Rock Out Reach Out Roundup: Namelessnumberheadman, Pet Comfort and the Abracadabras
This past Saturday, April 18, at Crosstown Station, the Center for Justice and Sustainability at William Jewell College hosted a local benefit rock show that could serve as a model for all benefit rock shows to come. These folks did a lot of things right. First and foremost, they booked bands people want to see at a good venue. They also came up with a clever way of getting people to not only give to the charities that participated but also to pay attention to them (more on this in a minute). And, coolest of all, they put together a free downloadable compilation album featuring 18 of the best bands in town (and one from out of town).
But first, here's what it looked like. Click the photo below for a slide show.
The Abracadabras got the whole world in their tambourine.
The organizers set up the benefit in a pretty unique way. You walked in, handed them your $10 cover charge, and they gave you two gold tokens to give to the charity or charities of your choice. While the bands played on the stage downstairs, upstairs booths from a couple dozen local charities including Harvesters, MOCSA, the Free Health Clinic and Bridging the Gap were set up, manned by volunteers ready to give you the lowdown on their respective causes and accept your gold doubloons.
We already wrote about the design of the event; here are a few thoughts on the bands. (I missed the first act, the Alan Voss Trio.)
Namelessnumberheadman's Andrew Sallee is only playing 18 instruments in this photo.
1. Namelessnumberheadman
Always a pleasure to see these guys. Formerly a trio, the critically acclaimed band got reduced by a third when multi-synth-operator Jason Lewis moved to Boston in 2007, following the release of the masterful Wires Reply. Remaining members Chuck Whittington (guitar, vocals, keys 'n stuff) and Andrew Sallee (drums, lead vocals, keys 'n stuff) have pushed on, each helping to shoulder Lewis' live absence by adding more sounds to their individual arsenals. You haven't seen musicianship in Kansas City until you've seen Sallee play the drums, sing and, with his left hand, play a bassline or melody on the keyboard. Still, as I watched the two perform their sweeping, melodic indie rock, separated by a good 15 feet up on stage, I couldn't help but envision the guy from Keane appearing between them and singing. That dude's voice would be a perfect match for NNHM's searching sound. But then again, Sallee and Whittington's subdued, everyman-style vocals has always been part of the appeal. So, I guess don't go calling Tom Chaplin yet, guys. NNHM informs me that they'll be going into the studio soon to work on the next album, thus we won't be seeing them out live a while. Fun fact: Andrew's father, Dr. David L. Sallee, is the 14th president of William Jewell College. P.S. There's still plenty of downloadable sonic material to mine at their Web site.
Pet Comfort has a little somethin' for the ladies.
2. Pet Comfort
All that I knew of Pet Comfort going into this show, I read in the Buckle Bunny. The group is founded on loud guitars, pile-driving drums and tight, high-voiced vocal harmonies, an overall sound that references the driving, earnest pop-punk of the Get Up Kids and the melancholic anthem-pop of Death Cab for Cutie. But more rockin' than both those bands. In fact, when PC started playing, I heard a darker, heavier undercurrent, but that gave way after a couple of songs to the gentler, more Alternative Press-friendly sound. The drummer used to be in the emo-hardcore band Hopesfall, and he still plays like he's in that band. In fact, Pet Comfort got so increasingly loud, I had to move to the back of the venue. Singer Drew Van Dyke announced that the band has an EP out (Paperdolls), but that they initially didn't print enough copies to distribute effectively. I have a feeling that's not going to hold this band back for very long; they've only been around a few months, and I saw girls dancing and singing along Saturday night. Very good sign, that.
Abracadabra John Nixon demonstrates how to reach out while rocking.
3. The Abracadabras
Alright, Abracadabras: You guys have got the chops, you've got the songs, quit with the rock-star overacting. With a seven-foot-tall drummer, a mountain of a bassist, a wee guitarist and those two prettyboys up front, you're already visually interesting without the retro plumage. In fact, throwing costumes on your already physically diverse personnel just makes y'all look like the opening act for Josie & the Pussycats. For whatever it's worth, rock and roll authenticity does not come about by dressing up and acting like wild young rock stars while on stage. The only thing a band that intentionally poses can do is make fun of rock posing in that self-knowing way of say, the New York Dolls or T. Rex, and the Abracadabras seem to be dead serious. Granted, the Abracadabs have toned down their wardrobe lately, but they haven't yet taken their own advice: Be Still, Be Cool.
Music wise, the group continues to be relentless in mining its 70s-rock influences, from the Stooges, to the Stones to the latterday Beatles, and that's just fine. One of the new songs (on which frontman John Nixon took a break from auditioning for the lead in a community theater production of Tommy to play keys) was so loaded with changes and keyboard-and-guitar-riff tonnage that it called to mind some crazy stuff like Boston or Blue Oyster Cult. That's certainly something. And then there's that howler, " An Argument," loaded with more screams than a Kings of Leon motel room on PCP and sports cream. Nice.
So, anyways, hats off to the folks behind RORO. Keep it comin'.
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