Llava Llama; Area 23; Wed night open mic
The Wednesday night Open Mic at Concord, New Hampshire’s funky venue Area 23 proved to offer the diversity of talent that it’s known for. Solo acoustic acts, including a uke player, a chanteuse singing to her own original backing tracks, and an oldies leaning three piece rock and roll band all showed up to strut their stuff.
Paulie Stone
Opener Paulie Stone kicked off the open mic with an even handed version of James Taylor’s “Fire And Rain.” It was a very acceptable turn with his husky voice and steady acoustic guitar strum holding up well. Stone also relied on his pleasant delivery during original “Open Door.” His gentle, down tempo version of Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” let the audience picture the images in the song. A few simple notes behind his solid voice captured some of the darkness of this piece.
Solo singer Lauren Smoken performed “Mercedes Benz” a cappella, her coos and sustains filled with bluesy sound and emotion. Next singer-guitarist, Dick Shaw, moved through Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen” paces with a gliding agility. His take on “Wicked Game” by Chris Isaac found his beautiful falsetto comfortably familiar on the chorus. Later, Shaw and Smoken got together to handle the legendary Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks classic “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” before sliding into Bonnie Raits bluesy “Something To Talk About.”
Keira Curtis
A real treat for the audience was singer Keira Curtis who, although she sang to backing tracks, showcased her wide, rangy vocal. Curtis began with a cover of Fleetwood Mack’s “Landslide,” caressing the lyrics with her supple voice. Then, Curtis unleashed her haunting originals. “No More Demons” found Curtis slyly expressing eerie undertones. She composed all of the music for her originals, and, this singer, who usually performs with the band Catalyst, ended with a soulful piano ballad, “Fate.” Additionally, Curtis is a visual artist and crafts person who manned a display table of her wares when she was not singing. Her products are as colorful and quirky as her music.
John Leahy; singer, uke player
Talk about variety. Singer, ukulele player John Leahy brought another twist to the evening. Leahy rocked Area 23 with his assertive uke work, keeping melodic and rhythmic grist coming from his tiny four string instrument. His brisk, well managed take on Paul Simon’s “Kodachrome” kept the song fun and lively. After a strident take on Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene,” Leahy went into an old folk tune “Yarmouth Town,” which he turned into a fine audience participation number, plucking the community spirit out of that piece.
Singer-songwriter DJ Parker came up to handle “I’m A Creep” by Radiohead, his soft vocal timbre lulling the audience into the eventual dynamic build up of the song, making it large and wide, as only a true singer can. He went into a song titled “Red” written by a friend of his. Loaded with emotive fiber as the song contemplated the passage of time, this singer made people feel what the song was about. He sang his own original, “Loving Blind,” which held up well for a 25 year old song. His final feat was developing the other worldly tone of Tears For Fears’ “Mad World.”
Shane VanNest
Younger singer Shane VanNest came out to display his edgy voice and his serious acoustic guitar chord progressions. A strong stage presence, VanNest looks like someone we might see on an album cover some day.
An unexpected twist came at the end of the evening. Three piece rock and roll band Llava Llama took to the stage to unleash their particular brand or rock. Lead by Jon Cheney, the trio launched into the world weary country song “16 Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford. While the threesome kept it rocking, they managed to finesse in some of the tones from the original. The trio then dominated ZZ Top’s classic “Sharp Dressed Man” with their fierce energy and driving rhythm section. The Llava Llama guys whipped out another surprise with “Come A Little Bit Closer” by Jay And The Americans, an oldie but a goodie, playing it with a good feel for country and rock at once.
Keira Curtis; her artsy wares
It was an evening of engaging music at Area 23 last Wednesday night. The spacious room lets the music breathe and the vibe in the room lends itself to creativity. Sound person Sarah Bennes kept the music coming as pure as she possibly could, clearing the way for the artists to sound their best. Area 23’s Wednesday night’s open mic can only get better.
