05.07.2011 - Girlyman @ The Irving Theatre
May 16, 2011
The Irving Theatre
Indianapolis, IN
As always, an evening at the Irving Theater does not come without some excellent entertainment. On this particular evening, we had the supreme joy to see two amazing bands: Coyote Grace and Girlyman.
First up, Coyote Grace took the stage and handled a minor lighting mishap with superb grace and humor. This trio is made up of Ingrid Elizabeth on the upright bass, Joe Stevens on guitars, and Michael Connolly on everything in between. Of course, I was immediately drawn in by the wonderful harmonies and stories behind the songs. Certainly, the music of Coyote Grace can be categorized as folk, but to me it is so much more. There are few artists that I will truly claim to relate to…few artists that I would nearly accuse of miraculously knowing and understanding my own thoughts and private emotions, but I would definitely classify Coyote Grace as such artists. With songs such as “Young & Dumb,” “Girls Like Me (Summertime),” and “Seasons,” it was easy to relate to the words and emotions being sung on this night. Coyote Grace regaled us with stories about their own journey; from playing at the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, to growing up in southern towns where being different isn’t always welcomed, band member Joe Stevens’ transition from female to male, and of the joy of creating art that is truly moving. Coyote Grace showed up with a root like sound, but the lyrics of their songs are so bold and shockingly moving. It was easy to see that the band loves what they do and that they have found a strong connection with not only each other, but also with the music they have written. The band played an excellent cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” and brought out the members of Girlyman for a few songs, as well. Suffice it to say that by the end of their set, I was a huge fan.
When Girlyman took the stage, I really was really excited for the experience we were about to have. This band has serious cred…they are loved by many, have seriously loyal fans, they’ve lived through some hard stuff, and oh yeah…their music and performance is amazing. They sang “Joyful Sign,” “Supernova,” “Young James Dean,” and many others. There was a very in-depth discussion and even a short song about ghosts, particularly the ghost of Elvis (the stage at the Irving is the stage from Elvis’ last concert that took place at Market Square Arena). This band had certainly been through a lot since their inception, but after lead vocalist Doris Muramatsu was diagnosed with leukemia last year, it is clear that this band has overcome much and the resulting unity and obvious joy they share onstage is much more than the often-shallow performance by just any old band. These are dear friends who connect through the miracle of music. They each bring something unique to the equation that makes up Girlyman and the result is not only an excellent group of musicians and performers, but people who understand the joys and trials of life and can relate to all of us. Check them out, you will not regret it.
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