Thursday saw another evening at the home of Spokane’s underground scene – the Big Dipper – and a varied offering of local music.
“Timeworm” was the first performance of the evening.
The three-piece ensemble of drums, bass and electric guitar featured a loose but catchy groove from start to finish. The lead vocals were mostly left to the drummer’s light falsetto, but the real vocal highlight were the beautiful background harmonies that I’ve found many bands (even stadium ones) really struggle with live; that wasn’t the case with Timeworm.
Although I would classify the group as indie rock, the hints of psychedelia, experimentalism and dream pop make for a unique sound and live experience.
With a few funny remarks from the audience, Timeworm really is the local package that I regret not having seen sooner and can highly recommend. I’m hooked.
The second of three was Mama Llama.
The five-piece band played a range of instruments, from the usual guitars and basses to bongos and glockenspiels. I admit that I was a little “off-putting” to the band’s decidedly experimental sound, at least at first. I wasn’t quite sure how to describe the very airy and warm, yet free sound that Mama Llama creates – until I looked at their Instagram and discovered the genre “bossa nova”. This mix of samba and jazz is new to me, but by the end of their set, I was left wanting more.
I’m telling you, there’s no one else in Spokane that sounds like Mama Llama, and while it might take a little while to get used to them, the group creates a vibe and an infectious feeling that’s hard to deny.
Finally, Monke Business, a namesake of the Spokane scene, took the stage.
As for the group of college students who found themselves together during the summer months, I can only reiterate what I have already said before.
Over the years, Monke Business has grown closer and closer together, sounding as professional as the scene can be, but still feeling very free and improvised. The noticeable development of each member’s already impressive musicianship has created a band that regularly delivers performances full of highlights that are difficult to analyze.
Every Monke Business show is full of energy from each individual member, energy that is always transmitted to the audience. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – if Monke Business are back in town and you haven’t seen them yet, do yourself a favor.
