tonight JACK OHLY/ THEATER FIRE/ SCOTT CHURCHMAN @ 7pm GLC
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Sherman
Jun 22, 2009, 12:54:19 PM6/22/09
to Sherman Arts
tonight JACK OHLY/ THEATER FIRE/ SCOTT CHURCHMAN @ 7pm GLC
JUNE 22ND
THEATER FIRE
Folk / Indie / Other
“Maybe it’s just because they’re Texans, but something about the
band’s third album, Matter and Light, seems to view introversion as a
form of secession. Perhaps because they’ve been forced to circle the
wagons and rechristen themselves, they’ve cultivated a strong
separatist streak in their music: With their clever orchestrations and
cleverer lyrics (best: “I’m not bitter but I hope she dies”), they
inhabit their little corner of the Lone Star state, and while you’re
invited to listen in, they’re not asking twice or saving you a seat.
Matter and Light, however, is far from inaccessible. The Fire have a
knack for curious, slightly off arrangements that reveal their layers
through repeated listens. Their cover of Elliott Smith’s “Say Yes”
says yes to music box bells, plunking banjo, mariachi horns, and
singing saw, but says no to lyrics. All they care about is Smith’s
mournful up-and-down melody, which makes a lovely album intermission.
“Uncle Wayne” marries a skipping rhythm to Don Feagin’s Smoggy vocals,
lyrics about particularly gruesome car-crash fatalities, and trumpets
playing one of the wryest fanfares ever. (It should be noted that the
video features actress Angela Bettis of May fame, which means it is
one of the best videos ever made). That fanfare only echoes Feagin’s
performance, which gravitates toward unannounced punchlines and
constant self-deprecation. “I’d like to help stop the war, but I just
stayed home and watched it on TV,” Heath sings on “Swashbuckler
Blues”. “I’d like to rob from the rich and give to the poor, but I’m
too lazy.” They may be territorial, but the Theater Fire are more
engaged with the world than even they realize” - (7.4) PITCHFORK
www.myspace.com/thetheaterfire
SCOTT CHURCHMAN
Concrete / Visual / Grime
www.myspace.com/scottchurchman
JACK OHLY
Experimental / Folk / Drum & Bass
Jack draws from a wide range and it comes out in a wide range- low
bowed upright bass to cavaquinho, soundscape to ballad, solo and with
a second upright, drums, trumpet, other voices. He plays Brazilian
with friends Gregg, Todd and Nayami under the name Old Goats and
Eastern European music in the West Philadelphia Orchestra. His first
album, Now Down was recently released- handpainted copies are
currently available through cloud recordings www.cloudrecordings.com
and manufactured copies are currently available through cdbaby
cdbaby.com/cd/jackohly and royal rhino flying records
www.myspace.com/royalrhinoflyingrecords. Dust, a new album of music
written for Beth Nixon’s puppet/theater performance Mite We, is
finished and will be released soon in a small edition. Music of
termites and dustmites, elephant dreams and swim dreams, featuring
Kimbal Brown, Joshua Marcus, Lucy Schneider, Dan Blacksberg, Susan
Sakash and Jacob Mitas.
http://www.myspace.com/jackohly
Green Line Cafe, 45th & Locust,7pm, $5
JUNE 22ND
THEATER FIRE
Folk / Indie / Other
“Maybe it’s just because they’re Texans, but something about the
band’s third album, Matter and Light, seems to view introversion as a
form of secession. Perhaps because they’ve been forced to circle the
wagons and rechristen themselves, they’ve cultivated a strong
separatist streak in their music: With their clever orchestrations and
cleverer lyrics (best: “I’m not bitter but I hope she dies”), they
inhabit their little corner of the Lone Star state, and while you’re
invited to listen in, they’re not asking twice or saving you a seat.
Matter and Light, however, is far from inaccessible. The Fire have a
knack for curious, slightly off arrangements that reveal their layers
through repeated listens. Their cover of Elliott Smith’s “Say Yes”
says yes to music box bells, plunking banjo, mariachi horns, and
singing saw, but says no to lyrics. All they care about is Smith’s
mournful up-and-down melody, which makes a lovely album intermission.
“Uncle Wayne” marries a skipping rhythm to Don Feagin’s Smoggy vocals,
lyrics about particularly gruesome car-crash fatalities, and trumpets
playing one of the wryest fanfares ever. (It should be noted that the
video features actress Angela Bettis of May fame, which means it is
one of the best videos ever made). That fanfare only echoes Feagin’s
performance, which gravitates toward unannounced punchlines and
constant self-deprecation. “I’d like to help stop the war, but I just
stayed home and watched it on TV,” Heath sings on “Swashbuckler
Blues”. “I’d like to rob from the rich and give to the poor, but I’m
too lazy.” They may be territorial, but the Theater Fire are more
engaged with the world than even they realize” - (7.4) PITCHFORK
www.myspace.com/thetheaterfire
SCOTT CHURCHMAN
Concrete / Visual / Grime
www.myspace.com/scottchurchman
JACK OHLY
Experimental / Folk / Drum & Bass
Jack draws from a wide range and it comes out in a wide range- low
bowed upright bass to cavaquinho, soundscape to ballad, solo and with
a second upright, drums, trumpet, other voices. He plays Brazilian
with friends Gregg, Todd and Nayami under the name Old Goats and
Eastern European music in the West Philadelphia Orchestra. His first
album, Now Down was recently released- handpainted copies are
currently available through cloud recordings www.cloudrecordings.com
and manufactured copies are currently available through cdbaby
cdbaby.com/cd/jackohly and royal rhino flying records
www.myspace.com/royalrhinoflyingrecords. Dust, a new album of music
written for Beth Nixon’s puppet/theater performance Mite We, is
finished and will be released soon in a small edition. Music of
termites and dustmites, elephant dreams and swim dreams, featuring
Kimbal Brown, Joshua Marcus, Lucy Schneider, Dan Blacksberg, Susan
Sakash and Jacob Mitas.
http://www.myspace.com/jackohly
Green Line Cafe, 45th & Locust,7pm, $5
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