Brian Field @ Plush, Tucson, AZ, October 20, 2008

Brian Field:

Traffic Violator, The Year of Acceleration @ Spring Club Crawl, Tucson, AZ April 19, 2008

Traffic Violator:

The Year of Acceleration:

Traffic Violator @ The Wooden Ball @ Club Congress, January 5, 2008

Traffic Violator:

Friday, April 20, 2007 – Red Room – Courtney Robbins, Plush – Graig Markel

We celebrated 4/20 by seeing one of favorite performers, Courtney Robbins at The Grill’s Red Room. This time, armed with guitar and Sopporo beer, Courtney played 2 sets to the packed Red Room as well as to the diner section where hipsters and hippies quenched their thirst with Bacardi and RC Cola and ate tots (without cheese – absolutely forbidden at The Grill), exchanging banter with people on both sides of the wall. I believe that Courtney is the only songwriter who has used the word “douchebag” in a song which makes me love her all the more.

As usual, “Hardcore” Brian Field joined her in singing Something’s Wrong, a song about a girlfriend she parts ways with only to find she’s engaged to, well, a guy. “Maybe she just likes the cock,” Brian blurts much to Courtney’s dismay but certainly not to her surprise. She expects such comments from her pal.

We had planned to make our way to Plush to see Will Elliott at his CD release show, but couldn't seem to bring ourselves to leave Courtney knowing she’s got just a short time left in Tucson. We walked into Plush long after Will’s set and caught the tail end of Seattle denizen, Graig Markel and his band. Are you beginning to see the Tucson/Seattle nexus here?

Although Graig's music can hardly be called high tempo, a bachelorette party rushes the stage and Drunk Girl climbs on up. Thankfully a member of the Plush staff escorted her off without much effort. Graig handled it with grace.

I was disappointed that we only experienced a couple of songs. His sound is beautiful and dreamy and sexy and smart and has been accurately compared to Elliott Smith, though I'd throw in Manic Street Preachers and Chris Isaac into the mix as well.

He just finished up his west coast tour so you'll have to pick up his latest CD, "Via Novella," which has guests Jeremiah Green (Modest Mouse) on drums, Jen Wood (Postal Service, Rachels) on vocals, and got production, mixing and engineering help from Aaron Prellwitz (Sun Kil Moon, Alaska!, Death Cab for Cutie, Trans Am) and John Vanderslice. It's a gorgeous shoegazing masterpiece.

Thursday, April 12, 2007 - Epic Cafe Open Mic - Zack Toporek, Brian Field also Plush - Little Black Cloud and Woven Hand

Thursdays are Open Mic Nights at Epic Cafe. Usually we stay to see all the acts but tonight we only saw a couple. Newcomer Brian Field has played several open mics at Epic over the last few months. Tonight he played two new songs never before played in public followed up by crowd favorite, Slow Edy. Armed with a twelve string guitar, Brian's clever, smart and thoughtful lyrics elicit both laughter and admiration from his audience.



Next up - Zack Toporek.

Zack is a fixture at the Epic Open Mics. His charm and charisma suck in even the most skeptical coffee drinkers and Internet surfers. Zack, at just 18 years old, writes Green Day/Flaming Lips/Weezer type songs about relationships that are at the same time emotional and amusing.

Next Thursday order a coffee coffee milkshake, a giant Rice Krispie treat and settle in for a bit of Zack at Epic.

After Zack, we made our way down the street to, you guessed it, Plush, to see local musician and local musician advocate, Cathy Rivers.

Cathy's latest ensemble, Little Black Cloud, served up some psychedelic, beautiful surrealism complete with Victrola, theremin, pedals and sound effects galore. More than once, I found myself saying, out loud, "Wow. That is COOL."

She doesn't play out as often as most acts in Tucson so when you hear she's playing again, cancel whatever plans you have and see her.



Headlining Thursday's show at Plush were Woven Hand, featuring 16 Horsepower's David Eugene Edwards. I knew nothing of Woven Hand (or of David Eugene Edwards) and was caught off guard when the band played the first notes of their opening song and I hadn't put my earplugs in. We quickly put them in.


Loud and theatrical, David Eugene Edwards and his band played to a crowd clearly familiar with their blaring rock.

Woven Hand brings the Christian rock to Europe in the coming months so you European readers inclined to admire the spiritual rockness should check them out.