By Jeff Schwartz
Here I sit the morning after what felt seemingly like a good night of great sex for my ears. My family and I started the evening by sitting down with Keaton Simons for an interview on the outside deck of the Paisley Violin in the artisan district just outside of downtown Phoenix, Arizona-- this venue was simply screaming "bohemian." It was sticky and the mosquitoes let me know what eggs feel like when I eat them for breakfast, but the sunset was vivacious and the price was right. Who can beat free, anyway?
Inside the venue, driftwood strung from the ceiling wrapped in lights and tubing, solid brick walls with paintings that looked rather similar to the way I hear sound, a shallow kitchen and maybe 20 seats total, made this show feel extremely exposed and real. Shane Hunt was the first to play. And though he was obviously nervous, he kept us invited with a well-rounded set of comedy puns and beautiful songs. A couple of tunes that stood out to me were "Liar" and "I Should Go." I found them to be melodic and witty.
Curtis Peoples and his friend Dan, I can't remember his last name (I would claim drunk if Paisley sold alcohol), got on the stage and played songs from Peoples' album, "Back Where I Started," and had a way of hitting harmonies that really drove home the personal touch that you often miss in larger venues. When I asked Curtis, with whom I talked more about San Diego, how he would label himself, he described his music as "coffee shop arena rock." It's the balance of cheekiness and truth behind that phrase that perfectly describes his melancholic '80s rhythms. The weightiest feeling those of us listening heard was nostalgia or simple wistfulness. Yet, there wasn't a need for any "deep" emotion to enjoy the show. It was a catchy, uplifting rock show after all, right? Songs like "All I Want" and "Tell Me I'm Wrong" seemed to just recapture a bit of the fun and light-heartedness of the '80s and wrap it into a modern, inoffensive sound easily enjoyed by the audience.
Keaton Simons hit the stage and the only
question I found myself immediately asking was
"How does he play while rocking out so
ostentatiously?" Always tapping a foot, nodding
a head, and his hands refusing to stop flying
about the neck, Keaton was definitely a player
of exceptional skill. I finally got the chance
to really listen to "Without Your Skin."
Unplugged. Unaided. I found it to be,
undoubtedly, a poignant little tune that spoke
of the human need. However, as my father I'm
sure would volunteer, this could have merely
been my inner emo child crying out from its
compressed bottle where I yearn to keep it
locked up. Watching Keaton play would best be
compared to watching that striving artist on the
street corner with his case open. Though those
days have passed for him, he played with the
same intensity and passion.
Tony Lucca was the last to perform for the
evening. Looking much like Buddy Holly and
introducing himself like you would have heard on
the "Mickey Mouse Show" (for those of you who
actually remember it for more than just "That's
where Justin and Britney came from!").
"Melancholy Collar" was definitely one of my
favorites that was played for the evening. His
voice resonated off the vaulted ceilings and the
acoustic guitar that he played it on sang tones
creating a purple blue undertone to the peach,
silver, and reds that I was hearing through the
yellows and golds. Awestruck, I sat there
looking like Stevie Wonder, as I couldn't stop
my head from moving to the rhythms.
Needless to say, I had an AMAZING time.
Thankfully, the Paisley will be there for
another round of artists and I only hope to
attend those future shows as they come about.
For those of you would like to listen to the
music firsthand, please feel free to find their
MySpace sites listed below and I encourage that
you dive in deep and swim your way from there.
http://www.myspace.com/shanehunt
http://www.myspace.com/curtispeoples
http://www.myspace.com/keatonsimons
http://www.myspace.com/tonylucca
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