Adam Pike's 32nd birthday party at Ash Street Saloon - 4/22/2011

I got a text from the drummer for my new project saying he was heading down to Ash Street Saloon to check a band.  I had seen the bill with several local bands I wanted to see, and needed some time out ont he two, so we agreed to meet down there.

So the bill was but together by Adam Pike, owner of Toadhouse Studios for his 32nd birthday.  Adam is a fixture int he local scene who in addition to engineering, runs sounds (and quite well might I add) for  Red Fang, Nether Regions, and has also recorded with both of those bands as well as Black Elk, No Go Know, Rabbits, Salvador, Diesto, as well as many others.  Adam also plays bass in White Orange, a psychedelic rock band, who not surprisingly was on the bill.  The line up was as follows:

Empty Space Orchestra
White Orange
Ninja
Dark Country
The Greater Midwest
Ports Will Call

So I arrived and one of the heavier bands, I think it was Dark Country.  The music was an aggressive rock mix with screamed, pushed type vocals, they were pretty good high energy band with dueling SG guitar players.  I was only there for a couple songs, so I didn't have time to form to much of an opinion.

I meet up with Dave, the drummer I'm Playing with, and meet his friends and we chatted a bit, grabbed a beer and such, and it looked like White Orange was setting up.  I have jammed with White Orange's drummer Dean before, and he plays a massive kit, not in number of drums, but huge, resonant drums, a 28" kick, a giant deep snare and toms.  The drum set is pretty distinctive, and lends I giant low sound to White Orange.

So White Orange came on, and they have a loud sound, and some interesting writing and arrangements.  They alternate between more straight up numbers using the I, IV, V chord arrangements, and chromatic runs, and some two chord jams and vamp rock outs, mixed with some psychedelic lead guitar breaks.  I wish I could have heard the vocals, because I think it would have added a lot to the music, but the vocals were buried in the mix.  The band seemed to be having a blast playsing, which always comes through with a certain energy.  You can tell when someone in the band doesn't want to be there, but not the case with White Orange.

After White Orange finished, Ninja set up in front of the stage.  Ninja is a metal band, but not your typical metal band.  The actually dress in Ninja costumes, and they play metal, but the drummer plays a tiny little electronic kit through a small battery powered amp, and the same goes for the 2 guitarists and bassist.  They play through the anti-metal rigs, these tiny battery powered rigs.  They aren't loud at all, but the play with gusto.  I saw Ninja a few years back playing guerrilla style outside of venues for MusicfestNW.  A guy would drop them off in a van, they would tear through a couple of songs till the cops came and told them they had to leave, then they would load back up in the van and do it all again.  These guys have a nice niche carved out with their act, and it was fun to see them.  Don't know if I would make a a special effort to go see them on their own, but definitely a plus on a bill, as they are entertaining and the irreverence towards the things most metal acts hold dear is right on.

Next up was the band Dave was there to see.  He had seen this band at PSU earlier in the day, and was impressed by the drummer.  Turns out it was Empty Space Orchestra.  I had heard of Empty Space Orchestra before as a spacey instrumental rock band, but had not been able to catch them yet.  So they came on, and positioned front and center of the band was drummer Lindsey Elias, and for good reason.  She was incredible, quite possible one of the best local drummers I have heard.  The band played some catchy instrumental rock tunes, but Elias' drumming tied everything together, and it would not have been the same without here skilled drumming.  Oddly, Dave was no where to be found for the band he wanted to see, but I was mesmerized by Empty Space Orchestra.  It was also interesting to see another player on a lap steel, Keith O'Dell.  However I was not able to hear much of the lap steel because it was buried in the mix.  The rest of the band is worth mentioning as well, with Shane Thomas expertly holding down guitar duties and Patrick Pearsall providing the low end, and Graham Jacobs rounding things out on the Sax and Synth.  Empty Space is a band well worth the time and effort to check out live. 

 May 11th at Mississippi Studios is ESO's Portland Record Release show.