While most of Los Angeles were on the edge of their seats seeing if the Dodgers would clinch their second World Series title in a row last Saturday night, I spent my evening in Echo Park’s The Echo (not too far from Dodger Stadium) seeing two indie folk-leaning acts I had just been introduced to that week at a sold out show.
Jordan Patterson and her band took the stage and sat in the round, echoing classic folk acts and creating a coffee house vibe. Patterson is a unique artist – while very soft spoken when talking (minus when asking the audience for updates on the World Series score), she’s an expressive, engaging performer and singer, with beat poetry-style of delivery in her songs that pair well with her rhythmic style of guitar playing. On certain songs, she would use her acoustic guitar as a percussion instrument in-between chords, while on other songs she created a flurry of momentous melody, reminiscent of Jeff Buckley.
Having just watched the Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery documentary on Hulu, I couldn’t help but think Patterson would have been right at home at a festival like that, as her eclectic and unconventional songwriting reminds me much more of artists like Natalie Merchant, Erykah Badu and India.Arie than modern folk-leaning acts like Noah Kahan or Gigi Perez. There were bursts of playfulness in her lyrics, comparing a someone to a Coke that hasn’t been drunk, or asking a suitor to buy her a beer on “God”, specifying Tecate. She also showed she wasn’t afraid to take her vocal melodies into offbeat or discordant areas ala Bjork. The songs often had multiple parts, avoiding typical pop song structure for something far more interesting.
Despite some of these more avant gardens accoutrements, at their heart, Jordan Patterson‘s songs carried hurt and heart. Tracks like “Jim” were haunting as she repeated “There is no end to this song. Jimmy’s gone”, while I felt the anguish and power as Patterson sang “God” and worried about him “not listening”. She’s an all-around intriguing artist who is going to earn herself a following the more she plays live.
As much as I feel like I am “in-the-know” about what artists are bubbling up on the music scene, I’ve clearly been under a rock when it comes to Racing Mount Pleasant, as this seven-piece band (formerly known as Kingfisher) from Michigan have already found a big following in Los Angeles to sell-out The Echo with an audience that was clearly passionate about their music and excited to see them bring songs from their latest album to life.
For those of you who, like me, are unfamiliar with the group, the best description I can give is Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes fronting Arcade Fire. The band’s songs move from quiet, intimate pieces of pastoral folk, that often swell like waves into momentous, cathartic blasts of joyful noise, punctuated by brief moments of sharp, punk revelry.
After the brief instrumental “Intro (Shannondale Road)”, the band went into the five minute “Emily”, beginning with soft horn lines and nearly whispered vocals, but growing in power to hit new emotional heights as the track progressed. “Your New Place” received cheers as it was introduced. This seven-minute epic washed over me with its smooth, somber melodies and lyrics (“You spent all November in bed. Sorry, you can rest. I’m a mess”) that build into a jazzy, orchestrated folk rock masterpiece.
While it takes some balls to have a song named after your band, “Racing Mount Pleasant” is one of the most rock-oriented tracks in the band’s catalog, featuring layers of harmonized vocals, mixed in with shouts and more electric arrangements. This is a band that will one day be headlining venues like The Greek or Red Rocks. Their sound is meant to cascade over canyons and amphitheaters filled with people, surrounded by nature.
But for now, The Echo will have to do. And while everyone in the room celebrated when it was announced that the Dodgers had won, the mood was already good thanks to the music provided by both artists. As I exited the venue at the end of the show, cars were honking their horns, crowds were taking to the streets and lighting fireworks on Sunset Blvd. It felt like a nice cap for a show like this one.
Catch Racing Mount Pleasant on tour, and listen to their new self-titled album here. And also be sure to give Jordan Patterson‘s The Hermit a listen.
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