This intriguing bill features a nice pair of acts from the Pacific Northwest, each offering his and her own variety of folk and rock. Yes, both Jurado and Gibson have swung through our area in the recent past, but this is a good chance to catch them at the same venue.
Jurado's the better known act, as his career is well into its second decade. His 2000 effort, Ghost of David, is considered by many to be Jurado's high water mark. Ironically, it was the singer's last really rocking affair. Since signing to the Secretly Canadian label, Jurado has made folk balladry his genre of choice. Not a bad move, either, as Jurado's weary, reedy voice and uncomplicated melodies are well-suited to the mellower side of the spectrum. Jurado's most recent effort, Caught in the Trees, features such Nick Drake-inspired fare as "Trials," "Coats of Ice" and "Dimes," songs guaranteed to bring out the manic-depressive in any listener.
Laura Gibson, meanwhile, is not much more of a well of sunshine, but her latest, Beasts of Seasons, does throw enough jazz and avant-garde musings into the mix to make things interesting. Gibson's frail vocals bring out the urgency of happy little numbers like "Shadows on Parade" and "Where Have All Your Good Words Gone."
Plus, it might rain tonight, so both Jurado and Gibson will feel right at home sharing their various neuroses with a damp brigade of depressed Dentonites.