Ken Stringfellow, The Long Winters & Claire Hartman

Opening up was solo performer, Claire Hartman. She and her acoustic guitar looked lonely up there on such a large stage, but she didn't let it hold her back. Hartman's vocals displayed great variety. Switching from earthy tones to a prettier, cleaner sound, her rich voice filled the theater and was powerful enough to make up for her lack of further accompaniment. While her guitar playing might not have been the most technically sound, it was usually effective. It captured the organic nature of her songs. In "The Lining Wants Nothing," Hartman's parting tune, her broken strum created a bluesy feel and a pleasant groove, which was the hallmark of her set.
Fiver was scheduled to follow, but was forced to cancel due to transportation problems. Seattle's The Long Winters took their spot. Frontman John Roderick was having issues with his monitor, which led to some funny bitching on his part. When Roderick's dry wit wasn't expressed in his war on faulty equipment, it surfaced in his surreal lyrics. I caught a few great lines during the course of their set like, "unsalted butter is my punishment" (from "Unsalted Butter"). Though the long, trippy jam, "Copernicus" and noise rock finale, "Give Me A Moment" came off as a bit too forced and self-indulgent, I was impressed by how The Long Winters put a song together. Their slightly off kilter sensibilities kept more straightforward rock songs like "Carparts" and my favorite, "Scent of Lime," interesting. Roderick and keyboardist, Sean Nelson busted out stellar harmonies and Mike Shilling was consistent behind the drums, keeping metronome time and flowing into numerous, tasteful fills before resuming the beat.
After a short pause, The Long Winters took the stage again, but this time without Nelson and with Ken Stringfellow at the helm. From the start, he proved to be a consummate performer with undeniable vocal talent and dramatic presence onstage, making an instant connection with the small crowd. He showed his musical versatility as he sang, played guitar and even hopped behind the keyboards. Songs like "Find Yourself Alone," which built into a power pop wall of noise with Stringfellow's clear voice breaking through, were catchy and well written. Ken Stringfellow called the few in attendance to the foot of the stage for the final song as he and the Long Winters capped the night off with an extended jam.
The turn out for this show was non-existent. I counted less than 20 people. In a room so large, the place looked absolutely empty. It was a shame too, because some really talented musicians played to practically no one.
- James Barone
- Photos by Alyssa Starkey

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