It was a sweltering Sunday morning when the younguns in The Abdomen climbed up onto the Star Tribune stage and began to play. Day two of the Stone Arch Festival of the Arts was just beginning, and already half the audience was chowing down on cheese curds, settling in under the shady trees near the Stone Arch Bridge for some sustenance and a musical interlude.
Though I had been to the Stone Arch Festival before, I had never paid much attention to the musical guests. Fortunately for this year's attendees, the musical performances had been hand selected by avid showgoer, music nerd and HowWasTheShow contributor Stacy Schwartz, and the two-day lineup included some of the best local music this town has to offer.
The Abdomen are a family band - the brothers Abdo play guitar and bass, while sister Mari bangs the drums. Jake Abdo and Mari took turns singing vocals, and the band switched between playing original pop rock tunes off their debut album, This Time, and covers by various rock and country artists, including a breathtaking version of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue" that featured guest violinist and back-up vocalist Natalie Murphy.
Though Jake's vocal melodies were enjoyably slick, the band was in its finest form when they quieted down the guitars and allowed Mari to take center stage. Singing from behind her drum kit and keeping time effortlessly, Mari's performances were enchanting. She channeled a nearly toxic combination of Karen Carpenter's sweetness and Chrissie Hynde's rock and roll sensuality, reigning in the crowd keeping us hushed, waiting to see what might come next.
Toward the end of their set, guest guitarist Justin Ploof took a turn at the mike and sang an original tune, "She's Everything," which was catchy enough to make me look up his MySpace when I got home from the festival. And in a charming, Father's Day-appropriate moment, the Abdos called up their own dad to play drums on a rollicking song about cars and girls that had a great garage rockabilly feel.
The Abdomen play Java Jack's this Saturday, June 23 with Catchpenny. 8pm, $5, All Ages.
