By: Emily Dantuma
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Bright Red Paper - Publicity Photo
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Unfortunately, I arrived at the Acadia just in time to see the last song and a half of Bright Red Paper’s set. The four-piece from Portland, Oreg. bills themselves as “virtuosic indie cello rock,” and pretty much lived up to it. The cello, guitar, 5-string bass and drum kit were knee deep in an extended outro and having a pretty serious jam-out when I walked into the room. The cellist, Douglas Jenkins, was showing off mostly his bow arm skills and at times played with all four strings open. This was probably a result of never being able to hear himself when the band really got going as the cello is loudest when all of the strings vibrate freely with no fingers down; a conclusion I was led to because I couldn’t hear him during the jam.
Their last song started with just Dan Enberg on guitar and vocals, and then joined by Jenkins. I was impressed by Jenkins’ intonation and dexterity, but would have liked to hear a bit of a slower, looser vibrato. Truthfully, everyone except the drummer looked like they could’ve used a little “loosening up.” (Next time they come through town I would recommend that they play at the Triple Rock and get the all you can drink bracelet.) As the song moved into full instrumentation, bassist Arcellus Sykes looked just on the verge of the sexy man bass dance and Enberg busted out some exciting and unique chord progressions. Eben Dickinson, looking quite Allman Brothers, held down the beats well with a smooth manner and consistent execution. He even got to show off a funky triangle and snare solo in another extended outro.
I was disappointed to have missed most of their set because I’m sure they had a lot more tricks up their sleeves. You can check them out at their website.
Venues, I bear a grievance and a suggestion: When bands are advertised in a certain order, it gives the attendee an impression of what the show will be like. For instance; the first band mentioned is usually the headliner and then others are listed descending down to the opener, and music usually goes until the end of the night unless otherwise mentioned. Varying greatly from the posted schedule can cause fans and newcomers alike to miss bands they intended to see, which can be especially frustrating when trying to catch an out-of-town act.
After Bright Red Paper, I had the chance to catch a band that I thought was opening up the evening, local group Sol Spectre. Sol Spectre believes firmly in the loop squad transcendence mission; they are a jam band. Members Aaron Bjerke (guitar, vocals and loops), Matt Hallinan (guitar, vocals and loops), Jay Augspurger (drums) and Andy Shuster (bass) took the stage complete with a gold shiny robe, a tie-dye ski hat, goggles and a grip of pedals.
The songs followed a fairly consistent formula: start with a groove beat and a Pink Floyd chord progression, then noodle and noodle, end with a guitar solo. It was obvious that the boys had been practicing their scales consistently and were proficient at going up and down the fingerboard, and each of the string players had a clear tone. The guitar solo facial movements were so exaggerated that it was hard to tell if it was forced or if there really was something to this “loop transcendence.”
Like most jam bands with clear tone that practices their scales, the music created a soundscape and would be lovely for a film. Toward the end of the set they pulled off a few surprising and creative time changes. They are waiting to be your friend on MySpace.
Location Info:
Acadia Café
Artist Info: Bright Red Paper, Sol Spectre
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