So the other day was the official St Patrick’s Day, luck of the Irish to y’all! I imagine Savannah is a very different place today than it was last weekend. Maybe they are still partying. Despite the fact that it was a week ago, I am still basking in the exhilaration of Savannah Stopover.
Yes, I really saw 24 bands in 2 days.
If you want to see my last post you can click here. Otherwise, let’s get going on the happy band joy of the last day at Stopover!
Who wouldn’t love waking up to this gorgeous view every day? Happy that the sun was shining, but admittedly dragging a bit due to my late night, I was on a mission to find strong coffee, and some food for sustenance. Fortunately, not far from the hotel was a perfect brunch spot, The Collins Quarter! Lingering over yummy food, coffee, and warm sunshine is a beautiful thing. I anticipated the task ahead and needed to gather energy for one ginormous day of killer music.
The first music of the day was a band I have heard a great deal of buzz about, The High Divers from Charleston.
I was wistfully wishing for summertime, as I sat on the outdoor patio and listened to this band jam their roots rock and roll with an updated twist. If you haven’t heard their hit tune, “Give It Up” (go on and click it) from the album, Riverlust, then you should. You will be like me and wanting the entire album. They have down home good tunes with familiar vocals that remind me of southern rock at its finest.
Yep, I was a little worried that this guy had a concrete patio as his pillow, but his family of multiple generations seemed to be so very happy all together, listening to this band. It was an honest lighthearted nap moment.
More power to those gatherings, where some can dance and others can close their eyes in quiet meditation, right?
After meeting up with The High Divers and the visionary behind their label, Hearts and Plugs, we headed out to seek out other new music.
Midday, at The Jinx, Brooklyn’s Oxenfree played a nice set of guitar driven music. I loved that one of the band members wore a shirt with peaches all over it. Yay, Georgia, the peachy state! Their tune “Make Out” is a favorite of mine.
We then hightailed it to see Dear Tracks at Congress Street Social Club, which seemed to be a hub for the local bands. Oddly enough, Dear Tracks is from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I often think some of our best and brightest bands come from this part of the country due to harsh weather and few chances to get outside, so they all learn an instrument, play in a basement, and thrive at the ease of the instrument’s power.
It was a perfect afternoon for the dreamy shoegaze wonderment of Dear Tracks.
Without a moment to spare, I rushed to listen to a must see artist…..Your Friend. Worried I was late, I actually arrived ahead of time and the magic of karma allowed me to see a band I have blogged about before, Joy Again.
They were fun and I loved it when a group of College of Charleston students began dancing to the beat of the music. You can check out my previous post here.
After their set, Your Friend was up. I was thrilled that they came all the way from Kansas to play at Savannah Stopover. Her voice is amazing and the songs on the most recent album, Gumption, are a beautiful combination of electronics and echoey vocals with powerful lyrics.
At first there were some sound issues, but after working out the kinks, it was an amazing show.
After their set we hunkered down and ordered food, (you know…wings and such) in anticipation of Alex G. But low and behold, the band was beside us ordering too. So I got a chance to chat with them and meet them.
This is an action shot, but I had to share a view of my new friend, the drummer, who shared a beer and some laughs with us! What a great guy and who couldn’t love a prankster who buys fun tricks at South Of The Border on the drive down to Savannah?
Alex G has an interesting show. He is a bit irreverent and kind of argumentative in his conversation between songs. Perhaps, it might be a defense/distraction mechanism for the deeply personal expression in his songs.
Afterwards, I rushed back to The Social Club to see Hos[ital Ships and Des Arks, both local and on the local record label Graveface.
Hospital Ships was a welcome relief of meditative tunes reflecting heart-felt concerns. Soft, lovely, and quietly powerful, their set cleansed my musical palate in a way. It was a moment of deep reflection for the packed house.
Then the mood changed when Des Ark played, directly following Hospital Ships. With an overlap of musicians, it was a natural order. Listen to “Ties”.
Okay, okay….I admit my sluggish mode to taking pictures at this point. A little lazy that I sat on a bar stool and listened, but honestly I enjoyed chatting with a guy from Graveface and the Savannah Stopover social media gal. So in between songs, we were talking music shop, and that makes me a happy camper for sure!
I was such a happy camper in fact, I made a trip to their amazing record store on Sunday. Talk about a wonderful selection of albums new and old. It was a joyous discovery, and purchases were made.
Going back to Saturday, I trucked back to Trinity Church to catch SALES.
They proved to be a pleasant, happy surprise. Every song in their repertoire was amazing.
Then, it was time to rush to the outdoor venue, Ships of the Sea Museum, to see Susto.
Working our way through the packed house, we found a comfortable spot right up front. There are so many talented musicians in this band. One of the most intriguing is Johnny Delaware. There is a mysterious mystique about him and his music sensibility. The pictures of mine confirm it without a doubt.
Whoa! Caught in the hazy mist without his guitar, so cool.
The crowd was a happy bunch, along with a wholehearted fan, ME!!
I have to give a shout out to Clay for playing in two bands, (that I know of, it might be more). He is a music fiend that seemed to be everywhere I was at Stopover, and that makes me so happy. Trumpet on dude!
It was a difficult decision at this point, but I had to choose between seeing Beverly and Porches. I love both, but have honestly embraced Porches new album as a major favorite for this year’s music. So, Porches it was…..
I ran back to Trinity Church to be in the front row. I was surprised they were a bit behind schedule and I was lucky enough to catch Twin Limb’s set.
It was cool to see how their music revolved around an accordion. It was quite unique and beautiful. A stumble upon talent….and sorta makes a blogger’s heart sing.
But then…Porches arrived on the scene.
Wow, just wow!
How can I even begin to describe the experience? It was a packed house, but I was in the front and never knew anyone else was in the audience. I felt as if it was a concert just for a few close friends. When can you experience anything like that from a talented band that will sell out shows from here on out?
It was completely off the chain and a lifetime moment that shakes my psyche. Porches is one of my top albums this year. You are probably saying, Ha , it is only March. I say , well you are absolutely right, but nevertheless…..the album, Pool, speaks to my ears and my heart.
I could have gone back to my hotel completely happy and done….but no, there was more to experience.
We ran to see Triathalon, but sadly they were ahead of schedule and their set was over. I have to share a favorite song of mine.
The only good side to missing them was being there for the entirety of New Madrid’s set.
See, I told you I saw a boat load of bands last weekend. Happy to be home, but fondly reminiscing about my listening experience. Put Savannah Stopover on your calendar for next year, it can only get better and better!
