Panoramic Pickin'

The Scottographer has some great panoramic shots up from last week's show at the Cantab Lounge: Jake & Taylor Armerding playing with Zack Hickman and Charlie Rose (not that one).

Covers Night

Last night I went to see Covers Night at Club Passim along with Rhode and Pickin' Baines Johnston. The act was packed with the star power of Jake Armerding, Zachariah Hickman, Mark Erelli, and Lori McKenna. For the last several years this group of artists has delighted the patrons of Passim with an annual show of covers of music from a myriad of genres and time periods. The musicians themselves come out of the bluegrass/folk/country tradition, and incorporate these flavors in their own renditions. Armerding, Erelli, and McKenna took turns singing lead vocals on their choice songs while Hickman provided upright bass, pump organ, backup vocals, witty one liners and inspired yelps throughout.



The show was fantastic. Not only was the music excellent, but it was an entertaining couple hours with the performers cracking jokes, playing off each other, and demonstrating a comfort with each other that made for a fun show.



Regular readers know that I've been a fan of Armerding and Hickman for the last couple years. I think I saw Erelli play at one of many shows at the Cantab - probably with those two. Very talented, great voice.



McKenna was a complete unknown to me, but she's a Commonwealth native with several folk albums who's toured with Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, among others. Erelli toured with her as well. She was incredible - a tiny woman who has some shockingly serious pipes. Beautiful, powerful voice that worked wonderfully on her selections. She has a wistful sound. One of the best female voices I've heard, up there with the likes of Krauss.



The set list, from what I remember:

• "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" by Chicago (Armerding)
  
• "Black Market Baby" by Tom Waits (awesome version sung by Erelli)
• "Deep Red Bells" by Neko Case (cool tune; haunting - Erelli)
• "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot* (Armerding did the late Canuck proud. This one was probably the highlight of the evening. For my table, anyway.)
• "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper (Cheesy pop sung elegantly by McKenna with humorous backup vocals from the gents)
• "Take a Bow" by Rihanna (McKenna)
  
• "White Horse" by Taylor Swift (McKenna - brought a maturity and respectability to youthful pop)
  
• "Purple Rain" by Prince (Incredible performance from Erelli on this. Got the whole crowd singing along.)
  
• "Orange Juice Blues" by Bob Dylan & Richard Manuel (Erelli)
  
• "Greenbacks" by Ray Charles (awesome uptempo number by Erelli)
• "He's a Tramp" by Peggy Lee (eclectic, smoky number from Armerding)
• "More Than Words" by Extreme (the duo of Armerding and Erelli performed this in amusing, uncomfortable homoerotic fashion while Hickman and McKenna mock danced in the arm-length, no-hip contact middle school style offstage)
• "Carol of the Bells" by Leontovych (Armerding, Erelli, Hickman)
• "Ode to Billie Joe" by Bobbie Gentry (amazing rendition by McKenna)
  
• "All Apologies" by Nirvana (perhaps the oddest selection from McKenna but it worked as a closing piece)
  

Erelli probably had the best selections of the night for quality, variety, and performance.

What am I forgetting here? Erin? Scojo?

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*

JERRY: Hey. How's the new place?!

GEORGE: Gone. (Moves over to a chair in the living room. Kramer takes the carton of food to the table, and begins eating) The tenant association made me give it

to this guy because he was an Andrea Doria survivor..

ELAINE: Andrea Doria? Isn't that the one they did the song about?

JERRY: (Correcting her) Edmund Fitzgerald.

ELIANE: I love Edmund Fitzgerald's voice.

JERRY: (Gives Elaine a look) No, Gordon Lightfoot was the singer. Edmund Fitzgerald was the ship.

GEORGE: (Talking about his would-be apartment) You could fit 15 people in that bathroom..

ELAINE: I think Gordon Lightfoot was the boat.

JERRY: (Sarcastic) Yeah, and it was rammed by the Cat Stevens.

KRAMER: (Like a teacher) The Andrea Doria collided with the Stockholm in dense fog 21 miles off the coast of Nantucket. (Makes a clicking sound with his tongue)

The Amazing Armerdings: Pickin' Ain't Just on Tuesdays Anymore

Last night I saw Jake Armerding perform at Club Passim in Harvard Square. Passim is a Folk Music and Cultural Center celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Passim is also home to Veggie Planet, a haven for vegetarians, vegans, and everything else non-animal and non-alcoholic (a disturbing, if not altogether unexpected, revelation upon glancing at the menu upon sitting down). The crowd leans perhaps a bit too left/crunchy/psyched-about-soy for me (the opening act, Seth Glier, waxed disdainfully about his 98 year-old Republican grandma and played an unflattering emo-ish tune written from the perspective of George W. Bush - "I Just Want to Make My Daddy Proud"), but the venue is actually pretty cool. About twenty or so small four-seat tables, additional chairs lining the walls, and a decent sized stage up front. Low ceiling, intimate setting, very friendly staff, great sound system, and a much-appreciated quiet, respectful (read: sober) audience.

I attended with Pickin' Baines Johnston, Lydia, Amanda, Josh, and Laura. We had all seen Jake play at the infamous Cantab Lounge on several occasions. This evening, as he often does, Jake was playing with his father, Taylor, the "Old Lonely Train," the "Ol' High & Lonesome," who plays a mean mandolin and has an ethereal high croon the likes of which are rarely heard in the northeastern metropolises. Zack Hickman, he of the three-piece cream suit and waxed 'stache, plays the stand-up bass like nobody I've ever seen. It's impossible to describe effectively, but he simply jams on it, dancing around it, strumming and plucking with frenetic energy, slapping it viciously at times, occasionally yelping out an emphatic "Yeah!" or "Come on!" when the group is playing an up-tempo instrumental bluegrass number. Quite the talented character. This trio forms the core of Jake Armerding's band, but he often cycles in other people - an additional fiddler, banjo or guitar player. Last night he had Kevin Barry - evidently somewhat of a local Boston pro - on the lap steel and electric guitar. A truly amazing sound. The mellisonant, smooth twang of the lap steel is simply mesmerizing and Barry had a few stellar solos. Jake himself is a tremendous fiddle player, but also plays the guitar and mandolin and has an excellent voice. His sound is hard to qualify - inspired by traditional bluegrass, folk, and country but very bluesy with a touch of rock.

They played half the tracks off Jake's 2007 album Walking on the World, including "Hole In The Sky (Mandolin Man)," "The Fleece," "Keep The River On Your Right," "Assassination Blues," "Critical Eye," and "My House." I have this excellent album, and hearing these tracks performed live with certain elements changed or added was great. Jake played some of his older songs and threw in a few classic bluegrass tunes, including a "Hallelujah"-type song in which he and his dad held looooong notes and produced beautiful harmony.

Fantastic show. Well worth the $15. A long set - all the better after seeing their gigs at the Cantab which always end too soon.

Jake said that he, his dad Taylor, and Zack are going to hit the studio next month to record an entire album. I am really looking forward to this one.

Jake's back playing at Passim on 12/18 with Mark Erelli and Lori McKenna - back-to-back cover shows. I think I might have to check that out.

Support local music!

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Conversation snippets:

MRhé: "I like this place, but it doesn't quite have the same joie de vivre as the Cantab."
Lydia: "That's because there's no beer."

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Amanda: "How's the cake?"
MRhé: "It's pretty good but it needs something..."
Amanda: "Like animal products?"