ReadysetDC A CREATIVE URBAN ENTERPRISE

Child Ballads @ Velvet Lounge

by ReadysetDC reader and friend Jennifer Jeremias.

The All Our Noise show at Velvet Lounge, featuring the Child Ballads, managed to capture much of that same magic and brought new sounds to light. Stewart Lupton, Lex Paulson and Jesse Rivkin (Child Ballads) were joined by Michael Harris and Brandon Moses (of Laughing Man), Andrew Buckette (Male Gaze), Sam Chintha (The Antiques, Space Tigers), Holly Kent-Payne (Space Tigers) and Jess Dye (Light Foot), or what Stewart referred to as his “merry crew,” an introduction befitting of the performance that followed.

Sound issues plagued their Jan. 2 show at Rock and Roll Hotel, leaving me feeling a little let down, disappointed that my friends, seeing them for this first time, were not getting the full Child Ballads experience. At Velvet Lounge too, there was a minor sound issue and Lupton’s delay pedal was left out. A tiny thing, perhaps, but for me this made all the difference. Lupton’s voice was raw, more intimate and genuine – a special treat for longtime fans. Moses came onstage for a Laughing Man cover and without the customary distortion of his vintage condenser mic, he too, was more vulnerable, captivating and refreshing. The addition of a female vocal with Dye added delightful dimension to familiar songs. Rivkin’s guitar and bass balanced out the x-factor like presence of Chintha and Buckette’s atonal sound created from a combination of synthesizer, delay pedals and a phototheramin manipulated by a flashlight. Moses’ guitar/bass and Paulson’s keys were filled with infectious energy and I wasn’t the only one who felt the need to move (if only just a little) with the music. The solid set of Child Ballads’ standards and covers was enough to leave me ecstatic. But, like a tidal wave of musical magic, they closed the show with Harris singing an original song of his own that he had taught the “crew” on Tuesday. With Harris’ encouragement, the audience was singing right along for the final refrain.

Local bands always have the added pressure of creating something new and interesting for live performances. Wednesday night, Child Ballads rose to the occasion collaborating with talented artists of varying styles and somehow making it seem so easy in the process. Improvised elements fell (im)perfectly into place as Lupton, always the gracious host, exchanged poetic banter with the audience. Again, I felt that Child Ballads magic and the energy of a music scene that is thriving, evolving and making history here in DC.

***
==