show: Rosie Thomas + Ester Drang


Cabaret Voltaire is quickly becoming one of my favorite venues, with it's cavernous atmosphere and good sound. Tonight I saw Rosie Thomas, along with openers Ester Drang. The latter were just fine - a bit bland but tasteful. I felt bad because nobody really watched them, and their set was pretty short. Their music dragged at times, but the faster tempo they used in the last song suited them well - hopefully they'll work with that more in the future.

From the upcoming full-length, Rocinate:

Ester Drang - Come Back Alive

Rosie Thomas was in good Thanksgiving spirits, sharing her humorous side on stage and creating a very warm presence. Apparently when she asked a taxi driver on the way to the show, "Do you have any kids?" he replied, "I fire blanks." Random stories like that made it personal and comfortable, so we felt fine just sitting on the floor and listening.

It was nice to hear more of her songs, while many are similarly simple, some are real gems. She's got a knack for gorgeous melodies, and I like her voice. I thought "Wedding Day" would be the highlight of the night, but hearing her duet with her brother on "Red Rover" was worth the price of admission alone. It was beautiful.

From Only With Laughter Can You Win:

Rosie Thomas - Red Rover (with Sam Beam of Iron & Wine)

Rosie is also a self-described "sewer," and had scarves and bags and wristbands to prove it. I was going to get a wristband as a gift, but they were really expensive and Rosie wasn't around to give them away for free as she had said. Oh well, it was a good night regardless.

Enjoy Thanksgiving.