Wow, Airport Tavern in Tacoma had its grand opening on July 24th, 2024 with MxPx HEADLINING WITH THE DROWNS. I’m not always one for caps and bold type at once, but man, what a way to open your venue! It’s a thrill and an honor – and I’m not just saying that – to feature MxPx, an awesome and major band Charitie and I have been hoping to photograph for several years now. So here they are! Thank you Charitie and thank you to Airport Tavern for setting this up. New to me (I hate to admit) are the Drowns, and I’d check them out too.
I was not familiar with Adeem the Artist prior to catching a pair of their shows in support of Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at the Ste Michelle Winery in mid-July. Adeem (who alternately goes by ‘Adeem Marie’) has been receiving a fair bit of recognition for their last couple of albums, and these shows made it abundantly clear why they’ve struck a chord with fans of country, rock, and Americana.
Live, Adeem Marie and band drew heavily from their two most recent releases, 2022’s White Trash Revelry and this year’s Anniversary. The pairing of Adeem with Isbell made perfect sense, as both artists are uniquely sensitive and accomplished songwriters, they each front bands made up of virtuosic players, and they both tap into a similar country vibe. Both Adeem and Isbell present bold and progressive ideas and concerns (at least within the context of the sometimes rather stodgy and conservative world of country music) neatly baked into songs that sound immediately familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention to recent C&W and Americana offerings. They also share the ability to hit the listener dead center in the heart with lyrics that seem at once effortless and profound.
Toward the end of their set on the second evening of the two-show run, Adeem sang a simple line that felt like a very humble self-assessment, but it’s a line that’s been rolling around in my mind in the days since these shows took place: “… a coward called courageous, by virtue of my trade.” I look forward to more music in the years to come from this talented and courageous coward.
I was a little surprised and a lot delighted when blues rocker Dave Alvin teamed up with country folk icon Jimme Dale Gilmore for their combined 2018 release Downey to Lubbock. Although the two artists approach their craft from slightly different starting points (the blues for Alvin, C&W and folk for Gilmore), they have more in common than one might assume at first blush, and Downey to Lubbock proved to be one of 2018’s highlights for this fan. Given that album’s success, it was much less of a surprise that they decided to go back to the well for another dip with this year’s TexiCali release. The two albums sound very much like they could have been recorded during the same sessions, with similar low-key delights to be found in a handful of new compositions, some old favorites revisited and updated, and a number of lovingly arranged and recorded covers.
Alvin and Gilmore played a pair of shows at the Tractor Tavern in July backed by Dave’s band, The Guilty Ones, and supported by Seattle’s Christy McWilson. We attended the packed Saturday show (7/13/24) and enjoyed every minute of the generous and well played set. The band played healthy portions of both Downey to Lubbock and TexiCali, as well as a smattering of their solo work, a tune from Dave’s time with the Blasters, and a couple of well-chosen covers. Highlights included Alvin’s “Dry River,” Gilmore’s ‘Tonight I Think I’m Gonna Go Downtown,” and an encore cover of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together.” The musicianship was excellent all the way around with Alvin’s searing blues licks setting the tone and the Guilty Ones’ Lisa Pankratz impressing all evening on drums.
Vampire Weekend @ Climate Pledge Arena – 6/20/24 Review & Photos by Mike Mitchell
Indie pop darlings Vampire Weekend and a roomful of happy, dancing fans celebrated the first day of summer at Climate Pledge Arena in mid June. Founding band members Ezra Koneg, Chris Baio, and Chris Thomson, and a complement of touring musicians played a long and well-received set composed of most of this year’s Only God Was Above Us, choice selections from each of their previous four releases, and a handful of well-considered covers. Opener (and Phish bassist) Mike Gordon joined the headliner for a mid-set rendition of Phish’s ‘Chalk Dust Torture.’ Climate Pledge was the largest venue Vampire Weekend has played in Seattle to date and they made the transition to the large stage and room gracefully. They will be touring across the US through October, before moving on to Europe at the end of the year.
