Enthusiasm from Abroad
Perspective is a point of view. With a camera, the lens or lenses you use have the possibility to give you a change on your perspective. For this night, I challenged myself to only use the 85mm lens. When shooting pictures in a festival, like the Bash recently, it is a perfect way to get those closer shots on the big stage. In a smaller venue, such as the Rebel Lounge, it forces me to tackle my shots and angles in different ways and positions. Skinny Lister back in town made it a simple choice of being in attendance. On the bill joining them this stop was a cool new discovery, Lost in the Sun, and a local favorite, Fairy Bones.
Up first it was Lost in the Sun, the band that was new to me. This band is more Americana and Southern Rock. Because of that, it made it a big surprise to see Anthony, on bass, and Chad, on drums. Up to this point, I have only seen them play in rock and punk bands. Though it serves as an example of how deep their music talents go.
Kelly’s voice shines on lead vocals, playing the acoustic guitar too. Although the band isn’t without the electric guitar, as Kevin blends that into the sound of their songs. The blending of all of this makes for a fantastic mix of music. So because of that, I hope to catch Lost in the Sun again soon.
In the middle, Fairy Bones brought us more closely to the Rock spectrum. I feel more a broken record when I talk about their performances, because it is most of the same praise. They look more confident and calm when they perform. Watching how Chelsey interacts with bandmates and audience members alike, she has gained a grip on being such an excellent front woman. This extends to the entire band, which it is clear have an excellent chemistry.
An example of this is when Matt ensured everyone noticed Ben had his bass strap fall off mid-song by calling him out between songs to a couple chuckles. The set was a mix of their catalog and they treated us to their great new single, “Bullshit Ur a Nice Guy.” Fairy Bones continues to make their case on why they are one of the best in the valley.
Then it was Skinny Lister, once again making the trek across the Atlantic to tour the U.S. First introduced to me on a Frank Turner tour, this marks the third self-headlining tour I have seen them on. While it was that support set that sold them on me, they standout more when the headlining spot is theirs. They are high energy and they are enthusiastic performers.
Skinny Lister engages with the audience in multiple ways, from conversation between songs to Lorna going out to dance with members of the crowd. The Listermania jug made its regularly scheduled appearance for those willing to take a swig. I’ve said it many times, but a band that is having fun performing their music only strengthens the enjoyment an audience will be infected by. Skinny Lister fits that and it is no wonder they have yet to disappoint.
