Arbouretum and Brokeback at Schubas

Arbouretum

L99A5285

The Baltimore band Arbouretum has been playing heavy, rootsy guitar rock for about decade now, making several strong records on the Thrill Jockey label. On Arbouretum’s latest album, Song of the Rose, the group continues forging the sort of music it always has: songs rooted in folk rock with fuzz-drenched electric guitar riffs and solos, and mournful melodies carried by Dave Heumann’s plaintive voice. The epic quality of the music came through in Arbouretum’s live performance on Saturday, May 27, at Schubas. These four musicians — Heumann, bassist Corey Allender, keyboardist Matthew Pierce and drummer Brian Carey — dug into their songs with an unflashy intensity.

(Story continues below photos.)

L99A5239 L99A5311 L99A5459 L99A5624 L99A5677 L99A5743 L99A5760 L99A5992 L99A6000 L99A6007 L99A6070 L99A6181 L99A6244

Brokeback

Another Thrill Jockey band, Brokeback, opened the show with a set of evocative instrumental rock. Led by Doug McCombs (who also plays in Eleventh Dream Day and Tortoise), Brokeback recently released a new album, Illinois River Valley Blues.

L99A5078 L99A5103 L99A5150 L99A5191

Lee Ranaldo and the Dust

While Sonic Youth remains on indefinite hiatus, the group’s members have been quite busy with other projects. Lee Ranaldo, who played in Millennium Park in May, was back in town on Sunday (Oct. 13) for another show with his new band, the Dust — playing this time at the Empty Bottle. The group features another member of Sonic Youth, drummer Steve Shelley, as well as guitarist Alan Licht and bassist Tim Luntzel. Following opening sets by drone artist Mykel Boyd and Doug McCombs’ instrumental band Brokeback, the Dust played a fairly long set for a late concert on a Sunday night, more than 90 minutes, stretching past 1 a.m., but it was worth staying around for the end. The group really got into a groove in that final half-hour, including a cool encore cover of the Modern Lovers’ “She Cracked.”

L99A0391 L99A0492 L99A0504 L99A0611 L99A0739 L99A0752 L99A0868 L99A1077 L99A1181 L99A1303

Mikel Boyd
Mikel Boyd
Brokeback
Brokeback
Brokeback
Brokeback