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Artists:
  CARISSA'S WIERD w/ Envie  
 
Date:
  Wednesday.9.July.2003  
 
Venue:
  The EARL  
 
Location:
  East Atlanta, GA  
 
Reviewed by:
  Tracers  
         
 
Performance Rating:
   
 
Sound Quality:
   
 
Overall Rating:
   
         
 
Review:
 

It was a Wednesday night, and I had no business planning to go to a show. But, as surprising as this may seem for me, I really like Atlanta band Envie, with their odd combination of slightly punk drumming, vaguely droning cello, and intensely emphatic keyboards and harp. While other Minions may tend to see this band as a rock-influence chamber-esque ensemble, I feel the energy that swells up from their incredibly focused and intense performances. They tend to play with a precision and passion that I don’t witness in many of the bands I see, and it’s a quality I certainly appreciate.

Anyway, in short, for those reasons, I decided to go ahead and venture out on a weeknight. So with non-Minion Kurt in tow, I arrived at The EARL just in time for Envie to take the stage. Although occasionally I’ve seen their line-up augmented by extra musicians, on this evening Envie played as a three piece, with drums, cello, and harp/keyboards/vocals. And tonight it seemed like the focus of the set was on the drums, which is likely an effect of the mix in The EARL. Truth be told, I kinda liked this because Envie’s newish drummer, Kevin, plays his kit in a strong and determined manner, so that it really drives the energy of the rest of the band. And, honestly, I like good drumming.

However, the sound in The EARL seemed liked something of a zero-sum game. With the drums so loud, Deisha Oliver’s cello came across as really low in the mix, so it was more of an understated drone than normal. Nevertheless, Renee Nelson’s harp and voice remained towards the fore-front of everything. Normally I don’t like hearing too much vocals but, in Nelson’s case her voice acts primarily as another instrument, so it isn’t distracting or overwhelming. So, despite a few minor mistakes (which I’m sure weren’t noticeable to most in the crowd), Envie’s set came across as energetic and compelling, like the best of their music, although it seemed a bit short. Still that may have been merely my perceptions, since I was enjoying their set, and especially the drumming, so very much. And at the end, even the attending non-Minion was impressed, and thought he might like to see them again.

So, after that set, I wasn’t sure what to expect next. I had heard little about the next band, Seattle’s Carissa’s Weird. But when I looked up and saw a 6 piece band take the stage, I figured it would likely be interesting. From the beginning, I found their music to be very slow and melodic, without being either plodding or meandering. I particularly found the violin’s interplay with the guitars to be oddly soothing and also liked the understated tone of it all. It always surprises me how 6 people can sound so rich and full musically, while still seeming so minimalist when you actually focus on the components of the songs.

As Carissa’s Weird’s set progressed, I began to appreciate the soothing vocal interplay of the male vocalist with the female back up. In some ways, the slight twang of Mat Brooke’s voice combined with the overall tone to remind me vaguely of Gram Parsons, or perhaps, more importantly, of Aaron Blount (from Knife in the Water). Like Blount, Brooke’s voice isn’t absolutely perfect, but it works within the context and flow of the backing music and becomes something quite beautiful. In short, I was absolutely blown away by Carissa’s Weird, and I was certain I’d made an excellent choice by coming out to see them.

However, as Carissa’s Weird’s set came to a close, my non-Minion companion pointed out that it was, in fact, a week night and that he, at the least, had to get up early to work. So, after a few minutes of debate, we decided to leave. And that meant I never got to hear the ostensible head liners, Mantissa. Now, Mantissa are a local band about whom I’ve heard a great deal (pretty much all of it a glowing), and I was really looking forward to seeing them for the first time. However, I suspect that leaving was, in the end, a good choice, for I doubt anything could have topped the performances of the first two bands.

 
         
 
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Here is another recent Envie performance, enjoyed by a different Minion.

 
         

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