SOLDC: Echoes from the past rooted firmly in the present

PORTLAND, Ore. - March 14, 2013 - PRLog -- It's Friday night at a small bar on Hawaii's Big Island and the band playing hasn't had much of a chance to promote the show.  They are new in town, and the new line-up is still getting to know each other.  But they came anyway: dancers, merrygoers, bikers and musicians,  hippies, jocks, young, old and everything in between.  Drawn in by the music dripping from the venue like echos of the past floating squarely in the present, even casual passers-by stay to listen.  The merry silhouettes of psychedelic dancers in the parking lot begin to drift into the place through a window.  And then it really happens.  Like a clarion call to those who miss the bygone days of big rock jams and cosmic, melodic improvisation, the band goes from great to magical... a pocket is entered, a muse is channelled, creating something bigger than the sum of its parts.  This is the sound of the Sons of the Late DC.

Near impossible to capture on tape, the magic of the SOLDC live experience lies in the moment, between the band and its audience. In an unbroken chain going back to primal rhythms and straight through gospel, folk, bluegrass, blues, jazz and rock, it is the polar opposite of canned. Conceived in the moment and nurtured by its environment, each show is unique, driven by the vibe of the crowd as much as the relentless, insatiable desire to pour music out into the world.  Music that is so alive it moves things, like its listeners, who soon become dancers. Music, that is, that moves minds.

Outside, the scene is hot, people dance with passionate abandon, swaying in the rhythm while some sneak off to make some quick, excited calls. Entertainment is not always easy to find in small towns, and Hawaii is no exception. Inside, the band is reaching the outer limits and pushes on fearlessly. Rhythms tumble and harmonic structures fall to pieces, as the sounds emanating from the stage begin to take on a decidedly strange character. The show has arrived in Space. In a cross of Free Jazz and spiritual ecstasy, the musicians on stage step into the shadows, probing the far reaches of sound. Pulsating and churning, this is a place of contemplation, and even the most dedicated dancers stop to ponder, but soon a pulse emerges from within the primordial stew and grows until the song picks up again and the audience is released into an even more energetic rhythm. The dancers are back on their feet, big satisfied grins plastered across their faces.

A few hours later, it may all just as well have been a dream. Tables and chairs back in their place, only a few patrons still populate the bar and an exhausted but elated band wraps up the night. Reflecting on the night, bandleader Wolfgang Rehmert wonders pensively about the state of his industry. Though it has been transformed beyond recognition, and many roads to success are now open to independent artists and label-supported acts alike,  the powers that be still hold the reins firmly in this game. In the Golden Years of Rock, talent like this would have had no trouble to find a platform and support. But today there is no sign of help from an industry that seems to revolve around calculated, formulaic and financially safe bets. They may not have a chance without a miracle, but the Sons of the Late DC play their spectacular best anyway and remain true to their sound, heeding a call that has compelled every performer from the earliest days.


Inspired by the road and the fragile crumbling economy of 2008, Sons of the Late DC was founded in Portland, OR and made its worldwide recording debut in 2010 with the release of an EP named "Better Days" featuring Wolfgang Rehmert and Everyone Orchestra players Matt Butler, Asher Fullero & Sean Frenette.  Splitting studio time between Hawaii and Oregon, the band recorded a follow-up EP "Sudden Shift",  released in December 2012. Touring the western U.S. in July and August 2013 to support their new EP, the band has scheduled media interviews, radio appearances, festival gigs, and other shows in California and Oregon.  New dates are still being booked, so look for a show near you, it is a show not to be missed.

http://www.sonsofthelatedc.com
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