Get Wise at the Moose

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

By Aaron Davis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Heads-up to all the 70s rock lovers — here’s a little piece of heaven for Leon Russell meets Little Feat fans. And better yet, their Southern funkin’ songwriting is presented with strong vocals, powerful musicianship, and good rock ‘n’ roll hair. From Austin, Texas via Salt Lake City, Utah meet Wisebird.

Will Webster (guitar, vocals) and Dave Meservy (drums, vocals) first met in Utah a decade ago, then met Trevor Nealon (keys, vocals) around 2005.

The band worked the Rocky Mountain circuit for a few years and ended up in Austin in the fall of 2008, where it quickly assembled a list of potential bassists, finding the perfect match with Joe Beckham. 

“I think the sound is a little chunkier with me on board,” Beckham said. “We’re collaborating more on the writing and we really have a collective vision of keeping it old school in every way possible. A lot of what we love about music seems to be fading, and we want to hold on to that.”

When listening to Wisebird’s tonally rich instrumentation and matured cohesiveness, I’m thankful that bands like this still exist.  
In Wisebird, you can hear a loose chemistry akin to The Allman Brothers or The Black Crowes.

In April, the trio will release its debut studio album.
“The album songs were played for months at shows, some of them seven to eight minutes long,” Beckham said, “then we trimmed the fat to get to the core of each song for the recording.”

Recorded in Austin at The Nest, Wisebird cut tracks mostly live-to two-inch tape. Tape is analog as opposed to digital, logging a physical quality rather than a sequence of numbers.

And most importantly, tape is synonymous with the old school vibe that Wisebird holds true. The album will be released in April, but until then its earning fans one mile at a time.

“There’s not many facets of life where you get to wake up in a different place each day and meet a fresh set of people,” Beckham said of being in a touring band.
Within a three-week stint from Texas, Wisebird will stop in seven different Colorado markets, Idaho, Wyoming, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Louisiana before landing back in Austin. 

Luckily for all parties, the Mangy Moose is one of the band members’ favorite stops in the Rockies—and their lone two-night run of the tour.

“Bands that we hold in really high regard, idolize even, have played [the Moose] stage, and that’s an automatic good vibe,” Beckham said. “But also, it seems like everyone is on vacation there and wanting to cut loose. The good times don’t stop in a situation like that.” JHW

Wisebird rocks the stage, 10 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, at the Mangy Moose in Teton Village. $8. www.mangymoose.net. 

PERMALINK:
Get Wise at the Moose | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

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