September 2018

Milton Busker and the Grim Work at Radio Bean and The Violins of Baltimore and Swale at Light Club Lamp Shop on September 21, 2018

Milton Busker and the Grim Work (photo by Tim Lewis)

 I had a great time seeing music a week ago Friday at Light Club Lamp Shop and Radio Bean. The two shows were so perfectly lined up, I couldn’t not go.

I had a relaxed day off, took the lovely walk downtown, and settled into the Bean. Milton Busker and the Grim Work were set and ready to play. They opened with a song about giving me all of your time then sang of Jesus in Chains. Milton’s voice is pure and strong and the band have a relaxed country funk kind of sound. They sounded a little more pop on a song about letting you down and a little heavier on the one about 16 tons of gold. They played a cover about how your love is all my soul needed, and followed with a cool version of The Person Aside You. They got a little darker and slower on a song about taking me home and making me whole then played a cheery song about how nobody loves you. They implored “don’t let me down,” and followed with a song about the joy that is around you. That one had a nice rocking ending. They sang about how you and I can fix it then took a gorgeous turn on Baby Let My Money Keep You Warm. They sang about how they were glad to see you go and closed the night with a slow shuffle version of Eleanor Rigby. They were as great, as always.

After hearing an hour of dark contemplative lyrics set to happy relaxed music, I was in the perfect mindset for Swale. I moved over to the Lamp Shop and settled in. A duo called the Violins of Baltimore sounded nice for the song and a half that I caught.

The Violins of Baltimore (photo by Tim Lewis)

After their set, time flowed nicely, and SWALE were ready begin their 16th birthday party. They began slow and dark with Before The Night then sent a bolt through the crowd with If You Get Lost. Cancer rocked nicely and Felon was just beautiful. They eased back a bit for Wooden Heart and stayed slow for the beginning of Good Medicine. Towards the end of the song Eric Olsen ripped out a passionate lead break. They kept us rocking with Joyless then played a cool new song. I think it was about how you can be anyone. They delighted us with dozens of puns in Release Your Records then shifted into top speed for Drug Laws. They slowed the music to a crawl, then steadily drove it higher and higher before it crested and eased back into the end of Every Last One Of Us. They rocked the set to a close with Everyone Likes To. Since it was their birthday, they had presents for us. They played a hot September give stuff away jam as Amanda Gustafson read out the numbers of the raffle tickets they had given out earlier while Eric handed out albums to the winners. The whole show was great but the end was just a little extra fun.

Swale (photo by Tim Lewis)