Event
BLUE GIANT, NORFOLK & WESTERN, AND SPECIAL GUESTS
Blue Giant performs with Norfolk & Western and "grafts" that band into Blue Giant for the evening. Each night there will be a "special guest" performing covers, original songs & more. In addition...there will be a digital single given away to ticket holders each night.
A Blue Giant is one of the brightest stars in the galaxy: A light that burns so brightly that its light is ultraviolet, and invisible to our eyes. Its beauty is never noticed, making it the most lovelorn star in the sky.
Blue Giant is also a new band from Portland, OR, made up of some familiar faces, most notably Kevin Robinson and Anita Robinson of global indie powerhouse, Viva Voce. After a handful of critically acclaimed albums and relentless touring, the Robinsons found themselves longing for the joy of playing music with other creative people. It was time to round up the perfect band mates and start collaborating. As natural as it can be: Friends playing music together.
Enter Blue Giant.
On drums, Evan Railton: Following the demise of Portlands Swords Project, Evan had delved further into his solo endeavor, the experimental Ovian, but found himself hungry to play with others again. A longtime friend of the Robinsons, it made perfect sense that he join them.
On bass and organ, Dischord Records alumni Seth Lorinczi, who had moved to Portland and become fast friends with the Robinsons before the boxes were even unpacked. His musical pedigree is unmatched (Circus Lupus, The Quails, Golden Bears to name a few), and it took little coercing to rope him in.
Last to join was Portlands Chris Funk, a shockingly talented multi-instrumentalist and driving force behind Portlands Decemberists. After hearing rough mixes of early Blue Giant recordings, he demanded to join the band, and, stunned by Funks pedal-steel wizardry, the Robinsons had no choice but to acquiesce.
Front and center, Kevin Robinson is a confident and charismatic lead vocalist, who also plays acoustic guitar, banjo, harmonica, or whatever else he can reach.
Anita Robinson harmonizes at every turn, while handling electric and slide guitar duties; she also takes a turn in the spotlight, singing lead on a couple of tunes.
Choosing to forgo the indie-pop sounds of Viva Voce, Kevin and Anita drew inspiration from their own past loves: American country and classic rock. Early-70s Who-ish grandeur, Byrds-esque 12-string country dreamscapes, verb-soaked melodies evoking Lola-era Kinks, and rich harmonies gracing the darkest of love songs. The lyrical thread of tortured hearts ties the storytelling, songcraft and performance into a fully realized debut.
The music has currently only been released as a thank-you for attendees of Blue Giants first show, however its garnered both kudos and strong national college radio play.
Says Portland Mercurys Ned Lannamann:
It's indie rock gone American Gothichymn-like melody and unhurried pace evoking devotion in a potent and powerful way. Anita sings "Lonely Girl," a blue-sky country song that juxtaposes the purity of Loretta Lynn with the 12-string jangle of the Byrds.
This October Blue Giant will unleash a Portland Tour of three dates around town, each bolstered by very special quests including Corin Tucker (Sleater-Kinney), Sam Coomes (Quasi), Corrina Repp (Tu Fawning et al.) and Rachel Blumberg (Norfolk & Western).
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Location115 NW 5th
Portland, OR 97209
United States
Categories
| Kid Friendly: No |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Non-Smoking: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: No |
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