On Seeing Sodastream
Posted on April 27, 2004 at 11:49 am | No Comments
As tough as I figured it’d be to take in a late Sunday show (insert Danny Glover-style whining here), it ended up feeling like the perfect day of the week for Sodastream at the Zeitgeist Gallery in Inman Square. Relaxing, captivating, mellow in the best way. Easing me softly into a new week.
Sodastream are two gents from Australia who’ve been spreading their gentle-pop across the U.S. since Austin’s SxSW fest in mid-march. It’s apparantly been an up n’ down journey for Karl and Pete, disappointing at times, rewarding at others, buoyed by people they’ve met and fans they’ve made. On this part of the tour they’re playing a few dates with Chris Ziter from the Essex Green, and joined by locals Shumai for the Boston show. When Pete hopped on a laptop during a little pre-show meal at our place, I asked if he was going to update their tour diary. “No, it’s been abandoned I’m afraid. No reason to write when there’s little good to share,” he replied jokingly, with a slight shade of seriousness.
karl, pete, & chris
It may have been the road-weariness talking, but his momentary bout of doubt certainly didn’t impact their performance that night. It was just wonderful. Ashamedly, I’d only heard a few of their songs before, so I was ready to love their set… but in a live setting it brought on the major chills. They really make the most of their two-man setup, with Karl’s stunning voice and light acoustic, Pete beside him on a stand-up double bass. He had the low-end covered, either plucking the notes or beautifully drawing a bow across, and his baritone backing vocals contrastedly strikingly with Karl’s highs. A bonus for us, the Zeitgeist had a grand piano, so Karl sat down for a couple songs. I’m a sucker for strings… throw a piano on top of that and I’m gone.
The high point of the night by far was “Constant Ships“, off their latest cd “A Minor Revival“. Wow. Rise and fall, Karl’s voice alone for a moment, then the instruments come back in and it builds to goosebumps. Pete kindly offered me the disc after the show, but I’d have paid generously for a recording of that one song alone.
Chris Ziter is a friend that does me the favor of writing songs I genuinely like, so I’m never tempted to offer up half-sincere post-set compliments. I’ve never had the chance to hear him alone like this, just his songs, his guitar, and a harmonica. His band, the Essex Green, is about the variety of multiple songwriters, a Jeff song here, a Sasha song there, a Chris song in between. In this solo setting, my appreciation for both his voice and songwriting skills swelled… he was right on, despite a bit of a cold. His slightly-lowered range actually allowed him to more-easily treat us to an old Guppyboy song, instantly bringing me back to Burlington days. He appreciated the crowd’s ultra-attentiveness enough to thank ’em for it, and I do as well. No mumbling, no background rustling, just the songs and the occasional whoosh of a car on the wet, rainy roads outside. Pretty much perfect.
Shumai had what they referred to as an ‘off night’, and it musta been tough following up the beauty of Sodastream with some full-on louder pop, but I was glad to finally see ’em all the same. We’ve got a few friends in common, and as a Boston pop-fan they were always on my ‘should probably catch them’ list. Yeah, they were a little loose, and the sound was a little rougher since it was full-bandish, but the catchy moments came through, and I really dug Collin’s vocals. They debuted a new song by the bass player, and her bass line is still sorta stuck in my head. Speaking of bass lines, when one started a particular song, I was ready to cry “Shenanigans!” and call them on their Small Factory-stealing… until the guitars kicked in and I realized they were in fact playing the Factory’s “Valentine” (technically a Lois cover, I know, don’t indie-nitpick me). Nice to hear the sounds of Small Factory living on beyond our own meager attempts.
All in all, such a great night of music, and one that should have been better attended. Blame the Sunday night, blame the rain, blame the non-club location… but hopefully when Sodastream returns the stars will align and bring them the crowd they deserve. Fingers crossed that it will be soon, too.
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