Waxahatchee Takes LA, pt I

AN EVENING AT ELOY AND ALI'S:

WAXAHATCHEE

KATE BERLANT

GIRLPOOL

GIL OZERI and JOHN GEMBERLING
 MEGAN KOESTER

KYLE GILBRIDE

27 APRIL, 2015

Nestled on a hillside in Glassell Park, Los Angeles, the humble abode of Eloy Lugo and Ali Koehler served once again as host to an electrifying evening of acoustic music and comedy. Putting their own particular stamp on the house show scene, the evening encapsulated their family approach to crafting shows, featuring a stellar lineup, including comedians Kate Berlant, Megan Koester, and a great improv set from Gil Ozeri and John Gemberling. Representing the music side were Kyle Gilbride and current tour mates Girlpool and Waxahatchee.

On the music side, the ball got rolling with an acoustic appearance from Kyle Gilbride, member of Swearin' and Indie producer of note. Cutting down to the core of his songs raised the emotional stakes, and a moving take on "Curdled" raised a high bar for the evening to come. When misfortune struck and he went blank on the lyrics for "Empty Head", it couldn't have happened in a better place, as Waxahatchee's Katie Crutchfield was perfectly placed for prompts. He pulled it off, and if anything, it underlined the familial nature of the evening.

New Philadelphia residents Girlpool returned to their home base, previewing songs from their forthcoming LP, Before The World Was Big, and their guitar and bass sound, heavy on the harmonies, is just right for the setting. The title track and "Chinatown" stood out, as well as an eagerly received version of "Plants and Worms" from last year's self-titled EP. Sadly, after this LP comes out, moments like this will become all to rare, and are to be cherished. Girlpool aficionado Willow Smith made the scene, adding an extra panache to the proceedings.

Setting the stage for a sold out appearance at the Roxy, Katie Crutchfield dialed up Waxahatchee magic in solo form, working through an acoustic set before a locked in audience, and the major focus point became reminding oneself to breathe. Not content with her barely a month old Ivy Tripp, Crutchfield premiered a brand new song, along with acoustic renditions of Ivy tracks, "La Loose" and "Summer Of Love", as well as American Weekend standards "Bathtub", "Grass Stain", and finishing with her staple "Noccalula".

 WAXAHATCHEE

 

 

 

GIRLPOOL

 

 

 

 KATE BERLANT

 

 KYLE GILBRIDE

 

 

Redwood Refugee: Father John Misty In Big Sur

10TH ANNUAL BENEFIT FOR THE HENRY MILLER LIBRARY

FEATURING FATHER JOHN MISTY

WITH ANNE WALDMAN AND AMBROSE BYE

BIG SUR, CA

19 SEPTEMBER, 2013

A veritable who's who of the weird turning pro have given of their time and talent over the years to help support the Henry Miller Library over the years, from Patti Smith to Marianne Faithfull to Yo La Tengo. Soft-shoeing his way on to that illustrious list is none other than Father John Misty, (Josh Tillman), who headlined Thursday night's benefit. After his appearance at Outsidelands San Francisco in 2012 sporting a "Legalize LSD Now' sweatshirt, it seemed preordained that Mr. Tillman would make his way down the coast and pop up among the redwoods. Taking some downtime after the Misty band summer tour, he's been plotting and scheming, allegedly hatching ideas for a TV show, as well as putting the framework together for a new LP.
Tanned, rested, and ready, the nattily attired Misty hit the stage, working through the core songs from Fear Fun: "Fun Times In Babylon", "I'm Writing A Novel", "Only Son Of The Ladiesman", and "Nancy From Now On", spiked with his own inimitable observations about relaxation: "Been here in Big Sur for a few weeks now: pretty fucking stressed out...", and the nature of art and beauty: "Nothing says fuck you to a sunset like an iPhone picture".
The second half turned out to be a workshop of new tunes, led off by an ode to a difficult young lady, that showcased some circa '65 Dylan venom. "I Love You, Honeybear" made an appearance, and while it missed the heft and grandeur of the band arrangement, the dense lyrics took center stage and the emotional impact was heightened. After some casual deliberation on those who 'Whoo!' at inappropriate moments during songs, Misty slid into "Hollywood Forever Sings", before heading back into the unknown, with a touching take on Dory Previn's "Lady With The Braid", and a throat shredding version of the new "Bored In The USA". Capping things off with a one-two punch, "Now I'm Learning To Love The War" gave way to a lengthy "Everyman Needs A Companion". For the obligatory call back, he rolled out yet another new song, which we'll provisionally call "The Atom Bomb And Me". On the what's next tip, Father John Misty heads out for a solo acoustic tour with comedian Kate Berlant opening, fitting in an October appearance back at Golden Gate Park for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and finishing up with an appearance at the Wiltern, LA in November.

Poet Anne Waldman was the perfect choice to set the tone for the evening, and lend her own special touch of gravitas. Accompanied by Ambrose Bye, she brought her work to life vividly, illustrating its innate musicality, and in pieces like "Gaza", "Did Not Serve", and "G Spot", managed to enlighten, outrage, seduce, and amuse...often at the same time.

Magnus, from the Henry Miller Library, takes his traditional bow...