August 7, 2009 8:00pm
The Summit
2210 Summit St.
(614) 268-9377
$8 in advance / $10 at door
Ages 18+, under 21 pays $2 surcharge at door
Langhorne Slim
http://www.myspace.com/langhorneslim
Something of a one-man mixture of the Cramps, Beck’s early indie records (circa One Foot in the Grave), and the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou, singer and guitarist Langhorne Slim offers a sardonic, modern take on traditional folk, country, and blues. Fancifully dubbed “the bastard son of Hasil Adkins” in some of his early press releases, Langhorne Slim is in fact a Pennsylvania native who resettled in Brooklyn after his graduation from the State University of New York at Purchase. After a self-released demo garnered some local and online attention (as well as a semi-regular gig as the opening act for indie novelty outfit the Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players), Langhorne Slim signed with the indie label Narnack Records and released his first EP, Electric Love Letter, in March 2004. The more varied and band-oriented full-length When the Sun’s Gone Down followed in the spring of 2005. Much touring ensued over the next year, including support dates with Lucero and Murder by Death, with drummer Malachi DeLorenzo and upright bassist Paul DeFiglia (aka “the War Eagles”) in tow. In 2006, Langhorne Slim signed with the larger (though still not major) label V2 Records, which released the all-new EP Engine in September of that year, as the singer was finishing recording his second full album, produced by Josh Ritter’s keyboardist, Sam Kassirer. The deal fell through, however, and the band was left labelless. Langhorne Slim found a new home on Kemado Records, who released the self-titled album in the spring of 2008. - ©1992-2009 All Media Guide, LLC
The Low Anthem
http://www.myspace.com/lowanthem
The Low Anthem’s unique brand of Americana makes room for gospel, folk, and blues, a blend that began taking shape in the trio’s hometown of Providence, RI. Ben Knox Miller and Jeff Prystowsky — both students at Brown University, as well as late-night DJs at the school’s radio station — formed the group in 2006, drawing upon their background as classical composers to help mold the eclectic music. Jocie Adams joined one year later, and the Low Anthem began widening their arsenal of instruments accordingly, utilizing everything from World War I pump organs to crotales in the process. After making their independent debut with 2007’s What the Crow Brings, the band rang in 2008 by temporarily relocating to Block Island — a remote location 12 miles off the Rhode Island coast — to record an album with producer Jesse Lauter. The stark, serene environment proved to be an appropriate for the music, which the band initially self-released under the title Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. As their buzz continued to build, and the Low Anthem signed a contract with Nonesuch Recordings and reissued Oh My God in 2009, supporting the release with a string of performances at summer festivals. - ©1992-2009 All Media Guide, LLC
Couch Forts
http://www.myspace.com/iliveinacouchfort
What can you say about a band like Couch Forts? A three-man band out to change history is typically the overwhelming response. The members of this fine group are Owen Kelley, Matt Opachick, and Tyler Evans. Kelley, a former lion tamer, plays guitar, bass drum, and also sings. MattO, a world renowned rodeo clown, plays the fiddle. And last but not least, Tyler “Turkey Fart” Evans, the father of both Kelley and Opachick, plays banjo. With their powers combined, they create music that is often referred to as, “architectonic, heavy industrial folk rock with a crude awareness of the human condition.” They would love to build a couch fort with you. - Harold Bloom