Opening his set with the title track “This is a Photograph” grabbed the audience right away and even got us dancing, if only for a brief moment. From here, we stood for the whole show. Morby often got the audience to dance even if his music doesn’t quite lend itself to it.

Morby took a sharp turn by going right into “Bittersweet TN”. Not only was this an amazing performance, he even brought Erin Rae on stage to sing with him. Each song built into a beautiful bang of a conclusion, getting the audience jumping or at least swaying by the end of each song.

At one point he even threw his guitar backstage and Mission Creek staff caught it without hesitation. This goes to show both how cool Morby is and how on top of things the Mission Creek staff is. Another highlight from his show was “Piss River.” Getting the audience to scream “Oh My God” with him was beautiful, and sounded even better with the Englert’s acoustics.

He ended his set with “Harlem River”, a much-needed chill track to wind the audience down and let us take everything in. Each one of his band members brought high-energy performances, with his saxophone player being a highlight of the performance. Morby and his band brought hair metal energy to a folk show that was very refreshing to see. Seeing Morby with a band behind him was a very unique and fun experience that I would highly recommend if you get the opportunity. 

The post Kevin Morby: Bringing hair metal energy to an alt rock/folk show (Mission Creek 2023) appeared first on KRUI Radio.

His latest album, “This is a Photograph” is, dare I say, a masterpiece. Each of his albums provide a look at rural and middle America in a way that typical “country” music generally avoids. He does not sing about tractors or conventionally attractive white women; he provides depth through themes about life.

Throughout lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morby and his wife Katie Crutchfield recorded and streamed music, providing fans before he started touring again. While nothing is confirmed about the Englert performance, I along with other Morby fans hope his wife makes an appearance, as they have a brilliant stage and songwriting chemistry.

Part of what makes Morby’s appearance in Iowa so exciting is his stage presence. Although I have not yet seen him perform live, several friends can attest that he puts on a great show. He often expands songs from the studio recordings, making his concerts special. Seeing him in the Englert is something that you don’t want to miss. Although it is not the smallest venue, having such an intimate experience with him will be very exciting.

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From Iowa City’s music scene comes The Abyssal Plain by Dryad. The record contains impressive black metal with Lovecraftian elements that we do not hear enough of anymore. From the opening instrumental track “Counterillumination,” the listener feels something lurking. We then fall into the depths of hell with the second track “Bottomfeeder.” The listener knows what they are getting into at this point.

If you don’t like black metal already, this probably won’t win you over. But if you’re a fan, this is something to get excited about. In addition to sounding amazing, the tracks have a coherent rhythm that black metal sometimes lacks. The third track, “Brine Pool Aberration,” is a great example of this. The seamless transition between tempo breaks and groove that the guitar offers makes moshing a little easier. Speaking of moshing, if you have not been to a Dryad show, I highly recommend you go.

The next track, “Trenches,” showcases what each band member has to offer. Claire Nuñez (Claw) and Grimtooth scream over their impeccable guitar work, along with amazing bass from Joe Milik. To top it off, Oliver Weilein’s drumming serves as the perfect mix of loud, abrasive, and impressive to embody true cold and evil. But my favorite tracks aren’t even on side A.

“Pompeii Worm” and “Chimera Monstrosa” start off side B. “Pompeii Worm” has some almost groovy, punky undertones to it, with one of my favorite lines I’ve heard in metal in a while: “Scorch the sky to deepest shade of black.” This encapsulates all the themes of the album and sums up black metal, without singing about getting ripped through the gut with a chainsaw.

The album cuts to the dungeon synth track “Chimera Monstrosa.” The track starts with a beautiful synthesizer riff that builds into an epic wall of cold. Dryad does an excellent job with the instrumental and ambient tracks on the album. The last track, “A Nagging Thought” left me unsettled and feeling like I had heard something I was not supposed to. Overall, The Abyssal Plain is a great metal record that I would highly recommend to genre fans.

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