Girl at the Rock Shows

I’m a workaholic. There, I said it. I have a full-time job, do this, act as editor-in-chief of another local music blog, and own a booking company that books tours for musicians across the country. Seriously, I am a workaholic. I try to keep all of these worlds separate, but these days, the lines seem to be blurring more and more, and that was true of the show I went to on Thursday night. The show was being headlined by one of my booking clients. Full disclosure– the fact that I get paid to book shows for the band does not affect this article. That will be the case for all of the shows I go to, where I am blurring the lines between all of my different worlds. Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about the magic that happened at The Cloudland Theater on Thursday night.

All I knew about the night was that the headliner was a client of mine. Beyond that, I was clueless to the other two bands gracing the intimate stage at my current favorite venue. That said, I knew I had picked the right show the second that opening act Petty Larcenists took the stage. The brainchild of Jesse Thorson (Slow Death), this band instantly hit me in just the right way. Their sound was very much up-beat Lucero (who is my all time favorite band) meets Gaslight Anthem with a bit of Pkew Pkew Pkew punk scattered in there. The vocals were raspy but everything else in the band was clear creating this very raw and honest yet perfect sound.

The sound of Petty Larcenists was raw and honest, as was their performance. It was clear within the first song that this is just a group of people that genuinely like making music together. Jokes were flying between members as they tried to figure out what song was next in the set and confusion when band members weren’t quite sure what song they were playing yet somehow pulled off perfection. All of this just added to an enjoyable atmosphere that the band from the get-go. Petty Larcenists have been around for five years, yet Thursday night was my first time seeing or even hearing them. It definitely won’t be the last, so I apologize now for all of the posts you will have to read about this local band in the future.

Things mellowed out as J. Streitz and the Long Odds replaced Petty Larcenists. Fronted by the one and only Jason Streitz, this band brought a more classic Americana sound to the room. Although a new to me kind of band, this group has been around since 2014 and have definitely created a niche in the local scene. That was obvious with the way a warm applause from the audience followed every song. It honestly wasn’t the biggest audience I’ve been part of this week but it was a mighty one and the magic behind it was the fact that everyone there was there for the music. Sure, some side conversations were happening that, due to quiet moments in J. Streitz and the Long Odds’ set, you could hear them a bit more than I would have liked, but, at the end of every song, you felt the love that the people in the crowd had for this act (and the two others of the night for that matter).

The music of J. Streitz and the Long Odds was different from my typical cup of tea. It was a bit more mellow and chill than what I was in the mood for as I could feel my anxiety set in knowing that it was snowing outside and I was going to have to drive home in it but, that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in their world. The way that they had two vocals blending together flawlessly was enough to give me goosebumps. Add the perfection and professionalism that all of the other members of this group brought to the stage and to the sound and you were left with a stunning set.

Closing out the night was Greg Volker and the River. Again, this is a booking client of mine, but I promise that this review of his set is not biased because of it. It’s not my fault that this band is one to watch and instantly had me lost in their world much like J. Streitz and the Long Odds had. Greg Volker’s music has this organic and earthly vibe to it. I’m not sure how to expand on that but I believe that, if you see him live and witness Greg and his band perform mere feet in front of you, you will understand what I’m trying to say here.

Sonically, Greg Volker and the River is Americana but it’s so much more than that. There’s a classic Neil Young vibe to some of the song-writing and vocals but there’s something a bit more bluesy about some of the instrumentation. At the same time, there’s something genuinely rocking about everything this group does. All of this creates a sound that will keep you on your toes and keep you guessing with every song that passes. Unfortunately, Greg Volker and The River was racing against the clock with a strict curfew looming. They were somehow able to fit a lot of songs into a short time but it definitely felt a bit rushed at times which was a bummer. I could have stood there for a lot longer just being whisked away from the real world by Greg and his bandmates, and you wouldn’t have heard a single complaint from me. I didn’t care how much snow was piling up on the ground, I just wanted to stay lost for a little bit longer.

As I left Cloudland Theater on Thursday night and started to low-key freak out about a snowy drive home, the music and the feeling of Petty Larcenists, J. Streitz and The Long Odds, and Greg Volker and the River helped keep me calm. All-in-all, it was a perfect way to spend a snowy Thursday.

Line Up:

Petty Larcenists

J. Streitz & The Long Odds

Greg Volker & The River

Venue: Cloudland Theater

Smell-O-Meter- Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd- 37

Crowd Surfers-0

Mosh-ability- 0 out of 10

Stage Divers- 0

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None Noticed

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None Noticed

Pukers- None Noticed

Idiots Taken Out By Security- 0

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Petty Larcenists– o

J. Streitz & The Long Odds– 0

Greg Volker and the River – 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck- Danny Brown / Hook / Bruiser Wolf

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