I got to see Judson Claiborne for two nights in Seattle. And you didn’t.
If I sound a bit like a child brandishing my ice cream cone while you have none, well… this is how I felt after hearing this Chicago-based group play both the Can Can at Pike Place and The Sunset Tavern in Ballard. Remarkably, both shows were sparsely attended. Whether this was due to weather or the weeknight, it didn’t matter; the music they shared felt like a treat just for me.
Judson Claiborne, a band and not a person, has the requisite ingredients of a roots-rock outfit: an acoustic-playing singer-songwriter type up front, electric guitar, drums, and bass guitar, all manned by average-looking friendly types that could easily populate any local bookstore or coffee shop. So simple, familiar, and comfortable was their stage set up (except for the pickle-bucket kick drum) that I set my expectations low.
When Judson Claiborne took the stage, it was so early, I thought they might be doing a sound check (there were two other patrons in the room). Further, the early notes coming out of the guitars were so sparse and tentative, I was sure they weren’t going to play a song. I’m so happy I was wrong. Chris began singing, and the rest of the band joined in terraced succession: Jamie on drums matching Chris’s acoustic; Ryan adding bass just as needed; and Darrell coloring with the electric. The slow building effect was atmospheric, moody, subtle and powerful all at once. The band quickly surpassed my expectations.
Judson Claiborne uses simple themes and two and three chord combinations that allow so much room, that when they add layers and build to anthemic proportions, they still carry the message of the song, recognizable from its earliest notes. This cohesiveness followed them through their set; whether the next song’s mood lightened or darkened, the formula as vocal-vehicle song-story supported by thoughtful instrumentation held up wonderfully.
Chris Salveter’s uses his lyrical and pleasant voice carefully. Often, his voice is as important to the melodic theme of the songs as for delivering lyrics. The use of some subtle but purposeful instrumental dissonance caught my attention, and when I recognized it both live and on their recordings, it made me feel even more familiar with their music, like an interesting, if a bit quirky, friend. Particularly powerful, I caught myself humming their tune “Twilight Spirit” the day after the show: always a good sign of a great show.
