I am getting too old for this—this idea of shows starting after 10 p.m. As I wait in line at Bottom of the Hill behind couples of underage San Francisco hipsters in faded designer skinny jeans and $10 thrift store sweaters, I can’t help but worry that I won’t be home before 2 a.m. Is good music still worth missing out on so many hours of precious sleep?
Of course it is.
The Friday night lineup starts with Kira Kira, a one-girl band made up of Icelandic singer and player-of-weird-music-boxes Kristin Bjork Kristjansdottir. She takes the stage in a matching red dress/tights/Keds combo, and when she plays the first notes (it’s hard to tell if they come from the wooden box she’s somehow manipulating or the laptop in front of her) I realize how disarmingly sweet and vulnerable she looks. The songs are mostly taken from her debut album Skotta, a breathy, sparsely worded set of space sounds and angelic vibrations coming from Kristin, her guitar and her numerous contraptions. I’m guessing she’s gotten more than one comparison to the other Icelandic chanteuse, but she’s definitely got something honest and brave that sets her apart from anyone else.
From one humble talent to another, Kira Kira is followed by Tom Brosseau and his guitar. The lanky, fair-haired singer starts by saying, “I’m sitting down because I’m too tall and I look funny standing. And because somebody made fun of my jeans earlier.” The honest disclaimer garners laughs from the audience, although nobody seems to mind his cuffed Wranglers when the music starts. Brosseau’s voice, punctuated by sips of whiskey, is shockingly mature for his youthful appearance. His songs showcase not only his impressive range and crystalline falsetto, but also his ability to craft significant and heart-breaking story-songs steeped in allegory and history.
By the time Mice Parade take the stage, I’m checking my watch and realizing it’s already midnight. Ugh. But solid beats and complex layers of noise overpower sleepy eyelids. Six others—a motley crew of experienced musicians and the lovely Caroline Lufkin—join the band’s mastermind Adam Pierce on stage. Pierce started Mice Parade as a solo project, but after seeing the group perform together, it’s hard to imagine him creating the songs by himself. Never before, in the hundreds of shows I’ve been to, have I seen a band having more fun together on stage, with Pierce grinning wildly throughout. The result is a brilliant energy and synchronicity in the set. The songs include favorites from Pierce’s older albums as well as tracks from the self-titled and newly released Mice Parade. Each song is a unique layering of drums, guitars, vibraphone, keyboards and electronics, with Caroline’s vocals floating ethereally above the chorus of instruments. Pierce tends to gravitate towards his drum kit, but also takes a seat up front for a number of songs, singing and playing guitar or gently drumming the wooden box he’s seated on.
All in all, a very enjoyable evening at one of the best small venues in the Bay. And I was right about not being home before 2 a.m., but the subsequent sleepy Saturday morning is totally worth it.
Mice Parade is out June 25th on Fat Cat Records
