While you are waiting for the results of SxSW 2007 to come in . . .

Why wait? Well, since we can't render the future I decided to share my thoughts about the 2006 SxSW. Written last year but here it is for the first time in public for your perusal.

The Sharp Things
Friend's Place - Friday, March 10, 2006

Hey! You got your chamber music in my pop tunes! Hey! You got your pop tunes in my chamber music! Hey, this is pretty good!

My favorite indie rock performance of SxSW 2006 Beauty in the form of dulcet tones, mellifluous melodies, and heartwarming messages. These were the feelings and sounds that emanated from The Sharp Things. And taking a (primal) intangible item from your heart, soul, and mind is the goal of any artist, intentional or not. Nevertheless The Sharp Things achieved this and they did so with great acumen. Expressing one's self may not necessarily be that hard but conveying your message to others especially those not familiar with your or the subject matter is the next level. And by this I mean there is an understanding. This appeals to most, hopefully. Getting there is an entirely different matter. And rarer still is that a musician goes beyond this level and reaches out and touches someone. Singing about your story is one thing, conveying the message is another. But getting someone to know, or better yet to feel what you feel is an incredible gift. And this gift is well represented by the members of The Sharp Things. Singer/songwriter/piano player/maestro Perry Serpa was very moving with his stories about being in love and some of the consequences involved. Throughout the performance he displayed his command of both bouncy melodies and strong grooves. Reinforced by a touching layer of sweetness from the string section (Janis Shen - violin, piano, backing vocals, Andrea Dovalle - violin, backing vocal, and Aisha Cohen - viola and lead vocals). This added a heartwarming quality to the presentation and brings about a hint of fond remembrances of days gone by. This element is quite apparent in "She Left With The Sun" and it was played this evening with grace and style. Lead guitarist Jim Santo presents his rock sensibilities with fitting leads (i.e. played very well and not too long), and riffs that are not rushed. Jim's the kind of guitarist who will play the carry the melody and then while the h"), he thinks about it for a few moments, and then carries on. Guitarist Michelle Caputo is this support and she also strummed her way into the intro of a song or two. Jim and Michelle played off each other well as they traded off complementary riffs. Sharp Things regular Bradley Madsen and occasional guest Pierre de Gaillande provided the muscle punch horn section with the greatest of ease. And the ensemble is completed by the rhythm section. Steve Gonzalez on drums and Rich Holst on bass. Steve is a great, solid drummer and this night was a good showcase for his talent. His beats are steady and he knows when not to overperform, meaning he has the reserve and ability of an accomplished drummer with a lot of experience under his belt. He could have put a lot of extra fills in some songs but he knows that it was not necessary for what The Sharp Things were doing. Sometimes it takes more talent not to do so. He is an excellent time keeper and he keeps the band in balance. Rich rounds out things with steady plucking and fills in the low end with his rock and funk influenced flair.

Additional heartwarming

Besides the show review I'd like to share some feelings about The Sharp Things. There are qualities in this band that speak directly to me. And seeing this band live makes me happy. I've seen almost all of their New York shows in the past couple of years. And during that time I've gone through some ups and downs as many do. And on any of the occasions where I've been down they've always managed to lift my spirits no matter how down I was and so I want to say, thanks Sharp Things, this is very much appreciated.