Yesterday was a long and busy day, but I still managed to find my way to 119 Gallery in Lowell, MA. 119 is a small artist's studio that offers a wide variety of events and exhibits such as theater, poetry, music/audio/art performance, film, fashion, and dance. What prompted my first visit was The Bella Birds' album release show for their new record, Lost City.
I've been bugging the Birds for a while now to get a sneak preview of their latest, but they just wouldn't have it. Lost City was engineered, mixed, and mastered by the band and Jeff Root; thus, last night was the unveiling of many many months of hard work and energy. The result of their labors is a fairly diverse indie light rock record full of heart-felt words, and with just as much twanging and vocal harmonies as drum fills and power chords. Lost City is a very open and straight-forward expression of three human artists, unafraid and unapologetic. I find Lost City to be quite a refreshing listening experience; it's ten, well-paced and -sequenced tracks provide meditation, fun, and alot of soul. There's such an honesty in their voices, words, and performance that makes these songs very special; they're real stories and real feelings. My personal favorite tracks (at least today) are Wet Hot American Summer, Tomorrow Tomorrow, Crooked & Dreamless, and Never Came.
Last night's opener, Andrue Coombes, warmed up the audience with a inspirational rant and some quirky ukelele singalong jams as we stuffed our faces with delicious delectables from Eggroll Cafe. Soon afterward, Clara Berry took the stage with her percussionist, Joe O'Neil, and bassist Elisabeth Hodge. Twenty-one year old Clara, clearly a well-practiced pianist and vocalist, writes snappy, jazzy, and haunting pieces. She works with dissonance in fantastic ways; Hodge plays off of these moments with dashes of slides and trills while O'Neil keeps things pretty dialed back, entertaining just the right amount of dramatic effect with cymbal swells and snare rim hits. Quite impressed, I fell in love with her set and would highly recommend that if ever you have a chance to see Clara and her band play that you do. Clara Berry's EP, Creature, is available for $5 here. Bog Child by Clara Berry
Photo by Rich Messina
Third on stage were The Bella Birds. Pam Craven, Chris Forgione, and Zachary Root played the entirety of Lost City for us, beginning to end, in what had become the sweltering heat of 119 Gallery. It was a great introduction to the songs of the new album; Zack's bass-lines range from a finger-picked foundation to chord strumming madness, bridging the gap between Chris' extremely energetic beats and Pam's jingle-and-jangling six-string melodies. Topping things off is the dynamic-duo of Pam and Zack's vocals which are very well-matched, smooth, and heart-warming. For a couple of songs Tyler Bisson (aka TRAGWAG) joined the Birds to add some Mandolin flavor and much hair. It was quite apparent the Birds were having alot of fun, as did we, celebrating the moment and a great record. Unfortunately my long day had caught up to me and I resigned after the Bella Birds' set, missing performances by both Kristen Ford and TRAGWAG. It is with reluctance that I must admit I cannot speak to their performances. Wet Hot American Summer by The Bella Birds
I must end by thanking the Birds. Their set certainly inspired me; it was another affirmation of why I need to follow my heart, and for this I am very thankful to the three of them. You can get your very own copy of Lost City by contacting The Bella Birds.
Photo by Rich Messina
"When your dreams get far away, close your eyes..."
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