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| Brent Amaker :: by Jason Tang |
As was expected from Brent
Amaker and the Rodeo’s rain-riddled Labor Day morning Bumbershoot
performance, the set was filled with a few theatrics, lots of
cowboy twang and a good dose of boot-scootin’ honky-tonk boogie to
boot. This made for a great way to start the final day of
Bumbershoot.
Entering the stage escorted by the always wonderful Bunny
Monroe (who was wearing a pink nurse outfit), Amaker led the Rodeo
into musical battle as they blazed through a set filled with old
and new material giving a bit of a tease for what’s to come from
the group’s latest offering Please Stand By (which is
excellent btw).
Rodeo guitarist Tiny Dancer should be given a Medal of Valor
or the cowboy equivalent of a Purple Heart or something like that
for his triumphant return to the stage. He broke his leg a few
months back and BAR’s Bumbershoot set was his first show back with
the band. Lesser men may have sat out the session because of such
an injury, but Tiny didn’t let a walking cast interfere with his
duty to turn the twang up to 11. Aiding in Tiny’s recovery
was Bunny Monroe who tended to Tiny during the set by lighting
his cigarette and checking his pulse while he stood up (he was
seated for most of the show) to touch his pedals.
If you break BAR down to their simplest form you could say
they’re just a bunch of Men in Black putting on a show while
playing cowboy tunes. Is it a bit gimmicky? I suppose that depends
on who you ask. Is it fun? Hell yes it is. Gimmick or not, the
band’s unique approach to music make BAR one of Seattle’s most
lively and fun acts to listen to and watch. Like most of my
favorite Bumbershoot locals that performed Labor Day (Victor Shade,
Lisa Dank) Brent Amaker and the Rodeo are taking risks by doing
something that isn’t being done in local music and that’s what
makes them so damn good in my book.
