Backseat Sandbar

Just a few weeks ago, we told you about this ridiculously great show that’s going to be happening on the 29th.  Not only is it going to feature Louisville folk implosionists Joe Manning and Will Garrison (Spirit of the Red City), but it will also be a long-overdue visit from Bloomington’s (by way of Corydon) Joe O’Connell AKA Elephant Micah.  I had the opportunity to catch Elephant Micah at Bloomington’s The Bishop with the incredible Bronze Float.  Bronze Float is particularly interesting to note because this band which is the brainchild of Indianapolis’ David Brant, is involved in the LRRC (Luddite Rural Recording Cooperative) which is made up of Elephant Micah, Bronze Float, Vollmar, and the epic collective Mt Gigantic, among others.

At this show in Bloomington, Elephant Micah approached the stage with nothing but his Alvarez guitar and his quiver of songs that seemed to pierce further with every draw making it obvious why it has been said that he is “[e]asily the greatest songwriter of our generation, hiding out in Indiana, creating record after record of pure brilliance.”  EM worked through about 8 songs including the astounding “Wild Goose Chase”, “American Drumming”, and “Pleasure Trip Whirlpool”.  I had a few of his songs in passing from friends over the years, and I always liked what I heard, but this show absolutely floored me.  I went to the show with some friends and when we got back to the house we all remarked about how we were blown away by his vocal delivery, which somehow breathes weight into every word, weakening one’s knees.  Also during the show O’Connell told everyone that they could head over to his website and download a number of his EPs and albums for FREE (be sure to leave a tip!).  This is an amazing gesture and a tribute to his love for making music, not money.  Be sure to take advantage of it.  Also on the site are links to a few of his other records like Hindu Windmills (Time-Lag Records) and his latest Exiled Magicians (Third Uncle Records).

If you’re feeling saucy and in the mood to try something new then I absolutely suggest you do the following: find a good set of speakers (not your laptop’s) or headphones, turn out the lights and close your eyes, lean back in your chair, forget about your to-do lists and day job, and switch on “Wild Goose Chase” and when he get’s to the line “I know I’ll drop my guitar/I’ll abandon my car on the highway” just try not to lose yourself in contended joy.  I dare you.  After that, get your Blackberry or iPhone and mark down October 29th as the night you take your favorite folding chair to Skull Alley (it’s not just for kids) and set up in front of the stage ready to experience some of the most impactful folk music of the past few decades which has been brewing up right in our own backyard.  Go ahead and treat yourself.  You deserve it.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 4:31 pm and is filed under Louisville. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.