#LP SpanishGold LosLonelyBoys WTMD livemusic

[baltocourtney-blog]

Live music reviews from 2014

WTMD September 1st Thursday Concert 2014 The last show of the season is yet another reminder that summer is coming to a close. Many people give this designation to Labor Day weekend, but for me it’s the final WTMD 1st Thursday concert. The lineup consisted of Among Wolves, Hamilton Leithauser and headliners The Hold Steady.

Happily, the weather cooperated since it was a beautiful night after a rather humid day. This year’s series was one show short due to the July concert being cancelled after a fierce thunderstorm passed through the city.

Among Wolves The Baltimore band won a spot as the opener after coming in first in the WTMD Baltimore Band Block Party. Eighteen musicians and bands competed for great prizes, one of which was opening at a 1st Thursday show. This band has been building momentum and were chosen to play Artscape 2014, which was another big opportunity to expose new fans to their music.

I had not seen the band before and was quite impressed with their sound and energy. The four-piece (expanded to five tonight) played songs from their recently released EP Separations & Other Loves.

Baltimore’s Among Wolves

Billy Tiedeken and Jason Butcher

Hamilton Leithauser Washington, D.C. native Hamilton Leithauser and his band took to the stage as the sun was setting. The former front man of The Walkman played songs from his album Black Hours. Leithauser’s powerful voice was fully showcased at the end of the set when he put aside the guitar to stun the audience with two ballads.

Hamilton Leithauser

Hamilton Leithauser and his band

The Hold Steady The crowd swelled to capacity in anticipation of The Hold Steady, even the VIP section was more crowded than it had been all season. Photographers were kept to the traditional “first three songs and no flash” rule so as not to distract the band. After a brief sound check, the crowd was forced to wait a bit longer for the Brooklyn-based band to take the stage as a song (not by THS) played over the sound system. Finally, the band members ascended the stairs and walked onto the stage to a rupture of applause and whooping.

Lead singer Craig Finn was waving to the audience and they were giving him back the love. Finn was in almost constant motion; often jumping up and down or walking fast around the stage with hands spread.

Many songs from Boys and Girls in America were played during the set, along with several from their recently released Teeth Dreams album, and 2008’s Stay Positive.

Steve Selvidge and Craig Finn

The Hold Steady

Craig Finn

Craig Finn worked both sides of the stage, clapping and reaching out to acknowledge fans in all areas of the park. He professed his love for Baltimore since his days in his former band Lifter Puller.

I left the show 30 minutes before it ended in order to relieve the woman taking care of my dad (I’m his primary caregiver). I’m guessing there was a raucous end to the set, befitting one of the most enthusiastic bands to play a 1st Thursday Concert in the Park to date.

#AmongWolves #Hamilton Leithauser #TheHoldSteady #CraigFinn #WTMD #livemusic

WTMD June 1st Thursday Concert 2014 June 5th was a beautiful night for any outdoor activity. A large crowd filled Canton Waterfront Park for the best attended 1st Thursdays concert to date. This month’s line up was LP, Spanish Gold and headliners Los Lonely Boys.

LP LP (born Laura Pergolizzi) took the stage to sing songs from her third album Forever for Now. Her soaring strong voice had the crowd whistling and yelling after each song. LP’s instrument of choice is the ukulele, not typical, but it works with her songwriting.

LP (center) and her band

The audience was even more frenetic when she sang the lead single Night Like This from her current album. About halfway through the show, the singer took the mic off of its stand, stood at the edge of the stage and just belted out a song.

LP impresses the audience with her vocal range

The crowd responded with whoops and cheers. LP continued to thank the audience and the station for being so supportive of her music. She then sang her most well known song, Into the Wild. After a few more songs, LP’s set was over, as she exited the stage to much applause from an appreciative crowd.

LP whistling during “Into the Wild”.

Spanish Gold The three piece is comprised of Dante Schwebel, lead singer and guitarist (also guitarist for City and Colour), Patrick Hallahan, drummer (drummer for My Morning Jacket), and guitarist Adrian Quesada (formally of Groupo Fantasma). They brought along a bassist and two back up singers/percussionists for the performance.

Spanish Gold’s expanded touring band.

The band played songs from their debut album South of Nowhere. I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a dramatic drummer, and Patrick Hallahan provided plenty of emotive facial expressions and flying long hair.

Patrick Hallahan in full-on rock and roll mode.

Dante Schwebel recognized WTMD for being the first radio station in the country to play the first single Out on the Street. He also apologized for the long sound check, which did seem to drag on past the usual 10 minute ones. I don’t know if the band arrived late or why a sound check wasn’t done before the gates opened. They still put on a good set full of music with solo guitar jams and a pounding back beat.

Spanish Gold

Los Lonely Boys Headliners Los Lonely Boys asked the audience if they were ready for some Texican rock ‘n roll before they ripped into their long set of music. The brothers Garza define Texican rock ‘n roll as a combination of rock ‘n oll, Texas blues, brown eyed soul, country and Tejano (according to their web site). The reply from the crowd was a thunderous cheer. What followed was about 75 minutes of feel good music even when the topic was about heartbreak or a bad relationship.

(l to r) Henry, Ringo and JoJo Garza

Ringo Garza (behind drum kit) and bassist JoJo Garza

The band is touring in support of their CD Revelation, which came out in January. Their first song of the night was Don’t Walk Away, which was sung by JoJo. Henry and JoJo really had fun when they took turns on guitar and bass solos. The hours of practice and years of playing shows provide fans with quite a show of talent.

The crowd was waiting for the Los Lonely Boys’ breakout hit Heaven. It came as their first encore. The audience went wild and sang along. The second encore was a cover of the Spencer Davis Group’s I’m a Man.

I was pulling out of the parking lot as the song was finishing, so I don’t know if there was a third encore. Even if there was not, Los Lonely Boys put the wrap on another wonderful night of music by the water.

Henry Garza

Los Lonely Boys and their percussionist.

WTMD May 1st Thursday Concert 2014 A new season of the very successful free WTMD 1st Thursdays Concert in the Park series began at a new location — Canton Waterfront Park. The move was necessary due to the restoration of the Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon, home of the 1st Thursdays concerts for the last six years. In spite of cloudy skies and wet grass, about 2,000 music fans inaugurated the 2014 show featuring Marah, Joseph Arthur and headliner Joan Osborne.

Marah Marah brought their “Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania” to the stage and likely won over a lot of new fans. This band has been around for more than a decade and were in Baltimore to support their 11th full length collection. Perhaps most unusual about the scene on stage was the young boy playing violin and guitar. His name is Gus Tritsch and he’s a 10-year-old fiddle prodigy who is new to the band.

Marah kicks off the new season and new location of free summer concerts in Canton Waterfront Park.

Gus Tritsch plays a cigar box guitar and stole the spotlight.

The band’s music incorporates rock n’ roll, blues, country and folk into their sound. The group has relocated its base to rural central Pennsylvania from the hipster-hub of Brooklyn, NY.

Joseph Arthur Brooklyn, New York-based musician Joseph Arthur returned to 1st Thursdays to play songs from 2013’s The Ballad of Boogie Christ and one from his new Lou Reed tribute album, Lou. The sky was darkening and sure enough, right as he was ready to go on stage, a heavy rain began falling. Joseph waited a few minutes but soon braved the elements to start his set. The rain did stop so umbrellas could be collapsed for improved views. Joseph took a few minutes to talk about his friend Lou Reed before singing his cover of Walk on the Wild Side.

Joseph Arthur

Joseph Arthur sang his cover of his late friend Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side.

Joan Osborne Headliner Joan Osborne came on stage wearing a light sweater and carrying a mug of tea. It was appropriate given the cool air that came in after the rain. Osborne was grateful for the enthusiastic reception and was impressed the crowd didn’t disperse after the rain fell. The set stretched from her 1995 Grammy-nominated Relish to the just-released Love and Hate. I recognized the new single, Thirsty for My Tears and a few others since the new collection was the station’s April CD of the Month.

Joan Osborne

A few songs from 2012’s Bring It On Home were included in the hour long show. Osborne danced throughout her set and looked like she was having a lot of fun. The last two songs, One of Us (her most well-known song) and St. Teresa, were taken from Relish.

Joan Osborne made sure the attendees at the back of the park had no trouble hearing her voice.

Joan Osborne punctuating the chorus of a song.

#LP SpanishGold LosLonelyBoys WTMD livemusic #josepharthur #joanosborne #marah