My Darling Fury, Jaguardini, Gnatcatcher @ The Bazaar (Roanoke, VA)
The Bazaar sits in a fairly unsuspecting location in Roanoke. Near Towers Shopping Center, the venue is a consignment shop by day and a venue by night. It is a one of kind here in Roanoke. Jamie Booker, the owner, brings in a lot of independent/alternative bands that are searching for a certain crowd that truly enjoy and appreciate music. Providing a space for bands like My Darling Fury, Jaguardini and Gnatcatcher is an honorable task that she takes on. The music connoisseurs and aficionados in the Roanoke valley would be out of luck when searching for genres such as experimental rock, sonic pop, jazz infused rock, etc if it were not for Jamie.
This evening we found two new artists to the Roanoke scene. Jaguardini is from Harrisonburg, VA. A one man act the other night, Ivan sometimes has a few others joining him. I actually saw Jaguardini up in Richmond for a NYE house show that Night Idea was hosting. I barely got to hear them in RVA, therefore I wanted to seek them out again but unfortunately I got off work late that night and missed the first act. I hope to see Ivan again. He was real nice dude.
Jaguardini
Here is what Ivan had to say about Roanoke and Bazaar Consignments:
"Yeah, that was my first time in Roanoke. I've had friends from there who were really cool. For some reason, I always thought it was much smaller. It was quite a surprise driving past the downtown and seeing all the city lights. Right off the bat, the locals were very friendly".
"What really had me, though, was that a room full of 20-30 people listened intently, whether they liked the music or not. To have people listening with open minds is extremely appreciated by a musician".
"Bazaar Consignments is a great spot! The shape and layout really make for an intimate setting for both the musicians and the audience. People didn't need to have drinks in their hands to feel comfortable".
Thanks Ivan!
My Darling Fury was the headliner for the show and I did in fact catch them. A five piece band:
MDF
Danny Reyes ::lead vocals, keys
Clark Fraley ::guitar, keys
Todd Matthews ::upright bass, vocals
Alex McCallum ::guitar, vocals
Joel Hollister ::drums
I'll tell you, what an incredibly unique sound. Symphonic at parts. Danny is explosive and passionate in his vocal performance. He really sets the band apart. Not many progressive rock bands have a talented singer such as him so I guess you could call them lucky if you want. Danny can really hold a note and can smoothly change from one to the other during his "ooooh" sections. Usually those kind of lyrics are just thrown in for filler it seems, but they showcased his talent more than anything. As for the rest of the lyrics, they are quite intricate using words like "encroaching" and they make it sound fantastic.
Todd in the back really brought in a nice jazzy groove to Clark's and Alex's progressive riffs and expansive effects. Their pedal boards were huge, one of them was a large yellow panel with little silver buttons that were all labeled, that was Clark's (this is where I regret not talking to them more). Alex and Todd really impressed me with there delay effects in the beginning of School Yard Warrior.
I corresponded with MDF about their experience. Read up:
"They were an amazing audience to play for as everybody was there for the music of Jaguardini, Gnatcatcher, and My Darling Fury. No dealing with loud drunk people at a bar trying to scream over the music which is more the norm these days. Bazaar Consignments is a very unique space with a lot of character that’s perfect to host original, and unique music".
"The Bazaar has this really cozy family den kind of vibe. It instantly makes you feel at home. The classic arcade and console video games are a nice touch as well. Jamie has a good thing going there"!
"We loved playing at the Bazaar".
Very good words!
MDF members are a bit older than my friends' bands and you can tell that the years have helped them to really develop their sound. Their latest album, Licking Wounds, is definitely worth the listen. If you find yourself in RVA, see if they are having a show and obviously they travel so keep an eye out for them. They are about to play their last show with Alex. It is coming up on February 9th at Gallery 5 in Richmond but they are excited to see how the dynamic changes with becoming a four piece. I certainly hope to see them again.
Gnatcatcher was the closing solo act. Using a lot of looping and single chords drawn out, he was a nice wrap up for the evening. Primarily just using the guitar, Tyler Osborne (from Vinton) also used a couple other auditory devices. This was my first time seeing a wood saw played with a bow, which put out some ear flexing sounds. Tyler used an old rotary phone and a static filled radio to place the crowd in a very interesting atmosphere.
In the end, it was very solid night down at Bazaar Consignments.
Dan
Here and There Music
