Fruit Bats with help from Cole Thorne will take the stage Saturday, August 27th at the Filling Station at 10pm.
Tickets to this 21+ show are $15 in advance in store and at cactusrecords.net/ and $18 at the door. Doors at 9pm. Fruit Bats’ sixth album Absolute Loser represents a triumphant return to name, form, and self. Despite implications, its title refers to the furthest depths of loss itself, rather than the state of those who have lost something. It’s the most honest, most confessional album of Fruit Bats’ career. Frontman Eric Johnson draws deeply from those personal experiences, yet Absolute Loser encapsulates universal themes and emotions. While “My Sweet Midwest” could be taken completely literally, it addresses the holistic nature of finding your center during turmoil. “Baby Bluebird” stings in its portrayal of losing what you never really had. Album closer “Don’t You Know That” is about picking yourself up, even when no one seems to care how far you fell. Musically, Absolute Loser retains the same structural pop elements that made Fruit Bats so beloved in the first place. Its simple sounding melodies belie such thick musical textures, as some tracks incorporate up to 10 guitar tracks layered on top of each other. Johnson also hearkens back to his days teaching banjo at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, and that instrumentation adds a folksy, Americana spirit to record. Fruit Bats’ rebirth parallels Johnson’s resiliency, and Absolute Loser is his treaty on how to redefine oneself after tragedy. Although he maintains that he doesn’t have it all figured out quite yet, Johnson acknowledges that with that self-awareness comes some sort of acceptance. Steep Ravine will perform with Alex and Bridger of Hollowtops, Sunday, August 28th at the Filling Station at 9pm. Tickets to this 21+ show are just $7 at the door. Doors at 8pm. Steep Ravine’s soulful songs and fiery instrumentals take roots music in compelling new stylistic directions. Fusing elements of folk, bluegrass, jazz, rock, and pop, the band continues to enthrall audiences with their uniquely Californian sound. Simon Linsteadt (guitar, lead vocals) and Jan Purat (violin, vocals) began playing music together in high school in Northern California, later moving on to study music at UC Santa Cruz and the California Jazz Conservatory. They fortuitously met bassist Alex Bice (bass, vocals) through jam sessions in Santa Cruz. Percussionist Jeff Wilson, a close musical compadre, is the band’s most recent addition. Steep Ravine has toured extensively throughout the country and has released two full-length records of all original material. For more information about these and other shows, visit www.chickenjamwest.com/. •
