Three Imaginary Girls - PWRFL Power

PWRFL Power performs at Vermillion art gallery tonight (free)

Jeanine Anderson — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:04:42 +0000

The art show and performance tonight are free, so being broke is not an excuse to stay in.

Grampall Jookabox tonight with PWRFL Power at Vera

Chris Estey — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:41:44 +0000

It's a hard night of choice in Seattle, with Awesome! at ACT, Husbands Love Your Wives at Easy Street, and The Dirtbombs (!!) at Chop Suey...

Bumbershoot 2008: Day 1

three imaginary girls — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:36:21 +0000

30 Aug 2008

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Bumbershoot is a musical extravaganza, spanning the three-day Labor Day weekend with more bands, arts, and elephant ears than anyone can possibly capture. We had a posse of imaginary writers (ChrisB, Chris Estey, imaginary elle, imaginary dana, and Cory), and photographers (Chona, Kyle, Nathan, and Andrew) all over Seattle Center, trying to capture the frenzy and mayhem of Bumbershoot 2008. Below you can see and read about our adventures during the first day, which kicked off with local electronic duo Beehive and ended with superstar Beck, and covered over 20 other bands in-between.

Enjoy!

Beehive, Wells Fargo Stage

Beehive must be one of the most hard-luck bands in Seattle. The local electronic duo had gotten a difficult timeslot - Saturday at noon but tried to make the most of it. They played an energetic rock set that lasted about 35 minutes, simulating a rock band with electronic instruments. To get the crowd on their side early started off with two covers known by everyone in the fairly large crowd - "We Will Rock You" and "Helter Skelter." Overcoming a scratchy microphone, they got a lot of the crowd to stand and even a few danced. They found their groove early and singer/programmer Alethea, or "Butterfly Beats," delighted the crowd with her soulful voice. (ChrisB)

Beehive photos by Andrew Waits.

New Faces, EMP Sky Church

I've seen this band a bajillion times -- I practically stalk them -- and this was a very good show. They had a great dynamic with a pretty big turnout. They owned that huge stage. (Chona Kasinger)

New Faces. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Throw Me the Statue, Rockstar Stage

An important aspect to booking festivals is kicking things off with a band to set the right mood. Throw Me The Statue was just such a band, with their undemanding pop tinged with elements such as a backing horn section. Their crowd was comfortable enough to stand or sit, a few head bobbers sprinkled here and there. (imaginary elle)

Throw Me the Statue. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

Throw Me the Statue. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Neko Case, Samsung Mobile Mainstage

It makes sense to put former Washingtonian Neko Case on the mainstage at Bumbershoot because it was the first time I've seen her in a venue big enough to contain her voice. She played for about 75 minutes and was funny and likeable throughout, making note of playing depressing country songs in the middle of the day. "Deep Red Bells" and "That Teenage Feeling," played back to back sounded enormous and expansive - especially with three different guitar parts (Jon Rahouse on petal steel, Paul Rigby on electric guitar and Case herself playing acoustic guitar). She and longtime collaborator Kelly Hogan joked midway through the set that it was too early in the day for them to get wasted. Their humor was hilarious and provided a necessary balance for the emotional content of her set. {see the setlist} (ChrisB)

Neko Case and Kelly Hogan. Photo by Nathan Feder.

Neko crowd. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Das Vibenbass, Wells Fargo Stage

The aptly titled quartet Das Vibenbass bring the jazz vibe and bass to the 21st Century music listener, bringing the genre to a more accessible level. Hell, as their set progressed, I started to realize I wished we were listening to the local band--an upright bass, saxophone, drums, and vibraphone--in an exclusive, smokey hidden jazz club with a gin, rather than out in the sunshine on fold able chairs. Wait a minute… are they playing a jazz rendition of "Black Hole Sun" not in a cheesy Kenny G covers Top 40 sort of way, but a very slick, enjoyable way? Never mind, they do know how to bring jazz to the modern ear. Their entire set was brilliant, definitely fetching all the praise they have received, such as being nominated in the Seattle Weekly for Best Jazz act. Doesn't hurt that their saxophone player was a good looking, well-dressed fellow as well. (imaginary elle)

Das Vibenbass photos by Kyle Johnson.

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, KEXP Lounge

Thao and the Get Down Stay Down photos by Andrew Waits.

The Girls, EMP Sky Church

In the dark crowded Sky Church at the Bumbershoot Festival yesterday afternoon there was briefly the flavor of a late 70s small club show, with the one "wavo" band in town that "got it." The transgressive energy of sleazy humor ("Fixing The Chairs"), light-hearted Futurism, clipped robot rhythms, weird stop-starts ("TV Glow"), and shuffle beats from Shannon Brown (vocals), Elie Goral (drums), Derek Mason (keyboards), Vas Kumar (guitar), and (bassist) Griff happily entranced the hometown Seattle mob. The crowd wasn't frenzied but it was very cheerful. Just like the shared similar aesthetic Figurines and Futureheads, The Girls is even better live than their recordings, wishing they would add more of that spontaneity and rawness next time out to their songwriting. It would be great if this city had its next Screamers, and this band maybe could be a contender for that role. (Chris Estey)

The Girls. Photos by Chona Kasinger

Grynch, Fisher Green Stage

Grynch photos by Kyle Johnson.

Mono in VCF, KEXP Lounge

Nada Surf, KEXP Lounge

The KEXP Lounge is such an amazing refuge from the hurried, elephant-eared pace of Bumbershoot. There a few hundred lucky fans can see bands in a intimate dark (air-conditioned) setting. Catching Nada Surf acoustic style was definitely a highlight of my Bumbershoot experience; Matthew and Ira's spot-on harmonies positively sent chills down my spine. Also of note: the bassist for Osma did an admirable job filling in for an injured Daniel Lorca. Watch a video of the band performing "Weightless." (imaginary dana)

Nada Surf photos by Chona Kasinger.

Fall of Troy, Exhibition Hall

Fall of Troy photos by Kyle Johnson.

PWRFL Power, EMP Sky Church

The Walkmen, Rockstar Stage

The Walkmen. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Estelle, Fisher Green Stage

Estelle, the British R&B/soul star, delivered what will be one of my favorite sets of the weekend. Playing before a huge crowd on the Fisher Green stage, she more than lived up to the buzz surrounding her new <em>Shine</em> album. On stage she reminded me of a cross between Sharon Jones and Lily Allen - two of my absolute favorite performers. Her band was tight and funky - although I wish they would have been funkier; their obvious influences are Parliament/Funkadelic, The Famous Flames and The Dap Kings and only on a few songs ("Pretty Please" and "American Boy") did they seem to break out. "American Boy", the #1 UK single that also features a cameo from Kanye West, closed the set and the enormous crowd sang along and danced - it was one of those great moments where a huge and diverse crowd shares a fantastic performance of a song that is the soundtrack to a whole lot of summers. (ChrisB)

Estelle. Photos by Nathan Feder.

Saul Williams, Fisher Green Stage

Saul Williams. Photos by Kyle Johnson.

Man Man, Rockstar Stage

Man Man. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

Man Man. Photos by Andrew Waits.

Nada Surf, Starbucks Stage

Nada Surf. Photos by Chona Kasinger.

West Indian Girl, EMP Sky Church

West Indian Girl. Photo by Andrew Waits.

West Indian Girl. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

West Indian Girl. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Kinski, EMP Sky Church

Kinski. Photos by Kyle Johnson.

!!!, KEXP Lounge

I really enjoy !!!, the Sacramento-based, punk/funk/jam band but writing about them gives me fits with MS Word's grammar check; using Google isn't any easier. Still, their 30+ minute set in KEXP's music lounge was great fun. Playing mostly newer songs (singer Nic Offer even said that they would give us "a hit and a half"), they still delivered the same dance punk they are known for. Offer might have forgotten a few times that this performance was being broadcast on the radio because he dropped the f-word a few times. The funniest time was when he said that he thought the room was full because we were all "the fucks who are going to see Beck tonight" (!!! and Beck is the most unfortunate scheduling conflict of the weekend) and threatened to give a crappy performance for the last song. They didn't; in spite of their threats, they still rocked. (ChrisB)

M Ward, Rockstar Stage

M. Ward. Photo by Andrew Waits.

Beck, Samsung Mobile Mainstage

Did you think Beck was watching a legend in action, as Imaginary Kiku did? Or did you think he was, in a word, bullshit, as ChrisB did? Our imaginary coverage has a little something for everyone.

Beck. Photo by Kyle Johnson.

Enjoy!

Capitol Hill Block Party 2008: PWRFL Power

Imaginary Kiku — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 18:48:09 +0000

25 Jul 2008

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With his folksy, Simon and Garfunkle-esque vibe, PWRFL Power was like an acoustic palette cleanser after the raucous dance party that was U.S.E. (check back for that review soon). However, it may be that the one man band was not best suited to the festival setting.

You could hear that he was a talented guitarist, drawing his style from classic blues and folk rock, but he often slipped into monotony when he thundered on one chord for an extended time, and it was frequently choppy as he stopped playing in order to sing each line.

It was obvious that the songs were clever and witty, but the lyrics were drowned out by the usual festival chatter, and sang somewhat softly. I am not prepared to write off PWRFL Power entirely, and I’m sure that in normal show circumstances I would thoroughly enjoy his music, but in the crowded, loud and smoky audience at the Block Party, he just didn’t keep me compelled.

In the crowded, loud and smoky audience at the Block Party, he just didn’t keep me compelled.

All the PWRFL haters can hate, welcome Half Yogurt

elle — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:47:25 +0000

Kaz has seen the comments and said he only read the negative ones because they make him smile.

Pitchfork misses the PWRFL Power point

Sarah Joann Murphy — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:12:08 +0000

I'd hate for one review to rob their wide readership of the chance to listen a little more closely. And see for themselves that Pitchfork, in their infinite wisdom, missed the point.

Northwest goodness at the Georgetown Music Festival

elle — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:18:45 +0000

There is plenty of Friday and Saturday afternoon to catch the route 60, 131, 134, or 170 to catch this little festival with a big Northwest line-up.

Daniel Johnston, the Dead Science, and PWRFL Power

Mike Mess — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 21:11:39 +0000

17 Apr 2008

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I’ve passed up seeing Daniel Johnston more times than I’m comfortable mentioning here and if I could go back in time and find myself at 20 or 21 i’d shake myself and slap some sense into my young head for missing such a wonderful performer. I circled this date months ago when I saw it on the calendar and told myself that this would indeed be the day. Neumo’s was packed upon arriving at the venue and for good reason: this was never going to be a four-hour marathon show; it was going to be brief, but a moment in time that should stick with everyone who witnessed it.

Kaz, or PWRFL Power, opened the show. I was somewhat predisposed not to like him after hearing some of his music awhile ago and not being overly impressed -- again, how wrong I was! He took the stage with just his guitar, introducied himself, and informed us he was going to play nine songs and they would all be two and a half minutes long. How nice to know how long an opening act is going to play, down to the second even. It didn’t take long to win me over; this guy has charm and I could have watched him for another twenty-two and a half minutes.

He performed in that awkward ‘aww shucks’ fashion which may occasionally come off as pretentious or play-acting; however, his humor and storytelling made up for it and more. His talent as an instrumentalist was undeniable, as was his ability for crafting sharp, witty songs that involve the listener on a personal level. Everyone laughed out loud during “Tomato Song” and “Chopsticks Song.” While his meter occasionally faltered it nearly always just added to the quirkiness of the performance, and the end product was beautiful in its honesty and simplicity.

The Dead Science, who would also serve as Daniel Johnston’s backing band for a portion of his set, were on after a short break. It's difficult to pinpoint just what makes this band tick. Their live set combined a variety of influences and epic progressions that never quite settled in to give the audience a chance to enjoy the music. The band are all quite talented instrumentalists; however, I found nothing nothing truly redeeming about the music itself.

After another short break, Daniel Johnston took the stage alone and was greeted with an enthusiastic response from the crowd that could have humbled anyone. Daniel is no longer the boy we remember from years ago. Years of smoking and non-discriminate eating have made him appear, well, a lot like my dad, with a big jolly belly, gray hair, weathered hard-living features, and great big smile that could cover a whole room with its sincerity. He unloading his binders onto an old metal music stand and singing a cappella to announce the beginning of his set.

He played three songs this way, including “Mean Girls Give Pleasure,” featuring his unique pounding of the electric guitar, raw and unadorned, without any pretenses and 100% pure Daniel Johnston: the person we want to think about toying away in a basement surrounded by comic books and his art. He thanked everyone and told us how great it was to be in Portland... and then corrected himself with “uhh, Seattle.”

Daniel was then joined by Brett Hartenbach and his steady acoustic guitar, which allowed Daniel to concentrate on what he does best: spilling emotions from his bare soul. No wonder we all identify with him so much, when he's able to be so honest and forthcoming about his pain and fears. Daniel performed many of his favorites during this section of the show. Touching performances of “Living Life," “Life in Vain,” and John Lennon’s “Isolation” filled me with an indescribable feeling, and unforced smile, and actual chills as Johnston gripped the microphone as if the ship was truly going down. The sense of longing and opportunities lost was actually palpable in the crowd.

After another short break Daniel retook the stage with the members of the Dead Science for a full-band portion of the set. He broke out into “Speeding Motorcycle” and other familiar ditties, including “Walking the Cow” and “Held the Hand.” The Dead Science (whose name Johnston also forgot) provided a steady backing band that didn't overpower the vocals and were exceptionally adept at keeping up with the spur-of-the-moment changes he made during songs. The only song that presented any real problems was “Casper,” which would be tough to recreate for someone just playing by themselves with a guitar or organ with its off-beat syncopation. All the Dead Science could do was grit their teeth, keep playing, and get through the song. I truly felt for them at that moment but Daniel was unfazed and did not falter.

Another short break and the encore began, which again featured Daniel with Brett Hartenbach on “True Love Will Find You in the End.” Huge applause. He thanked the audience once more and gave us an a cappella version of “Devil Town,” which became a sing-a-long. With that Daniel thanked everyone again and left the stage.

Despite the shortness of the set (and the presence some ill-timed random meatheads yelling "yeah!" and "Daniel Johnston!!" who seemed there purely to witness a spectacle), it was truly amazing to witness a living legend perform his life’s work and show his heart to everyone in attendance.

It was truly amazing to witness living legend David Johnston perform his life’s work and show his heart to everyone in attendance.

Top 50 Imaginary keywords this month

imaginary dana — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:10:25 +0000

For the keyword curious, here's the full top 50 ways folks found TIG in Google last month.

PWRFL Power, Facts About Funerals, and the Birthdays

three imaginary girls — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:46:03 +0000

28 Nov 2007

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{TIG presented one great midweek local showcase at the Crocodile last week. This summary brought to you by ChrisB, Kyle Johnson, and imaginary dana. All photos by Kyle Johnson -- and might we say, they look amazing!}

"This is the biggest crowd we've ever played to" one of the two lead singers of the Birthdays gleefully exclaimed. The Birthdays seemed to be ecstatic to be playing for an unusually large crowd (probably in the low triple digits) for the first band on a Wednesday night. Their set was charming and awkward and charmingly awkward, and if you're a fan of two-songwriter pop bands and twee, then this may be your new band crush. Both live and on Memorex they try to out-twee Tullycraft. I don't know if that's possible but they make a valiant effort and have loads of fun in the process.

Photographer Kyle Johnson arrived just in time for Kaz Nomura aka PWRFL Power. Kaz has been gaining notoriety quickly and landing shows left and right. Kaz was in a good mood and began telling his many humorous stories of daily mishaps in life set to his lovely guitar riffs. The set included several new songs incuding "2 Keys," a tale of losing his keys, "Peach Song" about getting a fake ID for underage love, and "Soft Boy," regarding the one he met in the park who eventually stole his money, virginity, and digital camera. PWRFL Power will definitely keep getting bigger. I only hope he stays off the "slopes" as he referred to them (in song) because he did seem quite sniffly and a bit out of it onstage.

Facts about Funerals was a band that intrigued me with their name alone -- and good thing too, as some digging showed that the band has only recently settled on the moniker (they were previously called Red Sky and previous to that, known as New West Motels). When the guys took the stage i was instantly rocking with them. I'm a big fan of almost any band with pedal steel. They sounded very tight for a first time playing with the new lineup, with a great moody, somewhat somber sound for a Northwest winter-like night...

Perhaps we can blame the brrrrr weather for the lack of imaginary peeps there to see headliner, long-standing TIG faves The Elephants.

If you were made of braver, later stuff than us and stuck around for the entire four-band bill on a Wednesday night, please fill in all the imaginary readers. We heard a rumor that multi-instrumentalist/singer/cutie-pie Trevor Dickson was even spotted at the venue sober earlier in the evening. If you can verify, chime on in!

A recap of our TIG presents bill at the Crocodile.

Photo of the moment: PWRFL Power, from the TIG-presents show last night

imaginary dana — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:56:18 +0000

Did you make it to our TIG-presents show at the Croc last night? Did you have fun?

Our next TIG presents show...

imaginary dana — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 21:17:59 +0000

It's a big fun night of local rock at the Croc, yo!

TIG presents: the Elephants, Facts About Funerals, PWRFL Power, and the Birthdays

imaginary dana — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:36:26 +0000

This Wednesday, November 28th, please join Three Imaginary Girls for a great local lineup at the Crocodile Cafe, featuring:

The show is 21+ (sorry, kiddos) and tickets are a mere six bucks. We hope to see your smiling faces there!

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Please join Three Imaginary Girls for a great local lineup at the Crocodile!

Tonight! A local show that should not be missed: Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies, PWRFL Power, Grand Hallway

ChrisB — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:35:04 +0000

While I do thoroughly enjoy both PWRFL Power and Shane Tutmarc and the Traveling Mercies, the band I'm most excited about is Grand Hallway.

REVERB 2007: PWRFL Power

Eddie B — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 01:19:08 +0000

6 Oct 2007

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Before I talk about the one-man Asian sensation known as PWRFL Power, I must mention the pre-show antics of comedian David Cope. Seattle Weekly had comedians from the People’s Republic of Komedy introducing artists all through REVERBfest. His set varied from jokes about his Hyundai Accent to a starring contest with Ben (some random guy with a kazoo). You can check out the People’s Republic of Komedy at Chop Suey on Wednesday nights, where they have a running show called Laff Hole. Do it, because he obviously needs money for a new car.

I unfortunately did not get a seat for the PWRFL Power show (since I felt like I had to down my coffee before entering Miro Tea). The small tea house was crammed with people of all-ages to see the show. Then, Kaz Nomura, a humble Asian man with a strong accent who performs under the moniker PWRFL Power, stepped up to mic and began to sing and play guitar.

I’m not sure what they slipped into Kaz's tea, but it sure made him perform well. He played an awesome set, where he sang about being yourself and falling in love with a boy. Can’t go wrong with that. Although he was very petite (can you use petite for men?), he was able to lug around his guitar like I did with my chop sticks later on that night at Thaiku, which was very tasty. He was entertaining to look at and listen to. I think I found my cup of tea. (Damn, I’m good!)

I’m not sure what they slipped into Kaz's tea, but it sure made him perform well.

Mt Eerie: Were we at the Vera or Japanacortes?

elle — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 14:19:26 +0000

2 Sep 2007

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As the evening set over the Anacortes port, darkness overtaking the sky, nautical sounds filled the air, the low blow of foghorns moaning over and over to each other. When the sky finally succumbed to the night, a soft lullaby voice carried us with an acoustic accompaniment through the landscape of diverse Washington: the rainy, foggy mountains heavily blanketed in forest; rolling, sleepy waves coming into shore; tree tops swaying in the heavy storm winds; moon lit docks extending into the bay. As we followed this adventure led by the soothing music, a chill in the air from the atmospheres bit our skin.

But the cold air wasn't from the atmosphere, rather from unnecessary air conditioning. We weren't actually on this trek across the Washington terrain, it was just being projected upon a large white canvas spread across the wall. Those weren't ships signaling warnings in the night air, only deep guitar loops played back through a troop of amplifiers. This was actually just the entirety of one song masterminded solely by Phil Elverum, who's performing under the name Mt. Eerie these days. The whole room was in a trance as the song ended, the nearly sold-out audience unsure if the journey was done or not, delaying their applause. Of course, claps erupted once Phil gave the cue.

The rest of the set was played in near darkness, everyone sitting on the floor eagerly listening to every note. The thought of the cold blustery night outside made the haunting music ever more perfect. Performing solo, he took up only a minor corner of the stage, almost hidden behind the monitor booth. Then abruptly he announced he was done. Protest rose out of the crowd, "more more!" we all shouted. Acquiescing, he continued playing his songs acoustically. A girl later at the bus stop gushed to me that he played a song she requested prior talking to him one on one. He shared a few stories with us, informing us he was leaving for a stint down the West coast. Here in Washington, if anyone is appropriate to be a tour guide of the vast and varied expanses, Phil Elverum is definitely qualified for the job.

If this concert wasn't taking us across mountains and beaches, it was definitely taking us to an imaginary place -- Japanacortes. This cheeky name was coined from the fact the performing musicians were either from Anacortes, WA or Japan.

Anime isn't the only animated thing coming out of Japan; the Moools singer Yasuaki Sakai fluttered upon the stage with great enthusiasm for his stance as a rocker. Aggressively conducting his fellow band mates, it was unclear whether this was a farce or he truly was a hardass. At least their drummer Masato Uchino found amusement in his shoeless leader. A great moment was created when a silent break was coaxed down by Sakai, only to be broken by a haphazard rendition of the opening to "My Sharona." With his broken English, Sakai charmed the crowd as he attempted to give many thanks for the turn out.

Fellow Japanese-turned-Washingtonian PWRFL Power played before. This boy was made to be an entertainer. Fidgeting while introducing himself, Kaz was a bit nervous as he explained to the crowd this was his first time in a long while playing on electric rather than his standard acoustic. He's very deceiving, seemingly endearing until his lyrics busts out with calling a chick a slut or having an entire song about falling in love with a boy, who consequently breaks his heart. Fuck never sounded so out of place as it does when coming out of his spirited voice. Which is all the more reason his songs are hilarious.

Openers The Oregon Donor came across to me as a band suiting for a younger teen audience, especially with adorably nerdy lead singer Christopher Edwards. Sure enough, as soon as the thought crossed my mind I looked over and two peppy teen girls were swooning in the front row.

Japanacortes? I'd visit again.

The whole room was in a trance as the song ended, the nearly sold-out audience unsure if the journey was done or not, delaying their applause. Of course, claps erupted once Phil gave the cue.

At the CHBP 2007: Team Gina rules, so does Caffe Vita wireless internet access

imaginary liz — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:24:04 +0000

Dana and I are here at the Capitol Hill Block Party and so excited to be blogging right here from the center of the action here at Caffe Vita. The pavement and people still look fresh (rather than the sweaty spectacle I imagine they'll be later in the day) and the Hill is alive with the sound of indie rock.

Capitol Hill Block Party 2007: PWRFL Power

imaginary dana — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 22:11:45 +0000

28 Jul 2007

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"I always write songs about love and girls, and I decided it's not fair," quipped Kaz Nomura, the one-man band that is PWRFL Power in his understated, amusing way, before launching into a song called "Soft Boy," which chronicled him falling in love with a boy instead, and the subsequent fallout, breakup, accusations of thieving (his camera, clothes, and pills) and insomnia (from having said pills stolen, he bemoaned, "I can't sleep without the pills").

The song was typical of the PWRFL Power repertoire: lyrically irreverant, musically understated, and as warm and intimate as your college roommate experimenting with songwriting his heartbreak out on your futon.

PWRFL Power came into, erm, power (or at least, local indie press fame) by coming out of seemingly out of nowhere to win the much-hyped "Block Star" contest, sponsored by the Capitol Hill Block Party, eSurance, and the Stranger over a host of other better-known local bands (such as Speaker Speaker, Skullbot, and Optimus Rhyme). With the bizarre charm of lo-fi songs like "The Tomato Song" ("If you are mean to me, I'll throw a tomato at you"), he won the honors of, among other things, getting a 30 second national TV spot in an eSurance TV commercial, and appearing on the Main Stage at the Capitol Hill Block Party, and igLiz and I made sure we were front and center to hear. And as it turned out -- to laugh. In fact, I can't remember giggling so much at a live show since the last banter at the last Long Winters show. His quirky little tunes lyrically cross into some uncomfortable territory, but with his gentle, slightly-accented talk-singing, he pulled it off with aplomb and without making his audience blush -- just to laugh.

My favorite ditty was presumably called "Chopsticks." The song chronicals his date with a girl who he apparently really likes, but who can't wield chopsticks properly: "You're so pretty, but you're holding them wrong," he repeated with varying degrees of gentleness versus annoyance. The story evolves that his own father had beaten him as a child for improper use of the sticks, but that "He doesn't want to beat her, cause she's so pretty" (I paraphrase). I know it sounds potentially distasteful, but he was so disarming, it was truly charming.

While PWRFL Power brings new depths to lo-fi (it's just Kaz singing and sparsely playing along), there's more going on behind those simple guitar melodies. I'd be very interested to hear how PWRFL Power would translate to a studio recording, without the feedback from his audience. And I'm completely intrigued to hear how it's going to translate to an insurance commerical. I'd like to imagine a roomful of squares at eSurance HQ listening to Kaz, and the subsequent emails and board meetings to discuss exactly how this extremely unusual singer-songwriter could possibly help them pawn their insurance wares. I'm guessing the squares had no idea what the kids would be into these days.... and that makes me smile as big as Kaz's lyrics do.

>> Read all Capitol Hill Block Party 2007 reviews on TIG

His quirky little tunes lyrically cross into some uncomfortable territory, but with his gentle, slightly-accented talk-singing, he pulled it off with aplomb and without making his audience blush.

PWRFL Power wins "Block Star" contest

imaginary dana — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 16:49:20 +0000

The winner: PWRFL Power, a solo acoustic act with quirky little songs like "The Tomato Song."

Capitol Hill Block Party "Block Star" finalists named

imaginary dana — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:42:42 +0000

The eight finalists have been announced, and the competition goes down this Friday, June 15th at the Vera Project. The show is all-ages and free, it starts at 7:30, and the competitors are...