Concert review: Matthew Gray, Spooky Folk, and Jenn Gooch at Dan’s Silver Leaf (October 22)

by Andy Odom of My Denton Music

Ah, Dan's Silver Leaf: the paint job, the patio, the smell. Oh yeah, and the music. Last Thursday, Dan's opened their doors for one of the bigger bills in town for the week: Jenn Gooch, Spooky Folk, and Matthew Gray, Delves into Humanity Pools.

Jenn Gooch opened her set with the words, "I think I'm ready ... for something different," and she appeared ready to deliver just that being accompanied by nothing but a banjo and a pronounced drawl. Jenn sang songs swimming in relationships, regrets, and religious imagery, all of which could have made her easy to dismiss as yet another "Anthology of American Folk Music" rehash. But by her third song, her beautiful melodies and sharp lyrics had the audience riveted. She left no doubters.

Next on the bill was Spooky Folk, who marked their first performance at Dan's Silver Leaf after months of house shows. It was obvious, though, that they've built quite a following at those house shows because the joint was packed. Spooky Folk rocked the room with an endearing and kooky set that had darn near everyone bopping, cheering, and even screaming. The emotional connection with their audience and their ragamuffin looks draw inevitable comparisons to bands like Arcade Fire, especially after witnessing their riveting performance. They poured out their souls on stage and fully engaged their audience, with members singing along with the audience's singing at times. Spooky Folk created a truly communal experience, and brought the house show vibe to one of Denton's best known venues.

Finally, Matthew Gray, Delves Into Humanity Pools took the stage to a disappointingly smaller audience, who either decided to leave after Spooky Folk or just have a smoke on Dan's back patio. Granted, it was a bit of a transition coming off a full band to a quieter ensemble, but Matthew Gray, keyboardist/flutist Jesse Chandler, and guitarist Jim Harrington -- later joined by Robert Gomez on drums -- turned in a strong performance. Gray was in fine voice as usual, and the intimate nature of this set was an interesting departure from Gray's main band, Matthew and the Arrogant Sea. Gray later stated that the Delves project allows him to write using a different formula than he's used to, like "potion in a beaker boiling to spill out." This is evident with abstract lyrics like "eyes split open, and telephones came out" or "watermelon turnstile balloon/everything reminds me of you," but coming through very approachable arrangements and expert musicianship. Their set came off sounding like The Flaming Lips at their most intimate, if not their most psychedelic.

Through the unique instrumentation, debut performances on a real stage, and showing off side projects, Dan's hosted a great night of local music, showcasing some of the acts that make our scene truly special.