Last night, the modest crowd at the Tralf was treated to an edifying and enjoyable evening of folk rock from Blind Pilot and River City Extension. Actually, as a Talking Heads devotee it turned out to be a very interesting night because the ghost of that legendary art rock / new wave band haunted the show from start to finish, and there's nothing wrong with that.
If there was a band before River City Extension, I missed them (sorry, my bad). River City Extension, however, I caught in their entirety, and was glad because their Arcade Fire meets pure Americana stylings were quite pleasing. Maybe the Arcade Fire comparison isn't entirely fair; perhaps it just happens whenever you put eight people onstage to do intense, communal folk rock music. In any case, River City Extension have better harmonies than Arcade Fire, and lead vocalist Joe Michelini's clear tenor reminded me a lot of David Byrne, along with their eclectic Americana and clever, clever lyrics. Their big, warm, and stomping sound energized the gradually accumulating crowd, and they definitely laid some solid groundwork for Blind Pilot to follow.
It was only fitting that the pa music in between acts was a Talking Heads greatest hits, including "Lady Don't Mind, "Nothing But Flowers," and "Wild, Wild Life." There is nothing wrong with name-checking your inspirations (especially if I like your inspirations), and it became abundantly clear that Talking Heads were central inspirations for both bands when Blind Pilot gently ripped into their set. Over the last few years I've became a sucker for bands with a xylophone and multi-instrumentalists, including Sigur Ros, Freelance Whales, and last night Blind Pilot. I was particularly struck by the clarity of their folk pop rock sound and the tremendous Jim Croce soulfulness of lead vocalist Israel Nebeker, and gratified by their ability to occasionally mix it up and lay down a funky and tight groove. Blind Pilot displayed incredible range, humor, and emotion, even breaking out a trumpet to plaintively shred my heart, which was dirty pool because that xylophone had already pleasingly synched up with my joy centers. Full sounding but never noisy and always pleasing, Blind Pilot and River City Extension made for an excellent night of music.
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