Fences, Rin Tin Tiger, Passenger & Pilot Get Cozy at Rickshaw Stop
Romana Machado Fences
April 6, 2011
@Rickshaw Stop
Better than: Group therapy
Despite the chilly temperatures and threatened rainstorm, there were about fifty people clustered stageside for the opening act at the Rickshaw Stop last night. Or at least two less than there might have been had not a pair of young ladies brushed past us on the way in, the laggard of the two chirping "Wait, I gotta send a Mission Abort text!" Though an all-ages show, the audience gathered for the opening act was sparse and somewhat grizzled, including a few ubiquitous scene-rats one encounters every time an amp is rolled out south of Sausalito. The chummy feeling imparted by weather and company set the mood for proceedings to come at least as well as the Akron/Family and Neil Young songs rolling off the P.A.
Romana Machado Passenger & Pilot
Passenger & Pilot clambered onstage lugging violin, cello, and an
assortment of acoustic guitars. The musicians bade us closer to the
stage and all dutifully crowded forward as they took us through a
too-brief arrangement of delicate melody and profound sentiment. If you have to hang generic tags on the
music of co-songwriters Jonathan Hirsh and China Langford, then "urban
folk" nails it, as do "existential sea shanties," and "21st century
blues." Langford has the kind of spacious and soulful voice you hear on
old Stax-Volt 45s that provides its own kind of banked fire. The crowd
huddled around it and we were thanked for our attention.
 |
| Romana Machado |
| Rin Tin Tiger |
Dylanesque tunes highlighted by a cover of Bob's therapeutic "Don't
Think Twice, It's All Right." The brothers Sullivan are antic fellows
who bicker after the manner of siblings and RTT is still getting on its
legs as rockist successor to the boys' old folkie act, Westwood &
Willow. These guys bear watching.
 |
| Romana Machado |
| Christopher Mansfield of Fences |
Overheard: Chris Mansfield: "This is the most I've ever talked at a show, so consider yourself lucky."
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Location Info
Venue
Rickshaw Stop
Map
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