Email
Print
Comment
The Black Cat's Backstage isn't the most desirable room in Washington, D.C. While the Mainstage upstairs is a must-play venue for rising indie acts, the Backstage remains a space for local musicians and bands on the fringe. The small, dark space lacks the capacity and professional sound of its more substantial sibling, and its concrete walls recall more an unfinished basement than a concert venue. Still, the right artist can bring the room's aesthetic to life.
Opening act Tralala was not quite that. A seven-piece band anchored by guitar, drums, and bass, the group is (sort of) fronted by four different women who have each adopted their own girl-group identities: "resident booze hound, blonde bombshell, prep-obsessed brainiac, and earth angel," according to the band's bio. They tore through a brief set of feel-good rockers -- a blend of pop punk that split the difference between the Ramones and sugary, '50s girl-group pop. At its best, the group offered a danceable good time. At its flattest, their performance was an exercise in derivative rock cliché. The crowd dutifully listened, anxiously awaiting local hero Mary Timony.
To describe Timony as an undeniable force in underground music is not only to state the obvious, but also to undersell her talent. In the mid-nineties, she earned her keep fronting Matador noise-pop act Helium, and she has since developed as a stunning songstress in her own right. As a songwriter and guitarist, her mastery should demand the attention of music fans of every order -- especially since the release of her latest album, Ex Hex. If Timony's first two solo albums left some lost in enchanted forests, this latest effort aggressively directs them back to an emotionally wrought reality.
Timony and her crew stepped off on a bit of a sour note, no doubt due to the concrete walls of the Backstage and it's middling sound system. But, after a slow start, "On the Floor" turned the evening around as driving guitars and a gigantic-sounding rhythm section found their groove, propelling the show to its official start.
The evening was dominated by songs from the recent album, including "Friend to JC", "9x3", and "In the Grass." Timony peppered the set with a few new songs that suggest her next record will continue in the direction of Ex Hex. Old songs and new benefited greatly from the addition of Timony's bombastic rhythm section, held down by ex-Faraquet singer and current Medicataions frontman Devin Ocampo on drums and Chad Molter on bass. Ocampo (who also played on Ex Hex) and Molter both breathe extra life into Timony's songs. Molter in particular energized them with bass playing that bordered on the acrobatic -- at times he even doubled his notes over Timony's ever-shifting guitar riffs.
"Backwards/Forwards" brought the show to a raucous close. Leaving off the airtight riffing that characterized the evening, Timony and co. took a slight detour, indulging in some discordant jamming. With the groove held down by Ocampo and Molter, Timony explored the depths of her pedals, creating a tapestry of feedback and riffs that would make Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo proud.
After the show, there was no fanfare or post-show shenanigans to speak of, just Mary Timony dutifully selling merch and graciously accepting praise for the night's performance. It is unfortunate that more folks haven't had the chance to see Timony and experience her remarkable songs. The Backstage has its charm, but let's hope that when we see her next, Timony is playing the Mainstage, commanding an audience sized more properly to her talent.
— 21 June 2006
