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Photo by Eric Heisig
Timony on Tuesday night in Cleveland
Writing about Mary Timony always leads me to bring up a cliché in rock music writing: that more people should listen to her.
Well, it’s true. Despite several dozen people showing up Tuesday night to the singer/songwriter/guitarist extraordinaire’s Beachland Tavern concert, I’m left wondering what it’ll take for more people to take an interest in her music, which includes solo work and albums with Helium, Wild Flag, Ex Hex and others. That goes double for Cleveland, as Timony rarely forgets the city when she heads out on tour.
Tuesday’s hour-long concert proved what her small but devoted fan base already knows: that she’s one of the most underrated rock musicians of the past few decades. That may be because she is, unlike many other guitar wizards, tasteful and succinct instead of flashy and excessive. Her melodic rave-ups are no less thrilling, though.
Touring behind the recently-released solo album
Untame the Tiger, the Washington, D.C.-based mainstay treated the Cleveland crowd to all nine songs from the album, with a few of her older tunes sprinkled in.
Taking the stage without shoes and sporting a T-shirt for 1970s glam-rock band The Sweet, Timony started with “Don’t Disappear,” and was off, with her knotty guitar lines interweaving beautifully with those played by backing guitarist Betsy Wright.
Tunes that were acoustic on album became punchier live as Timony strummed and soloed on her electric guitars. She’s not the most animated performer — an occasional bobbed head or dancing in place went a long way — but it was clear she was living in the songs as she played them.
Much of the credit for the dynamic performance must also go to her crack band, which in addition to Wright includes bassist Chad Molter and drummer David Christian. The four musicians pushed songs like “The Guest” and “The Dream” to new heights, with the set-closing latter tune crescendoing with a guitar duel and Christian’s rolling drums.
The encore consisted of the peppy title track off Timony’s new album and a run-through of the Helium song “Walk Away.” The latter evolved into a swirl of psychedelic sounds propelled by Christian’s drumming. Timony soloed on the tune the same way she had all night, delivering exactly what was needed and nothing more.
Brooklyn band Youbet opened the night with a set that pulled liberally from 1990s bands like My Bloody Valentine and Pavement. Songs from the trio, which is on its first non-DIY tour of its career, were mostly melodic enough to keep the audience’s attention.
Setlist:
1. Don’t Disappear
2. No Thirds
3. Summer
4. Looking for the Sun
5. On the Floor
6. The Guest
7. Dominoes
8. Not the Only One
9. Leon’s Space Song (Helium song)
10. The Dream
Encore:
11. Untame the Tiger
12. Walk Away (Helium song)
Eric Heisig is a freelance writer in Cleveland. He can be reached at [email protected].
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