CAVO / Reaul @ Cicero’s, St. Louis, MO

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson

If you were looking to let loose after a long day of figuring those pesky taxes, Cicero’s in St. Louis was the place to be on this Sunday night.  But as with any reward, there was a little work involved to get one in to this show.  CAVO came up with a crafty promotion to secure a spot at this intimate venue.  Ala Willy Wonka, buy the latest CAVO album and if you were lucky you would have found a golden ticket, which would put you up close and personal with the band.  CAVO, collectively, is Casey Walker (vocals/occasional guitar), Chad La Roy (drums/percussion), Brian Smith (bass), and Chris Hobbs (guitar).  Formed sometime around 2000, the band started out as a hobby.  Then the realization set in that the band had a good local following in St. Louis and had a shot at becoming something so much bigger.  As the members of CAVO were soon to find out, with all things that have the potential to be great, there are many setbacks along the way.

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The Head and the Heart @ the Pageant, St. Louis, MO

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson

Not that I’m complaining, but after two nights of screaming guitars and drunken rowdy crowds, I was ready for a break.  The Head and the Heart provided this break with a sound that was comparable to a two-hour, Swedish massage for my ears.  The band’s indie folk found a perfect fit for the current music scene in St. Louis, as the near capacity audience was proof of that.  When researching a band, I often try to think a descriptive word or term that defines the band best.  The term that came to mind most while researching this band was fast-rising.  Last June, the band played the famed St. Louis venue, the Duckroom, with a capacity  of 300.  Less than a year later, they moved across the street and plays a nearly sold out Pageant (capacity 2000).  Now that’s fast rising.  The band makes music that could appeal to nearly every musical taste.  From the barroom sing-a-long feel of “Ghosts”, to the Woody Guthriesque, “Lost In My Mind”.  The Head and the Heart has it covered.  The band’s choices in stage decor are fitting for the music being played.  Simple lighting and a stage set that resembles a backyard barbecue, complete with clear-bulb string lighting and suspended Chinese lanterns.

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Joanne Shaw Taylor @ The Beale on Broadway, St. Louis, MO

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson

Joanne Shaw Taylor?  Never heard of her?  Hang on St. Louis, this young lady is about to introduce herself via a two-night stand at the Beale on Broadway.  For a music lover and part time guitar player, I knew all too well of what this 26-year old from Birmingham, England was capable of.  If you ask Joanne, I’m sure she would consider herself a blues guitarist but she rides a fine line between blues and rock, with a guitar sound that is as raw as Angus Young’s but bluesy in a Jimmy Page kinda way.  Joanne was discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the age of 16 and was quickly recruited to play in Dave’s super group,  D.U.P., in 2002.  Today, Joanne is touring as part of a power-trio fashioned after some of her early influences such as Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

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Upcoming: White Denim @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX

As White Denim returns to Dallas for their headlining show at Granada Theater on Thursday, you almost get a sense that the band has never left.  That's because the Austin band has been in the DFW area three times in the last year, most recently at the University of Texas at Dallas on March 20th.  And with a spot on one of the main stages at last year's 35 Conferette (pictured above) and headlining the inaugural Gorilla vs. Bear Festival, the band has been everywhere and continues to do nothing but rise.

With their catchy hooks and accessible pysch-rock sound, the band has had great success in North Texas and notably deserves their time to shine at Granada.  Continuing to tour off of last year's critically acclaimed album, D, the band has built a reputation for producing solid, well-constructed music and delivering exciting live performances.

Performing alongside fellow Austinites, Hundred Visions, and Dallas-bred rockers, Soviet, Thursday night's show should be nothing short of fantastic.  Tickets are still available online via Granada Theater ticketing or at the door.  But I suggest getting your tickets now, as this will be one of the better shows this week.

Where:  Granada Theater | map

When:  Thursday, April 5th

Times:  Doors @ 7pm, Show @ 8pm

enjoy.

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Josh Garrett @ BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, St. Louis, MO

Words and pictures by Duane Clawson

If you were to travel the course of the Mississippi River, you would hear many variations of blues music. Starting in Chicago, the blues has a down and dirty club feel.  By the time you reach the southern end of the Mississippi, blues music turns acoustic.  Harmonicas and acoustic slide guitars replace the electrified Chicago sound.  Josh Garrett takes all things that are Delta Blues and mixes them with other sounds that are prevalent throughout the south such as Dixieland Jazz and Zydeco.  Josh brought to BB’s a large band capable of reproducing all of the aforementioned sounds.  Tonight’s band consisted of Josh Garrett (guitar/vocals), Mark Levron (trumpet/vocals/tambourine), Scott Jackson (bass), Clay White (harmonica), and St. Louis native Kyle Sharamitaro (drums/vocals).  Josh and the band took the stage to perform a lengthy set for a large Friday night crowd.  Josh explained that he makes it up to the St. Louis area around nine or ten times a year, and judging from the crowd size and their reaction, it’s no wonder he makes so many trips to the area.

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