Maria Taylor performed at the Knitting Factory to a modestly sized, passionate, and excited crowd, for an evening of lovely, lush, acoustic/ indie folk rock. Opening was friends Johnathan Rice and Nik Freitas. The sound was excellent, especially when Maria started. Her voice was clear and beautiful. Most of the musicians collaborated with one another, including Freitas playing guitar for both Rice and Taylor, and Taylor playing drums for Rice. Good indie rock, new songs, and near swooning was in store at this show.
Nik Freitas performed some very nice songs lyrically and acoustically, but the vocals didn't seem right. Though, his presence wasn’t that captivating the lyrics really touched me. After a few songs he really shined. Songs included, “All the Way Down,” and “Sun Down.” He recently opened for Rilo Kiley and will be playing with Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band this summer. Good for him.
Next was Johnathan Rice who played a sincere, heartfelt set. Maria played drums for him. His lyrics seemed to be about dealing with loss and love. He clearly is one who has gone through a lot of struggle and it's heard in his songs. Although not my typical taste, I enjoyed Rice and it was nice to listen to something a little different. He's dating Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley. Good for him.
Maria Taylor was lovely and captivating, for her light rock/ acoustic performance. She started with a stripped down version of “A Good Start,” coming off her 7-song digital EP Savannah Drive. The EP is a collection of favorite songs from 11:11 and Lynn Teeter Flower and new songs, all performed acoustically. She played four new songs, including the self titled track to her new album "Lady Luck," a cover of Skeeter Davis’ “End of the World,” and “Song Beneath the Song,” “Clean Getaway,” and “The Ballad of Sean Folley." "Xanax," a near 6-minute power start of a song about fear "ended" the set. The band really jammed on this one.
She was comical at points, like when someone in the crowd shouted, "You look really pretty," and she replied, “Thanks, that’s weird considering I really haven’t slept or bathed in a very long time (laughs). Must be the red wine."
The encore was mostly by request and started with “Speak Easy.” Somewhere in this set Taylor invited her sister up to play percussion and sing. It was cute. Next was “Replay,” which someone shouted they wanted to hear. Maria was unsure about playing it. Though she reacquainted herself with the song, said it was her first time playing it on this tour, and that she might forget the lyrics so the crowd has to help her out. "Replay" is filled with great lines:
“So with dignity and grace/ Boy you'd have to erase/All the things in your mind/that replay and replay and replay and replay and replay/The things that made you cry/that you forgave, you let go by/or you will push the one that you love out of your life/out of your life.”
This verse speaks perfection for me and I love it when I am able to connect with an artists lyrics in this way. She had the crowd choose either "Two of those two," or "Leap Year." The crowd choose the tear jerker, about a long distance relationship. "I will wait for you/ But please come soon."
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