Fruition

October 3, 2016
Capital Ale House Music Hall
Richmond, VA
USA

Lostbrook 2.0 Volume 167

Source: CA-14(omnis)>CA-9200>Sony M10(24/48)
Location: 10' from stage-right stack

Transfer: Sony M10>Micro SDHC>PC>Sound Forge 10>WAV 16/44.1>
Trader's Little Helper>FLAC(level 8)

Taper/Transfer/Notes: Lostbrook
Covers/Review: ethiessen1

Disc 1:

01 Tuning (1:01)
02 Just One Of Them Nights (3:18)
03 Blue Light (5:29)
04 Never Again (3:59)
05 Belong To The Band (4:09)
06 Beside You (5:09)
07 The Way That I Do (3:51)
08 Above The Line (5:09)
09 Hey, Hey, What Can I Do * (5:30)
10 The Wanter (2:46)
11 There She Was (7:17)

Disc 2:

12 Santa Fe (4:15)
13 Falling On My Face (4:04)
14 I Should Be (On Top Of The World) (6:18)
15 Stickshifts And Safetybelts # (4:32)
16 The Meaning (6:22)
17 Mountain Annie (4:15)
18 I Don't Mind (7:01)
19 Labor Of Love (7:09)

Encore:

20 Death Comes Knockin' (4:45)

* Led Zeppelin cover
# CAKE cover

Jay Cobb Anderson - vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica
Mimi Naja - vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, "hippy drum"
Kellen Asebroek - vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar
Jeff Leonard - bass
Tyler Thompson - drums, percussion

Lostbrook notes:

My original plan was to see Fruition in Washington, D.C. on October 1, but when I noticed the band was scheduled to play in Richmond two nights later, I decided this would be a good excuse to take a road trip and hang out with ethiessen1. We arrived in town from opposite corners of the state early enough to absorb some culture at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. To ensure this wouldn't kill us, we absorbed some beer afterwards at the bar portion of the Capital Ale House, then grabbed a table once the music hall opened. I had high hopes for the venue, but with horrible sightlines due to the low stage and dance floor area in front of the tables, sub-par sound, lousy service, and a chatty audience, it's unlikely I will be returning to this venue.


ethiessen1's review:

It's the little things. A touch more echo, a bit sweeter backing vocal, a just a tad harder backbeat, a mandolin tinkling away instead of a second guitar, it's when those little things all come together and come to fruition, you get, well, you get Fruition. They're a little bit electric guitar growling rock n roll with a funky smooth tinge of soul, a strum or two of acoustic twanging folk topped with some white hot cascading bluegrass runs all combined into one of the tightest and most talented bands you'll ever hear.

This was their first foray into Richmond, VA, a city that once embraced a raw young Bruce Springsteen way back in his Steel Mill days, and one that has been known to rock hard and party equally so. But it is also a place that hosted the National Folk Festival for two years, liked it and now has one of its own every October. In other words, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

Located near Shockoe Slip in downtown Richmond, this location of the Capital Ale House features two spaces-a somewhat crowded bar and booth area on the left that serves food and a large selection of liquid libations next to a more spacious music hall on the right that features tables and chairs, and, for this performance, a roughly 150 square foot open area between the tables and the front of the stage. There is a wooden back wall behind the raised 3 ft high stage with a doorway for the musicians to enter through. While the old brick walls and pockmarked wide planked wooden floors maintain the warehouse ambience the area is known for they made it difficult for the audio mixer to achieve a good clean sound. Somehow, Lostbrook's recording came out crisp and well defined, unlike the muddy mess we heard in the hall itself most of the evening. A pity for those in attendance as the band was at the top of its game, although I doubt that many in the perceptionally altered crowd really even noticed, but good fortune for those who can hear his recording.

After a mind numbingly average bluegrassy rock n roll opening band, finally Fruition came onstage to the warm cheers of the obviously welcoming audience. Like moths to a flame the crowd left their tables en masse, making their way towards the stage. Some tentatively jiggled and some talked although the volume eventually made it difficult for anything but close quarter shouting. The liquid refreshments loosened up both the band and the Monday night after work crowd as the set unfolded. Some "danced" by almost jogging, some by nodding their heads, while others just rocked a little from side to side or merely bounced in place.

The setlist featured more than a few songs from the band's latest album Labor of Love, a very well written and played effort that deserves to get much more airplay and recognition than it will. Highlights of this evening included a nice cover of Led Zeppelin's Hey, Hey, What Can I Do, the sweetly polished There She Was, the soulful Santa Fe, the bluesy I Should Be (On Top Of The World), the bluegrassy mandolin driven Mountain Annie, and the Bonnie Raitt-ish I Don't Mind, but really, everything they played was excellent imho.

All of those little things added up all night long... highly recommended.













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