Review: Liam Finn @ Doug Fir Lounge

Surprised I was. The first act, Portland locals The Dimes opened promptly at nine and held my undivided attention for forty minutes. Fairly well dressed for rockers (I counted two ties, one vest, two sport coats and one fancy hat) they delivered a set of tight harmonies, inspired song lyrics and a pretty fair musical range. Some of their songs had a pop hook or two, but they put forth a lively, enjoyable groove. Songs like Paul Kern Can’t Sleep and The Liberator told character driven short stories with a noticeable emphasis on vocals and crisp tones. They played with confidence and flair and built a nice rapport with the audience. I was glad I arrived early enough to see these guys.

The Dimes

Next up was The Veils from New Zealand, via Europe. This group was intense. Smiling and chatty one minute and deep, dark screaming the next. Also nattily dressed (One sport coat, one pair of hot pants, though not on the same person) their set engaged the crowd even more. I really enjoyed the interplay that the lead guitarist, Dan Raishbrook shared with Finn Andrews, the singer and de facto leader of the Veils. Special kudos go to the rhythm section (Sophia Burn on bass and hotpants and Henry Dietz on drums) for keeping the bottom end solid and grounded. Andrews played and sang with so much passion and tension that he was physically out of breath and weak after a few of the songs. Not too weak to invite us all to their room (#204) after the show for the “real party”. He recommended stopping by room #117 first though.

Two of their songs stood out for me. Calliope, a flat out rocker with lots of jangling guitars and a sing along chorus put in mind a bit of mid eighties The Cure songs. The other song that grabbed me was the anthemic Advice For Young Mothers To Be. Another tune with harsh lyrics sung with almost choir like gentleness, it really hooked me. This song has found an opening in my iPod playlist. Jesus For The Jugular also stuck with me after they left the stage. A slow burning blues with a screamed vocal that bit through the guitar leads, I’m still humming this one a few days later. Okay, that’s three songs. Sue me.

The real star of tonight’s show came on a bit after eleven. Liam Finn, along with Eliza Jane Barnes was well received by the audience even as they were setting up. Before hitting note one, he was inundated with requests shouted from the audience.

Finn was celebrating his 25th birthday on this night. “Can’t think of a better place to celebrate than here in Portland”, he told the crowded room. Shots of Jagermeister, tequila sunrises and even a half drank bottle of Pabst Blue Ribbon were handed onstage by enthusiastic audience members and Finn toasted with each of them. As stated, this was my first time seeing him save for the video of his performance on Letterman and I was again very pleasantly surprised. His set was energetic, humorous and engaging from the get go. Utilizing effect pedals and loops, Finn was all over the place, switching to drums, pounding out a bass riff over an ethereal loop of high end guitar rhythms. Eliza Jane Barnes’ backing vocals and percussion blended well but at times seemed a bit forced, compared to Finn’s loose and relaxed chaos. (I’m thinking the shots etc had a lot to do with the looseness.)

Liam and Elroy Finn

The family affair was on as well. Liam’s vocals belied more than just a hint of his father’s (Neil Finn of Crowded House/Split Enz) and his younger brother even played guitar behind him on a few tunes. Better To Be and Gather To the Chapel hit high notes on the fun scale, with lots of jumping from guitar to drums. They even looped their way through the Beatles’ Birthday shortly after the obligatory cake and candles. This cover was well done, yet a bit sloppy, attesting to the unrehearsed nature of it all. A bit of research through my cd collection found that Finn had performed Two Of Us, another Beatles cover, with his father for the British and European soundtracks of I Am Sam. Birthday as sung on this evening, was the one that could stand alone. It had a real celebratory feel and the audience ate it up.

So, yes, I was very pleasantly surprised by the talent at the Doug Fir this Wednesday evening/Thursday morning. Three exciting bands, some ties and hotpants as well as a stop at room #117 to have a look around (Hmm. . .Never know when this might come in handy). And a birthday party to boot! A good night for rock and roll in Portland.

Rock On Through The Fog

(Coming from room #204)

A.J. Crandall

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