Live music review: LEVITATION presented Ty Segall, Shannon and the Clams, Rose City Band at Stubb’s Thursday
Thursday’s opening night of LEVITATION at Stubb’s BBQ was nothing short of magical with standout performances by Ty Segal and the Freedom Band, Shannon and the Clams and surprising jams from Rose City Band. Fans shoved aside the rainy weather and got out to the legendary Red River venue to see Segal and his Freedom Band play one last concert with this project which is being retired due to integral member, Charles Mootheart’s exit from the group (more on that later). The doo-wop vocal harmonies of Oakland’s Shannon and the Clams rang across the Stubb’s backyard to the delight of fans while Rose City Band laid out jams as if they’d given birth to a Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd parented jam baby. It all added up to a magical opening night at LEVITATION.
Ty Segall and his Freedom Band, comprised of members, Mikal Cronin on bass, Charlie Moothart on drums, and Emmett Kelly on guitar got together for one last performance before retiring the moniker with their drummer exiting the project. According to Segal it may be the end of the all-star Freedom Band, but Moothart and Segall will still collaborate together on Fuzz which is actually Moothart’s baby as Segal mentioned at his DJ set at the LEVITATION Lounge on Wednesday. The garage rocker assured our writer, Case Cockrell that Fuzz would continue on.
Segall and the Freedom Band played a full, 22-song set that ran the gamut of the group’s discography, proudly displaying the final performance of fruits of their labor at LEVITATION. Playing to a packed house and a committed mosh pit, Segall and his band thrilled fans throughout the set leading off with “Queen Lullabye” from 2013’s Sleeper. The setlist ran the gamut of Segall’s work with songs, “Californian Hills,” “Hello, Hi” and finally the raucous “Emotional Mugger” to wrap up a stellar performance.
There is something reassuring about Shannon and the Clams’ sound. The vintage doo-wop and rock n roll elements collide with garage punk ethos to make music that can only be this harmonizing band from Oakland, California. Appearing on the Stubb’s stage in day-glo witches hats, the band delivered a dreamy soundscape of good tunes that lent the kind of good vibes LEVITATION fans are typically seeking. The band’s roles are comprised of vocals from bassist Shannon Shaw, guitarist Cody Blanchard, and keyboardist Will Sprott, along with drums by Nate Mahan.
In 2018, the group released their first record on Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye label. Auerbach also produced the record, entitled, Onion which helped Shannon and the Clams’ expand their listener base to a broader audience. Their latest release, which dropped in 2021 is called, Year of the Spider. A writer from the outlet punknews.org perhaps described the group most deftly, “”sound of a prom band in 1964 getting dosed with acid and having the sweetest lovelorn freak out. Imagine a brawling Etta James, backed up by the 13th Floor Elevators singing Shangri La’s tunes.
Portland outfit, Rose City Band preceded Shannon with an astoundingly great jam band-like performance that showed off the members’ musical chops by channeling the Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd without explicitly covering either act. That high-wire balancing act left concertgoers breathless with each successive, intense jam with a psychedelic light show by Mad Alchemy was accentuated the performance as old-school overhead gels mixed with modern digital video projections to make eye candy to match the music on stage.
We consulted the PDX act’s band bio to learn more about the group: “Rose City Band’s country psychedelic rock evokes the wide-open spaces of the American west and free spirits who call it home. The project of acclaimed guitarist and vocalist Ripley Johnson, Rose City Band has extended beyond the studio and lives in tandem as a live ensemble featuring some of the finest players in contemporary rock: pedal steel guitarist Barry Walker, keyboardist Paul Hasenberg, bassist Dewey Mahood (aka Plankton Wat) and drummer Dustin Dybvig.”
Whatever their names are, these guys are exceptional players that know how to stretch a solo out into a long, delicious aural treat. Check out their latest release, Garden Party which dropped in April of this year.
All photos by Drew Doggett
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