Vetiver w/ Waters and Sea of Bees @ Sophia’s – 8/11/11

Thankfully I was able to hold it together tonight and make disparaging comments about a band’s song to their face [ED: Really sorry, again, guys.]  Overall it was a good show and one that should be pinned on the cork-board of the collective memory of the Davis music scene. Lots of people on the porch, though, annoyingly, a lot of them wouldn’t shut up during Sea of Bee’s set. Apparently there were problems with the sound on the night as there was some popping during Sea of Bee’s set. That went away for the rest of the bands and I didn’t notice any other problems as I was close enough to hear the mix on the monitors instead. Overall, it was a pretty damn good night.

Though they were the headliner of the night, San Francisco band Vetiver were not may favorite act of the evening. It’s possible that after Waters’ rock ‘n’ roll ‘plosion, I just couldn’t bring my self down and wanted something more upbeat. What I got was subdued folk-rock that, while well crafted and executed, didn’t quite fit my fancy at the moment and really ran together from song to song. I wouldn’t be against giving their live show another go, I just didn’t have that much of an interest in it this time around.

Waters is new project born from the ashes of Port O’Brien, though now with infinitely more Norwegians in the band. I think this may have been one of the loudest sets to grace the stage at Sophia’s and god damn did they make at least one new fan, me, on the night. I don’t think I have seen enough guitarists purposely feed back their guitar to start a song in recent memory. Giving the band some flourish-y genre or “sounds like” description my be doing them a bit of injustice. The only thing I think that needs to be said this that they are loud and well done rock ‘n’ roll music. Hells yeah.

What can I say about Sea of Bees and it’s principal member, Jules, that I haven’t already? That her song writing is amazing? That her voice is beautiful in an the off kilter yet forceful kind of way? That she is absolutely adorable in her story telling and crowd banter? Yep, I could totally say all those things and they would all be correct. She played us a new song with, along with “Crooked Teeth” is making anticipate her new album even more. I hear should come out later this year. Boo, ya!

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