Catching Up On Rocktober (Continued)

We didn't catch the Bowery Ballroom set, but this is pretty close to how it went down at Terminal West back on October 2.

Catching Up On Rocktober

As promised (threatened?), here are some pictures and songs from last week's Rocktober shows that I didn't have time to post, brought to you without commercial interruption or my narrative comments (other than show titles):

Liam Finn, Variety Playhouse, Oct. 19

Warpaint, Variety Playhouse, Oct. 19

Tiny Ruins, The Earl, Oct. 20

Sharon Van Etten, The Earl, Oct. 20

Kind Cousin, Vinyl, Oct. 22

Givers, Vinyl, Oct. 22

Gem Club

Gem Club at a garage show, East Atlanta Village

Givers at Vinyl, Atlanta, October 22, 2014

We last saw Lafayette, Louisiana's Givers back in 2011 during MFNW (RIP) at a great show at the Doug Fir that also featured Pickwick (the best band you never heard of) and Ages and Ages, as well as Portland's Lost Lander.  Damien Jurado was in the audience for Pickwick (he's a fan) and the whole night was overall as much fun at a live show as you can reasonably expect to have.

And then we heard nothing from Givers for three years.  Nothing. Nada.  Zip.  But they've apparently hit the road again and last night they played Atlanta's Vinyl Lounge in the Center Stage complex. Could they possibly be as fun as they were that magical night three years ago?  Do they still have that special something they displayed that night?

The short answer is an emphatic "yes," but first another Lafayette band, Kind Cousin, opened. 

Kind Cousin is the band of singer Allison Bohl DeHart, whose raspy vocals and eerie harmonies with her backup singer make the band interesting.  It was a good set by a band I hadn't heard before, but one I'd certainly like to hear more from.

DeHart's raspy vocals are a good match for Givers' Tiffany Lamson, who joined them on stage for one song.  

After that, Givers took the stage.  They  were still selling their fine 2011 album In Light at the merch table, and didn't have anything new for sale (I still bought a vinyl copy of In Light last night anyway). Fortunately, during their terrific set last night, they announced that they would be playing a bunch of new songs, "songs even our friends back in Lafayette haven't head yet," and that they would be working on a new album soon.  So there's that. 

The audience clearly knew the band and their music, and also clearly adored the band, and there was a great give and take of energy all night between the band and the audience.  There's something about Givers that causes listeners, at least this listener and apparently several others at Vinyl last night as well, to form some sort of deep emotional bond with the band, and the affection and the mutual admiration were apparent.  Singer Taylor Guarisco mentioned it several times, but everyone in the audience felt it whether he mentioned it or not.

The set ended with an encore performance of Up Up Up, after the regular set ended with In My Eyes.

Givers are a great band and put on fun shows.  It would be a shame if I have to wait three years to hear them again.

Beach Day

Beach Day at L5Fest, 2013

Which reminds me, what happened to L5Fest 2014?  Did I miss it, or did it never occur?  Or is it still yet to come (better get going if that's the case)?

Anyhoo, here's Florida's Beach Day at the KEXP studio.

Sharon Van Etten at The Earl, Atlanta, 10/20/2014

Another mid-Rocktober mini-post, I'm afraid.  Not that I have a show tonight to run off to, but it took me so long today to catch up on the work I've fallen behind on that I have scarcely any time left to post.  More soon (and on Warpaint, too), but here's last night's show opener, Tiny Ruins from New Zealand (we saw another Kiwi opener, Liam Finn, on Sunday night).

And here's headliner Sharon Van Etten.

Oh, yes. The show was at The Earl.

Warpaint at Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, October 19, 2014

This is the mid-Rocktober, OMG-I-gotta-run-to-the-next-show, short-form post for last night's show at Variety Playhouse.  Also, my phone is still on the fritz and I don't have many pictures to share anyway. 

New Zealand's Liam Finn, who for as far as I could tell is not a former Split Enz, opened. 

L.A.'s Warpaint headlined, and included their trademark 15-minute jam to Elephant to end their four-song encore.

A great show, but that's all I have time to post tonight until I figure out what's wrong now with my phone and before I'm off to tonight's show.  Will give this a bit more coverage at a later date.