Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability | PDXPIPELINE.com

By Christine Taylor

Last Friday night, Super XX Man (pronounced “super double ex man”) played a fantastic show at the nice and newly reopened Mississippi Studios. However it made me question the Portland music scene a little. How is it a band this good could have under 50 people in attendance in a city famed for it music followers? Granted it was cold outside, and the new venue is a bit crisp, but Scott Garred is a seasoned Indie-folk songwriter with at least 12 LP's under his wings (all of which are good and you can listen to at www.superxxman.com).

His voice is reminiscent of the The Violent Femmes' great Gordon Gano… only not because its more sweet than jabby. This band is what I have come to believe Portland music is all about:  do-it-yourself, distinctly skilled, personality driven and conscientious (they plug the support of local music businesses throughout their set).

With catchy songs that not only make you feel good, but are also just plain smartly written, the band is also fun to watch on stage. The new CD titled ‘There'll Be Diamonds', available online at CD Baby, is greatly influenced by Scott's experiences working with mental patients. This subject matter makes the lyrics uniquely their own. The songs are played in sweet melodic form, with enough twists added here and there to break up any monotonous expectation. Despite the dark subject matter, the musicians charm their listeners into bopping around with smiles on their faces. They tell stories that connect what you hear to their own lives, including the tale behind ‘Cautious Like a Panther', apparently inspired by a crazy guy who wore a panther mask down Alberta Street.

The other band members are just as talented as Mr. Garred. Bob Ham plays his drums beautifully, without overplaying them, while singing solo on one song that surely is one we can all relate with (mental patient or not) called, ‘Medication'. Ali Wesley's sugary voice stands out, while melting away your woes, in ‘Collecting Rocks', which was also the highlight tune of the evening.

This band reminds me of an obscure ironic Indie band from Oakland, way back from the early 1990's, called F*ck, only with a faster tempo and a touch more fun.  This was my first time watching Super XX Man, but not the last. Hope to see you in the audience next time.

Links:
http://cdbaby.com/
http://www.superxxman.com/
http://www.mississippistudios.com/
http://www.marylhurst.edu/music/profile-garred.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_Femmes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuck_(band)

—————————–Related Posts–

• Super XX Man + Hello Damascus at Mississippi Studios | March 12
• OPB Music & Tender Loving Empire Present Super XX Man | November 23
• “Reinventing Mississippi” (from Portland Mercury)

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Christine Taylor is an armchair naturalist and photographer who spent 8 years in the Chicago area and a couple in New York working in publishing as a producer, editor and photographer. Presently she resides in SE Portland. You can see some of her work at happyplayground.com