Oregon Music News

Seattleites orbited around Portland on Sunday night at the Doug Fir, and judging by the crowd’s reaction, Portlanders probably wished they stayed here for good.

All three bands, The Cave Singers, The Dutchess and the Duke, and The Moondoggies, blasted the Doug Fir with folk rock and harmonized vocals that had the crowd clapping and foot-stomping past midnight.

The Cave Singers

The Cave Singers headlined and clearly lit a fire that ran up the Doug Fir’s walls.

Lead singer Pete Quirk was dynamic and had a presence on stage that injected fuel into the fire. From his antics onstage (doubling over and foot-stomping with a tambourine in his hand, erratically dancing on stage with a sort of quirk-iness, playing the melodica) to his tribal and soul-infused vocals, Quirk got the crowd dancing from the very start and never let up.

The Cave Singers are heavily influenced by Fleetwood Mac’s music–evidenced by their drum beats, electric guitar, and tambourine–but the band has a distinct sound of its own. Their folky, bluesy rock is accompanied by washboards, shakers, harmonica, rocking drums, and electrifying guitar, and is something you could imagine people dancing to in a Southern church… or in some kind of snake cult.

The band opened the evening with a bang, playing “At the Cut,” the group’s fastest song that features guitarist Derek Fudesco at his finest. Fudesco was electrifying throughout the night and is an adept player. Along with Quirk and talented drummer Marty Lund, the three-piece band plays well together, and has a chemistry that could drive them forward quickly. (They’ve already gained a loyal following since disbanding Pretty Girls Make Graves in 2007.) It’s also evident the three friends enjoy playing together with smiles and laughter throughout the night.

The group’s last song before their encore was “Dancing On Our Graves,” which is the song that has the greatest chance of propelling the band’s popularity. It is tribal and rhythmic and features everything the band brings to the stage. It is the kind of piece that defines bands, especially on that defines The Cave Singers in a live setting. The song had the crowd clapping and foot-stomping instantly and yearning for an encore.

The band closed the night with two acoustic, folk songs (with Lund leaving his drums and playing guitar alongside) and left the crowd smiling and happy.

While The Cave Singers got the attention of the audience with its high energy and rocking sound, The Dutchess and the Duke did it with its quiet, acoustic harmonics and vocals.

The Dutchess and the Duke

There was clearly an excitement in the air as Jesse Lortz and Kimberly Morrison took the stage, and it was evident that many in the audience had heard the duo before. As soon as Lortz began singing the first song, the hub bub reduced instantaneously to a hush. It was the kind of hush that acoustic musicians strive for–people were riveted and didn’t dare make a sound for fear of drowning out the quiet melodies.

The duo have an aura about them onstage that should ensure they will be a folk favorite in the Northwest for as long as they play. Lortz’s pain-soaked, rough voice fits Morrison’s beautiful, floating vocals perfectly, and the chemistry between the two is undeniable. You don’t know who to focus on at any one time, because they both captivate in their own ways. Lortz, who has admitted that many of the lyrics are autobiographical in nature, is hard to look away from at times, his pained voice resounding from a deep place inside. Morrison’s voice is absolutely gorgeous with her female, folk singer sound.

Beyond the staples “Hands” and “Reservoir Park,” “Scorpio” (off the group’s second release Sunset/Sunrise) is emerging as another defining piece.  The lyrics rank right up there with “Hands” and the song features the duo’s harmonic chemistry prominently.

In the haunting chorus, Lortz sings: “I feel good, I feel fine, the sky is blue, the sun is shinin’, No need to run, no need to hide, no need to kill myself just to stay alive.”

But beyond the aching lyrics are two friends having a good time, and the two have a humorous side to them that is very personable. At one point, Lortz said, “They’re slipping,” to which Morrison replied, “Well, pull up your pants.”

“No, my legs [off the stool],” Lortz said. “They’re not as long as they look [looking down at the ground]… but they’re beautiful.”

After “Out of Time,” one of the more somber songs from the group, Lortz said, “Hey, let’s play more of a downer this time.” Morrison replied, “More of a downer than that?”

Toward the end of the show, when Lortz realized he didn’t have any more beer, he asked the audience if they could spare a brew. The crowd was quick to oblige, showing the clear connection the band made with the audience.

The group is a bit unpolished (at one point Lortz said, “Well, that was a rough ending”), but it actually adds to their character onstage and doesn’t hurt their performance. They are naturally off-key people, and Northwesterners wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Moondoggies

The Moondoggies opened and wasted no time in delving into their folk and blues rock. The group, led by vocalist/guitarist Kevin Murphy, didn’t mess around, and brought its loudest music to the stage Sunday night. Murphy has a voice that evokes memories of Kurt Cobain (one of the band’s main influences) and had his eyes closed and head down for most of the night while he wailed on the guitar. All four members of the band know what they’re doing and you get the feeling they are just beginning to discover themselves and their capabilities. Their loud, grungy blues rock, coupled with their folk pieces, is the kind of music that can last a long time. “Changing” and “Bogachiel Rain Blues” (off the band’s debut album Don’t Be A Stranger) are formidable live pieces that should serve the quartet well as they move forward. The band is only two years old and still has plenty of time to grow.

Sunday night was a glimpse into three young bands committed to their music, on the cusp of perhaps something great. If they continue to develop at this pace, they won’t have to come to Portland–Portlanders will go to them.