March 18, 2010 9pm
Cafe Bourbon Street
2216 Summit St.
(614) 268-9377
$5
Ages 18+ - Under 21 pay $2 surcharge at the door
Arlo and the Otter
http://www.myspace.com/arloandtheotter
Arlo, traveling alone, cold and depressed, lost in the wilderness of thought, was walking down a lonely road in San Juan. He passed by hopeless souls and neon signs when he realized that life was not worth living. As he laid down outside a rundown housing project, ready to make his final resting place, a cough, a cough so raspy and unique it made our tragic hero turn his head curiously. A man, not knowing of Arlo’s existence or troubled past, scratched his beard with a sigh of frustration. For this man had his own skeletons, not too different than Arlo’s. Arlo said with his soft voice, “Heyyy, brotherrr. What your name stranger?” The man, slightly startled, stared at Arlo, surveying his looks and his eyes as though he was determining whether or not to reply. “They call me the Otter. Don’t got no change though, best keep on moving down the road, folks do better begging up yonder.” “I’m not asking for change mister… I’m looking for a friend.” Arlo replied. The man they call the Otter coughed again and surveyed Arlo once more. He decided that Arlo’s response was genuine and sat down next to his new acquaintance. And from that point on, Arlo and the Otter became the greatest of friends. They decided to form a duet and then talked more to find out that both actually had musical training. Opium played a role.
Saintseneca
http://www.myspace.com/saintseneca
Necessity is the mother invention, sometimes in the weirdest way.
For Saintseneca, quiet hours and tiny spaces transformed an adolescent indie band into a folky four-piece that now stomps, shouts and strums with the best in the city.
“We had a cheesy electric band in high school, and we wanted to continue something in college,” said Luke Smith, who came from a small Appalachian town to Ohio State with bandmates Zac Little and Steve Jacobs. “It was tough for us to find a place to practice where we could make a lot of noise.”
Thus the addition of a plastic trash can for percussion and crack violinist Grace Chang, who has helped hone a soft, charming acoustic sound. It exploded in September on a fantastic four-song vinyl EP released with the help of San Francisco indie imprint Paper Brigade.
Literate acoustic acts like The Decemberists come to mind, but Saintseneca takes traditional American folk in even more intriguing directions.
“Something we focus on when we are writing music is filling up that space,” said Little, one of three members who rotate among guitar, banjo, dulcimer and other instruments. “Our music can be really sparse, but we try to get a full sound. If everyone’s playing an instrument, what can you do but stomp?”
Simultaneously traditional and dynamic, the sound has won the band a loyal following along several recent DIY tours and within the city’s thriving house-show scene.
“At some bars, it can be kind of weird or not as personal,” Smith said of opting for smaller, residential venues. “Playing for 30 or 40 in a basement can be really cool.”
Chang, who grew up reading sheet music and playing in school orchestras, agreed.
“For me personally, I enjoy the house show because you feel like you made friends with the people who hosted you,” she explained. “Since it’s so small and intimate, people are able to pick up on things more.”
The band has recorded five new songs and plans to release them this year, aided by the elbow-grease ethic working just fine so far. A tour through the Midwest and East Coast is slated for spring, and a longer road stint is scheduled during summer break. - John Ross, Columbus Alive
Uzi & Ari
http://www.myspace.com/benshepard
Uzi and Ari is an American indie rock band based in Salt Lake City, Utah that has received favorable comparisons to artists such as Thom Yorke, Mogwai, The Postal Service, and The Album Leaf. Founded by Ben Shepard in 2003, Uzi and Ari has seen many changes in its lineup. The current members of the group include Ben Shepard (vocals, guitar, organ), Andrew Glassett (drums), Catherine Worsham (bass, backing vocals), Garrett Martin (guitar, keyboard), and Ryan Moore (violin, guitar, french horn). Following a month long 2006 tour of the United States, Uzi and Ari was picked up by the European label Own Records, and left on a successful six-week European tour in the Spring of 2007. - Wikipedia