Go to this and thank me later. Believers play Mojo’s tomorrow night (September 24) with Max Justus and Dark Blue Dark Green. Doors open at 8:30 and there’s a $5 charge. [Facebook Event]
CoMusic: More Believers to Come
September 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
So, you missed out on the rash of impressive shows by our own Believers last winter and spring? Don’t worry. Believers have a few things in store for us this fall. Besides a September 24th show at Mojo’s, the following track made its appearance on the Believers’ site. Expect more to come as the band was madly recording this summer.
(If the embedding doesn’t work, go here.)
Update: Believers’ Tyler Powell warned me that the above track would be taken down, but there is more to come. Stay tuned…
CoMusic Review: White Denim / Mazes / Believers
July 5, 2011 By 3 Comments
White Denim
Mojo’s – July 1, 2011
One thing you can usually expect in mid-summer Columbia is that a show at Mojo’s will be hot, steamy, and generally dead. Surprisingly, this was not the case. That may have had to do with it being a holiday weekend or the fact that there was a pretty good bill at Mojo’s for the rare summer treat.
Locals and Collective favorite Believers started the night off, complete with family members donning freshly-pressed Believer t-shirts. (Where can I get one of those?) As is usual for a Believers set, dancing was induced as the band played their rather upbeat style of indie that’s perfectly suited for mid-summer rock shows. Believers didn’t disappoint and they held up their end of the bargain.
Believers
Mazes played the part of traveling support as their version of 90′s rock provided the transition from Believers to White Denim. Recalling the ghost of Teenage Fanclub, I don’t know whether it was the heat or some weariness from their travels, but the band seemed a bit reserved. Still, it was nothing I haven’t heard before and as the band in the middle, they were the forgotten piece of the evening.
Maze
As experienced road warriors via Austin, White Denim brought a considerable amount of energy not heard since, well, the Believers’ set. I do have to say that White Denim’s sound translated much better to the live setting than expected. Unaffected by the heat, the Texans were louder than more aggressive than they seem on tape. Either way, they semi-filled Mojo’s – a mid-summer, sleepy college town feat – a provided a rock show worthy the $7 cover.
CoMusic: The Weekend in Three Images
May 23, 2011 By 1 Comment
Believers @ Mojo's, Friday
Jerusalem & the Starbaskets @ Mojo's, Friday
Dubb Nubb @ Sparky's, Sunday
CoMusic Preview: Jerusalem & the Starbaskets / Believers / Richard the Lionhearted
May 20, 2011 By 3 Comments
Returning to Mojo’s from parts unknown (or Memphis) is CoMo’s forgotten son and daughter tandem, better known as Jerusalem and the Starbaskets. Frontman Jeremy Freeze and drummer Kim Sherman bring the pain – metaphorically and literally with their raucous live set. Sometimes it’s a shambled mess and other times it’s pure brilliance. You want to be there for both.
As a two-piece, Jerusalem will cause you to recall other acts such as The White Stripes or The Black Keys, but those are lazy comparisons. I prefer rolling out Swearing at Motorist or The Kills when describing what they do. Expect plenty of heartbreak and woe, but be prepared to rock Friday night.
Jerusalem and the Starbaskets are supporting their recently released and well-received full-length as released by Minneapolis label De Stijl. The record is doing so well, that the first single, “First Cigarette in the Rain,” recently topped the NYU charts. So, be sure to make it out to Mojo’s tonight to welcome the duo back.
Also playing are CoMusic favorites Believers and Richard the Lionhearted.
Believers are warning their legions of followers that this might be the last time to see them for a while. Hopefully, that means more writing and recording…or it could just mean more float trips for the band. Either way, it will be nice to see Believers on stage again as they put on one of the most engaging live shows in town.
Rumor has it that CoMusic compilation contributor Richard the Lionhearted will be debuting some new songs tonight as well. This news should only be welcomed with cheers, beers, and undergarments flung on stage as these boys know how to write a song. The prolific band will open what promises to be the best one-night lineup of the summer.
The doors at Mojo’s opens at 8:00, music at 9:30. Believers/Richard/Jerusalem in that order.. There is a $5 cover, but it’s totally worth it.
In the meantime, check the following video and track to hold you over.
Jerusalem and the Starbaskets : Walkin across your Grave by destijlrecs
CoMusic: Inside the Hairhole
April 18, 2011 By 1 Comment
Artist depiction of Believers
The Hairhole doesn’t exist. It’s not in a basement somewhere in the North Village Arts District. They didn’t hold their last show in November. You can’t check-in with FourSquare even if you could find it. There’s no cover at the door. And there wasn’t a show there Saturday night.
I won’t write how nostalgic I felt upon entering the Hairhole, or “Harold” as some might call it. It didn’t remind me of the Neil House, a residence near Ohio State’s campus rented out to a bunch of hard core kids who would hold shows in their living room. I won’t mention a club called Bernie’s with it’s basement locale and claustrophobic-inducing darkness and lack of exit signs. I certainly won’t tell you about the time I made myself bleed watching a band in a basement because I had to pound the beat out on the wall. Nope, all those things happened and the Hairhole did not.
So, everything you’re about to read didn’t actually happen as the Hairhole doesn’t actually exist…
Columbia up-and-comers Quailskin showed great improvement from the last time I saw them a month ago. That first night at East Side was not a good first impression. However, the band pulled together a nice set of actual songs. Gone were the electrotrash pretensions that dominated their set at East Side. Here was the songcraft that will keep folks coming back. Very groove-able, certainly worth another listen. There are some strong pieces in Quailskin. Once they iron out a few wrinkles, I expect them to be a solid part of the scene.
Road-conditioned Senryu found a crowd as happy to see them as they were to see the Hairhole after its forced hiatus. Senryu don’t play ska, but it’s as danceable and rugged as the punk-approved precursor to reggae as anything else I’ve heard. Folks danced and sang along, proving that Senryu’s previous visits to the ‘hole were not in vain. Seriously, their set was a lot of fun, more fun than I’ve seen at a show in this town. Apparently, all the personality in this music community is located in that basement.
Headliner Believers’s pre-show setup gave a pretty big clue of what was to come. Two drum kits were at the front corner of the stage with everything else at the edges, spilling off the stage and into the dancing audience that surrounded them. Percussion is at the center of the Believers sound. Sure, the band features silky vocals, vintage guitars, bass lines that drive, and some well-placed ambient noise, but the beats are what made believers of the audience, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, cracking the ‘hole’s foundation.
Fucking A! This was a great set. The atmosphere was loose. The band was having a good time and the Hairhole crowd was having an even better time. The Believers set Saturday night was what you want in a rock show. So much fun. I really can’t tell you anything else except that you really have to see this band live and in-person.
As if the night couldn’t get any better, Believers switched things around and ripped into a raucous rendition of The Breeders’ “Cannonball.” The Ohioan in me smiled with pride, but the Missourian in me looked forward to more shows at Hairhole and more from Believers.
CoMusic 101: Believers
April 2, 2011 By 2 Comments
Believers courtesy of yvynyl
Take that first Clap Your Hands Say Yeah record, mix in the better version of Vampire Weekend, add a dash of White Rabbits with a teaspoon of mysteriousness, you get Believers. Soon, you’ll all be believers and you’ll thank me for pointing you in their direction. You might think blog bands are passé and ignore this endorsement, but you would be missing out.
Maybe the most engaging and exciting thing that happened during all of True/False about a month back was the Believers set at the Super Secret party. Since then, the band has played a highly-discussed show at Mojo’s and is signed up to play Ink’s Middle of the Map Fest in Kansas City on April 8th. The sense of excitement and wonder in a Believers set is only challenged by all the interest the band is garnering.
Don’t take my word for how good this band is. Download their two tracks “Far From Home” and “Forward Forward Back” and you’ll figure out what all my gushing is about.