Home

Live Audio / Photos: Avocado Happy Hour @ the Ottobar (2009.01.14)

IMG_2073

All photos: Greg Szeto

Avocado Happy Hour provide another interpretation in what may be the boom-genre of 2009: precious instrumental music.  The word precious comes to mind immediately with the twinkling glockenspiel and warm melodies.  They showed they have some adventurous ideas and inspiration, distributing a crate of bells to the audience for their first song.  All of their songs seem to have a somnambullic quality to them, at times sounding like a infant’s music mobile that is stammering while running out of juice, yet still struggling to accomplish its task of transporting you into dreamland.  This is likely owed to the glockenspiel dropping notes in an irregular pitter-patter in patterns of early rain.  

Unfortunately, each song seems to take a bit too long growing and developing, not enough happening to sustain interest early-on as they build each layer.  But it is worth it to hang on, because the finished tapestry is remarkably good; look no farther than the latter halves of “Mushroom” and “Seamore.”  ”Positano Prelude” and “Grilled Cheese” don’t really ever find their footing in an engaging way for me; it seems they need to refine their alchemy of instrumental voices a bit further to figure out just how much is needed of each to produce more tracks like “Mushroom.”

Avocado Happy Hour
The Ottobar
Baltimore, MD
January 14, 2009

Band:
Amanda Schmidt-Rhodes piano, glockenspiel, and keyboards
Rod Hamilton-vibraphone, drums, and percussion

Source: Peluso CEMC6/ck4(cards)>PS-2>AD-20>NJB3
Transfer: NJB3>PC>SF-7>Wav>FLAC
Taper: Jeff Mewbourn (jm292@yahoo.com)

Notes:

Avocado Happy Hour>The Love Language>The Rosebuds
Mics located 8ft below heat vent
Sound: Brian Daniloski              

SUPPORT LOCAL MUSIC

Download the full set as a ZIP file formatted in: FLAC or MP3

Stream MP3s and photos from the show after the jump.

1.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: Positano Prelude
2.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: Grilled Cheese
3.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: Seamore
4.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

MP3: Mushroom

 

IMG_2078

IMG_2033IMG_2047

IMG_2066

IMG_2018IMG_2034

Related posts

  1. Live Review / Photos: Dance Music Reflections – Deep Sugar @ Paradox (2009.01.10); Martyn and Joe Nice @ Hour Haus (2009.01.09)All Photos: Josh Sisk Dance—some Western creation myths favor a...
  2. Live Audio / Photos: Imperial China @ the Hexagon (2009.11.13)Flickrshow will appear here! var impchin = new flickrshow('impchin', {set:'72157622675268001'});...
  3. Live Review / Photos: Half Japanese, Double Dagger @ the Ottobar (2009.07.24)I was busy being behind the lens for this show,...
  4. Live Review / Photos: Dinosaur Jr, Mike Watt & the Missingmen @ the Ottobar (2009.05.02)[Audio clip: view full post to listen] MP3: Dinosaur Jr....
  5. Photos / Live Review: Elvis Perkins, Those Darlins @ the Ottobar (2009.06.18)[Audio clip: view full post to listen] MP3: Elvis Perkins...

Leave a Reply