Nels Cline w/ Julian Lage 12/21/12 Arch St Tavern

A night of guitar duo improv with these two masters at the renewed Arch St. was a treat. Nels Cline shelved his day job as lead axe-wielder for the band Wilco for a night of improv with the prodigy Lage. Those expecting Wilco hits or Frosty the Snowman were sadly disappointed. These two guitarists are on top of the food chain for speed and sheer dexterity. Cline, a so-cal native plays like a cross between Wes Montgomery and Walter White. Lage, while young, is no understudy ( see my review a few years back of the Firehouse 12 show). Guitar nerduosity at its finest.

Baroque Blues with Robert Zott at Artspace 12/7/12

What if Marcel Duchamp and Koko Taylor had an illegitimate child at Captain Beefheart's house in the Arizona desert? This progeny would be Robert Zott. We met him at erector square at city-wide open studios in October. An artist and blues guitarist, Zott is a real original. This performance was held at the Artspace Gallery. Zott's pieces included the use of "ready-mades" for lack of a better term. The first song showcased him singing into a submarine's talking tube that gave a weird echo effect. The next piece involved video close-up of a watch that acted as a metronomic percussion. A flight box lifted from a 737 acted as a music box for the next song. A video mashup of Zott playing an inverted flying V guitar projected him to be a human compass. The final piece went down outside on Orange St. Zott had his amplifier rigged to a propane tube that acted as a visual "equalizer". As notes were strummed, the propane flames danced in proportion to the sound. Part inventor, part blues man, Robert Zott is a true artist

Simone Felice w/ Smoke Signals 12/2/12 Cafe Nine

Opener Smoke Signals was a two man guitar outfit that played high energy rock. Played a good cover of Springsteen's Atlantic City.
   Simone Felice had a three piece outfit with fiddle, standup bass, and Felice on guitar and vocals. Felice, better known as one of the Felice Brothers and the Duke and the King, played songs of drugs, booze, prostitution, and abuse because "that's what I know best growing up in a degenerate community in upstate New York." Capable playing and singing. Covered I Shall Be Released in homage to neighbor late great Levon Helm. Felice also covered Atlantic City, seems that superstorm Sandy reached all the way up to the Catskills.

Black Light Dinner Party w/ Child Actor 11/28/12 Bar

Opener Child Actor was billed as a local electronica duo with one member studying with Anthony Braxton at Wesleyan Univ. They also were purported to be pals with the local hip hop presence Ceschi. These notes attracted me to this show. Unfortunately, synthy shoegaze dreampop highlighting the female breathy vocals was what materialized. Child Actor may have talent, but they found it difficult to pull off live.
    Black Light Dinner Party from NYC were more polished. Their sound was like Grizzly Bear with high range vocals and washes of sound. Keyboards, drum, bass, and guitar-vocals. Tight songs with thoughtful lyrics look promising for BLDP.