Un-Hollow
Missouri’s Dawson Hollow takes over Unit B
Though jazz and such is all well and good, it’s quite exciting to see the Chocolate Maven open its new-ish Unit B events space to other genres of music now and then. This week, that comes in the form of Dawson Hollow, an Ozarkian indie-folk act with roots in the various genres one might associate with the Ozarks, yet a healthy dash of indie rock, pop and R&B thrown in to round out the mix and make thing kinda sexy.
Dawson Hollow follows in the footsteps of bands built by siblings, though rather than the two-fer we get with bands like The Get Up Kids or Radiohead, all five members are related. Logistical and interpersonal minefield? Maybe so, but the results speak for themselves. These folks clearly know each other well, as evidenced not only by the way they mesh well as players, but the stunning vocal harmonies at work.
Take a track like “Pixelated Haze” off the band’s most recent album of the same name. Someplace between the slightly distorted fiddle lies an almost Crosby Stills & Nash coming-together of voices alongside a deft bit of poppy yacht-rock style beat work. A mere few tracks later, the band drops a song like “You Are My Sweater,” a nouveau rock number that cleverly melds modern-day radio pop with subtle funk nods and a head-bobbing vibe perfect for that time of year when spring starts to make way for summer.
And that’s precisely why Dawson Hollow should work for so many different types of music lovers. Oh, there will be slow jams, too, and the genre-phasing doesn’t feel shoehorned so much as it does the work of a band that gets how to do
fusion without bumming out their liisteners. Our guess is this band is gonna blow up real soon. Don’t you want to say you caught ‘em way back when? (Alex De Vore)
Dawson Hollow: 7 pm Thursday, April 10. $22. Unit B by Chocolate Maven, 82 W San Mateo Road, unitbsantafe.com
Happy, Happy; Joy Joy
Courtesy Jeffie Brewer
Sometimes it’s easy to forget that upbeat and fun art can be just as impactful as all that super-serious stuff out there, and this week’s Joy Machine exhibit and book signing at Canyon Road-adjacent Materiality gallery provides just such an experience. Crafted by Texas-based artist Jeffie Brewer, the steel sculpture collection straddles the line between colorful pop and three-dimensional whimsy via bold and inviting animal pieces (and maybe robots). Rather than representing realistically, Brewer makes use of an exaggerated and borderline cartoony style. He’ll also be in attendance signing his new book, also titled Joy Machine—an apt title for such a fun project. (ADV)
Jeffie Brewer: Joy Machine Opening and Signing: 5-7 pm Friday, April 11. Free. Materiality, 241 Delgado St., mateiralityfineart.com
Easter Eyes on This
The citywide Easter Egg hunt is Saturday.
Santa Fe families know there is precious little for the whole fam to do together around here, but if you’re looking for a little Easter-themed something-something, the city presents its annual Easter Egg Hunt this weekend. If it’s even possible to not know what that’s all about, kiddos will have a chance to seek out hidden painted eggs throughout the outdoor space at the Municipal Recreation Sports Complex. But that’s not all! Also included is a big truck show, which will give young auto enthusiasts a chance to check out big ol’ trucks up close. Likely, they’ll come out of the experience with candy, too, and the city has even been kind enough to set up different areas for various age groups. (ADV)
City of Santa Fe Easter Egg Hunt and Big Truck Show: 10 am Saturday, April 12. Free. Municipal Recreation Complex, 205 Caja Del Rio Road, (505) 955-4470
Heide and Seek
Courtesy Mojave Ghost
If’n you didn’t yet know, Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery fills a very important void in Santa Fe—that of the mid-sized venue whose proprietors are willing to host nearly anything. From punk rock and metal to pop, funk, salsa…actually, it’d be shorter to note the types of shows they won’t host. Anyway, on top of that, the patio space at Tumbleroot is *chef’s kiss,* and this weekend plays host to Bisbee, Arizona-based folk maven Kayla Von der Heide. In a city with no shortage of acoustic guitar options, Von der Heide’s show stands out with a combo of earnest lyricism and a drop-dead gorgeous voice to boot. That sort of thing played out during the can’t-beat-it-springtime in Santa Fe? If that’s not nice, we don’t know what is. (ADV)
Tumbleroot Patio Music Series: Kayla Von der Heide: 3-6 pm Sunday, April 13. Free. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, 2791 Agua Fría St., (505) 393-5135
