Lumberjack 8 Dan's Silverleaf Saturday, February 18
This yearly mini music festival is Harlan Anderson's brainchild, and he was the one grilling on the back patio, cheerfully putting up with the rain in his "Meat Guns" apron, hob-knobbing with attendees and shooting the shit with Dan Mojica, owner of the bar.
"We usually have a few more people out here," he said. "It might have been the rain. It could be that a lot of people show up late for this show."
Those who showed up at 6 p.m. were treated to a stellar lineup of bands that started with country rockers the Holler Time out of Gainesville. Then it was time for one of the best bands in Denton, Spooky Folk.
Frontman Kaleo Kaualoku led his quintet in a rousing sing-along, belting out their ode to secularism in the land of church, "Bible Belt." As the chorus started, almost the entire crowd starting howling along, "I was born in the Bible belt/Get me something sharp so I can kill myself."
Pinebox Serenade, possessing the Texas roots sound Lumberjack Fest has come to be known for, has played it every year and gave a great set. Hares on the Mountain, a good example of how the Denton music scene is incestuous in all the right ways, gave an amazing performance as well. Hares features George Neal, formerly of Little Grizzly, Ryan Thomas Becker of RTB2, Justin Collins of the Burnt Sienna Trio and Petra Kelly (whose birthday landed at midnight) of Spooky Folk. They are the complete package, with wire-tight songwriting and a highly entertaining live performance.
Dim Locator, the one-man band of Will Kapinos, formerly of Jet Screamer, ripped the shit out of four-on-the-floor slide guitar. Right before an ambient, hypnotizing set from husband-wife trio Shiny Around the Edges, Dallas power trio PVC Street Gang joked their way through a shredding punk presentation that forced the drummer to stand up for most of the performance.
Closing out the night was veteran super-group Spitfire Tumbleweeds, the joke about them of late being that every show they play is their last. About an hour before their set, front man Scott Porter, also of Record Hop, assured me that was just a goof, and that they weren't planning on quitting anytime soon.
