![]() It's hard for a record company to market that. Maybe that's down to Swell's odd combination of melancholy and bliss, qualities that toggle frequently within individual songs, leaving listeners feeling a complex and engrossing ambiguity. Even releasing their masterpiece, 41, on Rick Rubin's (Def) American label did not help Swell to break through to the masses. Veteran touring lead guitarist Niko Wenner-who also plays in Oxbow-doubled on keyboards and reveled in these '90s vintage tunes that sounded timeless and moving, as they homaged a gifted songwriter who never received the accolades he deserved. Bassist Monte Vallier (now living in Seattle) locked in with OG drummer Sean Kirkpatrick for surprisingly robust and occasionally funky grooves (for a psych-rock group). The job of recreating Freel's deadpan vocals, cryptic lyrics, and plangent acoustic guitar playing fell to original guitarist John Dettman-Lytle, and he nailed all tasks with stoic zeal-while using Freel's old axe. But no matter their citizenship, everyone in the venue-which was about 80% full-seemed deeply invested in this rare occurrence.ĭubbed "Everyday Sunshine: Tribute to David Freel 1958-2022," the tour has been focusing on Swell's first four albums, which most observers consider to be their peak era, encompassing 1990's Swell through 1997's Too Many Days Without Thinking. The members regrouped for a four-date West Coast trip to pay tribute to their late leader, David Freel, who passed away last year at age 64.įans swarmed to Madame Lou's on Saturday night from far-flung places such as Denver, Dublin, and Dubai (allegedly!). ![]() It was part of a reunion tour, yes, but the inspiration for it was anything but typical. This was a rare and special event for fans of Swell, a San Francisco cult band who haunted the peripheries of '90s underground rock and gradually drifted away.
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