Question:
Just a reminder that Storm and Stress is playing the Cat's Cradle this
Thursday night. They don't really ever "tour", so this is kind of a rare
show. For the uninitiated, Storm and Stress is a trio fronted by Don
Caballero guitarist Ian Williams (no, not *that* one) and without going
into too much detail, Storm and Stress could easily appeal to both Walt's
Alliance for Improvised Music crowd and ROCK fans who don't care much for
jazz. Rather than spout off any more, I'm just going to attach last
summer's alt.music.chapel-hill posts about the Storm and
Stress/Polvo/Tractor Hips show. And if you go to the show, please get to
the show early enough to see Bicentennial Quarters and Trace. Seb from
Trans Am might even be there as well, so there ya go.
Answer:
Okay, I think Polvo this time was better than last time I saw them, last
winter? I don't know. ractor Hips impressed me live, which I must
confess was a surprise...Joshua translates well to a live song, and I
liked the churning beginning to Ciencia Y Mathemetica. However, I truly
enjoyed Storm und Stress, and, und whatever. Halfway through the second
song I felt like I was listening to the first five seconds of Seraphic
Light before the saxaphone kicks in. Anyone else find this to be the
case? I was expecting good things from Polvo, support Tractorhips anyway
(though they were quite good) but was expecting, planning on nothing from
the first band, silly me. Also, that whole subscribe thing didn't work,
right.
I have to agree with Claire - Storm and Stress werew just about the most
exciting this that's happenede to me musically in a long time. I haven't
been that amazed by a band I've never heard of since the first time I saw
Tractor Hips. I tried hard not to be reminded of Stamey/Ross, since they
were coming from such a different direction, but it felt like them
sometimes.
Still, great texture, abandonment of rhythm in all the right places - it
actually made me want to dance.
Tractor Hips, on the other hand, actually made me dance. Seeing them live
does this off thing to the muscles in my knees. Can't explain it, just
enjoy
it. Is the CD as amazing as it oughta be?
I didn't think much of the band who came on after them and played Polvo
covers, though.
Storm and Stress were a new bass player away from being a religious
experience. As it was, they suffered from several flaws, all of which were
flaws of excess, and this (see Hour, Magic - "No Excess is Absurd") is
almost better than flawlessness.
