Miner, Cayucas And A Weekend At The Feelies at Barboza

Seattle – Even though T-Pain was performing right upstairs at Neumos, those of us in the Barboza basement on Wednesday night had a party of our own thanks to, Miner, Cayucas, and A Weekend at the Feelies.

Barboza must have invincible soundproof walls to have kept the rapper’s insistence on buying you a drank from filtering into the sounds of shoegaze, indie folk-rock, and retro surf pop that filled the bar.

Downstairs a more indie-folk vibe prevailed, with the Los Angeles-based Miner (above), a “family affair” led by husband-and-wife duo Justin and Kate Miner. They started off their set with the gentle, lusciously harmonized “Dawn.” Gaining momentum, Justin launched into “Golden Ocean” with his resonant voice, and was joined by a foot-stomping full chorus, a recurring characteristic throughout several of Miner’s songs.

Heading into more bluegrass territory, the band followed up with “Big Sur,” on which Justin’s and Kate’s twangy vocals were reminiscent of Johnny and June Carter Cash, while accompanied by a beautiful slide guitar. Jumping into “Carousel,” Miner’s huge vocals and wild energy make the crowd tear up the room, audience members’ bodies rising up and down just like the song title suggests. “When I Win You Over” slowed down the pace, with Justin’s simple guitar picking and gentle voice, which was then joined by Kate’s angelic harmonies and passionate harmonica.

To pick up speed, Justin asked the crowd, “You guys like Modest Mouse?” Cheers went up from the audience as he said, “So do we,” and vaulted into a truly great cover of “3^rd Planet.”

Miner’s full choruses, back-and-forth male and female vocals, and hand-clapping elicits strong comparison to Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and was most distinguishable on “Lovely” – their version of “Home.” Justin’s “I think you’re lovely” and Kate’s “And I think you love me” were so playful and full of affection, and their joy singing with each other was infectious.

Building up to the finale, Miner transitioned into “Golden Age,” with an instrumental breakdown so powerful that at least one guitar string broke – a sign that it was perhaps time to close the set. The finale was the song that introduced me to Miner back in 2012, “Hey Love,” a catchy tune full of warm harmonies, jangly instrumentals, and an energetic sincerity that will keep this group an indie-folk favorite for a while.

Headlining the show was Cayucas, also from California, who kicked off their set with “Cayucos,” titled after the coastal town and filled with a sunny throwback to 60’s surf pop. The group, which is led by Zach Yudin and includes his twin brother Ben, carried the nostalgia throughout the night, including visually with their 90’s-esque backwards baseball caps and scuffed Chucks. With their laidback attitude, smart songwriting, glimmering guitar, and retro beats, Cayucas could be the West Coast Vampire Weekend (think more Brian Wilson than Paul Simon.)

The group performed the summery songs off their April 2013 debut Bigfoot. “A Summer Thing” had lush and breezy guitar riffs and echo-y vocals, while “Will ‘The Thrill’” was a beachy, slightly reggae number with a sexy bass groove, playful rhythm, and tropical sounds.

“We’re gonna take you to a tropical place, if you weren’t quite there yet,” Zach teased the audience as he introduced the next song.

Cayucas then performed a new song “Hella,” which had a super catchy chorus with the group chanting “Hella, hella, hella,” paying homage to their home state. Next came “Deep Sea,” with a great sing-songy vocal intro and wavy guitar tones, and you could almost feel the ocean breeze, while “A Summer Thing” had a whimsical instrumental that sounded almost like an ice cream truck rolling down the boardwalk. Closing with their popular single “High School Lover,” filled with strong percussion, lightly yearning vocals, and a bright melody, Cayucas succeeded in bringing the beach party to Seattle.

Taking the stage first was A Weekend at the Feelies, a less-than-a-year-old local band who opened the night with bright and airy guitar riffs, dreamy vocals, and plenty of shoegaze. Ambient guitar, a grooving bass line, and rolling drums worked nicely on songs like “Lowly Buzzard,” “Light,” and “Glow,” which swelled with echoing harmonies and reverb. Their pleasant melodies, energy, and banter onstage ensured that the audience would want more weekends at the Feelies.

About
Latest Posts

Caitlin Peterkin

Caitlin Peterkin is a Seattle transplant fresh from the Midwest. She owes her passion for music to her parents, who filled the house with artists from The Beatles to The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel to Carly Simon, and Jackson Browne to Michael Jackson. One of her favorite memories includes being presented with her mom’s original vinyl copy of Sgt. Pepper when she got her first record player.

With degrees in journalism and music, Caitlin’s written for Paste Magazine, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and MajoringinMusic.com. She loves cheese, laughing at GIFs of corgis, road trip sing-alongs, and connecting with people over good beer and good music.