With the hopes of Spring in the air, I entered the intimate Quai des Brumes. At 10:01 Maude Audet took the stage amid some unwanted distortion from the Sound system. After a slight adjustment, she sang some soft French songs on acoustic guitar along with her bassist. It got more bluesy once she picked up her Gibson electric hollow body. She ended with a French version of Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit “Comme Une Odeur de Déclin”, which was very interesting and creative to say the least. The boys from The Dig, pardon the pun, really dug her.
Before the show, I got to speak to 2 members of Communist Daughter, drummer Steve Yasgar and singer Molly Moore, who finished headlining a West coast tour before embarking on this tour supporting The Dig. This was the smallest venue to date, but their attitude was to play their best, regardless of the size of the venue.
Only five of the sextet fit on the tiny stage, Dylan had to settle for being on the floor in front with his keyboards, xylophone and additional guitar.
They started us off with “Hold Back” from their latest release The Cracks That Built the Wall, which was the song I heard that enticed me to see the gig. Johnny Solomon’s negative past gets mentioned frequently, but let’s focus on the present. When you dig yourself in a hole, all you need to do is get back to a point where your head sticks out again. That’s what Johnny did, and not only did his body follow, but a band attached to him, including a member that took it to the next level by marrying him. The results are deep introspective songs delivered with charm and warm feelings.
“Roll a Stone” really got its hooks into me. The haunting voice of Molly is a perfect contrast to Johnny’s voice. The next songs had a mellow country vibe that wrapped us up in a warm blanket, until “Ghosts” intensified into a rousing finale.
Communist rationing was enforced, as only a six pack of songs would be all we get from Communist Daughter tonight. Just as we started getting a buzz, we were left wanting more.
Communist Daughter Setlist
Hold back
Oceans
Roll a stone
Keep moving
Balboa bridge
Ghosts
I must be honest, I was invited by Communist Daughter and I checked out 1 song from The Dig and didn’t really feel it. Being the eternal optimist, I decided to give them a shot.
The tables in front of me were cleared, apparently, they were expecting some dancing.
As they took the stage, Emile Mosseri warned us that although no one took his invitation to come up to the front of the stage, he would wear us down.
By the third song, the crowd broke down and started dancing in front of the stage, initiated by members of Communist Daughter who took the lead. I will now admit that I was soon on my feet, it was simply impossible to stay seated during their performance.
Both David Baldwin and Emile shared the front of the tiny stage, swapping sides and instruments (bass & guitar) throughout the performance. The Brooklyn band enchanted the room, pretending this tiny stage was stadium grandeur and I was mesmerized by their performance. I would love to see Emile work a bigger stage as his charisma filled that stage with ample energy for more stage space.
Their latest release is Bloodshot Tokyo which was heavily featured in tonight’s playlist.
I came for the Communist, but I also dug the Dig.
I look forward to seeing both bands fill a well-deserved larger stage and perform for a much larger audience.
The Dig Setlist
I’m on my Knees
Pool of Rotting Water
Astronaut
Cold Afternoon
Self-Made Man
Bleeding Heart
Tired of Love
Let Your Lover Know
Reaction to Love
Black Water
All Tied Up
I Already Forgot Everything You Said
Jet Black Hair
Simple Love
Review & Photos – Randal Wark is a Professional Speaker and Business coach with a passion for live music. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.
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