Fa5: Jesse’s Houze, Sally Rose and a Song.
If you follow these colorful stories, you know that once in a blue moon, we come across a song that insists we write about it.
One of those songs jumped up and smacked us right in the mouf this week at Fridays after 5. Its name was Everything’s Alright.
To understand Old Hank’s mindset last Friday, you need to know just how deeply we are up to our ass cheeks getting ready for Wreckfest in September. War gaming our coverage strategies and beer consumption schedules. Ordering tents and signage. Designing merch. Buying black market epi pens. Procuring new digital devices we can’t afford and will never learn how to use. All so we can cover them shows and capture those contents.
By 5pm Friday, Old Hank was fucking done. One more calendar invite, punch list doc or bulleted to-do list from Bazz and he was gonna eat everything in the medicine cabinet, drink everything under the sink and do something weird at the Krogers on Barracks Road.
Instead, Old Hank and Bazz decided to go to Fa5, drink a beer, relax and enjoy a show like the regular doofuses we are. Jesse’s Houze were playing, and we really wanted to catch up with their progress after seeing one of their early sets opening for Chamomile and Whiskey at that exquisite St. Paddy’s Day show at the Jefferson. And we knew that J. Roddy Walston puts on a kick-ass show, which he very much did.
Serendipitously, Bazz said “Old Hank, bring that lil’ Canon M2, you never know.”
Damn straight you never know. But Jesse Fiske and his Houze, they knew.
This night, Mr. Fiske had a secret weapon with him on stage at Ting Pav: close pal, Sally Rose (guitars, vox, and frontage with Harrisonburg’s Shagwuf — one of the absolute must-see bands playing Wreckfest).
About halfway thru the set, the band slid into a song, one of those songs that the hairs on the back of your neck know is gonna be great 2 seconds before you do. I grabbed the M2 and made a beeline to the stage, and brothers and sisters, thank the Lord I did.
If you haven’t yet, just put your ear buds on/in and watch the little tv show up top. Then come back.
Right? The yen and yang, the interplay of Jesse and Sally’s voices was something to behold.
We’re learning that Jesse’s deeper register and singing in general has a kindofa cool, natural and unforced quality about it. His voice just doesn’t give a fuck what you think, it’s gonna chill, bud.
Juxtapose that with Sally just GIVIN’ it the BEANS in the opening lines of Everything’s AlRight and you got something real unique working here.
And there’s some damn interesting writing going on here, too.
Him: Lady won't you whisper in my ear as we walk down the street.
Her: Tell me all the things that you’ll ever, ever need.
Him: Tell me was I part of your last night's dreams.
Her: Or was it something you’ll never unsee.
Both: We can ask all the questions that cut down our lies. Everything will be alright.
If you’re trying hard to make things work, this is wise, experienced and knowing. Bullshit everyone but me, angel, and I’ll try to do the same for you.
Jesse’s band is every bit as velvety as his vox. Jarrod Hood on Bass and Darrell Moran on drums had a set-your-watch-by-it slow roll that read the damn room and got it right. Jake Hopping’s Tele took it’s time and joined the vocal interplay whenever he felt like it which just happened to be all the right times.
It was tasty.
And it was another example of the interwoven, prolific, beautiful relationships between these bands and musicians runnin’ up and down this section of the Blue Ridge—artists we are so lucky to have. Many of those folks were in the audience, supporting Jesse, the Houze and Sally. And they stuck around to support J. Roddy.
OK, that’s all. Loved the whole show. Can’t wait to see Sally and her outfit at Durty Nelly’s this Friday. And find out where Mr. Fiske takes this very good band.
Sincerely yours in spreadsheets and action items vis-a-vis the Wreckfest,
Old Hank (with some crucial emotional support and creative spine from Bazz as always)
