Music Saves is a perfect little record shop. The side walls are lined with the latest new releases on vinyl, and I can get lost digging through albums and arguing with Brian about the merits of this or that. The bright neon sign outside the shop, along with the neon of The Beachland, are beacons in a tired area of Cleveland, struggling to revitalize and gentrify in a sagging economy. We’ve been to a whole slew of live shows over the past couple of weeks, and although the edges are worn in the old Colinwood area, the shuffling feet of scene kids and hipsters from all over the city are a welcome nightly sound; even if just for a few hours several nights a week, the street brightens vividly under the flickering lightposts. This is concert zone in Cleveland and this great little record shop may just be the best damn place to buy some vinyl in northeast Ohio.
Melanie and Kevin at Music Saves had the place ready to go for Cotton Jones to arrive. The crushed velvet armchairs in the “listening area” were set up for some acoustic rocking, as Michael Nau and Whitney McGraw graciously agreed to perform an intimate pre-show performance for Citizen Dick and the store. At 7:45, Brian and I were getting a tic nervous, and through some comforting words from Melanie and a little Sholi on the speakers, we twiddled our thumbs waiting for everyone, including band, to arrive for the performance.
The band arrived in grand fashion; a van rolled up alongside the store and when the door opened, a flannel-clad disheveled man stepped out carrying a rickety guitar case and sporting a brown, riveted porkpie hat. Also in tow was a brunette, subtly beautiful with a whole aura of shy grace. When I reviewed Paranoid Cocoon before it came out at the end of January, I described it as “Maryland Creek Music” in my best attempt to capture the vibe of what Michael Nau and crew have pumped out with this record. I suppose I wouldn’t have pictured this rather silent entrance happening any differently than it did. Kevin snagged a couple of beers for the two and a small and super laid back crowd of about 25 in-the-know people got to enjoy a kick-ass three song acoustic set to whet their appetites for the regular show down the street at Beachland Tavern. The videos we captured were of “Blood Red Sentimental Blues” and “Gone the Bells” off of the current release. The third song was “Less Than Positive,” which Michael and Whitney told us afterward is going to be on a forthcoming EP (to be released in April or May).
One of the best things about Michael Nau is the emotion and semi-brooding soul he puts into his lyricism and vocal sound. Just watch the embedded youtube clips and you’ll see exactly the treat the limited few of us got to check out tonight. Likewise, Whitney’s voice is a haunting blanket, bouncing off of Michael perfectly. If her visage signifies shyness, her voice emits smoky assuredness. Her launch into the solo section in “Gone the Bells” is worth a few minutes of your time to watch. The Page France days may be done, but this slightly different spin on similar styles exudes a natural blues-based aura and a retro cool and extremely full sound emerges. It’s a safe bet anyone in attendance at the pre-show walked out a little cock-eyed at how such a rich and textured sound could be created by two voices and one plastic stringed and war-beaten classical guitar.
A nice side-note to the evening (before reviewing the full show), is that we got to meet a couple of our Cleveland blogger-colleagues, namely the folks at Sensory Overload, Addicted to Vinyl, and ClevelandBachelor. We certainly appreciated the support of our blog brethren and it was good to see people coming out to support the store and band. Some of you reading this now left the store with a CitizenDick dymo-taped business card. Hey, we’re glad you came, too.
The crowd at Music Saves took their $1 dollar off vouchers and meandered over to The Beachland Tavern, where The Modern Electric got things rolling with an anthemic barrage of keyboard piano wizardry and some new tracks on an upcoming self-released debut that’s in the works. This is a band worth keeping an eye on, as the lead singer, Garrett, is slick and multi-talented shifting between the electronic piano (his forte) to the acoustic while belting out vocals with alarming emotion. They punched us in the face for a few songs, wrapping things up with an original number called “David Bowie is my Hero,” which did an excellent job of reminding us that we were at a rock show and to loosen our collars a bit. Good Morning Valentine served as the middle act in this threesome, and hit the audience with some no-nonsense pop-rock. The telecaster wailed, the cymbals crashed, and the guy in the squirrel costume sat in awe during some of the slower numbers.
This was the first tour stop for Cotton Jones, and to tell a family secret, we were completely unaware of this coming into the show. The band played a healthy mix of older tunes from EP’s released under the moniker Cotton Jones Basket Ride and current tunes from Paranoid Cocoon. In quite a surprise, a six piece stepped onto the stage of the tavern. It was cramped, and despite some feedback kinks, all were able to share the stage and absolutely rock the house. They opened with “Blood Red Sentimental Blues,” and while the added instruments augmented the aforementioned sound, Michael still clicked away at the same battered classical guitar, it’s tinny whine hovering beneath all of the sonic the six-piece created. ”Gotta Cheer Up” is a great track on the album, but CJ killed it live. The stompy rhythm and edgy undertones translated well. As with the in-store session, the band closed out with the new track “Less Than Positive” which peaked the concert at the best possible moment-at its finish. Throughout the night, Michael’s blues roots and Jim Morrisonesque delivery shook the room. Brian and I couldn’t help but wonder how extensively better the entire band will sound in a larger venue.
What stood out throughout tonight’s full set is that Michael Nau gets after it vocally. The six piece obviously adds many layers to the sound but at the heart is Nau, his guitar, and Whitney crooning alongside. Lyrics about listless emotion, happiness and despair juxtaposed, and contemplative poetry shot out from the stage tonight. Listed below are the remaining dates of the tour. Be sure to catch Cotton Jones and the sweet, sweet retro country-cooked soul when they hit your town.
March 12 – Schubas – Chicago, IL
March 13 – The House Cafe – Dekalb, IL
March 14 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
March 15 – The Record Bar – Kansas City, MO
March 16 – The Firebird – St. Louis, MO
March 17 – Lola’s Stockyards – Fort Worth, TX
March 18 – SXSW – Austin, TX
March 19 – SXSW – Austin, TX
March 21 – The Bottletree – Birmingham, AL
March 22 – Local 506 – Charlotte, NC
March 23 – Black Cat – Washington, DC
March 24 – First Unitarian Church – Philadelphia, PA
March 25 – La Poisson Rouge – New York, NY
March 26 – Union Hall – Brooklyn, NY
March 27 – AS220 – Providence, RI
March 29 – The Space – Hamden, CT
March 30 – The Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
March 31 – The Bog – Scranton, PA
April 1 – Thunderbird Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
April 2 – Howard’s Club H – Bowling Green, OH
