Kevin Devine – The Picador, Iowa City

On July 29th, I failed Kevin Devine. That evening, Uptoeleven Productions had him set up with a stop in Lawrence, KS, a mere 35 miles from my home in Kansas City, where I would be hosting Driver F in the first “Popwreckoning Music Showcase.” Needless to say I was pretty conflicted. While my rational side reminded me that I should obviously attend the show that I had labored to create, my emotional side kept implying that after five years and seven shows later, I had never missed a Kevin Devine tour in my area. Truthfully, I was not ready to start now. So, two days later, without hesitation, I drove to the middle of Iowa.

Understandably, to the common listener, this situation would pose the potential questions that anyone in their right mind would ask when embarking on such an epic quest for a somewhat moderately known artist; in a time when gas is a minimum of four dollars a gallon, is it a safe bet to travel three hundred and eighteen miles to watch this man play?

With Kevin Devine, however, the answer is always a resounding “yes!” A wonderful show is not only a safe bet, but a given.

This night was no exception. Playing to the sold out crowd which had gathered in the venue mostly to see an acoustic set by the saddest of sad bastards, Jesse Lacey, the room was flooded by a sense of energy and excitement. Yet, unlike most shows with a set headliner, this tour differed in the sense that all three groups contributed to each set, in a Hotel Café tour kind of way. The crowd was also blessed with the chance to see a side of Kevin that I has never experienced before; comfort.

Generally speaking, Devine’s stage personality comes off as shy, sometimes going as far as slightly insecure. While this never affected his stage energy and emotional output within his music during his performances, his stage banter was always less than his real life personality, which is both charming and pleasurable. However, on this night, with friends and band mates surrounding him, I got to see a new side of Devine’s act.

The set played out more like a group of friends writing music in their living room than a national tour intended on selling records and merch. Throughout his songs, consisting of a combination of old favorites and new singles, Devine laughed, smiled and talked to his partners on stage, as relaxed as I have ever seen him. Testing out new material, Devine seemed pleased with the reaction of the crowd, short of a few in the back who talked throughout the entirety of the show, to whom he often shot confused glares. However, instead of growing discouraged and cutting his set short, Kevin simply pulled out old favorites like “Ballgame” and “Cotton Crush” to reward those who were paying attention. In addition to his set, Kevin appeared and fronting an alt-country version of Brand New‘s “Jesus Christ,” leaving the crowd both speechless and beside itself. Had he not already won the crowd over, they were his now. It honestly was very refreshing.

And well worth the drive.

Kevin Devine: myspace | live review

Greg Laswell @ Beaumont Club, Kansas City

So it costs an arm and a leg to buy a ticket to see Coldplay on their tour, but luckily you can see a similar artist for a much more reasonable price—at least until the secret is out about Greg Laswell and he becomes so popular he could get away with naming his firstborn after a fruit.

Laswell opened for Ingrid Michaelson and his soothing indie pop was the perfect compliment for her own gentle set. Laswell had the disadvantage of being in a ridiculously hot venue that caused the audience’s attention to wander. He is fortunately a very charismatic man who told funny anecdotes amongst his rather sad songs that kept the audience focused.

Yes, they were sad songs and if you couldn’t hear the sadness in the minor chords he played, Laswell would point out the sadness. “I dreamed that my grandmother came to me and told me to write happy songs,” Laswell said. “I immediately woke up and wrote another sad one.”

The song he wrote for his grandmother, following his dream, was “Sing, Theresa Says.” It’s an adorable song that starts off with some happy major chords that quickly dissolve into the more morose minor chords. The bass harmonies on this tune showed it to have a rather interesting breakdown, making it one of my favorites of the night.

The most surprising part of his set was when he started performing a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” For this amazing cover alone, it was worth hearing his set. The piano arrangement slowed the tune down considerably and combined with his tender vocals, it was practically a new song. His version removed the cheesiness that I feel makes the original so loathsome if you have to listen to it more than once, but his gives the song a depth I would never have thought possible.

If you watch Laswell’s face during his songs, you can see how much emotion he is putting behind his every word, his every chord. His music isn’t very complex, but in its simplicity it is gorgeous. He might not be the super group Coldplay, but Laswell’s funny yet somber set comes close to surpassing that of those amphitheater kings.

Set List:
01. What A Day
02. Sing Theresa Says
03. Come Undone
04. Days Go On
05. Embrace Me
06. Do What I Can
07. How the Day Sounds
08. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
09. High and Low

Greg Laswell: myspace

Popwreckoning / Popfreeradio show – July 29, Kansas City

Popwreckoning would officially like to invite you to our first of many concerts!

July 29th at Davey’s Uptown in Kansas City, Mo., local artist Sterling Witt, and national acts Kingsley and Driver F will take stage, looking to bring with them their high energy stage show that has won them fans nationwide.

Sterling Witt of Kansas City has made a name for himself as both a musician and an artist. His 2008 album release has been well received by both fans and media alike. His sound, while original, is often compared to that of Beck, due to his hybrid of styles and deep, raspy lyrics.

Kingsley of Lubbock, Tx., was formerly called Falling Down Hurts. Their sound is often compared to Jimmy Eat World or Saves the Day, though I personally hear Get Up Kids bleeding through in their guitar riffs. The band itself, however, describes their sound as “something you should probably dance to.” Most importantly, however, is that Kingsley shares Get Up Kids’ energy and kick ass live presence.

Headliner Driver F of Austin, Tx. is a perfect example of how live music should be. Their high energy live show is often described as more of an experience than a concert. With bodies moving in every direction their overwhelming catchy power-pop leaves you no choice but to walk away with a memory worth remembering. Examples of this can be seen in the video below.

Driver F: website | myspace | Chase The White Whale review | interview with
Kingsley: myspace
Sterling Witt: website | myspace

Say Anything @ Light District, Kansas City

Kansas City’s Power and Light District does this cool little thing in the summer where they offer a free rock concert every Wednesday night. A good idea in theory, but not as effective in action as was evident at the Say Anything show June 18, 2008. It might have been an off night for the band, but the venue is also partly to blame for their lackluster performance.

In the past, Say Anything fans have been some of the most active audience members I have ever seen at a show. For this free 21 and over show, however, the audience seemed more interested in their drinks than what was occurring on stage. It made me feel sad for the true, but underage fans that could be spotted standing outside the entrance, trying to listen in. It made me feel especially sad for the band that usually feeds off of the energy of its crowd.

Max Bemis and crew kicked off the show with “Woe,” quickly followed by “Skinny, Mean Man” before they jumped into their first radio single “Alive with the Glory of Love.” The audience showed a little more interest in this song and consequentially, the band did as well.

The band’s older songs seemed to fare better than the ones from their most recent release and “Every Man Has His Molly” off of …Is a Real Boy stole the show with the help of a hilarious introduction by Bemis. “This song is about a girl,” Bemis said, “And I got the last word.”

The band needed to depart quickly to catch a flight and Bemis bought his band mates extra packing time by performing a solo encore. It was refreshing to see Bemis show that he not only sings but can play guitar, as well. He performed a stripped down version of “Baby Girl, I’m a Blur.” As interesting as this was, it was not the raucous and energetic closer I expected from a band like Say Anything.

It really wasn’t a bad performance, it just seemed like both audience and the band didn’t really care that a concert was occurring there. Perhaps when Say Anything returns to Kansas City in two weeks with Warped Tour and have the opportunity to play for people who care, they will deliver the energetic set I’m used to seeing.

Setlist:
Woe
Skinny, Mean Man
Alive With the Glory of Love
Yellow Cat / Red Cat
Shiksa (Girlfriend)
Every Man Has His Molly
Retarded in Love
The Futile
Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too
We Killed It
The Church Channel
Belt
–encore–
Baby Girl, I’m a Blur
I Want to Know Your Plans
Aww (new song)

Say Anything: website | myspace

by Bethany Marie