they made a fan of me

last night i went to the echo with karmamoo for some free music mondays. i like catching acts before they get big. and i especially like catching them live. so i looked up the echo's monday residents and discovered that it was a little group called simon dawes. you can check out some of their music here.

upon first listen they sounded like the kinks. especially with the song "lazy daisy." it's filled with 60s era brit rock. but not like a cover band at all. more like paying musical homage to the energy of that time. it was, in short, very nice. but they've also got a gritty down home sound to them, as if they were creating the sound from the bowels of their instruments. and the singer, he's got a strong voice. yes, the guy can sing, and he can fill the room with sound. (unlike the singer from the band who came on before them. their music was good, but the singer just yelled and yelled. shrieking vocals aren't easy on the ears.) the simon dawes singer (i don't even know their names) could play with sound, can lead you by the hand through his lyrics. you get excited by his energy, you hold your hand to heart when he sings about the one who only loves him drunk. he connects with the audience, and clearly gets along with his bandmates. it was the kind of show that surprises you, where you don't know what to expect, but then find yourself cheering on their efforts with unapologetic "woooos!!!" and stinging handclaps.

karmamoo and i agreed though, they would probably get a lot further if they looked different. the bass player was in a white undershirt and had a headband circling his long stringy blond hair. not a good look. but i guess all the hipsters look like that now. and the other boys didn't fair much better in the fashion department. however, i'm glad they look so dorky, because if their look were more polished it would have seemed put on, it wouldn't have fit their sound. so hopefully the band will build success from talent rather than fancy pants and hip hairdos.

it was such a good show that karmamoo and i bought their ep. so really, simon dawes made a fan of we.