My last Arizona show seems like yesterday. The venue was the same for round two, and while the lineup was condensed, the same great vibe permeated both shows. Maybe it's the borough, or just the fact that the artists are local, but there's a real sense of community here. Call it naive, but it's kind of comforting that such a place exists in what's really a tough industry. The night was particularly exciting, as a crew was on hand to film a DVD, which should be out in a couple months.
Dawn Landes
Update: Dawn plays at Joe's Pub this Friday.
Dawn Landes started things off with a bang; her first song was accompanied by most of Arizona (Musicality has a pic). But then things settled down, with the core of Dawn, cellist Eric Stephenson, and (sorry) one of the guitarists from Arizona on drums. There's still that country/folky tinge to her work (a couple of my friends referenced Iron & Wine after the set), but it's definitely more interesting to me than your average guitar plucker. Dawn has a really powerful delivery, which she demonstrated throughout the set's big choruses.
But what was really nice about this set was the second half. With the lights were dimmed, she delivered some of her more introspective work, including the wonderful "Twilight" and a cover of Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue." I've never been a huge fan of Dylan, but his words, filtered through Dawn's voice, was a pretty transcendent experience.
MP3: Dawn Landes - Bodyguard
MP3: Dawn Landes - Twilight
Buy: Here
Arizona
There's some comforting about seeing a band twice. Familiarity is, I suppose, a big reason why we see bands live. Despite the repetition here, this was a set full of surprises. Aside from introducing two new tracks, singer Ben Wigler was on, trading banter, stage antics, and great musicianship throughout the set. What really stood out to me was how big they sound, with three and four part harmonies, and six musicians onstage.
Of course, this all was a prelude to a monstrous finale of "Splintering." Ben joked before the set that the more we came to Arizona's shows, the more likely it was that he would throw his guitar at us and expect us to play a solo. Well, he did just that with Dawn (first photo), and suddenly everyone was onstage. A great end, but also just a beginning...
It's going to be a busy Spring for Arizona, with numerous radio appearances, and a tour with Band of Horses; dates are available on their MySpace. Check 'em out if they're in your area, and check out these songs.
MP3: Arizona - David
MP3: Arizona - Some Kind of Chill
MP3: Arizona - Splintering
MP3: Arizona - Te Amo Tanto
Buy: Here
2 comments:
The set by Arizona doesn't seem to be working. Maybe you can try relinking it or something. However, the Dawn Landes songs are working fine. Thanks for posting them!
-TAS
gracias por las canciones de Dawn Landes,(y)
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