MWA Live: Strand of Oaks, and Apex Manor at Lincoln Hall - 5/3

Apex Manor opened up the night with fat, fuzzy guitar-centric rock. Apex Manor is centered around writer, singer, and guitarist Ross Flournoy. This particular iteration of the band formed for this tour. It was their third show as a band. Daniel Faust on drums was precise and brought a bounce to the music. Together with Casey Toll on bass, Flournoy proclaimed them “the best rhythm section in the country.” Flournoy himself had an ease and warmth on stage and sang with closed eye passion.

All the songs they performed were from the forthcoming release, Heartbreak City, out May 31st. A number of the songs had sweet moments, but I was bowled over by the rolling drum intro for the closing song, “Asked & Answered.”

SETLIST:

Where My Mind Goes
Nervous Wreck
The Long Goodbye
Diamond in the Dark
VCR
Heartbreak City
Sanctuary
Asked & Answered

Apex Manor. Photo by Tina Mead.

Ross Flournoy. Photo by Tina Mead.

Daniel Faust. Photo by Tina Mead.

Ross Flournoy and Casey Toll. Photo by Tina Mead.

Ross Flournoy. Photo by Tina Mead.

<a href="http://apexmanor.bandcamp.com/album/heartbreak-city">Heartbreak City by Apex Manor</a>

Midwest son, Strand of Oaks took the stage with a swagger. The crowd was there to soak in Timothy Showalter’s americana/blues tinted guitar rock. He’s a classic song writer with lyrics full of imagery that as striking and relatable. In the new album, there is depression and anxiety and figuring out how to keep living:

All my brightest failures,
Keep shining out the wins,
Make the final fire.

The band handled the music with ease. We had the members of Apex Manor back. This time around Flournoy was able to show off his ability to really wail on his guitar, as he and Showalter traded off guitar solos. They also added Max Sommerville on keys. Sommerville added a variety of tones, from straightforward piano to lush synths. I love the way his work added texture to the otherwise guitar-centric music.

But, the show was really about Showalter and his stellar songwriting. His swagger and easy smile were disarming. He would put a leg back to brace himself to play. As the set went on, he got looser and more into the music, gesturing, jumping, and kicking. He was fueled by the audience. They were dedicated participants in the music. They started clapping along spontaneously to the intro to “Goshen ‘97.” They sang at full volume to the old favorites. The jam session in the middle of “Visions” elicited hoots and shouts. I hear there were even tears shed. It was genuine, if perhaps a bit alcohol driven. I–for one–think it was completely valid when after “JM” (a tribute to Showalter’s idol Jason Molina) a fan shouted, “Thank you Tim, I love that song!”

SETLIST (*=favorite):