When show time came around Saturday night at the Icon in downtown Buffalo there were no frills and no fuss. Musicians from the show's lineup, which included Dolorean, Damien Jurado and Richard Buckner, simply hopped on the stage, set down their beers and let it rip.
The bands shied away from playing a broad variety of genres. This proved to be a blessing in disguise, as it enabled the bands to explore deeper and darker depths of the music that would have been more difficult otherwise.
Buckner, the headliner, is currently out on tour promoting his new album, "Dents and Shells." His distinctive brand of passive-aggressive folk/rock mesmerized the crowd at the newly renovated venue.
Listeners could barely pick out a few words in Buckner's songs, but his music was more than just lyrics and sound pasted together. Buckner was the only man on stage for his set, but that didn't mean his sound lacked any depth. He produced his own rhythms, manufactured a bass line, and successfully layered each part together for what resulted in a multifaceted folk/rock experience.
Buckner blended one song into the next and effectively painted an abstract audio picture with an array of acoustic and electric guitars along with a synthesizer. The outcome was layer upon layer of luscious alt-country.
Damien Jurado was also in the vein of folk rock, but made his voice a little clearer. Jurado attributes his writing inspiration to the likes of Conor Oberst and Jack Kerouac.
"I feel like (writing) is something I have to do, like a hunger pang," Jurado said.
Each member in Jurado's ensemble was able to pull off musical imagery seamlessly. Glowing guitars, a brushed snare drum, splashing cymbals, and an intimidating acoustic guitar all contributed to a set that satisfied the hungry crowd.
Rather than get outwardly excited or enthusiastic, Jurado and friends simply channeled all their energy through their fingers and into the instruments, creating a musical fury that burst through the speakers.
Beneath the guitar, Jurado had nothing to hide. Jurado is wise concerning his vocal style in that he knows when to restrain himself but seems to have no qualms with letting it fly. Many times a song would begin with similar guitar lines, but Jurado's voice offered endless possibilities for the directions in which the song could travel.
"I don't want to limit myself," Jurado said of his music's potential.
He explained that he simply hopes to keep putting out records, each different from the previous, in the style of the Beatles or Wilco. Jurado will be releasing a new album in February titled "On My Way to Absence."
Dolorean, from Portland, Ore., also adopted a simple stage presence. They added a little country twang to the otherwise folk show, but their roots showed in little more than their boots while promoting their newest release, "Violence in the Snowy Fields."
"The longer I hold on and let you drag me around/ the harder I fall when I finally fall down," lead singer Al James wailed on "Holding On."
Their soulful and melancholy country provided an ideal soundtrack to an autumn day.
"I may go down in flames, but I shall not burn," James sang on the title track to their album.
James's vocals are reminiscent of REM's Michael Stipe, but his different brand of brokenhearted storyteller style set the band apart from anyone in their genre. The soft stage lighting and intimate setting complimented his nonchalant attitude.
The mix of edgier rock with mellow country on the bill made for an interesting blend of cowboy boots, hooded sweatshirts, camouflage and plaid.
