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Saturday Looks Good to Me @ the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor by Nick Meador
Within every story, there’s a time and a place that corresponds to every person. Fred Thomas, the leader of Saturday Looks Good To Me, moved to Portland, OR, six months after living in Ypsilanti, MI, for most of his life. “I lived here for 30 years,” says Thomas. “I love Michigan. There’s a lot of really, really good bands.” Although, depending on your personal point of view, Michigan’s current musical vigor is questionable. In this place, there was a time when music reigned supreme. The Motown legacy still echoes across the urban deterioration of metro Detroit, and those classic songs have a permanent place in the hearts of those who grew up here. “The band started ‘cuz I just wanted to make something that sounded like Motown, but was more aesthetically punk. It had more of a semi-political drive. But nobody else really got it. Everybody just thought it was about breaking up with girls,” says Thomas. Those mix-ups are understandable, considering that listeners don’t always pay close attention to the words. Many people who hear SLGTM can sense the Motown presence, and music purists will listen to their vinyl records more often than other formats. On rounding out the SLGTM sound, Thomas says, “Then I started listening to Beach Boys and Love and the Zombies and stuff like that. It still really sounds good, and it’s still something that’s valuable. Just because there’s a way that a lot of people make music right now doesn’t mean that’s the right way to do it.” That is a daring stance in a world where many prefer packages to be served to them, to relieve them of the burden of making decisions for themselves. SLGTM is an example of how the internet can benefit a band. “For a band [MySpace] is a great thing,” says Thomas. “It’s like a free web site. And iTunes—I think it’s great to not have a bunch of plastic cluttering up the world, and it doesn’t matter to me if people are getting my music for free because it didn’t cost me anything to make it. It didn’t cost me anything to write a song. It’d be great if they wanted to generously give a gesture of something, but I don’t care. If they get something out if it, that’s great.” That kind of open-minded mentality is increasingly common in the music world, since artists are beginning to realize that more people hearing your music results in a bigger fan base. Thomas is the primary writer in SLGTM, and while others add vocals and instruments on the albums, the real group effort comes together on stage. Their new album, Fill Up The Room (K Records), doesn’t come out until September 11, but band will be touring the US and Europe over the next two months to keep busy. Thomas says that every spot on the tour is special in its own way, but “sometimes the best shows are [for] the people who don’t get a chance to see bands that much [and] are the most excited about it.” On February 23, 2007, the group played the first show of their tour at the Blind Pig in Ann Arbor, MI, and all six players seemed refreshed, energized and excited. They were all adorned in white clothing, so they would glow in the black lights overhead. Everyone kept an eye on Thomas at all times, watching for his next move. But Thomas didn’t hog the stage—his strong leadership was balanced by a healthy dose of humility. Everything congealed differently than on the albums, and the songs were even more dance-worthy. “Meet Me By The Water” rocked a bit harder than on their memorable 2003 album All Your Summer Songs. Betty Marie Barnes took the stage about three songs in for “Underwater Heartbeat,” wearing a vintage dress (white, of course). Scott Sellwood made the keyboard stick out, especially on songs with a solo like “The Girl’s Distracted.” That song also demonstrated how well the voices of Barnes and Thomas fit together. The combination of male and female vocals is something that’s far too absent in modern music. On “Since You Stole My Heart,” the Pig’s disco ball spun for a nostalgic trip to what high school dances should have been like. The real high point in the show came with “Alcohol,” where the band’s tight playing had the crowd hopping. Can a band carry this
much energy throughout a tour that spans two continents? It probably
depends on each place, and varies from day to day. The people are a
little different everywhere you go. Some have had exposure to indie
pop, and some haven’t.
Some people have a “music scene” where they gather no
matter who’s playing. Others only have MySpace, iTunes and other
websites to get their music. In Michigan, you’ll be hard pressed
to find people who don’t have a deep-seeded love for their native
state, despite the troubles of an automobile monoculture. But every
place needs improvement, and this could be the time when Michigan’s
capacity for music, art and culture booms. The one certainty is that
when Saturday Looks Good To Me played, the only thing that mattered
was how wonderful every single person felt at that time and place—forging
a cherished page in their own story. LINKS: MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/saturdaylooksgoodtome Web site - http://www.slgtm.com VIDEOS:
“Alcohol,” from the album All
Your Summer Songs
“Since You Stole My Heart,” from
the album Every Night
“The Girl’s Distracted,” from the album Every Night
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