Playlist

Live

August 9, 2012
Andrew James Robison, Your Mother Should Know, The Ancients, Tyrannosaurus Grace
Rat and Raven, Seattle

Andrew played a solo set, mixing original songs with creditable covers of Springsteen, The Replacements, and others, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. His voice hovers in the upper region of baritone, tempering an americana yawp with a smooth slipcover of headvoice. The original material is lyrically dense, like Springsteen or Dylan, though not heavyhanded or uncomfortably maudlin. His stage presence is a familiar Seattle trope: just one of y'all, but completely confident to be on stage singing. He was joined in the last song by Neal Meyer, of YMSK.

Your Mother Should Know at the Comet

Anyone following this blog is aware that Your Mother Should Know consists of my long-time collaborator Neal Meyer on vocals & guitar, and my lovely spouse Karen, Neal's sister, on drums & occasional vocal. They played a slightly curtailed version of the set from their last gig, which was at the Comet on July 29th. Being involved with the band, I will forbear from public commentary other than to say their garage punk style was a good contrast with the other bands on the bill.

The Ancients

The Ancients is a five-piece band from Ellensburg playing some sub-genre or other of Heavy Metal. The singer has all his stagy compulsories down pat: hammily conducting the band with biceps and pecs and arms aloft in glory triumphant. They'd fit right in with Spinal Tap or with Jack Black in School of Rock, and it didn't seem the humor of it all was lost on them at all. Unfortunately I kept flashing on Leonard Bernstein at his most egregious, giving the whole affair a patina of icky horror. Nevertheless, their sound was capable and tight, well worth a listen if not (for some of us) a look.

After a quick switch of an awful lot of equipment another Ellensburg hailing five-piece, Tyrannosaurus Grace, brought in a lively set with an attractive variety of vocal sound. The drummer, playing on a nicely tuned Gretsch set, mugs a goofy grin that brought to mind The Young Fresh Fellows. Two singers, a male and a female, trade off the lead spot and sing harmony. X meets Betty Boop meets Ramones. Lots of fun and energy, and no slouches on their instruments either.

Recorded

August 7, 2012
Banned Rehearsal 584 (September 2000, Isaac Eisenbrey, John Eisenbrey, Karen Eisenbrey, Keith Eisenbrey, Anna K, Aaron Keyt, Jay Loucks, Neal Meyer)

Opening with a nearly trite gesture we are invited to be discomfited. We settle in a pit and slowly rise out, like a vapor, co-opting higher spheres with tactics of permeation.

August 8, 2012
Banned Rehearsal 687 (August 2005, Karen Eisenbrey, Keith Eisenbrey, Neal Meyer)
BF Vocals & Tongue Drum/Tub Drum/Twang/Wood Drum Choruses - Keith Eisenbrey

Upcoming

Saturday October 20, 2012 concert begins at 8:00 PM
Keith Eisenbrey - piano recital at The Chapel Performance Space, Good Shepherd Center, Seattle
Preludes in Seattle Part 4: Preludes by Ken Benshoof, Keith Eisenbrey, Lockrem Johnson, and Greg Short