Feminist Music Geek

I went to see Bill Callahan at St. David’s earlier today. It was a beautiful and intimate show, as has been in keeping with all of the artist’s other shows I’ve seen, whether he was performing under his given name or as Smog.

But enough people probably are familiar with his work, or at least know of him. But fewer people probably have heard of Lights, the three-piece that opened for him who released their second album, Rites, last summer.

Linnea Vedder, Alana Amram, and Sophia Knapp from Lights; image courtesy of myspace.com (photo taken by Sarah Keough)

This got me to thinking about opening acts, who tend to be cast aside or ignored when it comes to concert line-ups. Some people walk in late for their sets, get up to go to the bathroom, talk through songs they haven’t heard, and are generally dismissive of the less-established band on stage. Which is a pity, because oftentimes the opening act becomes an up-and-coming act if they’re good and they’ve cultivated a buzz, which is usually generated from being on the same label roster as the main attraction (Bill Callahan and Lights are both on Drag City).

Also, if you’re paying for a concert ticket, you’re usually paying for all the bands on the set. So you may as well listen to the opening act. Even if you’ve never heard of them before, you might like them.

In short, I root for and tend to follow the opening act. So I thought I’d start a new installment of this blog and devote them to opening acts. But female artists of course. Just because I saw Neon Indian open for !!! back in October doesn’t mean I feel compelled to discuss it.

For me, Lights are following in the trajectory of a few noteworthy female artists I like at the moment. Like Nite Jewel and Best Coast, Lights are playing up retro influences that are glossy with disco’s sheen and sun-kissed by late 60s garage and early 70s AM radio.

But one thing that sets Lights apart from Nite Jewel, Best Coast, and a host of other (predominantly male) on-the-radar musical acts is that they don’t seem particularly interested in lo-fi production aesthetics, or in aping Ariel Pink (no offense, Washed Out — in fairness, you both swipe from the same people and “Belong” is a good tune). 

Instead, these ladies hope to grab classic rock temptresses Stevie Nicks’s or Heart’s big brass ring, churning out muscular riffs off-set by feminine coos and harmonies that also remind me a little of Dolly Parton if she fronted a pyschedelic band. Lights’ sound, as was true of the sound of the women before them, suggest a mythical but distinctly southern place where girls grow into names like “Chantilly” and “Opal.” Some people might derisively refer to this as “unicorn music,” much as they might’ve with fellow label mate Joanna Newsom. If these detractors like to get the Led out, I’d be compelled to say that their favorite band made “hobbit rock.”

But seeing them live conveys how loud and heavy they can get. My only complaint was that drummer Linnea Vedder’s playing sounded a little labored compared to guitarist Sophia Knapp’s and bassist Alana Amram’s shredding. That said, I can’t wait for them to play again at the Mohawk on January 22nd. They’ll be opening for The Entrance Band, a tight psych garage-blues outfit with the magnificent bassist Paz Lenchantin. I plan to be there.