Patchwork and Jeremy Gordon at Nomad World Pub on 11/16/07

By: Lauren Knapp

---

Jeremiah Nelson of Patchwork at the Nomad - Photo by David de Young

The Nomad was filled with Minnesotan and Wisconsinite alt-folk/rock fans last night for the Dallas Orbiter, Patchwork and Jeremy Gordon triple threat. A jovial, but slightly mellow crowd listened to what I can only describe as trash-techno-hip hop as they waited for Jeremy Gordon, former lead singer of the Minneapolis-based band The Vestals, to take the stage. 

With an air of confidence and a connection to Minneapolis, it was easy to tell that Jeremy was happy to be playing the Nomad. This was one of his first shows sans fellow Vestals members, and while I missed the dynamics a band offers, Gordon says it was nice to play alone. His stage talk was limited to the occasional rambling, at one point telling the mostly male audience, “You are all handsome in your own unique way.” Barely looking at the audience, Gordon sang most of his set with his eyes tightly closed giving me the impression that he was a bit lonely without The Vestals.

Still, his strong, melodic voice and oscillations between minor and major keys kept me intrigued. Gordon’s songwriting and vocals reminded me of a slightly more country Rufus Wainwright while his melodies have a strong Andrew Bird feel to them. All in all, Gordon’s set helped put the half-Wisconsinite audience in the mood for Madison, WI’s Patchwork who followed.

Jeremiah Nelson with Patchwork's stream of consciousness setlist

Patchwork is led by Jeremiah Nelson and has featured several Wisconsin-based musicians on their albums and at various points in time. At Friday night’s show, however, Nelson was left to his own devices – just one man and an electric guitar. Wearing a worn T-shirt, Nelson had a simple and unassuming stage presence. Sitting at the back of the Nomad, the electric guitar tended to muddy the vocals. I was happy to find the sound to be much cleaner toward the front of the bar – which made a huge difference. 

Just as I was getting used to Patchwork’s dreamy tunes – a mix between mellower Radiohead, Elliot Smith, Damien Rice and Beck’s Sea Change – he pulled out a homemade slide guitar. Nelson’s slide style excellently complemented his intricate guitar playing, making the slide all his own. After the show Nelson gave me his set list which seemed to be an excellent manifestation of his state of mind. A kind of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure document, Jeremiah avoids lists because they are controlling and stifling – qualities he tries to keep far away from his music. The document is pretty endemic of his writing style – a little unpredictable and uniquely his. 

---

Location Info: Nomad World Pub
Artist Info: Patchwork, The Vestals

Share this story:

Article comments powered by Disqus