Ex Bibliotheca

The life and times of Zack Weinberg.

Friday, 12 September 2003

# 6:45 AM

Went with Shweta, Nathaniel, Michael, and Julia out to Concord to see Brother play the Todos Santos Plaza - a free show, part of the City of Concord's 2003 Music & Market Series. Brother is two brothers (Hamish and Angus) from Australia, together with a changing backup band; when we saw them, 'Dez' Stewart on keyboards and samples, and T. Xiques on drums. Hamish and Angus play guitar, bagpipes, and didgeridoo, and all four of them sing. Yes, this is rock and roll, although one might not recognize it as such immediately, and man did it ever blow us all away. I can't do the music justice with a description; check out the sound clips and then buy the albums.

After the show, the band hung around the merch booth autographing anything and everything, and answering questions. Shweta wanted to know if they were familiar with Guster. They hadn't heard of them, which prompted much plotting to arrange for a meeting somehow.

I like outdoor concerts, and the Todos Santos Plaza is a great venue for them. It's got good acoustics, clear sightlines, and a really wacky fountain. The sound system is not very powerful, but I consider this a feature, since I think that most rock bands play way too loud.