by Nate Abernethy
Photos by Carlos J. Matos and Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson, All Rights Reserved
Photo by Carlos J. Matos
As I stepped into On-Airstreaming’s studio I promptly ignored the attractive PR lady, as I couldn’t help but soak in the surrounding atmosphere. Once I squeezed through a room of industry types and got a drink in my hand I looked over every inch of their impressive setup. A sleek and silver airstream trailer outfitted with state of the art audio recording and video capturing capabilities sits center stage in a small sea of artificial grass. As Spanish Gold made their way aboard, it became quickly apparent how these performances are a truly unique experience. It’s unlike any live act you’ve ever seen or taping you’ve ever attended. In a way it’s a glimpse inside the magic that happens in studio, a glimpse fans rarely get to witness in person.
It took the crowd a brief moment to adjust from the cheering and singing along they had engaged in the night before at the sold out show at The Parish to the “all quiet on set!” setting they now found themselves in. Once things got started, though, a hush would have fallen over the crowd regardless. Despite a raspy voice courtesy of three shows in twenty-four hours, the dread of a fourth show on the horizon and plenty of Tom Waits jokes, lead singer Dante Schwebel delivered a gorgeous, stripped down version of “Day Drinkin’”. This soulful and soothing acoustic version actually benefited the mood of a song whose studio version I felt had always tried a little too hard for that summertime sound.
Photo by Carlos J. Matos
After a brief interlude punctuated with ravenous applause the audience had been holding back, next up was “One Track Mind.” With a raucous boot stomping anthem of an intro that gives way to a positively grooving guitar, “One Track Mind” has already become a signature of the trio. There are so many different elements at play in Spanish Gold, with the band’s impressive pedigree of My Morning Jacket, Hacienda and Brownout coming together to create real rumbling rock n’ roll with an old school sensibility and a Latin flair. Tracks like “One Track Mind” are a perfect example of how all these characters come together to create an electric combination.
Photo by Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson
Once the performance was wrapped, Spanish Gold stuck around to chitchat about everything from origins to band names, and how their importance wanes very quickly the more legal hoops you have to jump through. Schwebel took a much-needed vocal break as Adrian Quesada (guitar) and Patrick Hallahan (drums) discussed their unexpected shared love of Keith Sweat and how the band’s momentum began as a happy accident. For a group of already successful music veterans, it will be interesting to see Spanish Gold continue its rise as this venture could risk possibly surpassing their other already impressive projects. Give a listen yourself to Spanish Gold’s debut release South of Nowhere if you don’t believe me.
We’ll have Carlos and Leslie’s complete photosets up later this week, with more glimpses behind-the-scenes at On-Airstreaming. Stay tuned!
Nate Abernethy is a magical sprite we captured and forced to write for us. He somehow also wound up with a twitter account @NateAbernethy