Franz Nicolay, David Dondero, Ben Henry

The Milestone

March 2, 2011

The Deal: Last time Franz Nicolay came through town I just so happened to stumble upon him and was left speechless. I was hoping that he would come back through soon. I didn't have my hopes up because he reigns from Brooklyn and, usually when touring acts come through, it is quite some time before they make their way back. When I noticed he was booked for the Milestone, I was utterly stoked.

The Good: Ben Henry got the night going around 9:45 p.m. with an immaculate solo performance that prepared us for the chill night ahead. As shimmers of dust surrounded him, he sat before us and with passion, sang and delicately plucked at his guitar. His solo style is quite different then the work I have seen him do with the Have and the Have Nots and The Lesser Pauls. In fact, it is quite different than any solo acoustic sets I have seen. With the speed of Spanish romance and the feel of folk and mellow indie, Ben creates interesting tempos that leave you wondering how it is possible to maintain rhythmic consistency and melodies simultaneously as a solo act. Along with his creative instrumentals, his voice adds to the mix with a pitch that is unusually soothing- the sweet drone of a lullaby. Throughout his set, it was highly recognizable that he also has drumming experience. He played his guitar focusing more rhythmically and layered his melodies creating an eclectic and well-rounded sound. The type of sound that provokes the feeling of lying in a field of green grass during the springtime.

David Dondero followed next and although similar in setup, his style was different. Opening up his performance with a song about his love/hate relationship with his guitar, he got the attention and laughter of the room instantaneously. His mellow guitar with catchy lyrics that hit close to home led the audience into relaxation and focus. Utilizing his voice with elements of country and softer folk-rock, the sounds projected made you want to sip on a beverage and sit by a fireplace to reflect. In fact, some of his lyrics and tunes led to my mind wandering (in the best sense ever). He certainly does have a way of putting feelings into words in perfect unison with his music. David, instead of sitting like most acoustic performers, stood leaning into the microphone and played songs about everyday life leaving us intrigued by his lyrical point of view and decompressed.

Franz Nicolay headlined the night around 11 p.m. and magnetically attracted all patrons in the establishment as the first notes projected from his accordion. He started his set raving about the greatness of the Milestone and how he always finds himself back at the venue and then confessed that there is "something about this place that gets you drunk" comparing it to Cheers as he progressed into his first song. The thing that I love about Franz is that he is not only a musician; he is a storyteller as well. In between songs and even in the more docile parts of the ones he is playing, he provides us with tidbits of experiences he has had — some in regards to the themes of his songs, some completely random. With his curled mustache glistening in the hot lights, he switched up between his accordion, a banjo and for the majority of his set, an acoustic guitar (which he stressed he only really plays for sheer convenience of it's popularity and easy accessibility). His music ranges from slow, emotional numbers that bring tears to your eyes, to more upbeat songs that evoke a feeling of mirth and content. While moderately folksy, Franz has invented his own style of music that straddles genres all around. People tend to stereotype the instruments he plays with certain styles of music (banjo-bluegrass/country, accordion- polka etc) but honestly, Franz reinvents their use and capability, rocking out in every sense of the word, spilling abnormally powerful emotion with every key he hits or string he plucks. After finishing up his set, the audience begged Franz for more and we received two encore songs, the last a cover of Leatherface's "Not Superstitious" that left me so moved that I almost sobbed.

The Bad: I cannot stress how amazing of a show this was. Although it made it a more personal night with the musicians, the turnout was kind of pitiful for a show like this. I don't know if people were just unaware of the greatness or what but there should've been at least double the door count. For the love of God, come out next time. If nobody shows up it's difficult to convince touring acts to come through again which would cause us to lose irreplaceable musical experiences.

The Verdict: Having a primarily acoustic night was a relaxing treat for the middle of the week. The showcase of versatility this instrument is capable of was greatly displayed throughout the course of the night. I highly recommend coming out next time any of these musicians play. Ben Henry is local so he should be performing in the near future and the next time Franz Nicolay or David Dondero come into town you should immediately mark your calendar for an awesome night. Let's keep these traveling acts coming to our city and show them that Charlotte appreciates their music.