Wounded 3-10-07

The Wounded Bookshop -- March 10, 2007

The Selfsame (aka Peter Moses) opened the evening with crazy lights flashing, overdriven electronic drums, an acoustic guitar, and a somber voice. The set was moody and interesting, very full and ferocious sounding, particularly considering it was a solo act. Hailing from Brooklyn, Mr. Moses is clearly familiar with unusual music, but his use of acoustic guitar throws an unexpected familiarity into the mix that anchors the whole spectacle in solid songwriting.

Essie Jain and The Lost Americans (aka Patrick Glynn) played the next set together, filling out each others songs. It was a really clever setup that felt entirely natural and gave a very warm living room feel to the show. They were tastefully backed by Pete (The Selfsame) on the bass and Sean Walsh (also a great singer/songwriter, though he didn't perform that evening) on the drum set.


Patrick has a really great folky, alt-country style that's as dusty and intimate as an early Hank Williams tune, but less traditional, with a vocal delivery more akin to Jonathan Richman. There's a fantastic rough-hewn authenticity to his guitar playing that one might initially (and inaccurately) attribute to a lack of chops; that would be far from the truth. Patrick is spot-on, but with a restraint wholly necessary to his gruff, but good-natured music. Essie's voice is also a throwback. Classically trained, she has a vibrato and a vocal control not often heard in folk/rock music; yet she is clearly familiar with contemporary arrangements. Her songs are patiently and carefully crafted, drawing the most out of every well-wrought note.

Oppenheimer (Bar/None Records), an upbeat synth-pop duo from Ireland, followed up with a high-energy set that kept the kids dancing. I probably could've done without their use of air horn, but it certainly got the crowd's attention. I wasn't really able to get any good photos of them, but you can check out their video here.


















My former bandmates Pash closed out the night with an expectedly explosive set: Erik spinning with his shiny DiPinto and everyone singing along with their Birthday Song, a revamped crowd-favorite (at their request, I even provided a few backup vocals). The show was well-received by long-time fans and youthful audience members alike.