When Taylor Peters, in a one man-band iteration of The Elegant Bachelors, hit the stage of The Bishop as the opening act of the WIUX Kickoff Show, he did so with a sense of self-deprecating humor and a genial stage presence.

Peters displayed great technical competency while layering vocal and guitar tracks with an army of guitar pedals at his feet that wouldn’t have been out of place at a Ride or Swervedriver concert.

Taylor Peters performs Friday at the WIUX Kick Off Show.

Despite my unfamiliarity with his material, Peters won me over with his charismatic stage presence, clever use of multilayered tracks, quirky lyrics of his indie pop and an aesthetic that borrowed equally from Elvis Costello, Neil Young and Tom Baker.

The second act on the bill, Pillars and Tongues, started off promisingly with a moody and murky piece that recalled Yo La Tengo. They proceeded to play this same song for about half an hour or at least that’s what it sounded like to my ears.

I’m sure the lack of clear melodies and an immediate sense of structure work quite well on record but such ambient music did not really suit the crowd, which seemed disinterested in the set. I feel that the response would have been more positive had the crowd known what to expect.
    Elephant Micah, the final act of the night, was definitely the highlight of the show for me.  Joseph O’Connell, the creative force behind Elephant Micah, played country folk songs that sounded as ancient as the Appalachians.

I mean that as a compliment, I was often reminded of the weird, old America that is the primary focus of Greil Marcus’ book, Invisible Republic. O’Connell sang lyrics that wouldn’t have been out of place on the Harry Smith curated Anthology of American Folk Music in a voice that sounded eerily like Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Townes Van Zandt, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Harvest era Neil Young. I was especially reminded of the latter by the sound of the drums.

I particularly enjoyed O’Connell’s duet with Pillars and Tongues’ viola player, Elizabeth Remi; it was reminiscent of Gram Parsons duets with Emmylou Harris or Neil Young’s duets with Nicolette Larson.
    The remainder of Pillars and Tongues, singer Mark Trecka and upright bass player Evan Hydzik, joined Remi and O’Connell for a final number that was reminiscent of “Ambulance Blues” by Neil Young from 1974’s On The Beach.

Despite my disinterest in the second act, I feel that WIUX put on a great first show that really showcased what the radio station is about; playing a wide range of genres and interacting with other people who are deeply passionate about music. Here’s to a great semester.

-Andrew Crowley

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