So this evening's contribution to Rocktober was the Portland band Viva Voce at the redoubtable Earl. I don't know if I've ever gone to as many shows in a row as I have the past several weeks without setting foot once in the Earl. I hadn't been there since seeing Six Organs of Admittance back on August 20, which after Bumbershoot, MFNW, and all the other shows, seems like an eternity ago.
The opening set was by Atlanta's Lily and the Tigers. They featured some interesting, all-acoustic instrumentation, including an upright bass, violin, and oboe, and performed a nice set of original, folkie-sounding songs, and were followed by the country-rock of Portland's The Parson Redheads. Here are some pics.
Lily and the Tigers:
The Parson Redheads:
The headliners and the reason for heading out on this surprisingly cool October evening was Viva Voce. The turnout was small, but many there had traveled significant distances for this show, Viva Voce's only stop in the Southeast on their current tour. One young couple in attendance had even used one of Viva Voce's songs in their wedding ceremony, so this was a very special concert for them. Here's a fairly representative sample of what a lot of their show sounded like (they played this song in about this style during tonight's show), followed by some pictures.
Viva Voce:
I got a chance to briefly talk with Kevin Robinson over at the merch table, and he's just the nicest, most sincere person you could ever want to meet. He and his wife, the guitarist Anita, even autographed a copy of the CD that I bought from them.
Outside of some sub-audible vocals during the first two songs of Viva Voce's set, the sound quality for all three bands was outstanding. A fine way to spend a cool October evening, or was it a cool way to spend a fine October evening?
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