Allysen Callery at Atwood’s Tavern
with San Lorenzo
Atwood’s Tavern
Cambridge, Mass
9:30pm
Jets Can’t Land at The Parlour
with Space Pony, Phantom Orchestra and No Plateau
The Parlour
North Main St
Providence, RI
9pm
Mark Cutler and the Men of Great Courage at 133 Club
free admission. Bring canned goods and non-perishable items for the never ending food drive for RI Food Bank
133 Club
Warren Ave
East Providence, RI
9pm
Allysen Callery at the Roger Williams Nat’l Memorial
with Ryan Lee Crosby, Dan Lilley, and Scatman with Amy Bedard
DOWNTOWN SUNDOWN SERIES
ROGER WILLIAMS NATIONAL MEMORIAL
282 North Main Street
Providence RI, 02903
7pm
free
Allysen Callery at Roger Williams National Memorial
as part of the Downtown Sundown Series
with Dan Lilley and Scatman with Amy Bedard and Ryan Lee Crosby
Roger Williams National Memorial
282 North Maint Street
Providence, RI 02903
7pm
Free
Baylies Band and Gavage at LibertyFest
July 4 at Dusk
Harris Ave
Providence, RI
Noon – 2am
featuring:
Atlantic Thrills
Beta Motel
Big Huge
Black Sheep
Blackletter
Cross-Armed Calculator
Eric & the Nothings
Feedback Psychosis
Frenzy of Tongs
Gym Shorts
Happiness
Headless Nixon
Honest John
Hope Anchor
I Eat Rocks
Itchies
Izzy True
J
Jacques Le Coque
Lucky United
M.O.T.O
Mis(s) Invader
New Maps
Pals
Pyramid
Radio Carbon
School of Rock
Sure
Smith & Weeden
Swan Point
Sweet Release
Teazer
The Chiselers
Throne of Saturn
Tomorrow & Tomorrow
Trunkweed
Viennagram
Vulgarrity
World’s Greatest Lover
Sick Pills at The Pour Farm
with Nick Sundman and Mike Heffernan with Seamus Galligan
Pour Farm
780 Purchase St
New Bedford, MA
9pm
Cummins Brothers at the Looff Carousel
featuring Chris Adams
Crescent Park
Riverside, RI
6pm
Bill Keough at The Met
with The Wishing and Two Brothers
The Met
1005 Main St
Pawtucket, RI
8pm
All ages
$8.00
Brook, Bear and the Elephant ‘Montreal’ review in The Source
Merging the distinct styles and personalities of songwriters on record can be a difficult endeavor. The musical camaraderie of Eric Ott, Nate Laban, and Sean Yadisernia is a testament to this process and its potential. Their collective experience in music spans decades and includes well-known Seacoast acts Mercuryhat, Eric and the Anxiety, and Laban’s solo incarnations. They’ve earned several nominations for various Spotlight Awards, including one this year for best rock act as Thrift Store Ransom, and Ott has taken home two awards for his songwriting.
“Montreal,” their first full-length album under the name Brook, Bear and the Elephant, is an ideal balance of two seemingly competing styles. Ott’s contributions are rooted in folk, pop-Americana, and alt-country, while Laban’s have evolved out of an eclectic, but decidedly heavier, punky sound that, even when unplugged, always produce considerable power.
“Tired Moon Eyes” exemplifies the lyrical and musical intersection of their respective styles. Here, Ott’s Bob Dylan-influenced folk has been energized, now channeling Jeff Tweedy over Laban’s driving, palm-muted riffs that recall Tom Petty rather than Fugazi. The upbeat song culminates in a chorus that’s cheerfully laden with poppy “ba ba ba bahs,” but masks a darker meditation on mortality.
From the Wilco-inspired “Crushing Cloud” and Ott’s signature folk sound on “Strung Photographs,” to the humorous and choppy punk n’ roll of Laban’s “5 Inch Knife,” the record remains cohesive despite its diversity. On the standout track “Death of a Salesman,” Laban’s infectious melodies bounce on a powerfully simple two-chord structure. “I could never kill myself, trying to be like someone else,” he repeats. Having benefitted from each other’s influence, Ott and Laban aren’t trying to be like anyone else — they’re reaping the rewards of evolution.