The Belle Brigade / Good Old War - free live performance

Wednesday, March 28th  6:00 PM

Like many siblings, Barbara and Ethan Gruska had their ups and downs over their years growing up together in Los Angeles. “Oh, we hated each other as kids,” Barbara says with a laugh. “And by hate, I mean ‘love dearly,’ but we could never get along. We started to become friends for the first time when Ethan was 15 and I was 21. Then we became best friends and four years later we started writing songs together and formed The Belle Brigade.”

Listening to The Belle Brigade’s self-titled debut album, you could never tell that these two were ever not in perfect sync. The Gruska’s familial chemistry, not to mention their obvious songwriting gifts, have resulted in one of the most thrilling debut albums you’re going to hear all year. Inspired by the duo’s love for Fleetwood Mac, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, and Stevie Wonder, their artfully arranged, freewheeling songs brim with breezy, California melodies and bracing pop harmonies, fueled by the driving rhythms Barbara plays on drums. As performed by Ethan and Barbara and their talented group of backing musicians, Bram Inscore (bass), Blake Mills, (electric guitar), Aaron Arntz (piano), and Jimi Hendrix/Joe Cocker keyboardist Mike Finnigan (Hammond B-3 organ), songs like “Sweet Louise,” “Where Not To Look For Freedom,” “Lucky Guy,” and “Lonely Lonely,” are tailor-made for road-tripping up the coast with the car top down, sunshine on your face, and the music blasting into the roar of the wind.

http://www.thebellebrigade.com/

Over the past three years, indie-folk trio Good Old War has captivated countless audiences with their acoustic-driven, sing-along-inspiring live performances. Now, with the release of their third full-length record, Come Back as Rain, the Philadelphia-based band harnesses the high-spirited simplicity that makes their shows so unforgettable. Like Only Way To Be Alone (Good Old War’s 2008 debut) and their 2010 self-titled sophomore effort, Come Back as Rain showcases the delicately textured melodies and multipart harmonies that have become the band’s signature. Once again revealing their penchant for infectious folk-pop, Good Old War this time sharpens their sound by infusing Come Back as Rain with the same joyful passion they’ve ceaselessly brought to the stage.

Despite taking to a far less rustic environment than they did for their last release (an album largely created in a cabin in the Pocono Mountains), Good Old War managed to delve far deeper into the rootsy, organic sound they’ve carefully cultivated since forming from the ashes of Philadelphia indie-rock act Days Away. From start to finish, Come Back as Rain bears a rousing intensity that will certainly be familiar to anyone who’s witnessed their live show. Thanks to crowd-ruling sets delivered while opening for the likes of Alison Krauss, Dr. Dog, Guster, Brandi Carlile, Joshua Radin, Gomez, and Xavier Rudd, the band garnered a considerable following that helped their second record to debut at #2 on Billboard’s New Artist chart (as well as climb to the top slot on Amazon.com and on iTunes’ Singer/Songwriter chart). Last spring, Good Old War widened that fan base by giving a much-talked-about performance at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. 

http://goodoldwar.com/