite part.

B: I know that you played in Tampa last night and today’s your day off. What’s your daily routine when you’re on tour? Do you ever have time to explore?

ZZ: I’ve been doing this for about a year now. I realize I need to do it so that I can handle it so that I’m not running a marathon all the time. You have to make it work for you, because in every city that I go to there are people who’ve traveled to see me play so I need to be sure I’m my best all the time. If I have the day off I’ll try to see a movie or do something normal. Like, we’re at a laundromat right now doing laundry.

B: Well if it makes you feel better, I have to go mow my lawn after I talk to you. It’s grown a little out of control. How glamorous our lives are!

ZZ: I know! Very glamorous.

B: You clearly like to collaborate with diverse and interesting artists. Who are some people that you’d like to work with?

ZZ: I’d love to work with Gary Clark Jr., Salaam Remy, Kayne West, Azealia Banks…

B: I got to see Gary Clark Jr. from the front row at the Newport Folk Festival last summer and he was so impressive.

ZZ: Right on. He’s a great guy and he is super talented.

B: So you’re touring all the time and are never home in LA, which is good so you don’t have to drive, but are you making any new music?

ZZ: I’ve really been grinding with this record. The first single [“Put The Gun Down”] did really well and went top ten on the AAA radio charts and was on the charts for a long time. We’ve moved on to the second single now and I feel like the crowds are growing and some people know me now. It’s incredible to watch it build. But a lot of people haven’t heard of me still, so we’re really still working this record. I write when I can, but it’s not my main focus right. This record is my focus and I’m trying to get the world to know me.

B: Well the record is fantastic. I love it. I think I heard it early on and have known about you for a while now.

ZZ: Thank you.

B: I’ve been listening for a long time and I’ve enjoyed the album the whole way through. Your song “Last Love Song”—I don’t know if I was going through a breakup when I first heard it but it captured exactly how I felt during the last one!

ZZ: Well that’s how I felt, so I’m happy you could relate. Well I’m sad you could relate, but happy.

B: Well I’m sad for you, too, but that must be the amazing gift of music that people can relate to what you’re sharing with them.

ZZ: Well the good thing about me is that I’m kind of desensitized to that I’m talking about very personal things in my life and I’m sharing them with lots of people. But they’re things a lot of people want to share but don’t know how.

B: You were saying that some people still don’t know who you are. I’m a high school social studies teacher and I told my students today that I had an interview with you after school. I told them they’d probably know your song from Pretty Little Liars and sure enough, a lot of them did. They asked me if I’d ask you a question from them and I was impressed with their question, actually.

ZZ: That’s so cute!

B: Their question is—well, Eleanor wants to know your favorite color, and other question is if you have a favorite pre show ritual.

ZZ: I like this question. My favorite color is blue. Probably baby blue. Even though it’s not a color I really wear. And before every show I get together with my band and give a quick speech to help remind us that we can’t ever be perfect on stage so we should just go out there and have fun.

B: My blog actually focuses on the concert experience from a concert goers experience. From my perspective, I know what I think makes a good show, but from a performer’s perspective, what makes for a great show or what makes for a terrible show?

ZZ: Good sound helps. A lot of people don’t think about that, but on stage it makes a big difference. My favorite way to play is not plugged in at all and I’m just singing in a room because nothing can be in the way of me and the song. But for the most part, people come out—my fans come out—and they are so enthusiastic and so supportive that it just makes it easy. So for me as long as my crowd has a good time and when I meet them after the show and they tell me they had a fun experience then at the end of the day that’s what we came to do.

B: I’m excited to finally see you live next Saturday! Will it be your first time in Maine? I mean I know you haven’t played a show in Maine because I would have been at it, but have you been to New England before?

ZZ: No. I know this will sound cliché, but is it really the spot for clam chowder?

B: Yes! [We chatted at length about the delicious clam chowder, lobster rolls, and oysters on the half shell readily available in Portland, and I assured ZZ that there’s plenty of amazing and delicious restaurants within blocks of the venue.]

ZZ: Yay! Awesome. That’s really exciting. We don’t always have a lot of options, so we’re always excited for good food.

B: iTunes defines your album as “Alternative Rock.” I feel like that’s not quite right. What would you call your music?

ZZ: Well I don’t think they have this category, but I’d say back porch blues meets hip hop. Maybe we could make that happen someday.

B: I’m so glad you could squeeze me in while you were doing laundry and I am really looking forward to seeing you next week!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

State Theatre, Portland, Maine

I still haven’t completed decided how I felt about this show overall. That’s quite unusual. I ran into a colleague on Monday who raved about the show and said it was one of the best he’s ever seen. A different colleague yesterday afternoon said he’d been really disappointed by the show. It seems like the show was many different things to different people. I think I came down somewhere in the middle.

I got to see my concert buddy Bob the Undertaker for this show. We met over two years ago at the State Theatre at an Iron & Wine show, so it was fitting that we’d reconvene to see them again. We met up early and grabbed tacos and margaritas at Taco Escobarr before the show. We made it back to State at 6:30 and there was already a line around the corner for doors at 7. Bob and I snagged a spot just behind two sweet girls front and center along the stage barricade inside. We were pleased with our great spot up close because we knew the show was near sell out, and it would be really crowded later.

The Secret Sisters of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, took the stage. I’d seen them open for Brandi Carlile with my dear friend Tricia from the front row at Berklee Performance Center a year and a half ago in Boston. They are sweet as sugar and were so clearly thrilled by the kind audience response to their songs. I like their post WWII vibe complete with pin curls, a cover of Patsy Cline’s “Leavin’ On Your Mind,” and an Everly Brothers tune. Country to the core, I thought the audience responded well to the duo whose music is not particularly like Iron & Wine’s. T-Bone Burnett is producing their new album that will be out soon. I appreciated their dark tune “Bad Habit” and loved the spiritual “Bury Me.” They wrapped their set with “Tonight You Belong to Me” a cappella. The crowd was attentive and really listened and sisters Laura and Lydia Rogers seemed pleased as punch and kind of surprised by the warm reception.

I’d been surprised last time I saw Iron & Wine because there were twelve people in the band (including the fabulous Marketa Irglova of Once fame). I’d hoped for Sam, a guitar, and maybe a backup vocalist. At this show there were thirteen onstage. Sam Beam was the bandleader with three backup singers, three string players, three horn players, a drummer, a pianist, and a bassist. Thanks to some awesome audience members, you can go online and listen to the night’s setlist at setlist.fm.

Sam and the band played eight songs together before Sam’s four song solo acoustic set. Sam asked the crowd if anyone had a song in particular they really wanted to hear. The crowd went kind of wild. That’s when I realized that although the full band show is entertaining in a way and fills the room (man, those horn players can really move!), Iron & Wine fans (like me) yearn to hear Sam solo. The crowd got a little aggressive with their requests, but Sam handled it like a champ. He kept thanking us over and over again all night for being there and chatted a lot with us. I felt involved in the show because I was so close to the stage. Sam smiled and waved back at me and even took the request from the girl in front of us for “Bird Stealing Bread” during his solo set who Bob and I pointed out to him.

I was so happy to hear “Tree by the River,” “Godless Brother In Love,” “Sixteen, Maybe Less” (solo, with a little “Freebird” thrown in for good measure), “Boy With a Coin” (solo, with a little “Beat It” thrown in), “Naked As We Came” (solo), and The Postal Service’s “Such Great Heights” (with just Sam and the string section). The crowd seemed really excited to hear “Jezebel,” too. Sam said that he’d been surprised by the success of “Naked As We Came.” He wondered how such a dark song had gotten so popular. Sam chuckled and poked fun at himself a fair amount during his solo set. He made a couple of mistakes and said “the game is up—I’ve learned to lean on the band.” A guy in the crowd got Sam’s attention and threw his demo onstage per Sam’s request. It whizzed past his head and Sam joked, “Your music almost killed me!”

“Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me” was a great last song for the night. It featured the backup singers and their lush harmonies. The crowd stomped for an encore, and Sam came out and played “Sodom, South Georgia” for us. I was thrilled to hear it. I also would have loved to hear “The Trapeze Swinger,” “Flightless Bird, American Mouth,” and “Walking Far From Home,” but I left content. I got to see some friends in the crowd as I made my way out, and even ran into two girls in prom dresses who’d ditched the Gorham High School prom for the show.

Sam solo acoustic tour!? It would be a dream come true. But bring that trumpet player. He can dance. Okay—bring the whole horn section.

xo,

bree

Saturday, May 11, 2013

One Longfellow Square, Portland, Maine

I had an awesome Saturday with great friends that included a tasting and tour at Oxbow Brewery in Newcastle, oysters on the half shell, and a trip to Damariscotta’s fish ladder. I was excited for this show, and my friends and college classmates Harriet and Atlee and Harriet’s brother Tielman decided to join me. I beat them to One Longfellow Square and was genuinely perplexed by the seating arrangements. There were about 40 people trying to crowd in the back and a gaping hole in the middle of the room where a dance floor area had been left open in lieu of seating. It confused everyone, because we go to OLS to listen and generally not to dance. People started building their own rows of seating, so I actually ended up quite close to the stage. I’d recommend against that half-seated/half-dance floor arrangement in the future. In such a small space, it has to be all or nothing.

Boston folk duo Tall Heights (Tim Harrington and Paul Wright) took the stage and clearly had a lot of fans in the sold out crowd. I appreciated their lush harmonies and sweet tenor voices. I am a sucker for the cello, so loved hearing it paired with guitar. “Running of the Bulls” and “I Don’t Know, I Don’t Know” stuck out to me. Their new album, Man of Stone, is out now. They ran a Pledge Music campaign to raise funds for their album production and thanked the supporters of that campaign profusely. They even asked a woman in the front row to take pictures of the show on a disposable camera for one of their campaign’s supporters (it was one of the campaign donation incentives). I’m glad I made it out early to catch Tall Heights’ set. I can see why they have a loud cheering section.

I’d heard “San Antone” by Portland’s The Ghost of Paul Revere on 98.9 WCLZ’s Music from 207 show. I didn’t know it was their song at the time, but I’d pulled into my driveway while it was playing, and I liked the song so much that I sat in my car with the engine off until it ended. I was immediately sold. GPR is a five piece of old friends who play an array of instruments that include acoustic guitar and bass, banjo, horn, mandolin, and harmonica. Matt Young on harmonica (and mandolin) impresses, but really wowed the crowd with his killer dance moves. You can’t teach that. GPR calls their genre “holler folk,” which is an apt description for what I saw during their set. Check out this BDN feature on The Ghost of Paul Revere that will give you plenty of background. The Ghost of Paul Revere stole the show. I was so impressed with them. Their harmonies, stomping percussion, and vocal power were stellar. Their songs progressed from mellow to powerhouse. They were funny (especially bassist Sean McCarthy, who I have a total crush on), interacted comfortably with the crowd, and were clearly having a great time. I felt like I was part of the show while they were onstage. I so look forward to seeing them again soon. Check out this review of their album North on The Equal Ground and check out their live show.

Portland’s Tricky Britches took the stage and thanked us for coming out to their sold out CD release for their new album, Good Company. I’d seen Tricky Britches play with Darlingside last fall, and theirs was one of my favorite shows of 2012. Check out my post from that show. Longtime friends and band mates, the guys of Tricky Britches are very comfortable with each other and are cohesive and well rehearsed. They alternated between original songs, mountain songs, and covers. I liked “Leave My Troubles Behind,” their cover of Vince Gill’s “One More Last Chance,” and “By My Side.” Their friend Rich joined them on banjo for “Fish in the Sea.” Seth and Jed joked about their “wardrobe malfunction”—they’d both worn western shirts with flowers embroidered on them. They thanked their Kickstarter campaign supporters for their help getting the new album out. I liked Bear’s sweet “Sugarcane,” including the lines, “She’s my fire on a cold, cold night/She’s my summer shade.” They wrapped their set with a couple of Appalachian dance tunes that included some super rhythmic stomping. The crowd was amped and clapped heartily in unison for an encore. The guys obliged with “Cumberland Fair,” a song about running into your ex lover at the fairground. Tricky Britches has a loyal local following and you should definitely check out their high-energy live show.

What a great night of local-ish music!

xo,

bree

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

State Theatre, Portland, Maine

A bunch of us went out to dinner and then to see Josh Ritter to celebrate our dear friend Max Garcia Conover‘s birthday. Josh is really the reason Max started making music, and he will have  a recap of our night for you soon! I’ll say that Josh is a pleasure to see live–he exudes joy and clearly enjoys every second he’s onstage. I ended up front row center for the show and it was great to have so many concert buddies for the night!

xo,

bree

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Johnson Hall, Gardiner, Maine

Johnson Hall is a sweet little arts venue right in downtown Gardiner, Maine. It’s a mere half mile from my house. I’ve gone to a couple of their outdoor summer lunchtime shows over the years I’ve lived in town, but overall, I’ve never been particularly drawn to the lineup. Johnson Hall has made a real effort over the last year to make needed improvements, and with the announcement of their new Executive Artistic Director, Mike Miclon, I’m confident they’re moving in the right direction. I had a chance to talk to Mike on his first day on the job, and I was so happy to hear that many of his ideas were compatible with my own. I’d be thrilled to drive to Brunswick, Portland, and Boston significantly less for concerts, and I think a lineup I’m happy with is on the horizon. It was pretty amazing to leave my house at 7:25 PM and still be on time and in the front row of a venue for a show five minutes later. I could really get used to that!

I grabbed my front row center seat just in time for Ed DesJardins, Jenna Campbell, and Luke Cartwright. Jenna and Luke had traveled down from Bangor to open the show with Ed, and they sounded quite cohesive as a trio given their geographical distance. They played a few of Jenna’s songs, a few of Ed’s, a couple more of Jenna’s, another of Ed’s, and then Luke played a couple of his own with Jenna’s help. Jenna’s voice was silky smooth and her songs were deeply personal and autobiographical. One of the lines from her songs that stuck out to me was “memories of the past are like ghosts that never leave.” Ed’s big brother Steve played guitar with the group during Ed’s songs, which included “Help Yourself” and “Old Time Picture Show” off of his album, Innerspace. Ed said “Old Time Picture Show” came to him on a September afternoon at camp after all of the people he’d grown up with there had gone home for the season. Luke had a great voice and sang harmony throughout the set. When he took the lead, his songs were reminiscent of Dashboard Confessional—personal, building, and powerful.

L.A. singer-songwriter Shane Alexander grew up in western Pennsylvania. His mother lived in Hallowell, and he and Ed met and became good friends years ago. I’d missed his show at Johnson Hall last summer, so was very glad to catch him this time. His gentle acoustic finger picked songs in interesting tunings are the foundation for his sound, and his soulful, honest lyrics are captivating. Shane told us stories of his time at Ed’s house this visit—learning how to put a lobster to sleep before cooking it, eating steamers, shooting a potato gun—you know, the normal things we Mainers do on a regular basis. I felt a little like I was in Shane’s living room as he told us stories and drew us in with his haunting and delicate songs.

Shane told us that he comes to Gardiner to play a lot because “I love you.” I started to believe him as he told us tales of his many visits to Maine. The first time he came to Maine to visit, he said, he ended up wasted and on stage at The Wharf in Hallowell within moments of his arrival. He also opened a show for Jewel in Portland, but told us his impromptu gig at The Wharf had been sexier. Shane was touring for his fifth album, Ladera, which came out in April. He’d made a stop at the Guild guitar factory in Connecticut on his way to Maine to play for them and had spent part of the day there meeting literally every employee and seeing how each guitar is made.

Shane played “One So Young” and told us it was about how terrifying it is to become an adult. I liked “The Sky Below,” which showed off Shane’s lovely tone. He played a beautiful cover of Tim Krekel’s “Angel’s Share,” and told us how he’d gotten to know Tim in Maine before he passed away. “Front Porch Serenade” took on a special meaning for Shane when he and his laboring wife showed up at the hospital and she pressed play (a rarity) and they listened to the whole song before going inside. It was surely an appropriate choice—“First time I saw you smile/I could see you walking down the isle/With flowers in your hair and your mama standin’ there/Someday you’ll be my wife/Be the one to share my life/Gonna have us a child/We’ll be happy all the while.” Shane had Ed join him on lap steel for “Front Porch Serenade” and then on piano for “Moore Hotel.”

Shane introduced “Feels Like the End” by talking about how we have to push back against the darkness in the world. During his trip north, he’d been in a traffic jam in New York City and when he stopped for gas afterwards, realized he was in Newtown, Connecticut. It was surreal. He said he felt fortunate to play music for people as his contribution towards bringing a little light to the darkness.

“I Will Die Alone” will show up on an upcoming album. Shane and singer-songwriter pal, Jessie Payo, wrote it together at his house. I saw Jessie open for Eric Hutchison back in October. Shane asked if anyone in the audience had a request, and people were certainly fans who had particular songs in mind. A gentleman next to me asked to hear “Stargazer” and Shane told us it was based on the surfer film, Blue Crush. I’ll go ahead and admit that I own that movie and that my best friend Margaret and I think it’s really layered.

Shane told us a little about growing up in a small town in western Pennsylvania, and said he knew it was time to leave after high school. He goes back to play there regularly, and his nostalgic “Skyway Drive-In” seems to be a favorite of his hometown crowd. Shane said it’s his favorite of his songs, and it’s certainly my favorite of the Shane Alexander songs I’ve heard. Shane kindly gave me a copy of Ladera after his show and I’ve listened to “Skyway Drive-In” easily dozens of times. It’s lyrically heavy—“Ache in my chest when I saw you in your dress/We had small town in our bloodstreams/Wild horses in our hearts/It hurts like hell when first love falls apart.” Definitely have a listen.

Shane played “Coffee Kiss” for another audience member. He wrote it on the balcony of his hotel room on a family trip to Maui and it had been a long time since he’d played it. He thanked us sincerely for coming to the show and left the stage. He gave a shout out to Lucky Clark for the interview he wrote up for the Kennebec Journal. Shane came right out to his merch table to meet and greet fans. I decided to say hello and he gave me a copy of Ladera for the road. It’s a great listen from start to finish. “Skyway Drive-In” is by far my favorite song, but I also really like “Raincloud of Knowable Things.” Thanks, Shane, for coming to tiny Gardiner, Maine! Thanks to Ed DesJardins for bringing him to town to play for us!

xo,

bree

Friday, April 26, 2013

The Strand Theatre, Rockland, Maine

My teacher friend and neighbor Andrea asked me to join her for Kris Allen’s show at The Strand. I knew that he’d been on American Idol and had covered a couple songs that I like—“Falling Slowly” and “Heartless.” Google just informed me that Kris Allen won American Idol that season. He was up against Adam Lambert in the end. I’ve heard of him, too. I hadn’t seen Andrea in ages, so I agreed to join her for a little Girls Night. We left Gardiner pretty early in the afternoon for Rockland and had a delicious dinner at Sunfire Mexican Grill. We made it to The Strand right as doors opened, and there was already quite a line to get inside. We snagged a spot near the front and did some people watching. The crowd was an interesting range of ages, and wasn’t the predominantly teenage girl crowd I’d expected.

There was no opening act, so Kris Allen and his drummer, pianist, and guitarist took the stage right at 7:30. I didn’t know Kris’ music, but I’d searched him on YouTube earlier in the day and found out “Live Like We’re Dying” was his song. I’d heard it last summer. That’s when I realized that he was less a soulful singer songwriter type and more a teeny bopper.

Kris has a lovely voice. He tried to engage the audience all night. He said they’d been in town a lot of the day and enjoyed it a lot. They’d even walked the long way out to the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse and he joked it was a lot farther away then he’d expected. Here’s proof he made it:

Kris was accompanied by a guitarist, pianist, and cajon box drummer on stage. I liked the cajon because it’s percussive without being overpowering. He did a cover of George Michael’s “Faith” that he mashed up with “We are Young” and “Some Nights” by fun. He sang George Jones’ “She Thinks I Still Care” as a tribute to the great musician who’d died earlier Friday.

I liked “Leave You Alone.” I think it had more depth lyrically than his other songs. Kris played ukele on a couple of songs. He played “Unique” for the people who end up with the person you were supposed to be with. Kris sampled “No Woman, No Cry” in one of his songs—hearing a “everything’s gonna be alright” refrain on a Friday night is always welcome. He introduced all of his band mates and they each took a long solo. I appreciated that he highlighted them. They played Kris’ hit (are there more hits, and I just don’t know them?) “Live Like We’re Dying” before leaving the stage.

The guys came back out for a few more songs. The second was another mash up of songs he’d covered on Idol—“Falling Slowly” (I was wearing my Glen Hansard t-shirt—he’s the guy who wrote that song that you may not have heard of!), “Heartless,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Someone at our show recorded it. Kris can really sing. His songs were simple (as in, mentions of rainbows and such) and lacked substance. Maybe he’ll outgrow his Idol past and write some songs with a bit more soul in the future. Or, maybe that kind of music sells well and it’s just where he wants to be. I don’t judge.

Thanks for a fun Girls Night, Andrea! A drive, dinner, and show are always a great way to start the weekend! Also, there was an ADORABLE little girl in the front who was beside herself with joy. It was sweet to watch!

xo,

bree

I met Bob two years ago at an Iron & Wine show at the State Theatre in Portland, Maine. He was concerting alone (my specialty), and my then pregnant friend Kristin and I went together.  I said something to him about his velvet jacket. He told me it was corduroy, actually, and I complimented him on the fine wale. We’ve been music buddies ever since. We chatted in between the acts that night, and he invited me to take his extra ticket to see Adele with The Civil Wars a few weeks later. Of course I went, and the rest is history. Happy anniversary, Bob! You are an amazing music buddy! I always look forward to his texts about upcoming shows, albums, and late night music appearances. And these messages come at odd hours because he works with dead people. Totally normal, right!?
xo,

bree

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Mayo Street Arts, Portland, Maine

It’s too late to pretend that I’m impartial when it comes to Max Garcia Conover. He’s a great friend in real life and ardent supporter of this bloggity blog. Max hasn’t been playing guitar, singing, or writing songs for all that long, but he’s already built a fan base of people who appreciate his finger picked, intricate songs. Max is easily one of the most humble people I know and has absolutely no ego as far as his musical talent. I love that he’s earning well-deserved success and is still the same guy I’ve known for years. I don’t expect that will ever change.

Max’s new (and first) full-length album, Burrow, is lovely. I think it’s best appreciated by listening the whole way through. There’s great flow from start to finish. I love the instrumental opening that “Teem” offers, and “Evergreen Cemetery,” (which Max assured us is not about the duck that followed him on a long walk through it one day), “Burrow,” and “The Wedding Line” stick out as other favorites. I love hearing Sophie Nelson’s sweet voice on “New Beast,” too. Max told us that the whole album’s basically about the importance of inspiration.

Check out Sam Pfeifle’s review of Burrow in The Portland Phoenix, a write up in his hometown paper, a shout out in The Deli National, and listen to Max’s interview on Greetings from Area Code 207 (starting around minute 17). Here’s my post about Max’s first EP release show, another about his show with Morris and the East Coast, and a last one about his show with JAW GEMS.

I was really excited for Max’s CD release show at Mayo Street Arts. It’s a great venue for a MGC show because it’s so tiny and intimate. Every seat was filled and people also stood along the back wall when Max took the stage. Satronen Sound recorded the show, and Max wasn’t amplified. You could hear a pin drop. It was so quiet that I didn’t want to take too many pictures with my awesome new DSLR camera (thanks, Dad!) because the shutter was louder than the sound of the people in the room. I think that’s a pretty good sign that we were captivated.

I’ll include a picture of Max’s set list for the evening. People who were at the show will perhaps (okay, surely) be surprised to find out that Max’s banter topics were pre-planned and written down on his set list. Max’s banter is hilarious, because it clearly makes him uncomfortable to talk about himself and his songs and his stories meander a bit. He gave whatbreesees.com a couple of nice shout outs at the show, which I appreciated.

I liked Max’s new song, “So Be Hardened,” a lot. Max plays with the talented and percussive Samuel James from time to time, and “So Be Hardened” was Max’s attempt at writing a waltz (per James’ suggestion). After the intermission, Max opened with one of my favorites, “As Much a Rising Sun as a Setting One” and had us sing along with him. He taught us our part for his cover of “Wonderful Life” by The Felice Brothers and said we’d do it later so we’d have time to let the words percolate. He joked that we should sing it joyfully and also heartbrokenly. He taught it to us with hand motions, too. Max is a teacher by trade, and it showed.

Max gave a shout out to his awesome mom who was at the show and had ironed his shirt for him. He said he was going to play her a song because she likes it, but that there’s another song she really likes that he wasn’t going to play. Soon after that he told us it was time to talk about the rest of our night. He said it’s always hard for him to play a show and have all of that adrenaline left over because everyone goes home afterwards and leaves him all alone. So we were instructed that we’d all walk out together and straight over to The Big Easy to see him open for The Pete Kilpatrick Band. A lot of us actually went.

Max stepped off stage and walked to the small clearing in the back of the room to close the night with “Wonderful Life” with our help. It was great to sing together. We demanded an encore and Max took the stage to play “The Wide” for us. That song is amazing. Max’s hand percussion and tempo changes make it really outstanding. We gave him a standing ovation and he basically made time to hug a few people as he rushed out of the building to get to The Big Easy because he was already running late for his slot.

I stayed to help clean up and then made it over to The Big Easy just as Max started his set. A lot of people from the Mayo Street show had gathered to enjoy another Max mini-set. Even though it’s also a bar, I think people were polite and listened pretty attentively. Max told a story about how he’d opened for Jim Avett (The Avett Brothers’ dad) at a festival in New York and covered “Murder In the City” for us.

I was impressed by Portland’s Doubting Gravity. They were filling in for another band at the last minute and were great live. Their lead singer, Andi Fawcett, can sing all day long. She has a Melissa Etheridge/Janis Joplin voice with a lot of control and power. We all liked her and their rockin’ music—a stark contrast from Max, but also great.

The Pete Kilpatrick Band took the stage last. They’re a Portland favorite and the room started to fill up just as soon as they started their set. Here’s my post about the last Pete Kilpatrick Band show I saw. Pete told us about their recent show with John Popper of Blues Traveler and how they pranked their drummer on April Fools Day by listing his number on Craigslist and saying he was selling a house on 10 acres in West Falmouth for $100,000. His phone rang off the hook all day. PKB is always fun to see live. They know how to have a good time and their success is steadily growing.

What a great night!

xo,

bree