Images: Jesse Pino and the Clever Clouds, Divided Heaven, Dead Frets, No Red Alice, Heartfelt Lies September 13, 2014 at The Artistic Armory

I usually go to ska punk shows, so this primarily acoustic night at Artistic Armory was a little outside of my wheelhouse. But while the majority of the music, the people, and the atmosphere were unfamiliar, I found myself feeling right at home.

The night started out with Heartfelt Lies, an acoustic pop/rock duo. This seemed like it might have been one of their first shows, and the vocalist’s high, sweet voice provided a relaxing start to the night.

Up next was No Red Alice, a.k.a Sal Giordano. Playing to a crowd full of friends with smiles from ear to ear, his version of “Wagon Wheel” had everyone clapping along. With a voice seemingly tailor-made for campfire singalongs, he also co-fronts local punk band TheCore., but I could see his versatile vocal range stepping far outside the punk or folk-tinged tunes he’s currently playing.

Jared Stinson, the first touring act, is part of the punk rock band Sic Waiting, but this night he played under his solo Dead Frets moniker. Either way, his smooth, clear voice was a pleasant surprise – one of the best I’ve heard live in a long time. His cover of traditional folk song “Moonshiner,” with lyrics like “the whole world is a bottle” hit me hard, and I’m sure it was relatable to many others in the crowd.

My reason for attending the show was for the third act: Divided Heaven. This time through town, frontman Jeff Berman brought a full band. Don’t get me wrong, Jeff is great on his own, but the band sure packs a punch. They played the title track off their new album Youngblood, along with “Melissa Militia,” which I found myself singing constantly since the first time I’d heard it. [Editor’s note: Check back on the site soon for a Stripped Down Session of “Melissa Militia,” along with another song]

Last but not least was the debut of Jesse Pino’s new backing band, the Clever Clouds. Pino has been well-known in the scene for a while now, playing in bands like Left Standing and The day after…  but this was actually my first time hearing his voice. I’m glad to have finally heard it, because I think I just found the perfect soundtrack for my next road trip. The Clever Clouds ended the night with the most energetic set, and this is definitely a band to look out for in the future.

-Julien Boulton

Photos by Emily Matview | https://www.flickr.com/photos/holdfastnow/