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Alberta Cross, along with Sky White Tiger and Grand Canyon, ended their Canadian/North American tour at the Satellite in Silverlake on Thursday. The last time I saw Alberta Cross was at Amoeba Records in Hollywood about four years ago, so it was awesome to experience Petter in a more intimate setting (I say Petter because he’s the last founding member, Terry Wolfers (bassist) left the band in 2013). The celebratory last-show energy was in the air and most of the artists contributed to each individual band onstage. It was really rad to see everyone participating in each other’s creations.
Sky White Tiger’s frontman Louis Schwadron (former Polyphonic Spree) has worked with some of the greats, including Bowie, Queen and The National to name a few... so it’s no wonder his stage presence is mesmerizing and well-executed. He starts the night with a melodic, futuristic, danceable and a bit creepy (with two ladies standing on both sides of him in veils comparable to zombie brides) vibe which draws everyone’s attention immediately. It’s dark yet uplifting music you can groove to, and Louis’ vocals are an 80’s mantra brushing up against choirboy grunge and perpetual anarchy. Their video for ‘Time’, featuring actress Jena Malone, will give you a perfect image of the overall idea they aspire to convey. Then after we’re all under his spell of the sounds, they turn it around with the head-bobbin happy track ‘Don’t Matter Much’. ‘It Flows’ ended the set, a lovely tune with the lyrics “When you find your flow, it flows...it flows...in truth she won’t be found...what will fall will fall as it would...what will stall will stall, so I’ve heard...” which I imagined to be about the struggles of an artist and the process of letting your creativity flow like water. However, that’s my own interpretation...and it was such a tender way to end the set.
Grand Canyon, a new band with a southern-rock charm and lively singers, was up next on the stage. They got the crowd going with their powerful vocals and humorous joking from one of the lead singers. Halfway through their performance he says “Alright, I’m leaving it open for questions for the band...anyone have a question?” Silence from the crowd...unfortunately not
surprising for LA. “Hipsters!” he jokes warmly...yet it was still kind of awkward. Their stripped down acoustic song “Shangri La La Land” reminded me of a late 70’s tune, the drummer shaking maracas giving it a total vacation in the Bahamas feel. The lyrics were heartfelt and humorous, much like the band itself, and they kind of made you feel like you were in an old dive bar in the country watching a band that’s about to make it big. Their guitarist, Matthew Pynn, is awe-inspiring to watch and definitely brings the “Wow” factor to this band.
Alberta Cross hits the stage with ‘Get Up High’, off the latest album titled Alberta Cross, which was released last year. This album is a sort of rebirth for founding member Petter Ericson Stakee, as this is the first one of mainly him. This is interesting because I find it to be the richest yet, heavy on sax and keys with lyrics that take you to that faraway land that’s tranquil and true. For the past few years, whenever anyone asks me what I’m listening to or a band they should check out, Alberta Cross is one of the first to come out of my mouth. Petter’s lyrics speak to me in this very deep way, and he has one of the most magnificent voices I’ve ever heard. When their Rolling Thunder EP came out a few years ago I listened to it with my sister on our cross-country road trip and it was heartbreaking and visceral, seeing the countryside and hearing the falsetto rise and fall with the swells of such an emotional current. Petter had a whole band behind him on this night though, the members from Sky White Tiger and Grand Canyon, and he was saying that they were “legendary people” and that their tour was “bloody awesome.” With these bandmates accompanying him it was a match made in heaven for the audience.
Next up was ‘Isolation’, again off the new album, with the droned-out lyrics “Desolation gets to you...the isolation from the city life...” This song has a Lonestar Cowboy kind of vibe with whistling in the intro and chorus. “You lost yourself to wealth and greed...got misdirected in the misty light...could I catch you in a dream, yeah well I couldn’t let them bring you here...so I could feel you here...” The crowd was singing along and there was this hippie guy with Robert Plant hair in his 60’s doing pirouettes and dancing near the front of the stage. People were smiling all around him which gave the venue more of an open, campfire-in-the-desert kind of vibe.
My favorite track ‘Come on Maker’ off the album Songs of Patience was next and boy oh boy, is the guitar solo epic in this one. Petter introduces Matt from Grand Canyon, “All the way from Brooklyn, folks!” and he did not disappoint, hitting every note flawlessly. Might I add his slide guitar is equally stunning. After the fun tune ‘Western State’ Petter urges the crowd to move forward closer to him. “Let’s play some old sh**, huh?” and they go into ‘Lucy Rider’ off the 2007 album The Thief & The Heartbreaker and the crowd goes wild. This track is like that love song you write for someone you have always loved but never known, like a sweet release of perfection amongst a sea of the ordinary...like something just dawned on you. Something big.
After the jam ‘Old Man Chicago’, a fan yells “Play that one again!” and Petter laughs into the mic “We’ll play that one all night!” It is quite the ballad, a jam-band little tune that’s easy to sing during an epic night out with your closest friends at that little bar downtown after-hours. After noting the residency he played at the Satellite years ago and the fond memories he has, they go into the gentle lullaby ‘It’s You That’s Changed’. You can really feel Petter’s past aches and pains in this tune, with the simplistic guitar playing softly and the slow keys to set his voice adrift. Dedicating the last tune to their stage manager Jen, They end the night with ‘Ghost Of Santa Fe”. “But you know what I’ve seen, is the path behind me...you’ve got your own landslide, I’ve got my way.” What a joyous way to end a heartfelt evening, indeed.
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Sky White Tiger
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Grand Canyon |
Alberta Cross hits the stage with ‘Get Up High’, off the latest album titled Alberta Cross, which was released last year. This album is a sort of rebirth for founding member Petter Ericson Stakee, as this is the first one of mainly him. This is interesting because I find it to be the richest yet, heavy on sax and keys with lyrics that take you to that faraway land that’s tranquil and true. For the past few years, whenever anyone asks me what I’m listening to or a band they should check out, Alberta Cross is one of the first to come out of my mouth. Petter’s lyrics speak to me in this very deep way, and he has one of the most magnificent voices I’ve ever heard. When their Rolling Thunder EP came out a few years ago I listened to it with my sister on our cross-country road trip and it was heartbreaking and visceral, seeing the countryside and hearing the falsetto rise and fall with the swells of such an emotional current. Petter had a whole band behind him on this night though, the members from Sky White Tiger and Grand Canyon, and he was saying that they were “legendary people” and that their tour was “bloody awesome.” With these bandmates accompanying him it was a match made in heaven for the audience.
Next up was ‘Isolation’, again off the new album, with the droned-out lyrics “Desolation gets to you...the isolation from the city life...” This song has a Lonestar Cowboy kind of vibe with whistling in the intro and chorus. “You lost yourself to wealth and greed...got misdirected in the misty light...could I catch you in a dream, yeah well I couldn’t let them bring you here...so I could feel you here...” The crowd was singing along and there was this hippie guy with Robert Plant hair in his 60’s doing pirouettes and dancing near the front of the stage. People were smiling all around him which gave the venue more of an open, campfire-in-the-desert kind of vibe.
My favorite track ‘Come on Maker’ off the album Songs of Patience was next and boy oh boy, is the guitar solo epic in this one. Petter introduces Matt from Grand Canyon, “All the way from Brooklyn, folks!” and he did not disappoint, hitting every note flawlessly. Might I add his slide guitar is equally stunning. After the fun tune ‘Western State’ Petter urges the crowd to move forward closer to him. “Let’s play some old sh**, huh?” and they go into ‘Lucy Rider’ off the 2007 album The Thief & The Heartbreaker and the crowd goes wild. This track is like that love song you write for someone you have always loved but never known, like a sweet release of perfection amongst a sea of the ordinary...like something just dawned on you. Something big.
After the jam ‘Old Man Chicago’, a fan yells “Play that one again!” and Petter laughs into the mic “We’ll play that one all night!” It is quite the ballad, a jam-band little tune that’s easy to sing during an epic night out with your closest friends at that little bar downtown after-hours. After noting the residency he played at the Satellite years ago and the fond memories he has, they go into the gentle lullaby ‘It’s You That’s Changed’. You can really feel Petter’s past aches and pains in this tune, with the simplistic guitar playing softly and the slow keys to set his voice adrift. Dedicating the last tune to their stage manager Jen, They end the night with ‘Ghost Of Santa Fe”. “But you know what I’ve seen, is the path behind me...you’ve got your own landslide, I’ve got my way.” What a joyous way to end a heartfelt evening, indeed.
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Alberta Cross at the Satellite, Los Angeles (19 May 2016) |
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