Tag Archives: Mississippi Studios

Live Review: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers at Mississippi Studios

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Sarah Shook & The Disarmers returned to Mississippi Studios in Portland and proved good as gold.

Sarah Shook & The Disarmers
Live at Mississippi Studios
Porltand, OR, USA
7-24-18

By Mike Lee

Followers of That Much Further West Podcast are probably already well aware that we (and I in particular) are big fans of the music of Sarah Shook & The Disarmers. We’ve included several songs from the band’s two albums on our podcast playlists, promoted the band’s video releases, and I even wrote a glowing review for their latest album, Years.

Last September, I went to see Sarah Shook & The Disarmers at their first show in Portland at Mississippi Studios with much anticipation after several spins of their excellent debut record, Sidelong. I left the show, well let’s say, disappointed. The band was great and they played the songs with precision and very true to the album versions, but the problem was a lack of energy. The show was flat, and for an old punk rocker like me, I need to get something, anything, from the band to be able to reciprocate, or else all that whiskey I consumed would go to waste (sort of). I still bought the vinyl and a trucker hat and went about my night.

Fast forward to July 2018, and again I find myself anticipating (with some reservations) another performance by Sarah Shook, this time at last weekend’s Wildwood MusicFest. Again the band was great, but this time the energy was on point and solidified in my mind the need to go see the band three days later at our original rendezvous point, Mississippi Studios.

My how things have changed. The crowd was eager and enthusiastic and easily three times the size of the show way back in September, and on a Tuesday night no less. The band’s lineup was the same except for a drummer who had been replaced by Kevin McClain (ex-American Aquarium), and they were ready to go when Shook took the stage, strapped on her guitar and walked to the microphone.

With her long hair hanging in front of her face, Sarah shared some playful banter with the crowd before they launched into the first song off of Years, “Good As Gold.” The band played two more songs, and then it happened again — Sarah took to the mic and engaged the crowd! She was funny, charming and exuded all the swagger her music projects. I was hooked. The crowd was dancing and singing along and it all felt so good.

With the energy flowing from the stage to the crowd and back, the band was tight and continued to set the songs up to showcase Sarah’s lyrics and vocals, the real star of the show. Over the next 90 minutes or so, Sarah joked with the band and guided the crowd through 21 songs and punctuated the encore with “The Nail,” a great song from the debut album. The crowd was cheering, hooting and hollering for more as the band slipped behind the closing curtain for the night.

Set List:
Good As Gold
Heal Me
Parting Words
Fuck Up
No Name
Over You
Road That Leads To You
Nothin’ Feels Right But Doin’ Wrong
Make It Up To Mama
Lesson
Damned If I Do, Damned If I Don’t
Heartache In Hell
Keep The Home Fires Burning
Sidelong
The Bottle Lets Me Down
Misery Without Company
New Ways To Fail
Years
What It Takes
Encore:
Dwight Yoakam
The Nail

Episode #86 featuring Kendall Core

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Kendall Core and her trusty six-string in The Helm. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media

Stream or download Episode #86: Episode 86 w/ Kendall Core

With a poet’s sense for drama and eye for detail, Portland-based singer-songwriter Kendall Core delivers songs with a dark edge — the action creeps from the shadows where the truth often hides from the light of day. A young woman attempting to harness the powerful forces of a world gone mad, Kendall releases her debut album, Crazy Dog, this week.

We were thrilled to have Kendall join our podcast team in The Helm to perform songs from the new album and talk a bit about what makes this talented artist tick. With an education steeped in the arts, she has taken to the guitar as a vehicle for self-reflection and deep expression and put together a stellar band to show off her stuff.

Kendall Core belting it out in The Helm. Photo by Anne Marie for Local Hero Media

They’ll be performing this coming Sunday, May 13, at Mississippi Studios in Portland to celebrate the release of Crazy Dog. On this episode of the podcast, Kendall shares a few live performances including a song “Fickle Hearts” that was written just after recording for the new album had wrapped. She also talks about some of the artists who inspire her, including Leonard Cohen and Buffy Sainte-Marie, and picks some songs to share from a few of her other favorite writers.

So kick back and take it all in. It’s Episode #86 of That Much Further West Podcast. Here’s the playlist:

Sweet Champagne, Kendall Core
Fickle Hearts (Live In The Helm), Kendall Core
Sitting In The Rain, Kendall Core
Cod’ine, Buffy Sainte-Marie
Alone With The Owl, Jason Molina
Angelene, PJ Harvey
Nowhere (Live In The Helm), Kendall Core
Crazy Dog, Kendall Core

Episode #71 featuring Birger Olsen

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The Quiet Man: Birger Olsen. Photo courtesy of Mama Bird Recording Co.

Stream or download Episode #71:   Episode 71 w/ Birger Olsen

They don’t make ’em like they used to. Truer words were never spoken, or in this case sung by Birger Olsen, the quiet and steady guitarist from the band Denver who explores his smokey blues side on a new six-song solo record, “The Lights Just Buzz.”

Birger stopped by The Helm to share some stories and songs and promote the new release for Episode #71 of That Much Further West Podcast.

Listening the new record, it’s easy to understand why it’s creating such a strong early buzz in the Americana scene. Birger taps into a mysterious, bluesy vein he says has long been at the root of his musical foundation, revealing the influence that several of his musical heroes have had on his writing — artists like Taj Mahal, Lyle Lovett and Ry Cooder.

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Rainier beer and smokey blues: Birger Olsen live in The Helm.

On this episode, Birger talks about his decision to record the six songs on the new release with the help of musical partner Ben Nugent, who guided the recording process and added a few special touches to help him convey a sort of nightclub vibe — a music noir if you will — that oozes from the record. He also speaks of his musical upbringing and how he first got into playing country music only after arriving in Portland, and how he formed Denver with a few of his musical pals in his adopted hometown.

Birger also shares of a couple of gem-like live solo acoustic performances from the new record: the title cut, and another called “Slow Bone.”

On June 30, Birger will be celebrating his record release with a show at Mississippi Studios in Portland along with Kele Goodwin and the rest of Denver. To pre-order “The Lights Just Buzz,” due in stores later this week, visit the dedicated Mama Bird Recording Co. page. Also, watch for Birger at the annual Americana Music Association festival in Nashville in September.

In the meantime, dial up the podcast and give it a spin! Here’s the playlist for Episode #71:

The Lights Just Buzz, Birger Olsen
You Look As Sweet (Live In The Helm), Birger Olsen
Sweet Mama Janisse, Taj Mahal
God Will, Lyle Lovett
Tattler, Ry Cooder
Bird In The Morning Dew, Denver
Sammyville, Denver
Rabbit Dancing, Denver
Slow Bone (Live In The Helm), Birger Olsen
Hummin’, Birger Olsen