The Maldives+Ken Stringfellow at Barboza (with openers Sons of Warren Oates)

By Jack Brummet, NW Music Ed.

The Maldives and Ken Stringfellow played last night at Barboza. Barboza is in the basement below Numoes, which also means there is sonic competition with the metal bands playing upstairs.  This was a really fun, but poorly attended show.  The Sons of Warren Oates opened and were an unknown to me (I'd heard their name before and loved it).  They were one of the most listenable warmup bands I'd heard in ages...a trio with fiddle, guitar, and banjo.  They played for about 40 minutes.   The banjo player  (Kevin?)  joined KS and the Maldives for a couple of tunes on the accordion.  Ken played a lot of his album Danzig and a few earlier nuggets from his album Touched.  I bet there were never more than 60 people there, and at the end, maybe three dozen.  Before the Maldives came out, Ken got off the stage and told us to gather around and he sang un-mic'd with his Telecaster. Then he played a tune on the piano and brought out the Maldives. I look forward to seeing The Maldives on their own sometime soon. 

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