Boston pop-folk group Lake Street Dive will play the Iron Horse in Northampton tomorrow evening at 7 pm. The Americana group Girls Guns and Glory from Scituate, Mass. will also be performing. The two bands share a common drummer, Mike Calabrese and will surely share a laid back and authentic musical experience as well.
Lake Street Dive, a six-year old ensemble, is currently touring the Northeast in promotion of their recent self-titled album. This work was released in November 2010 and features notable tracks like the spunky “Miss Disregard” and the Beatles-referencing “Hello?Goodbye!” Vocalist Rachael Price notes that this album “explored more soulful influences” than the band’s past works.
An appreciation for jazz music happens to be what brought these four musicians together in 2005. All graduated from the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston and discovered a mutual appreciation for avant garde jazz music in one another while still undergrads. Separately gifted, but undeniable as a combo, Lake Street is made up of upright bassist Bridget Kearney, trumpeter/guitarist Mike “McDuck” Olson, vocalist Rachael Price and drummer Mike Calabrese.
Lake St. took their sound in a noticeably different direction in their first couple of years from what it is today. But after becoming comfortable playing together they began to develop the rare blend of jazzy, poppy and folk vibes that now define them. The musicians realized that they wanted to make music that was true to them and the music they enjoyed. The Beatles, Paul Simon and spontaneity make up their primary influences.
Just as the Fab Four possessed strong musical and friendship ties to each other, Lake St. works off of a similar group dynamic. “It sounds cheesy, but we love each other,” Price admits.
Price claims that these robust connections propel their live performances. “Onstage we can anticipate what each other are going to do and like to kind of trick each other, in a fun way.”
Wednesday evening will be the first time Lake Street Dive has played the Iron Horse, but by no means are they strangers to Mass. While at NEC, they gained experience playing all over the Boston area, primarily in Cambridge. The Lizard Lounge is where the band spent much of their start, playing to its loud bar scene and building a fan base in that manner.
The band has since expanded from the Boston scene and traveled as far as Colorado. In the future, they would like to hit the west coast and also experience the European live music scene.
Girls Guns and Glory (GGG) is another Mass. group and are about the same age as Lake Street Dive. Though they feature the same drummer, GGG sounds much more southern than the Boston band. Made up of vocalist and guitarist Ward Hayden, upright and electric bassist Justin Maxwell, guitarist and banjoist Chris Hersch and drummer Calabrese, these four pull inspiration from greats like Chuck Berry, Hank Williams and Bob Dylan.
GGG has notably shared the stage with well-known acts such as The Bravery and the Stone Temple Pilots. The appeal of their bluesy meets alternative feel is what really snags listeners.
Tickets are $10 in advance, $13 at the door and are available at www.NBOtickets.com.
Amy Larson can be reached at [email protected].
