The Marquee

My Solstice

It is no secret that I am a fan of My Solstice. This fact brought me to The Marquee last Friday night. There is so much more I could say for these boys and their exceptional ability to own the stage and never disappoint however my friends tell me if I don’t expand my writing focus I am well on my way to becoming some kind of groupie. That being said, what do you think of when I say the word violin? Likely up-and-coming local rock band was not the first thing to come to your mind.

Driveby Sonata

I was first introduced to Driveby Sonata thanks to their spot on the 2009 Edge Homegrown CD. Due to a ridiculously idiotic mindset I surprised myself in liking what I was hearing. I must regretfully confess to you my habitual tendency to write off female artist without giving them their proper due. In fact Paramore is the first female fronted rock/alternative group I not only allowed myself to listen to but was also willing to admit I like. The foolishness of this point of view is increasingly evident to me after Driveby Sonata’s Friday night performance and Jocelyn Rowland Hughes’ ability to capture my senses with her smoothly melodic vocals.

It is my understanding the only way to experience Driveby Sonata for yourself is via a live performance or your own copy of the 2009 Edge Homegrown CD but that is soon to change. When their CD is released I assure you, you will hear about it so stay tuned.

My Final Thought

My only disappointment came in the realization that Arkansas has spectacular music too. It is my intention to keep this blog local to the Okies but as a music lover I do not believe I can post without giving at least a mention of A Good Fight. Make it to a show, buy their CD or do a Google search it doesn’t matter to me but not giving them a listen would be very unwise on your part. As mentioned I am keeping this blog local but I bought their CD and the only complaint I have is that it doesn’t come with a lyric sheet.

I saw My Solstice at Dfest

How do you measure greatness? To some it is defined by the label an artist signs with, the number of households that know their name, or maybe even dollars in the bank. To me, these are merely lucky bonuses for those who are already great. A more appropriate gauge would be your adrenaline level when you leave the show, how badly you want yet another encore, and how quickly you put in that CD--as if it had been forever since you heard those songs. These are among the reasons I know My Solstice is great.

I have limited interests: I like photography, music, and talking about music. I sit now writing this, thinking how thankful I would be if just one person, outside my circle, read this and thought as little as “it wasn’t so bad.” It is thoughts such as this that make me appreciate My Solstice even more. I genuinely feel they have the same gratitude toward each person who takes the time to come see them. I was able to catch them at DFEST last weekend, and I reached this conclusion based not only on a simple thank you for being here, but also their acknowledgement of the fact there were still headliners playing, and yet that is where we chose to be. Not once did I feel they were playing for an inconsequential audience. No, each song was played for me, for her, and for him; each of us individuals with one common interest, and each of us as happy to be there as they were to have us.

They played some of everything, including yet-to-be-released material. Then, when we were about to leave, they were easily swayed in to an encore. As we walked to the car, with more energy than when we went in, I immediately checked online for future appearances; but with the next ones not until August, I was forced to settle for the recorded version waiting in my car.

http://www.mysolsticeband.com/

Something to talk about - Persistence of Vision

“I just need something to talk about until DFEST, and I’m a little sick of the local CD’s I have. Where should I go? Starship?” Nah, I’d go to Under the Mooch. . . “

This was the coffee pot talk as the week began. I had a few CD’s in mind--some I wanted to get, and others that had been suggested to me. At first I thought I see if I could find Western Heritage, but life won’t allow me the opportunity to attend DFEST Friday; so someone playing Saturday seemed the better choice.

My Solstice has really caught my interest lately but, since I haven’t been able to catch a live show and have had to settle with the chance air play on Edge Homegrown, their album Persistence of Vision seemed the obvious choice. All too often you buy new music, and you’re excited to get it, but as you play the CD the lyrics are so mundane that you go about what you’re doing and are not really sure what the songs about (other than that someone-loves-someone-else or, depending on your personal music style, maybe someone-hates-the world-and-the-world-hates-them-back.) I am relieved to tell you that’s not the case with these guys. Although they do stick with one basic theme throughout the CD, it actually had me sitting in my living room, reading the sleeve, and anxiously awaiting the next song. I certainly hope they win the ABoT award, and I will make sure I catch Saturday’s performance (which is technically Sunday) 1:10 am, at Route 66 Mother Roadhouse.