Take your pick of live music
Clumsy Lovers with Folk Inception
When, where: Saturday at 8:30 p.m. at the Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave.
Tickets: $14, through www.ticketfly.com
After 10 years and more than 2,000 shows, the Clumsy Lovers remain one the most revered live acts to come out of Vancouver, B.C., in recent memory. Their adrenaline-laced performances are defined by happy-go-lucky showmanship and sheer musical prowess.
When this five-piece band takes the stage, it’s a foot-stompin’, hand-clappin’, rumpshakin’ soiree guided by Irish-tinged dance tunes with an American folk-rock edge.
Even though the Lovers are all about fist-pumping power in the live performance, the recordings are more focused on lean production techniques and complex arrangements. Either way, live or recorded, Clumsy Lovers is equal parts grace and reckless abandon.
Last Watch with Whiskey Dick Mountain and McDougall
When, where: Monday at 10 p.m. at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague Ave.
Cost: $5
Regional indie music fans may be familiar with John Johnson as one half of bluegrass-punk duo Hillstomp. They may also know his latest musical cohort Scott McDougall, as both have made repeated visits to Spokane.
But what fans may not know is that Johnson has another trick up his sleeve with Last Watch, which is a different brew of punk-rock-roots music.
After announcing last year that Hillstomp was going on indefinite hiatus, Johnson and McDougall formed Last Watch. It’s similar to Hillstomp in that it’s a guitar-and-drums- based duo, so if you’re missing the sweaty, soul-shaking dance parties with twangy guitar and/or banjo and buckets for drums, Last Watch is bringing it back, but with force.
While Hillstomp is high energy, Last Watch is downright explosive, leaning more toward garage-rock and an invention of their own they are calling sludge-folk.
In the event that Hillstomp doesn’t reunite, fans have an even more intense alternative.
Martin Sexton with Adam Gontier
When, where: Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague
Cost: $25
Singer-songwriter and producer Martin Sexton is back with a new short-play, but once again tackling big concepts and large-scale issues.
Another “souled”-out venture, the “Fall Like Rain” EP dropped at the end of 2011 to rave reviews from the likes of NPR, Rolling Stone and Paste magazine.
“Fall Like Rain” shows Sexton exploring deeper themes on his lyrics, and more obscured instrumentation in the music.
On the gospel-esque “One Voice Together” Sexton sings, “In a world of warfare, peace is bad for business, there’s no money to be made in forgiveness.” Meanwhile, the eerie track “Burlington” is shaped by melodian organ, a 12-string guitar and bass for more sobering fare.
The EP is rounded out by an acoustic cover of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What it’s Worth.”
When asked why release an EP instead of a full-length album, Sexton says it’s important in a down economy to have his music available for the price of a soy latte.