Playing seven shows in five days across four Australian cities, Dead Meadow front man, Jason Simon, is essentially re-defining the whirlwind trip.
In support of his solo self-titled debut LP, Simon hit the East Coast and, in an unusual but greatly appreciated move, also visited Adelaide’s Ed Castle on Friday night.
The support acts were Like Leaves and Lady Strangelove, playing stripped back versions of the heavier psychedelia they’re better known for on the Adelaide music scene (appropriate considering that Jason Simon is likewise best known for the hazy musical brilliance that is Dead Meadow). Like Leaves’ set didn’t seem to deviate very far from their usual style, though they were nonetheless an aural treat. As the only female in the band, it’s almost lazy to say that violinist/vocalist, Juliet Hunter, is a standout, but her searing and soaring voice and strings contribution are what raise Like Leaves higher than the stock standard.
Lady Strangelove’s markedly mellower set is more obviously different from their typical sound, although the notable absence of distortion and effects pedals serves to highlight that underneath all the electronics are some very apt instrumentalists.
By the time Simon very understatedly took the stage, the Ed was reasonably busy but as is typical of the venue, most of the trendsters were there to smoke and shmooze in the beer garden rather than hear live music (though it didn’t help that Simon’s acoustic set couldn’t be heard outside of the band room, and many punters missed part of the set simply because they didn’t know it had started).
Simon and partner (both onstage and off), Jessica Senteno, whizzed through a set mostly comprising tracks from the album, nicely bookended by the first and final tracks; respectively, ‘Let’s Begin’ and ‘The Clear Light’. There was little audience interaction apart from a few gracious thank yous, but Simon impressed the crowd with both his vocal talents and skilled guitar playing, without the sonic layers and distortion that they’re occasionally at risk of being overshadowed by in Dead Meadow.
Simon also treated fans to several Dead Meadow songs: ‘Down Here’, ‘Heaven’, and ‘At Her Open Door’, and a new track, ‘1000 Dreams’. Of particular note was ‘Down Here’, a song whose gentler sound and discernible lyrics usually mean it’s omitted from Dead Meadow’s sets, as it just doesn’t quite fit.
Senteno spent much of the set stationed at a harmonium, which she swapped for a drone box, emulating the sounds of a sitar through several of Simon’s songs. They swept through distinct styles and moods, including tinges of the Middle East, Indian raga, and finger-picked folk songs, reminiscent of Neil Young and Bob Dylan (with obligatory harmonica, of course).
The small crowd provided for a cosier atmosphere, generally not to be found at the Ed Castle, but also perhaps made for Simon’s abrupt exit following ‘The Clear Light’, as he and Senteno both simply and unexpectedly walked off stage, barely giving audience members a chance to express their appreciation for the set.
Jason Simon’s (almost-)solo work retains Dead Meadow’s definitive blues influence, but on his own, he opts for the more rustic side, rather than the riff-heavy sound of his band.
– Zia Effern
