Show Review: Sea Wolf, Port O’Brien, Sara Lov
A week later and we are just getting this up… Saturday, October 17th at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia, Sea Wolf, Port O’Brien and Sara Lov all played to a packed house. While the long room lends to an intimate setting during weekday shows, this weekend lineup had everyone standing, chatting and cheering from opening mic check to the final encore.
Sara Lov
Taking the stage at 10 was Sara Lov. Although I had never heard her before, she had an antsy appeal as she played a record with backing instruments as she played the guitar and sang into the microphone. Her presence came across as what it was – a singer/songwriter with a twist.
The record playing in the background was okay, yet she really found her groove when Sea Wolf’s Lisa Fendelander (keyboard) and Ted Liscinski (bass) joined her. The lyrics emerged with emotion that shouldn’t be lacking in a solo artist and her mood lightened. I would bet that with a live band behind her, the music and her nervousness would diappear.
Port O’Brien
Port O’Brien brought a spark of warmth to an otherwise chilly night in Philadelphia. It’s hard not to like this group when you see them live. Clad in sandals and socks, lead singer Van Pierszalowski unleashed his familiar, yet uniquely twangy vocals, while convulsing around as much as the modest stage would allow. Van’s energy seems to radiate to the rest of the bandmates as they howled along with him – creating a campfire sing-a-long feel.
Even with the recent release of their album Threadbare on Oct 6th, they still mixed in the classics from their previous album while keeping every eye at attention. As Van and company stood on the edge of the stage and jumped, their humor seemed to raise the low ceiling and set the darkness a few shades lighter.
Highlighting the set at their finale, the folk-rock musicians from the West Coast equipped an enthusiastic crowd with pots and pans, thus allowing an external rhythm section to form. “I Woke Up Today” came alive through the clatter and crowd’s “Ohhh”ing to create a truly enjoyable experience.
MP3: Port O’Brien – I Woke Up Today (buy)
Sea Wolf
Dangerbird Records’ Sea Wolf took the stage at quarter past midnight with lights dim and faces to the front. Playing to the mood of their newest record, White Water, White Bloom, the six-man group from L.A. lulled softly into their set with the new album’s title track.
Since we last saw Sea Wolf, they have been featured on several commercials, shows and the New Moon soundtrack, so the sound of their debut album, Leaves in the River, resonates a bit stronger than their new material for most fans although the appeal of their newer material was quite evident.
While our first experience to see the group stuck with us as a bright spot with the group, their latest show certainly didn’t damper our experience as the cello still played loud, Alex Brown Church still smoothly hit every vocal note and Liscinski’s bass carried a heavy weight much-needed in any folk rock experience.
These three groups will be touring until the end of the month as they work their way back to the West Coast. Check out the tour dates on Sea Wolf’s website.
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