i'd rather be 75 and sunny than 29 with a chance of showers all the time

Actually it's quite dark and dismal where i am. But, a few days ago (the third?) i went to world cafe live for the first time and got myself a good dose of sunshine. I was there to see the Ryan Montbleau band. They've got four albums if you count the two solo albums he had before the whole band came together. I'm fairly certain they played almost every single one of those songs. well, maybe not, but they did two sets, so it was quite the marathon.

The show was from 7:30 sharp till a little after 12. the opening act was a man named Zach Deputy. If you ever get the chance to see this guy live it is definitely a must-see, because i really don't think that his album does him justice. His voice has great range and his style seems influenced by everything from country to rap to louisiana blues. Plus he uses his beatboxing skills and some kind of looping system to create these interlocking beats which from this little hoofer's point of view would be great to tap dance to. My favorite song was "home" and if you go to his website (www.zachdeputy.com) you can listen to that and two others. You can't listen to the song sunny day, which was also a really good song. My favorite part of his set however was just how much he seemed to enjoy playing. Too often when i go to shows it seems like the singers just aren't having that great of a time. Maybe it's just nerves, but i feel like it takes away from the song when the people playing the music aren't into what they're singing/playing. Deputy was totally into it, and that kind of feeling is infectious. It turns a good show into a great show.

Both sets The Ryan Montbleau Band played were also fantastic. Personally i had only heard his solo album Stages, so i had no idea how the band would sound. It really surprised me. there was a drummer, percussionist (bongos, chimes and all kinds of things), a keyboardist, viola, and one guy who switched between bass guitar and unpright bass. Oh yeah, and ryan himself on guitar and vocals. The really great thing is that all of these instruments were fully utilized. Despite the fact that Ryan's name is on the poster, they seemed like a cohesive unit. And that's a difficult thing to accomplish when one person had already written many of the songs before the band is together. Some of his old songs were completely re-scored, but the new versions are equally good. In the second set he played a few songs on his own and then a few with just the upright bass and viola. Then the rest of the band came back and they played a really full set. All in all, the band played for approximately 3 hours. And while the tempo changed and the songs varied the intensity was there for the whole show.

For those who haven't been there, the world cafe live is an interesting place. It is set up like a caberet, with long dinner tables set up on three different levels in front of a huge stage. The acoustics of the building are some of the best i have ever experienced, though that's not really surprising since WXPN broadcasts live shows from there fairly frequently. Also, the lighting guy was clearly familiar with the songs because all the cues were spot on (though i'm probably the only person who noted/ was really impressed by that). Most people did not dance, since it's a little awkward when you're halfway through an appetizer, but the audience was very vocal. The waiters were a little slow, but really i was there for the music. it's a great place to go, especially if you're 21. My new favorite song is called "75 and sunny," it's off their newest album, which i don't have yet (my birthday is june 13th!)

So, no offense to the other bands i saw this year, but in terms of venue and the music itself this was easily the best show i've seen in a very long time.

Also, i just have to reiterate that Ryan is a superb lyricist. the man can stretch out a metaphor like no one else. He's rarely cliched or vague; each one of his songs tells a specific story in a unique way. it's almost impossible for me to say which songs are lyrically my favorite from Stages, they are all fantastic. I guess i would say to listen to stretch and you crazy you, but in all honesty pretty much any song off that cd is fantastic.

till next time,
me