Riverhorse’s Opal was one of my favorite records of 2015, and Brother O’ Brother’s Show Pony was a worthy contender, but other than both records being released on vinyl through the indie label Fonoflo Records, they have nothing in common. Riverhorse (or Brian Motyll) is a local, one-man-band specializing in down tempo alt-country ballads and melancholy story telling, while Indianapolis’s Brother O’ Brother are a blues rock duo sounding as if The White Stripes stopped beefing with The Black Keys and formed a super group. When I heard both acts were on the same bill, I wasn’t sure if I was more excited to see two great acts, or confused as to why they were playing on at the same location.
The Chicago Street Pub is a smaller establishment with raw acoustics that fit extremely well with the slower, mellow aspects of singer songwriter types. I caught Riverhorse last fall and was pleasantly surprised with how decent the sound quality was despite not having a large sound system.
Being the square that I am, I showed up to the venue about thirty minutes before showtime, thinking maybe I’d get to say hi to the respective artists while they set up. Upon entering I saw Brother O’ Brother’s guitarist/vocalists Chris Banta, stretching his arms and legs out far to the sides and almost jumping in place. He turned around and looked back at drummer Warner Swopes, shook his head smiling and said “I dunno, it’s kinda tight up here..”. Of course it’s not the biggest venue, but I thought how could a band made up of only two people be worried about the size of a stage?
That question was answered almost immediately after the first power chord rang out. For someone being quiet and subdued, Banta became a completely different beast behind the mic. He jumped up and down as if he was possessed by the ghost of Jim Morrison doing an Iggy Pop impersonation. He introduced themselves and tore into their first song with no sound check and no warning.
Banta’s tiny Telecaster managed to sound like a full band of multiple guitars and bass. He slithered and pogo danced all over stage so much, it still blows my mind he didn’t miss a single note. Maybe the stage was too small for them after all? After two or three songs, he stopped to catch his breath and tune the low E on his guitar and called into the crowd “This next song I wrote about my Grandma. If think you are too cool to write a song about ya’ll Grandma…..you probably suck” but instead of playing a delicate tribute to his grandparent, it was yet another scorching garage rock anthem.
As their set went on, they didn’t wind down one bit. In fact, their theatrics got bigger and more over the top. They went from temporarily switching instruments, to walking through the audience, laying on the stage, and getting back in their respective places without missing a beat. It was obvious they had done this quite a few times before. Later that night I found out that this was their second show that night, and 4th in 48 hours! Truly a testament for two guys who didn’t have a single drink the entire night.
When Brother O’ Brother’s set was over, they cleared their equipment from the stage just as fast as it was set up, and within fifteen minutes, Riverhorse was ready for his set to close out the night. He made a quick joke about not being sure he could follow up after Brother O’ Brother’s set, then steps up to the mic.
For the first few songs in his set, Brian played alone. While playing his guitar, he did double duty of the rhythm section by using one foot to play a kick drum that sat behind him, and the other to pedal a tambourine. Even though it’s becoming more and more common to see DIY one-man-band types, it still blows my mind that one guy can sing, and play multiple instruments while doing the songs on his album justice.
The Riverhorse setlist went back and fourth between songs from his Opal record and a few from his follow up due sometime later this year (hopefully) as well as an unexpected cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” using a unique arrangement that seemed to emphasize on the simplicity of the song, an aspect that’s rarely heard in Beatle covers. On the second half of the set, Brian was joined by a bassist and drummer to fill out the sound for the more complex songs, freeing up space for less strategic rhythm while still maintaining the DIY nature of his songs.
Last year I was telling everyone I know about how good the Opal record was but I always had a problem describing what it sounded like exactly. I kept referencing artists like Ryan Adams and Jessie Malin but it still didn’t fit the description of what I liked about the record. Hearing the songs live along with most of the venue singing along, it became much more clear to me. The appeal of Riverhorse is the warm, inviting nature of an honest to goodness artist expressing himself. His songs tell stories of love, loss, and redemption all in this really endearing way that I don’t get to hear live very often. There’s just something about his art that just feels comfortable and sentimental without sounding pretentious or ’emo’.
At the end of his set, Brian invited Brother O’ Brother back to the stage to join in on a cover of The White Stripes’ “We Are Gonna Be Friends”. It’s sweet, endearing and kind of ironic how there was almost three times as many people on the stage than featured on the original track. A fitting close to both sets.
In theory, having Brother O’ Brother and Riverhorse share a record label would be strange enough, much less the same bill. But despite from being completely different genres, something about the night worked. Maybe it was because I’m such a fan of each artist? I tend to think it’s more about the common ground independent artists share. It doesn’t matter what the genre or style is, they’re writing, recording, and self releasing their art without the pressure of a major label trying to mold them into something they’re not. Despite being different styles, they’re out there appealing to the listeners who need something honest and authentic. Brother O’ Brother and Riverhorse delivered on all accounts.