By Taylor Jones
The room is on fire! — Or perhaps it is simply the caked layers of black, white, and red painted flames that engulf The Alternative Café’s music lounge in Seaside, California. Performing in tonight’s show is headliner Dakota Belle Witt, along with opening artist Shenandoah Davis. As I sit down to meet the owner of the café, Scott Grover, he tells me the inferno style art contributes to their current “hot rod” exhibit, displaying local artwork of classic cars and voluptuous women, both equally seductive to my wandering eyes. While we speak in the main café, Scott fights an outer space battle of the videogame Galaga on the old school two-player Multicade. Among the sight of arcade games, muscle cars, and roadsters resides the accompanying scent of red wine and cigarettes, lingering on audience members’ every breath.Tonight, the opening artist Shenandoah Davis is performing songs from her latest record, titled The Company We Keep. After passing through the white archway of the café, I step into a room filled with about thirty folding chairs and prepare to enjoy a show in a venue that provides a very personal atmosphere between the musicians and audience. In fact, right when I sit down I meet the members of Davis’ trio, drummer Ethan Demarest and cellist Danah Olivetree. A hearty bunch of musicians from Seattle, they produce an organic sound by blending influences of orchestral and folk music. During one of the first songs called “Oh Captain!” Davis elegantly plays a flowing array of chords on her electric piano. Olivetree, dressed in black and white striped leggings, accompanies her with appropriately slow moving notes on cello. Suddenly, Demarest begins a syncopated, second-line feel drumbeat to drastically change the mood to an upbeat, southern swing halfway through the song. Further into the set, he picks up a small acoustic guitar to add extra flavor to the music. However, his tone is dampened due to poor placement of the mic too far from the guitar. When I was a stagehand at Student Voices last year, our school's talent show, we made sure to place the mic right by the twelfth fret in order to capture the highest quality sound. As they perform my favorite song “Proof,” I close my eyes and the music takes me back in time to an old western saloon, where the audience members transform into a mix of rugged cowboys and dainty women while a pianist in the corner plays a joyful ragtime jig. After their set I venture over to the merchandise table to buy their new vinyl pressing of The Company We Keep, a purchase worth every penny of my fifteen dollars. The album provides a deeper understanding of their vision for music, enhanced by quality recordings of the grand piano, violin, guitar, upright bass, and a choir. Never fear if you don’t have a record player, their album is available on CD as well as iTunes and Bandcamp.
On an opposite end of the musical spectrum lies tonight’s featured artist Dakota Belle Witt, a solo performer fully decked out in mermaid attire. My once “wandering eyes” are now dumbfounded at the sight in front of me, a woman wearing an awkwardly loose sea-shell bra, a turquoise bedazzled dress, and a profuse amount of matching mascara. Needless to say, this is not what I had expected. Witt begins her set by displaying her smooth, soothing vocals and strumming light major chords on her ukulele. However, I cannot get over the agitating “under-the-sea” theme of every one of her songs. Her talented voice is put to waste by this mermaid gimmick, and I urge her to simply get a band to back her up and start playing some more thought out music.
After her last song, Witt announces to the audience that both artists’ CD’s can be found at the merch table. In addition, she claims “Shenandoah Davis makes music to listen to over red wine, while I suggest you listen to mine over a case of cheap beer.” In all honesty, Witt perfectly sums up the comparison of these two artists. While the audience may appreciate Dakota Belle Witt for her humorous antics, I much prefer Shenandoah Davis for her unique blend of classical and folk influences. Tonight the opening act far outshined the feature, and for my money, I’ll take the red wine.
(All photos taken by Richard Herbert)
(left to right) Shenandoah Davis, Ethan Demarest, Danah Olivetree
Olivetree and Davis
Danah Olivetree
Dakota Belle Witt
