Son Volt
Neighborhood Theatre
Feb. 19, 2009
By Rhiannon Bowman
The Deal: Son Volt, an alternative country band formed by Jay Farrar in 1994 after Uncle Tupelo’s break up, plays The Neighborhood Theater on Feb. 19. See photos of some of those in attendance here.
The Good: I went on a friend’s suggestion. He adores the band, so I arrived with high expectations. The way he discusses Son Volt’s influence on his life was mirrored in the comments of several other fans. “I first discovered them in 1994,” one lady said, “It’s because of them that I love music so much today.”
It’s difficult to argue with that kind of sentiment. I figured, with seven albums and one major recording contract — with Warner Bros. Records (they were dropped after their fourth release) — there must be something about them I hadn’t discovered yet.
I started paying closer attention to the lyrics. That’s where I found the deep-down honesty and political commentary (listen to “The Picture”) I believe resonates with their fans.
The Bad: My first impression of Son Volt was that my grandfather would really dig them. The show started — slow and depressing — with the first several songs sounding similar and Neil Young-ish. A few people in the crowd were doing the head-bob, though one lady, front and center, insisted on dancing and twirling energetically regardless of the beat.
Then, they livened up. By the end of the concert more people were bouncing around, the tunes — like “The Search” — offered more cheerful beats and I started thinking, “This is something I can listen to with my grandpa.”
The Verdict: As we left my friend admitted, “I had to listen to most of their CDs a couple of times before I got into them.” I think Son Volt might understand. After all, in “The Search” they sing, “Door is open to change your mind.”
This article appears in Feb 17-24, 2009.
Wow. What an insightful review. More like another sign of the coming apocalypse, actually.
This is why the average blogger should have their fingers amputated, and why professional reviewers get paid for providing context and writing skills to their thoughts; whether this “reviewer” liked the band or hated them is immaterial.
If I worked at CL I’d be embarassed to have the name of the publication associated with this “review.”
You just compared a review to the apocalypse and suggested an intern should have their fingers amputated.
Really?
…”Like a man said, rode hard and put away wet, take the bad news, and put it to rest.” That is what I say about the review on this show. Anyone who loves Son Volt appreciates their quality musicianship and thoughtful, heartfelt lyrics. Jay Farrar is one of the best songwriters in the world!
…and by the way—I was at the Athens, GA show on 2/20/09, and have seen Son Volt and Jay Farrar a few times in the past. This line-up has them sounding better than ever. And I—speak from experience—unlike the clown that wrote this blog for Creative Loafing. What a shameful publication CL is. They should print it on cow dung, because that is what it is.
That CL intern is probably a fan of Nickleback. I guess that shows you their real taste for “music,” or lack thereof.
It is only one person’s opinion… It doesn’t necessarily represent every writer for CL. Saying CL is terrible because one person wrote a review saying they’re not a fan is like saying all music sounds like Nickelback.