Azure Ray Concert

Yesterday evening I went to a  concert of Azure Ray with two of my friends. It was at Walter's on Washington, a venue I've never been to before. We stepped out and were immediately confronted by a yellow school bus carefully labeled as a burger bus. A burger bus? I took a picture and the man working there exclaimed that I should buy a cheeseburger in return. I promised I would sometime. Now I owe a man with a meat-toting vehicle a visit. Walter's is quite wonderful -- it's rather shabby, an old white wooden building with plain lettering: "WALTER'S ON WASHINGTON." We stepped in and were greeted by music, being only about fifteen minutes late for the beginning of the concert. The place was filled with a youngish crowd, lots of dyed black hair, tattoos, converses. The floors were cement, the walls were covered in stickers, and the stage was small and close to the audience. 

There were two opening bands --  James Husband and Nik Freitas. Both were wonderful, singer-songwriter guys.

And then, the main act came on. Azure Ray. The two women (Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink) started up in Georgia in 2001, and after a break, have come back together, produced a new cd and are touring the country. Their music is  ethereal, as American dream-pop is by definition, accompanied by electric guitar, mandolin, cello, and occasionally bass. I sincerely recommend you (all of you out there reading this) check it out.

Because of the small crowd that is the nature of Walter's, the atmosphere was close and casual. A few people held beers, but even by the end of the night no one seemed outrageously drunk or rowdy. The sound quality was surprisingly good, and not too loud. Taylor herself commented that it was "exponentially the best" of the experiences they'd had on the tour yet.

I took a few pictures. Unfortunately, the quality of my camera in the darkness is terrible.

James Husband

Nik Freitas and his drum machine

Azure Ray

Maria Taylor and Orenda Fink

Sara