Midwest Independent -- Review

Friday August 26th @ 7:45 PM

The feeling of fall in the air, a perfect evening, the smell of Blue Thunder is strong and I find myself reminiscing of Thunder Power in the dead of winter. I am at that place again tonight, The Barley St. Tavern in Benson, an intimate neighborhood-type bar religiously dedicated to the local music scene. What I find most appealing is for the most part, the sound is always great. For a small venue, it is quite impressive. I've seen everything from acoustic singer/songwriter to straight up punk rock and both spectrums came across well. Tonight I'm here to see Dorkas, which my dear friend Jason "Brown" is a member. Also playing tonight is Deadbeat Darling. I have to admit my anticipation is "high" tonight.

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Initially our evening started out slow. First arriving before the bar opened, then the lack of lead singer for the opening act, did not leave a strong sense of confidence in the rest of our evening. This all changed the moment Deadbeat Darling hit the stage. To put it quite simply, they blew my f#cking mind. Everything from that point forward was far better than my highest expectation. Their energy and presence rivaled that of some of the most solid veteran bands in the industry. The proof was in the pudding when my "dancing girl" could no longer stay in her seat and decided to shake it one time a little closer to the stage. Their songs have a very upbeat, almost mystic quality. They have a magnetism that shines through undeniably. It is directly related to their  chemistry and surgically accurate musicianship. The rhythm section was a tight as anything I'd seen in awhile. They psychedelic flow of the lead guitar appeared to be placed delicately just atop the beat. Lyrical content and vocals were also top notch. They have a great commercial sound, not a "Switchfoot" commercial sound but more like Kings of Leon or U2. It is obvious by their stage presence, this band is destined for the cosmos.

And next up, last but certainly not least, "my mans and them!" Dorkas and they brought it, as I expected they would. They exhibit a ferocity and aggression I haven't seen since Anatomy of a Riot graced this very stage, Jason Caldwell being a member of both these bands. Dorkas as a whole looks at home on stage and it shines through musically during their set. With a guitar heavy full layered sound, they filled the room with fury just before they blew the doors off the place. It felt great to be back here watching my dear friend leave it all on the stage once again. His performance was inspiring to me as always.

Thanks again to everyone who played on Friday and I'll see you soon!