MUSIC COLUMN
In the 'Clear
BY RICHARD MARTIN
rmartin@wweek.com
In the 'Clear: Mindful of the swirling rumors about Everclear's impending breakup, frontman Art Alexakis tackled the topic immediately upon striding onstage Saturday night at LaLuna, where he played an invite-only party that followed Dr. Martens' annual fashion show. Before strumming a note, he announced that the multiplatinum-selling band hasn't called it quits, but that it'll go on a yearlong hiatus while he releases and tours in support of a solo debut.
Wearing black-rimmed hipster spectacles and seated on a stool, Alexakis previewed some of the forthcoming material. He first accompanied himself on acoustic guitar and then surprised the (shoe) industry crowd by introducing a four-piece backing band that included two ex-Sweaty Nipples members. The apparently well-rehearsed ensemble--consisting of Alexakis, a bassist, a keyboardist/accordionist, a drummer and a percussionist--also raided Everclear's songbook throughout the one-hour-plus set.
The performance exhibited a new, softer side of Alexakis that doesn't bode well for his bandmates in the highly successful Everclear. With a backdrop that included candelabras on either side of the stage, the quintet looked and sounded like a veteran group playing an MTV Unplugged gig or even a VH-1 special.
The hired hands adorned both new songs and hits like "Father of Mine" and "Santa Monica" with crisp, lively backing, leaving the singer free to emphasize his post-grunge growls and punctuate almost every line with a throaty "Yay-ah." But the professionalism couldn't mask the monotonous lurch of Alexakis' anthems, which orbit around a formula of stuttered riffs and plain-as-hair-dye hooks. Of course, the public keeps buying, so the crafty artist would be loath to infuse his latest sonic salvo with any extraordinary stylistic departures. As such, the only way to differentiate between the fresh-baked "solo" tunes and Everclear's reliable repertoire was to spot the well-worn choruses. Ever obliging, Alexakis played all the hits, including a finale of "I Will Buy You a New Life," his evidently non-fictional ode to West Hills homebuying as romantic reinforcement. The message, it seems, could equally apply to his bandmates in his newest endeavor.
Live and Kicking: Six years ago, with the Pacific Northwest locked in the vise-grip of the movement that came to be known as grunge, an assembly of scraggly haired breakaways encamped at the LaurelThirst Public House, a cozy, lodge-like neighborhood tavern in Northeast Portland. Each night on the small stage, musicians ranging in age from 20 to 60 dedicated themselves to playing rootsy music that sounded thoroughly foreign during those days of whine and poses. Loosely grouped under the tag "the Eastside sound," these performers celebrated the region's longstanding devotion to informal jamming based on traditional American song forms, from folk and country to hillbilly and jazz. In 1992, the Live at LaurelThirst compilation CD gamely featured candid takes from some of the bands' sets. The result was a charming if disjointed album that included acts who've proceeded to bigger things (McKinley), settled in for the long haul (Jim Boyer) or fizzled (the Crackpots, who did, however, produce the endearing Little Sue).
Currently in the midst of a three-week spate of live performances commemorating its ninth anniversary, the LaurelThirst has released a sequel to the original Live At... disc. Though it accentuates the same below-the-radar aesthetic of the original, the popularity of alt-country music makes this a timelier and more noteworthy record, and for the most part, the performances indicate an advanced level of musicianship and songwriting. Accordingly, many of the featured artists are simultaneously tasting authentic music-biz good fortune. Golden Delicious has become an in-demand live act in Seattle, where fans clamor for the band's punk-meets-hillbilly rave-ups; the sweet country musings of the Flatirons earned the young act a record deal with the respected Chicago label Checkered Past; 17 Reasons Why last week won a national unsigned-band contest sponsored by Musician magazine and recently inked a deal with the New York imprint Laundry Room; and Kerosene Dream's sunny-side-up jam-rock has secured it a loyal following throughout the Northwest.
Not that these bands' accomplishments, or the compilation, place the LaurelThirst at the center of any next-big-thing trend. The 'Thirst remains an earthy watering hole where musicians--some of whom showcase originality and spirit while others plod along playing laconic three-chord gurgles--provide down-home entertainment to go along with a beer or a friendly game of pool.
Spins of the Week:
Ace of Base, Cruel Summer (Arista)--Guilty pleasures don't come any guiltier than this: Sweden's campy export rekindles Bananarama's summertime classic, though the accompanying "Blazin' Rhythm Remix" is the most egregious Scandinavian sin since the Finns harpooned endangered whales.
Mix Master Mike, Anti-Theft Device (Asphodel)--A featured guest on the Beastie Boys' latest, this Sacramento DJ and member of the Invisibl Skratch Piklz bows with a solo record that bursts with silly samples, big ol' beats and rousing, rubber-handed turntable screeches.
originally published July 22, 1998