Tuesday, June 02, 2009

A captivating performace by Stripmall Ballads at Artomatic 2009 opening night

Phillips Saylor's ability to take a crowd from stomping their feet to quiet reflection and back again is the result of nearly a decade of non-stop touring and performing across North America.

While compared by some ... to Woody Guthrie, Kurt Cobain and A.P. Carter, Stripmall Ballads has developed a style entirely his own: poetic, dark, energetic, possessed, and reluctantly romantic.

An obvious devote student of US roots musical tradition, Stripmall Ballads fuses virtuosic historical convention with contemporary lyrics. Not afraid of musical experimentation or the power of words, his prolific performances and recordings have earned him a reputation for being somwhere in between "a fire and brimstone preacher and a beat poet."

While the above text are excerpts from Stripmall Ballads two websites ... I could not agree more.

After having captured Phillips Saylor and his band during my 29 May 2009 Artomatic Opening Night visit ... I hope that it is not too far in the future that I witness Stripmall Ballads perform again.

If after viewing my video #1 and video #2 compilations, you're not captivated, as well ... something seriously must be wrong with you!

Celebrating its 10th year, Artomatic 2009 runs from 29 May through 5 July at 55 M Street in SE Washington DC.

Though still under construction here is my 10th Artomatic 2009 / WDC webpage/photoessay.

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