Tuesday, September 2, 2014

The Dirty Bourbon River Show and The Subtle Experience

BY: Meghan Laverty


The Subtle Experience


Free music on a Friday night. No other words sound as sweet together.

The genre of "Gypsy Brass Circus Rock" may sound confusing, but when you hear it, you understand the long-winded name. Dirty Bourbon River Show played at ArtsQuest Friday night at the Levitt Pavilion, (I'm a frequenter of this venue, and I'm always up for something new, but this Friday was particularly exceptional). The band had an array of instruments, from the typical rhythm section - drums and guitar...I didn't see a bass player - to some great brass, including a tuba! The band members seemed to all be a part of a secret red shirt club, seeing as they all wore the same red shirt. This little touch added both professionalism and charisma, showcasing the band’s chemistry and talent. They played a mix of originals and covers, giving a strong hour and a half-ish set. I liken them to a Southern U.S. version of Igor and the Red Elvises (Russian Surf Rock). I highly recommend checking them out, just as I will be doing.

Check them out at http://dbrs.bandcamp.com/music.

After Dirty Bourbon River Show finished their set, another band started at ArtsQuest's second outdoor stage. The Subtle Experience is improperly named. Their sound is anything but subtle. Classified as "Jazz/Hip-Hop/Bossa Nova," I was curious as to what they would sound like. I was not disappointed in the least. Their set started with a drummer and a guitarist. I'll admit I wasn't paying attention immediately until I heard what sounded like a saxophone. But remember, I mentioned only seeing two musicians onstage, neither of which were playing a saxophone. Holy smokes, Batman! The guitarist was creating the sax sound WITH ONLY HIS VOICE. Now, this sax was so spot on that I believed that it had been a recording or that the sax player was side stage. By paying closer attention to he guitarist, I could see his mouth moving to the same pitch as the sax. Absolutely incredible. With a talent like this, they didn't need many lyrics to entertain the crowd. Very few songs contained lyrics, actually. Most of the songs contained some form of vocal instrument, in addition to the instruments actually being played onstage. A bassist eventually joined the other two musicians onstage, while being accompanied by a "mouth trumpet" and what possibly sounded like slide guitar and a synthesizer, again played by this incredible vocal artist. If you can't already tell, I was immensely impressed. I definitely suggest giving The Subtle Experience a listen as well.

Check them out at http://thesubtleexperience.bandcamp.com.

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