The second birthday bash, T.T. the Bear's Place, January 5, 2007
By JEFF BREEZE | January 10, 2007
After the second consecutive Friday-night show celebrating the 10th anniversary of the local indie Kimchee Records, it was easy to see how the label has managed to thrive over the past decade. A total of 11 artists performed at T.T. the Bear’s Place last Friday and at the Middle East the Friday before, and there were still plenty of active bands associated with the label to put on another show or two. Geoff Farina began the T.T.’s proceedings with a set of acoustic songs for the lucky early arrivals. The album he recorded for Kimchee is full of guitar explorations, but the former Karate and Secret Stars frontman played a batch of more accessible tunes from his latest project, the Glorytellers.Next to the stage was Shepherdess — they haven’t released an album on Kimchee, but singer/guitarist Hilken Mancini, formerly of Fuzzy, collaborated with Buffalo Tom’s Chris Colbourn on a duo disc for the label. After Mancini led Shepherdess through a set laden with covers of everything from Dinosaur Jr. to the Byrds, Colburn joined them on stage for a couple of tunes from Hilken Mancini and Chris Colbourn and closed with a rendition of Dylan’s “Oh Sister.”
Driving down from Maine without their lead singer, Seekonk were the evening’s odd band out. But Todd Hutchisen and Dave Noyes ably filled in on vocals for the ailing Sarah Ramey, and they relied on their talent for atmospheric pop to carry the set, one of the evening’s gems. Cordelia’s Dad reunited in full rock mode. Best known for their softer folk material, they played loud and caustically, and the results were impressive, especially when you considered that they hadn’t shared a stage in seven years.
Fronted by Maria Christopher, the band 27 said goodbye to drummer Neil Coulon by tearing through songs from old albums and a new one set to come out in April on Relapse. And Tiger Saw closed out the festivities by reverting to the line-up that recorded the first of their three Kimchee titles and sticking to songs from those discs. Their folk pop was the perfect way to wind down from the evening of local rock.
Related:
Taking charge, Party picks, Kay Hanley, More
- Taking charge
If Hilken Mancini’s ego were bigger, her new album would be billed as the career breakthrough.
- Party picks
Let’s get this straight: Compound 440r is not a commune.
- Kay Hanley
Kay Hanley may have relocated to LA, but when she returned to T.T. the Bear’s Place, she was greeted by a packed crowd who hadn’t forgotten past triumphs.
- Tried and true
In a year when every outfit from Smashing Pumpkins to the Police is reuniting, it can be hard to convince people that you never broke up.
- Okay, I’m Biased
Is our local music scene actually better because so little national and international talent comes here?
- Soft sell
Sing! isn’t just the emphatic title of Tiger Saw’s third and most recent full-length on Kimchee Records: it’s also the rotating-member-band’s manifesto.
- Portland scene report: November 21, 2008
Sibilance starts now
- Return of the kings
The tiny room in the East Village shook from top to bottom for almost an hour on a frosty New York night last week.
- Sibilance
Matt Shardlow; RPM Challenge; impending spring Band Guide
- Boston in Austin
There were 26 bands from Massachusetts in Austin last week to play the South by Southwest music conference Black Helicopter, "Buick Electra" (mp3)
- Four on the floor
It’s been a fine fall already: sunny, crisp weekends for apple picking; big-time albums from Ray LaMontagne, Pete Kilpatrick, and Twisted Roots; a deep Red Sox run in the playoffs.
- Less
Topics:
Live Reviews
, Dinosaur Jr., Chris Colbourn, Hilken Mancini, More
, Dinosaur Jr., Chris Colbourn, Hilken Mancini, Neil Coulon, Geoff Farina, Dave Noyes, Sarah Ramey, Todd Hutchisen, Less