Elf Power missing heart in San Francisco
April 18, 2008, at Bottom of the Hill
By Amy Westervelt
Published: April 21st, 2008 | 7:40am
It’s hard not to enjoy a show at Bottom of the Hill. Generally considered San Francisco’s best live music venue, it’s the perfect size, the sound guys know what’s up, the drinks are stiff, and there’s an outdoor smoking patio and loungey back room for breaks between bands. Athens, Georgia, darlings Elf Power played on April 18 as part of the Green Apple Festival, which bills itself as the largest Earth Day celebration in the country. I don’t know about that — Bottom of the Hill has seen bigger crowds — but at least the organizers know how to put together a helluva ticket.
If you’ve never heard it, Elf Power sounds a bit like R.E.M. if the band members had grown up in Seattle during the '90s (and not just because of the long hair and flannel shirts). In fact, the group grew out of the Elephant 6 collective in Athens, which also included Of Montreal, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the Apples in Stereo. Lead singer Andrew Rieger’s whimsical lyrics and melodious voice is anchored by hard-driving bass lines, primal drum beats, and rockin’ guitar riffs on songs that range from ballads (“The Demon’s Daughter”) to psychedelic post-punk anthems (“An Old Familiar Scene”).
But although Elf Power is made up of talented musicians and consummate performers, with 12 years’ worth of shows and albums in the bag, it seems to have lost a bit of enthusiasm, a fact that was emphasized by the fervor of the opening bands. Also, what happened to Laura Carter? The band’s co-founder, keyboardist, and lone female member was notably absent.
The three groups on the ticket together seemed to represent a typical band trajectory. Local band Two Sheds started off, playing to a half-empty room, but had a palpable love for its music and an exceedingly talented lead singer-guitarist, Caitlin Gutenberger. The group is just starting out, but has buckets of talent and just needs a bit of spit and polish on its performing skills.
Two Sheds’ bluesy folk rock was followed by Omaha, Nebraska-based psychedelic rockers Flowers Forever. The groovy set, hipster outfits, and charismatic lead singer marked it as a more established band, confident in its skills. The members looked and acted like rock stars — strutting around the stage, rocking out, and getting the audience into it.
Following these two, and touring in support of its latest album, In a Cave (Rykodisc), Elf Power clearly was the most professional — talented and comfortable on stage, the musicians played a solid set. It's just possible that the crowd might have been more excited if the band had been too.
Issue #35
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