Birds Fly North For Winter: Brown Bird and Joe Fletcher Live at 7th St Entry (01/27/13)

A heavy snow had descended upon Minneapolis, as I debated whether or not to make the trek downtown to the 7th St Entry to see the band “Brown Bird.” I had just found out about the band earlier that week from First Ave’s newsletter. Intrigued by the epic beard of the lead singer, I took a listen on Spotify. I was not disappointed. I decided that a little snow is a small price to pay for good music, so I boarded the bus heading downtown.

The Venue and Crowd

Unsurprisingly, the crowd was much smaller than I am used to at the 7th St Entry. For those of you not familiar with the various venues of Minneapolis, 7th St Entry is the smaller sister venue attached to First Avenue, which was made famous by Prince. 7th St Entry is one of my favorite concert venues, it’s the perfect size, as it’s big enough to fit a good number of people without being too crowded, but the layout gives you a nice intimate feel. The stage is low to the ground, so you get a feeling of being up close and personal with the artists, which is pretty awesome.

While the crowd was smaller than normal due to the inclement weather, this probably was a good thing. The crowd that did make it was very responsive and appreciative of the music. There was a fair amount of background chatter that irked me, especially during the opening act, but I assume this chatter exists at all concerts, just at larger crowds you don’t notice as much.

Joe Fletcher

While I had looked up Brown Bird prior to the show, I decided to leave the opening act, Joe Fletcher, to chance. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised. Like Brown Bird, Joe hails from Providence, RI, and, as was revealed later in the show, the two acts work rather closely together. I always like it when the acts in the concert have collaborated as it gives a nice connection with what you are seeing. Sometimes, if the difference between genres is too disparate, it will turn you off to the act you didn’t come for – a prime example of this was when I saw THEEsatisfaction open for Girl Talk, I was expecting dance so I was not impressed by them (though listening to their album after the fact, my tune definitely changed). On the other hand, if the bands are too similar, then the show is just boring. Luckily, the two acts were both similar and different enough to make for a cohesive show.

Joe Fletcher’s act is straight up Americana country inspired folk rock, and it’s just a man and an acoustic guitar (well, for the most part). The subject matter of Fletcher’s music is familiar to anyone who loves classic country: lost loves, drinking and a drifter’s spirit. His voice is gravely, and his lyrics are straightforward storytelling. At one point in the show, he covered a Bob Dylan song, an apt choice, as Fletcher is obviously a descendent of Dylan’s and an apt choice as Dylan hails from the Twin Cities (at least he went to school here). I felt that a campfire would have been appropriate for the show, as his music was intimate and personal, and his lack of any back up instruments during the beginning of the show lent it a very lo-fi appeal. Fletcher is extremely engaging with his audience, at one point asking to help sing along the chorus to one of his songs-something that the reserved Minnesotans weren’t too apt to do- but he pushed on until he got decent volume out of us.

At the end of Fletcher’s show, Brown Bird came on to play drums and string instruments for some of his newer songs. The addition of the backup musician’s definitely changed the tenor of the show. It moved from feeling more personal and intimate, to a much larger sound and scope of show. The tone of the stage became much more jovial, and the added kick drum made you want to get up and dance. The collaboration definitely worked, and the chemistry between all three musician’s on-stage was undeniable.

Brown Bird

Brown Bird consists of David Lamb and MorganEve Swain, from Providence, as mentioned above. While Joe Fletcher was all Americana, Brown Bird is a miasma of influences, most obvious of which were the influences of folk rock and Eastern European folk music. The musical talent of the band is undeniable, with Swain playing violin and cello, and Lamb simultaneously playing kick drum and guitar. The onstage dynamic was fun, even though the songs are often dark and serious, with the two joking with each other and the audience.

The Eastern European influence is really what strikes me in their music as a whole. I would classify the majority of their songs as rather dark, but the violin hooks and constant beat of the kick drum make you want to dance (and dance I did, as the girl next to me started to dance with me, a fun time to be sure, I love impromptu dance partners). The interplay between sorrow and happiness, life and death is what makes Brown Bird such a enrapturing listen. Whereas Fletcher’s music was American insofar as it took direct influence from distinctly American music, Brown Bird is American because it is a melting pot of many culture’s musical heritage, combining them into something new and dynamic. Also, the lyrics are much more abstract than Fletcher’s, and the melody follows the complex syncopation of the music. Lamb’s deep voice contrasts with Swain’s ethereal backup vocals, and all in all, you get lost in the emotional twists and turns of the songs.

The band mostly played selections from their latest album, Salt for Salt, and their forthcoming album, Fits of Reason. They were very generous in playing some fan requests shouted on stage, something which I always appreciate. The one thing I can fault them for is that they never introduced a song, which always irks me, especially for newer fans like myself, or when they are playing a new song. This isn’t a huge problem, but it’s definitely a pet peeve of mine. Both acts were available after shows to meet and greet fans, and take suggestions for places to eat and drink and see. I love when bands do this, and interact with their fan base in different cities. I overheard Fletcher tell one girl to burn as many copies of his CD to give to friends, just as long as people were listening to his music. The sign of a true artist (if not a starving one).

Overall

Both acts put on a fantastic live show. I would recommend seeing either one live, but if you can see them together, go for it! Tour dates for Brown Bird can be found here. Tour dates for Joe Fletcher can be found here.