We're An American Band: Quasi On The Road

QUASI

SOHO, SANTA BARBARA, CA

14 NOVEMBER, 2013

Fresh on the heels of a new LP, Quasi found time to visit Soho Santa Barbara, and give us their own inimitable take on rock and roll. The Portland duo of Sam Coomes and Janet Weiss celebrate 20 years of adventure, and the sprawling double LP set that is Mole City explores every nook and cranny of their existence. Combine that with the tour covers EP: Quasi Interprets 2013, and you have the groundwork of a hard won ideology, and a worthy case of why this music is still worth fighting for. A whole page could be devoted to their bio, (and is on their website), but briefly, Coomes came out of the Donner Party and Heatmiser (with Elliot Smith), and joined Weiss in Motorgoat, before they formed Quasi. Weiss came to the attention of most as the powerhouse drummer in Sleater-Kinney, before going on to sit in with Steven Malkmus and the Jicks and Bright Eyes, among others. Recently, around Quasi, she found time to anchor Wild Flag, with ex-Sleater-Kinney mate Carrie Brownstein, Mary Timony, and Rebecca Cole. Suffice it to say, when other people count sheep to fall asleep, my personal gambit is to try to discern whether I've seen Janet Weiss or Superchunk's Jon Wurster drum live more.
While touching on tracks from favorites Sword Of God and American Gong, the focus was on the new, and "An Icecube In The Sun", "See You On Mars" and "You Can Stay But You Got To Go" were standouts. Coomes started the night on keyboards before switching over to guitar, and the pleasure of the night was finally getting a close up spot to watch Weiss in action. To see her in a duo setting is to more appreciate her control and pacing, aside from the usual being slackjawed at her raw power. Truly one of the country's underappreciated drummers...For the encore, they dipped into the aforementioned covers EP, essaying a commanding take on Black Sabbath's "War Pigs" and hewing closer to the overload of Elvis Costello's take on Nick Lowe's "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding?" Capturing Coomes and Weiss on camera is akin to tracking a hummingbird, but our best efforts are below. A memorable night despite the light turnout, but, as Coomes noted-the LA crowd the night before was staid and arms crossed, but those who showed up on this night were ready to rock, and Quasi delivered.

 

Pennsylvania's Blues Control held down the opening slot on this tour, and the duo set the tone for the evening with a heavy excursion into the outer limits of noise/drone business. I quite look forward to their return to this coast. It was heartwarming to see what audience was their react positively, as the set certainly wasn't for the weak of heart, or ears.

Long Time Coming: Beth Orton live

BETH ORTON/SAM AMIDON

SOHO, SANTA BARBARA

20 OCTOBER, 2012

In an embarrassment of riches for Santa Barbara, a stretch of three days of top.shelf singer/songwriters hit town.  First up was Beth Orton, fresh off a six year hiatus, celebrating her new LP Sugaring Season on Anti- Records.  Getting married, having kids, breaking writers block, and moving towards more of a pure folk vision all influence this triumphant return to action. 
Soho being a restaurant, as well as a music performance space, is never more evident than on a Saturday night, and after a hello, she immediately called out the audience for talking over the opening act, (her husband Sam Amidon).  It was a nice piece of work, and a far cry from her stage nervousness in days past.  Having cleared the air, she launch into Sugaring Season's opening track "Magpie", and the spell was cast.  Over the course of the evening, she worked in dollops of her back catalogue, including a luminous reading of "Pass In Time" from Central Reservation, but the evening's main focus, as it should be, was on the current.  Joined by Amidon on violin for a few tunes, she maintained her intensity throughout what turned out to be a winning evening.

Sam Amidon provided the opening honors, and in a short set, managed to give a clean accounting of his talents, spinning esoteric stage patter while maintaining a deadpan expression.  He dropped in a John Martyn cover, before switching off to violin, transforming scratchy noise into an intense jig.  After which, he switched off to banjo for a bluegrass excursion, then dropped a cover of Tears For Fears' "Head Over Heels", which seemed to grab the crowd's attention briefly.  His allusion to a babbling brook in the intro to his last song was lost on the three middle aged matrons in front of me, tongues apparently loosened with alcohol, who babbled on ceaselessly, toward the ends of time.