Chop Suey was a nice, intimate setting for this show. The three bands that played this Thursday night appeared to know each other well, and the small room allowed them to call to the stage friends from the crowd and members from other bands. Not all of the show was ground breaking or what I would call top-notch performance, but the room was packed for the final band, Thao With the Get Down Stay Down, and the wait was worth it.
David Schultz, a solo acoustic guitarist from Richmond, VA, hit the stage first. This stocking cap and glasses-adorned good natured guy played Simon and Garfunkel-inspired tunes for about 30 minutes. Something was missing from his song construction; in fact, I couldn't differentiate one song from another. For me, things only got interesting when Willis and Adam (the Get Down Stay Down) took the stage for the last song and gave him a rhythm section.
Up next was the Portland Cello Project, led by Douglas Jenkins. They took crowd-participation to the extreme, inviting new people on stage for every couple songs played. Willis Thompson played drums on all songs. The set started off on the dull side with a few originals including Justin Powers on vocals and guitar with a five-cello accompaniment. Things picked up after that with a Pantera cover, "Hey Ya," then Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" with a gregarious, red-haired friend on vocals. The band smiled more and more with every dance tune. To end the set, three more friends were invited for a cover of Ah Ha's "Take On Me." The glockenspiel player tapped for the occasion evidently does karaoke around Portland, which was fitting. While I must commend this band for trying to bring cello into beer bars, the whole thing came off as poorly executed cello karaoke.
Finally, Thao Nguyen was on stage to give the performance the whole crowd was waiting for. She wore a cute, multi-colored dress and her long black hair was spinning in circles with every guitar strum and crooked-mouthed vocal. Adam Thompson's bass sound was smooth and funky, completely locked in with Willis Thompson's pounding drums. Willis showed his skills during a drum solo near the end of "Beat Health Life & Fire," which was placed mid-set. I expected this band to be folky, but their live sound is entertainingly loud and full. In proper rock form they "ended" the set with their current hit, "Bag of Hammers," then returned to give the crowd two more. I thoroughly enjoyed these guys, and left the show satisfied that I had the opportunity to be there. For fans' sake, I hope they don't outgrow venues the size of Chop Suey anytime soon.
