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PrintOf Montreal and Samantha Crain at Cain's Ballroom
A look at what's happening in the local music scene.
5/1
Soundpony Bike Festival
The first day of May, aka May Day, has been used for thousands of years to celebrate the dawn of summer in the Northern Hemisphere. While taking countless frolicking forms, they all celebrate the coming of better days. Whether it is a dance around a Maypole or a riot in front of an embassy, the first of May is a chance to let your (overgrown, dirty, winter) hair down.
And Soundpony (409 N. Main St.) has decided to make a day and night out of it. The venue will host bike races with deejays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., a bike rodeo in the park across the street hosted by The Hub, a Daniel(s) electronica-multimedia show, The Panda Resistance and its brand of ethereal-indie-instrumental-mellow-rock-jazz, and a giant dance party to wrap things up.
Happy May Day!
5/14
Eliza Gilkyson, All Soul Acoustic Coffeehouse
Remember the “Seinfeld” episode where Costanza always left the room after a joke, to keep everyone wanting more?
Not all that different from what Gilkyson is trying to do with her show at All Soul Acoustic Coffeehouse this month. She was just here last year.
The fact is, she sold the place out and left everyone wanting more of her music. Her songwriting is only surpassed by her voice and stage presence. Her sound is too accessible to be called “folk” and too smart to be labeled “pop.” Let’s just file her in the brain as “Goodus Musicus.”
5/25
Of Montreal, Cain’s Ballroom
Of Montreal comes from Athens, Ga. But that’s only telling you where the band’s bus started.
Of Montreal came from the Elephant 6 Recording Company (see: Collective) with such artists as Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Olivia Tremor Control and dozens of other bands, projects, rabbit holes and recorded bits of insanity/brilliance.
Of Montreal serves notice that this universe is too vast to limit one’s art to a genre or a style. The band is “indie” only in that no one, including Of Montreal, seems to know where its wildly successful experiment might be headed next.
The music is poppy, happy and upbeat while the lyrics can be a sobering smack of reality to the side of the head (see: “Old People in the Cemetery” and “Doing Nothing”).
Fronted by Kevin Barnes, Of Montreal has constantly surprised listeners with its inspired, groundbreaking work. But that’s nothing compared to its concerts. It’s a blood, sweat and tears type of effort that leaves everything, sometimes clothes, on the stage.
5/28
Samantha Crain, Cain’s Ballroom
Recently I praised Ali Harter as someone who sings beyond her nascent years.
Just 45 minutes from Harter’s Checotah is Shawnee, the hometown of Samantha Crain.
Crain has a stunning voice that, like Harter, belies her youth. The main difference between the two is that Crain brings more power to her work, literally. Crain is not afraid to plug into an amplifier and let ’er rip.
The best part of this show is that you don’t have to take my word for it — Harter is opening for Crain along with Turnpike Troubadours and Zeb Dewar and the Half-Breeds.
Okie music in an Okie landmark.
