On a rainy Tuesday night, two days before Thanksgiving, I ventured to the intimate basement club Barboza Lounge on Seattle’s Capitol Hill. Playing was British band Skinny Lister. This would be my third time seeing them but my first time seeing them at their own show. The last time I saw them was as an opener for Frank Turner and before that as part of the Warped Tour. I looked forward to seeing them again. I was not disappointed. Skinny Lister didn’t just put on a concert. They put on a rousing party.
They entered the stage with singer and dancer extraordinaire Lorna Thomas swigging from a large ceramic jug I later learned was full of rum. Throughout the show she’d hand it off to audience members to also partake.
When she wasn’t singing, Lorna danced about the stage, sometimes even doing flapper girl moves. It was hard to stop watching her, but the other band members were just as fun. Her brother Max Thomas did his own twists and turns about the stage while playing either an accordion or the mandolin. Sam “Mule” Brace played a multitude of different guitars and also a concertina and took over lead vocals for one or two songs. He emoted to the extent I think everyone watching felt personally serenaded to.
Stand up (and regular)bass player Michael Camino almost stole the show when he crowd surfed, stand-up bass intact, over the crowd and back onto the stage. He did this not once, but twice. The second time he sent his bass ahead of him and the bass did its own crowd surfing until said musician crowd surfed, caught up with it toward the back of the crowd, then surfed back, strumming the bass back to the stage.
Not to be outdone, Lorna then surfed the crowd, her red shoes flailing.
For the finale the openers joined them on stage. This also entailed Michael strumming his upright bass while Lorna stood on top of it, sticking the mic toward the audience while they sang along.
They then left the stage, but no one in the audience wanted this party to be over. When the band returned for a second encore, Michael came out first and told everyone they were very selfish, not letting them leave. One more song and the party was over. Everyone seemed to linger awhile, basking in the glow of this very fun night. Skinny Lister know how to put on a very fun filled show and I can’t wait til they come through Seattle again.
Skinny Lister is, Michael Camino stand-up bass and bass guitar, Dan Heptinstall acoustic guitar, Max Thomas vox/mandolin, Lorna Thomas vox and dancing, and Sam “Mule” Brace concertina/guitar, and Thom Mills on drums.
Prior to Skinny Lister was a one-man band (he says he does not pay well with others) called Lincoln Durham. Hailing from Texas, he sported a Mohawk, a leather jacket and played guitar, drums, and anything else he could come up with. Many of these instruments he played at the same time including strumming a guitar and playing drums that were behind his back. This had to take the utmost coordination but he made it seem like it was as easy as playing with toys.
His music was an eclectic mix of Texas blues with a heavy smattering of punk. He was nothing short of amazing and judging by the enthusiastic response from the audience, I am not alone in that sentiment.
Starting off the whole evening was a brotherly duo Tanner and Trapper Schoepp and oh they are pretty boys. But putting shallow observations aside, these guys could play and they could sing. Their songs were folky with a smattering of rock with beautiful two-part harmony. I am now a fan.
I am still on a high from this show.
– Photos property of Holly Homan, all rights reserved.
