Rocky Votolato/Bob Mould : Nuemo’s, Seattle, WA 2/15/2006

Seattle’s Rocky Votolato is an old voice for a young crowd. Opening for Bob Mould last week, Votolato inherited an audience arguably present to see an icon, and took them on a ride of his own making. With a soulfully evocative voice, Votolato and his über-competent backing trio led the audience down the musical back roads of what sounded like the American southwest, with a touch of Nashville and hint of Austin thrown in for good measure. From the first twangs of their guitars, to Rocky’s hauntingly lonely sounding solo stint with his guitar to the final round with slide guitar, Votolato effortlessly transported the audience through landscapes replete with imagined dusty, empty truck stops, through the loneliness of heartbreak and loss, and all beautiful yet sad for its familiarity.

Rocky’s vocals are haunting for their road-weariness yet young enough to retain the hope of happy rest following the long trip. Similarly, his between-song demeanor spoke to his clear passion for his music and for performing in general. Votolato’s band, too, performed a musically provocative, yet comfortably proficient, set. In particular, drummer Josh Tillman took his drums for an unusual ride, playing rhythms replete with atypical instrumentation and fills.

Headliner Bob Mould did what Bob Mould does, albeit with perhaps less energy than in the past. Mixing new solo work with standards from his well-established catalogue, Mould played acceptably, but with an apparent lack of enthusiasm or strong energy. His voice, though seemingly a rougher version of its old self, still belted out classic tunes, but they seemed to lack some of the life they once did.

Fortunately, Votolato has just begun a nearly national tour, so his energy and enthusiasm should be coming soon to a small venue near you; you would be ill-advised to miss this opportunity to see him.

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