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BY BLISS BOWEN PASADENA WEEKLY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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DUMPSTAPHUNK, “Where Do We Go from Here” (Mascot/The Funk Garage): HHH
Dustbowl Revival’s music has evolved since it was founded.
Dustbowl Revival streams two concerts from Hot Shot Muffler By Bliss Bowen Pasadena Weekly Contributing Writer
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ven after all pandemic restrictions have been lifted and live concerts and tours resume, the livestreams and virtual performances that served as a lifeline between artists and audiences over the past year will remain a vital aspect of working musicians’ lives. And quite a few are scheduled for the coming weeks, including two shows by Dustbowl Revival (dustbowlrevival.com) streaming from Hot Shot Muffler in Highland Park on successive Thursdays, May 6 and 13. Each of the shows, which bandleader Zach Lupetin is promoting as a “double virtual concert experience,” will have a specific focus. On May 6, Dustbowl Revival will perform its 2020 album “Is It You, Is It Me” in its entirety; the May 13 performance is billed as “Dustbowl Revived: Favorite Songs & Stories” (a mix of fan favorites, new material and possibly one or two cover tunes). Dustbowl Revival’s sound has evolved considerably since the band leaped into the vanguard of LA’s string-band renaissance 13 years ago, back when they could be seen playing Westside dive bars and Eastside concerts at the Coffee Gallery Backstage and Levitt Pavilion. Lupetin, who migrated from Chicago to Los Angeles in part to launch a “roots orchestra,” has not deviated from American roots music; rather, Dustbowl draws from a broader range of sources that includes not just bluegrass, old-time folk and gospel but also early 20th century jazz, blues and spirit-lifting New Orleans grooves. As the music has broadened and elevated its songwriting focus, the elastic lineup has tightened from a freewheeling 13 members to a horn-swinging octet and now, depending on the occasion, a sextet or septet. The band’s also developed a reputation for delivering knockout performances onstage and a fan base that includes Keb’ Mo’ and Dick Van Dyke. In recent weeks dynamo vocalist Liz Beebe (lizbeebe.com) announced on social media her “emotional and difficult” decision to leave after eight years, citing the time and energy demanded by touring life. The creative chemistry between Beebe and Lupetin helped shape 2017’s “Dustbowl Revival,” the most cohesive album of the band’s career, as well as “Is It You, Is It Me,” which weaves Laurel Canyon-style harmonies into Dustbowl’s sonic tapestry. At the upcoming concerts, Lashon Halley will be joining Lupetin at the mic. She’s an inspired choice. When Halley steps forward for a slinky performance of one of the funkier songs from “Is It You, Is It Me,” “Ghost” (youtube.com/watch?v=8o6kuP-C87Y), she imprints the song with her formidable vocals and attitude. It’s one more instance of how Dustbowl Revival thrives on change.
Punchy funk jams and hopeful messages from bandleader Ivan Neville and his New Orleans crew. “Justice 2020” is a hardcharging reprise of their 2017 single that swaps out Trombone Shorty’s horn for Chali 2na’s righteous rap, while the title track, “Do You” and “Let’s Get at It” note towering challenges of the day with clear sight and conviction rooted in history and irresistible grooves. Infectious opener “United Nation Stomp” sets the tone: “Everybody clap your hands/ Everybody stomp your feet/ Everybody move around/ Everybody sing with me.” dumpastapunk.com
MAIA SHARP, “Mercy Rising” (Crooked Crown): HHH½
The former Angeleno’s first album since 2015’s “Dash Between the Dates” transcends specific events yet speaks to this general moment of healing and starting over. Textured with subtle grooves and atmospheric guitar lines, standouts such as “You’ll Know Who Knows You,” the brooding title track and “Whatever We Are” offer studies in contrast between Sharp’s smoky vocals and smart, polished melodies. Sharp’s songs have been recorded by Dixie Chicks and Bonnie Raitt, among numerous others; it will be no surprise if other artists also fatten their repertoires with “Things to Fix” and “When the World Doesn’t End” (“4-3-2-1/ And no Armageddon/ There’s still a moon, still a sun/ And we’re still breathin’”). maiasharp.com
WEST OF TEXAS, “Heartache, Hangovers & Honky Tonks” (Pleasant Valley Ranch): HHH
Frontman Jerry Zinn, producer Rich McCulley and a cadre of veteran Southland roots musicians capture the upbeat swing and sparkle of Bakersfield country classics throughout this ingratiating set. It’s easy to imagine Zinn and the band playing these to a crowd of two-steppers, and their performances and the cheery retro appeal combine to make this a heart-lifting reminder that live shows are on the near horizon. Highlights: the hooky “Foolin’,” “12 Steps to Drinkin’” (co-written by Zinn and Grant Langston), “Dead End Job Blues.” westoftexas.com
MARIANNE FAITHFULL WITH WARREN ELLIS, She Walks in Beauty (BMG): HHHH
Faithfull’s magnificently weathered voice embodies rock ‘n’ roll survival, and there’s symmetry to her resurrection of romantic poets who sketched a libertine template seized by 20th century icons, such as the Rolling Stones. Her readings tap into the inherent musicality of Byron, Keats (a sublime “To Autumn”), Shelley, Tennyson and Wordsworth (a Celtic-tinged, elegiac “Surprised by Joy”), as Bad Seeds multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis complements her speech with ambient settings layered with natural sounds and contributions from Nick Cave, Brian Eno and cellist Vincent Ségal. But it’s Faithfull’s gritty inhabitation of the language that makes it move and sing. mariannefaithfull.org.uk
Kensington Presents Dustbowl Revival at Hot Shot Muffler in Highland Park WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursdays May 6 and May 13 WHERE: Virtual COST: $25 for a two-show pass, or $15 for a single. There will be a 48-hour replay window for each show INFO: https://bit.ly/2QRUunB or dustbowlrevival.com 05.06.21 | PASADENA WEEKLY 17
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