By: David de Young
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| Robert Skoro and band at the Turf Club - Photo by David de Young (Click for full size version.) |
Don't put Robert Skoro's debut release "Proof" (Merciful Records, 2002) on your stereo while preparing for a night on the town. If you do, you just may find yourself wanting to stay home, listen some more Robert Skoro, relax a bit with some wine and a good friend, possibly one of the sex that you're attracted to. Or you may find yourself wanting to cook a quiet dinner, watch a movie, and listen to some more Robert Skoro.
This point is moot, of course, if you've put on Skoro's CD in preparation for a foray into the evening to see the 22 year old former bass player for Mason Jennings. You are likely to be as moved by Skoro's informal and mesmerizing live performance as you will be by the album, arguably an essential Minnesota music CD of 2002.
Live, Skoro demonstrates something that's immediately apparent from listening to his recorded material: these are down tempo, but unpretentious songs, seemingly very personal and very real, sung with a voice that is honest, modest and reassuring. Years of performing with Jenning's band have put Skoro in a position to present his songs with a seasoned stage presence that suits the maturity-yet at times touching naiveté-of the music itself.
Having played many of the instruments on the album himself, Skoro has assembled a band of some of the Twin Cities finest to back him live. Take guitar player Mike Michaels, for example, who is also featured in the new Divorcee lineup where he plays bass. Once you get past the slightly exaggerated, jazz-like animation of his playing style you hear what is nothing short of a major contribution to the live sound, his skill allowing for a more subtle approach to tonality than one normally hears in a live performance.
With just one album under his belt and a handful of songs to present, this is a good time to get out and see Rob Skoro. As with Martin Devaney's live shows (Devaney and Skoro are about the same age) you get not only the experience of what you're seeing now; but you can't help but see the major potential as well. With a single listen to "Proof" you'll be more than prepared for the show. And with a couple listens you'll find yourself singing along with songs like Friday's opener "It's all up the in Air," "2318" and the moving "John Muir" (partially about the life of the famous naturalist, father of our national park system and founder of the Sierra Club.)
On the CD a trained ear will hear the expert production of Ed Ackerson's after just a few seconds into the opening track. The album was recorded and mixed at Ackerson's Flowers Studios in Uptown. Drummer Edgar Oliveira is the only musician in the live lineup to actually appear on the album where Skoro received percussive assistance from Brian McLeod, and the amazing David King on the album's opening track "John Muir." Josh Duff lends guitar assistance on "It's All Up in The Air." Live, Nick Settick keeps the beats.
Also in the live lineup are Skoro's longtime friend Matthew Carlson playing the ever-delightful Fender Rhodes and Nathan Affield who has a casual Conor Oberst look to him on bass. According to Affield, the three of them have been playing together for 7 years already; in other words since high school. You don't see such casual interplay on stage in musicians less familiar with working together. These guys are clearly not there to impress you, nor are they there to worry too much about how things are going--though Skoro apologized about the fact that he tunes a lot. "The least I can do when I come to St. Paul is play in tune," Skoro remarked. These longer than normal tuning breaks between songs contributed to the mesmerizing feeling because there really wasn't a lot of audience chatter between songs as if the music had tenderly lulled many of us into stillness.
Rob Skoro plays the kind of music that makes you want to sit down and think about your life. And you could see this in the audience as the bar filled up and Friday's Turf clubbers grabbed extra chairs that were stacked by the stage and pulled them down front by the stage to sit down and listen. If you attend a Rob Skoro show you may find yourself doing the same.
Skoro will be appearing again Friday, April 11th at the 400 Bar Friday with Jesse Malin, and again on an excellent early evening triple bill at First Avenue with Mark Mallman and Astronaut Wife on Saturday April 19th.
Skoro's band for this show:
Robert Skoro - guitar/vocals
Matthew Carlson - Fender Rhodes
Mike Michaels - guitar
Nathan Affield - bass
Nick Settick - drums
Official website: http://www.robertskoro.com
Location Info:
The Turf Club
Artist Info: Robert Skoro
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