Friday, Aug. 28, 2009

On the Scene: Show goes on, despite breakup

You can get listings anywhere, but you’ll only get the story here.

LAST CALL: Breakups aren’t fun. Some are nastier than others. This Machine is Me’s disbanding seemed amicable — until the final show Aug. 20 at New Brookland Tavern.

Only Jayna Doyle and Blake Arambula were at the club, and what was supposed to be a full-band show mellowed into an acoustic set that maintained energy and emphasis.

Doyle, who looked daring in her black dress, didn’t hide from the obvious.

“We wrote all the songs anyway,” she said of her and Arambula. “Who needs them anyway?”

She added, to the missing three members, something to the effect of a kiss-off. The fiery attitude provided songs, such as personal favorite “Rome is Burning, ” a more pronounced, incendiary meaning. The final 10 seconds are absolute bliss.

There were moments of levity. While singing the 4 Non Blondes’ hit “What’s Up, ” Doyle allowed Arambula to sing the “ooh” interlude.

“This is the last time I’m ever doing this,” Arambula said as he capitulated.

Doyle even addressed callous comments left on Free Times’ Web site. And she looked good doing it.

Without the full-band backing, one might think that would have curtailed the dancing, but it didn’t. “Silhouette, ” a song about a torrid affair, has this foreshadowing lyric: “This is a war now / And I’m fine with being a casualty.”

Don’t think it’s the last of this band, as two are still standing. They will still release demos on the band’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/thismachineisme.

MIND THE GAP:Haley Dreis had on sexy boot jeans. Dreis was modeling a pair of The Gap’s new 1969 line of denim, but she wasn’t walking around the store: She was performing.

Dreis, a folk-pop singer, who counts Sara Bareilles, John Mayer and Sarah McLachlan as influences, won the clothing retailer’s “Born to Play” competition. The live simultaneous acoustic event was held Aug. 20 in Gap stores across the country to celebrate 40 years of the brand’s jeans.

Accompanied on acoustic guitar by Patrick Mitchell, Dreis performed songs from her debut CD, “Beautiful to Me. ” Dreis is a compelling performer, one of the scene’s brightest voices.

She sat down at a keyboard to play “I Believe in Love, ” where her phrasing was more like Michelle Branch than Bareilles, especially when she spelled out love, stringing the letters together with harmonic grace and skill. Besides Hannah Miller, I can’t think of a singer in town who has as much command of their vocal flutters, something Dreis also displayed on “Not Alone. ”

“They should put you in commercials,” someone said during the set.

Dreis would agree. Although she’s new to performing, she understands music licensing is the key to sustaining a music career.

“It’s a great opportunity for independent musicians to get exposure,” she said of The Gap promotion. “It’s sort of a way that we can creep into other people.”

Dreis, who is majoring in violin performance and journalism at USC, turns 20 today. Happy birthday, and we hope to hear more from you soon.

REVIEW:“Plowboys and Indians: Visions of Black Elk,”Tom Hall’s vision opera that debuted at the Columbia Museum of Art on Aug. 21, expectedly sold out. The delight given by opera was expected, too. What was unexpected was the addition of Dan Seymour, a Nashville-based slide guitarist who pierced the music with thrilling runs.

The production, backed by video Hall shot to illustrate the visions, was loose, a bit carefree. Sandra Young performed whirling tribal dances to several songs.

Hall’s singing, interspersed with spoken word, was creaky and emotional. The story — and the lyrics — weren’t easily deciphered, and neither was the program given to the audience. But this was imminently clear: The original music, created in less than two months, was remarkable.

It featured Phil Hurd’s dynamic fiddle swells; Bill Stevens’ thick, wiggling bass lines; Chris Lawther’s tingling guitar solos; Dave Michelson’s harmony vocals and steady picking; and drummer Andrew Hoose’s insistent pacing. Henry Thomas, who starred as Black Elk in the film, did an admirable job continuously beating a drum for the set.

After the opera, delicious boodan balls — buffalo meat mixed with wild rice and foie gras — were served before the Plowboys played a few songs of zydeco boogie.

I can’t wait to taste some more — of the music and the food.

SERIOUS SHOWCASE: Srsly? Records, a collective of local bands, will have a showcase at Elbow Room. Hipstermobile, Fleurescence, Cherry Case, Attalaya, Hello Tomorrow, The Artichokes and Sweet Vans will perform.

The show starts at 3 p.m. Elbow Room is at 2020 Devine St. $5; (803) 253-7888

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