el olio wolof final concert review

i know i've blogged a lot lately about el olio wolof, but i don't mind. they were a great band, and i think have had big impact on the fresno & greater valley indie scene over the last six + years. when i heard they were moving on to other things, i knew i wanted to see them every chance i could get. i saw their last fresno show, and when i talked to r.c. and he told me about their very last show ever, i knew i needed to at least try to be there. there partisan in merced is just a hop, skip, and a jump away, so that and a $5 ticket price assured i'd be there saturday night. for a fan of this band, what was more important than their finale last night? all members, past or present, were going to play as el olio navigated through their entire history and catalog of music (one ex member didn't make it).

i could tell you about the two opening acts, but that's not why i went to the show. i will say that both neal jackson and willy tea were both very interesting and talented musicians. the crowd was especially familiar and responsive to willy tea.

the crowd overall had a very good, friendly vibe. most everyone there knew who el olio is, and was there to send them off in style. of course, there were also people there that didn't know el olio, and there was your handful of annoying people that are there, taking up space, talking loudly, and not paying attention to the show. (sidenote: why pay $5 to get into a concert and not pay attention at all?) but really, it was a very warm feeling in the partisan last night. during some songs you could just feel the energy as people sang along and the floor bounced with movement.

when el olio started, i was sorta in the back of the crowd. but, as people moved in and out of the crowd i was able to move forward, eventually ending up about five feet from the stage. consequentially, i didn't take any videos of their very early on music.



although you don't see it in any of the videos, r.c. sort of narrated the changes in the band through the show, along with some of the people they met along the way. kinda nice to see who they started with, who was added when, and to watch the band literally change on stage to reflect the band changes. but, eventually you had all of the members, past and present, on stage.



there were a lot of photographers, both the fan variety and what seemed like more professional variety there on the night. this is alright, but the "pros" seemed to feel like they had priority on being close to the stage. i often observed photogs weaseling their way to the front, taking up space where people were enjoying the music, to get their shots. i suppose they're doing there job, but i found it a tad annoying trying to watch the show through people's cameras. btw, my videos were all shot while i was leaning on a wall. no one's view was obstructed by my shots. during this third video you'll see a photog enter the frame, take some shots, etc. enjoy looking at his california baseball cap.



i will admit that the flashes from cameras did create a magical, firework-esque effect combined with the house lights.

and now for my favorite el olio song, tree shakers/tree climbers. there was no way that i wouldn't be recording the last ever performance of this song.



sorry about the video on this last one. i forgot that while you can rotate the camera, it stays recording the same way.



what a night. i hope all the best for the members of el olio wolof in their future endeavors. and, if you ever get a chance to go to a show at the partisan, you should.

el olio wolof's end

this is the end, beautiful friend.



tonight

the end is near for el olio wolof

new years bring new opportunities. they can also bring on the end of good things. such is the case this upcoming week as we see the end of one of my favorite bands, el olio wolof. we knew it was coming, and it's not like it's a new announcement, but there last show ever is upon us.

next saturday in merced will be great, that i am sure of. there will be great music as most, if not all, of el olio's members reunite like voltron and they perform their entire catalog of music.

to purchase tickets, click over here. even if you don't want to buy tickets, click over anyway and read the great retrospective on the band. seriously.

rademacher + earlimart at the partisan

so, i ventured up to merced, california to see rademacher and earlimart on a tuesday night. i hadn't checked my myspace lately so i didn't even realize they were playing until a friend texted me on monday about it. when i heard rademacher, earlimart and $5 i knew i had to go.

first things first, the partisan, where the show was, is a hella cool spot. r.c. from el olio wolof fame runs the joint and it's a great little spot. nice bartenders, great visibility for the stage, nice sound system, plenty of seats.

rademacher came on and i was very excited to see them in their latest incarnation, now as a three piece. they jumped down our collective throats, in a good way. gone is the disco bounce from most songs. it's been replaced with some serious low end fuzz from gree. mad straight rock. i'm loving it. it is definitely a re-imagining of what they've been in the past, but i love it. there are enough similar licks and grooves that it's still your rademacher, but it's also different and great.

one thing i was missing was the tiny tots piano. i'm hoping it's not gone for good.

if you've never seen rademacher, you've got a lot of upcoming opportunities. today (wednesday) they're playing a noon show @ the pit @ fresno state. free, i think. and, they're playing @ howie's pizza in visalia tonight. tomorrow night (thursday) they'll be playing the post art hop show @ tokyo garden. hit up any of these shows and rademacher will make you a believer.

btw, eli, the drummer, also plays in the fay wrays. they were just signed to the same label as rademacher so expect an upcoming record release from them.

earlimart came on and their first three songs were like a dream mix. soft, hard, soft. thre third song was a great number off the new album, hymn and her. you should pick up that album if you haven't already. they've come a long way as a band and their sound is very mature, deep, trustworthy and supremely crafted. (no, i didn't just get a thesaurus.) i really have trouble believing that i saw this show in a tiny bar in merced. they should be destroying the airwaves and playing sold out concerts. if you can catch them at this point it will be your privilege. overall, earlimart has great lyrics, throbbing guitar and bass with vocals flying above. so nice. honestly, they will throw songs at you that the sound goes from melodic to crap your pants heavy. it's amazing that it is so seamlessly joined.

great night. so glad i went. can't wait to see rademacher play again thursday.