Don't be intimidated by seeing Sea Wolf or any other folk rock group live. Sure, the album might be something you listen to when you are winding down late at night but the live shows are their bread and butter.
Prior to the group taking the stage and while Jealous Girlfriends was still mid set, I perused the merch tables to see what was what. Half oblivious to Sea Wolf keyboardist Lisa Fendelander selling her group's stuff, I mentioned to her that I gave the group a 7.9 on my review of Leaves in the River. It wasn't the best thing to say and she responded with, "That's a C". I never thought of it like that. Let me rephrase myself- "If every group rated a 10, where would they go from there. I feel there is room for improvement. I came to the show because I am convinced Sea Wolf is a 10 live." If we at MusicUnderFire gave ratings to this live show, it would be much higher than that 7.9, but we don't.
Sea Wolf
The guys and gals from L.A.'s Sea Wolf hopped on stage a few clicks before midnight and didn't let the hundred-some fans at the North Star Bar in Philadelphia get restless for their 14-song set.
Composed of an uncommon ensemble, they boast six members capable of changing the tempo at any moment. While frontman Alex Brown Church maintains his cool behind the mic, Catherine Odell (cello), Lisa Fendelander (keyboards), Aaron Robinson (guitar/backup vocals), Ted Liscinski (bass) and Joey Fickin (drums) provide more than enough entertainment when called upon.
Sea Wolf opened up with "Song for the Dead", a song struck with a 'wah-wah' strobing vibe from the keyboard and laced with the catchy refrain "move like a tiger into the thicket, claws in the dirt, you'll sing like a cricket...". Next, in "The Cold, the Dark & the Silence" Church really took center stage as his vocals and body language on stage reverberated energy to the bobbing onlookers.
From here, Sea Wolf calmed shortly as they played the guitar-friendly "Middle Distance Runner" before upping the tempo with "I Made A Resolution" and my personal favorite "Winter Windows". This song is the essence of what makes the group such a grand live show due to the stoic ornamentation of the keyboard tuned to an accordion, a long-winding cello, rattling tambourines, the bass-grabbing drums and the sobering lyrics.
With "Neutral Ground" the group once more shifts their tempo to a slower pace. "The Rose Captain" highlights the middle of the show when the padded drum sticks, lulling lyrics and soothing cello all come together in unison. "The Garden That You Planted", "Song of the Magpie" off of the Augusten Burroughs audio book "A Wolf at the Table" and "Black Leaf Falls" all continue this down-tempo sound, although the group moves around and changes their overall sound.
"You're a Wolf" and "Black Dirt" do a 180 as they up this folk rock speed into a steady jog compliments of Aaron Robinson on guitar. A backseat player for many of Sea Wolf's songs due to his complimentary playing with Church, the chipping away he presents on the guitar really spice things up a few degrees.
After Sea Wolf exited the stage a minute or two before 1 a.m., the crowd roared for one more. What we got was two more. Church explained that "Leaves in the River" is a true story from Omaha, Nebraska". With that, he played an almost solo song that features the honest lyrics about a guy and a girl and an intoxicated walk after a Halloween party. This was followed by "The Promise", which is the bonus track from LITR, and fittingly enough keenly closed down the show.
This show was truly amazing. When the tempo on stage switched, Sea Wolf didn't lose any energy as everyone on stage continued to move and sway (even cello player Catherine Odell). Check out their remaining tour dates and keep posted as to when their new EP will be released.
5/30 Paradise Boston, Massachusetts
5/31 Le Cercle Quebec, Quebec
6/1 Le Divan Orange Montreal, Quebec
6/3 El Mocambo Toronto, Ontario
6/4 Fox Theater Detroit, Michigan
6/5 Schuba’s Tavern Chicago, Illinois
6/6 7th Street Entry Minneapolis, Minnesota
6/7 Parkway Theatre Winnipeg, Manitoba
6/9 The Republik Calgary, Alberta
6/10 Velvet Underground Edmonton, Alberta
6/12 Media Club Vancouver, British Columbia
6/13 Lucky Bar Victoria, British Columbia
6/14 High Dive Seattle, Washington
6/15 Doug Fir Lounge Portland, Oregon
6/17 The Independent San Francisco, California
6/19 Echoplex Los Angeles, California
6/20 Casbah San Diego, California
Please pardon any errors I made in naming band members.
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