Sometimes you can find great music in the unlikeliest of places. I'd never been to the Lion's Lair before Thursday night, even though I'd passed by the place many times. Stepping inside for the first time, I wasn't sure how it'd work as a venue. Inside was a massive island-style bar that took up most of the space. Most of the patrons were enjoying drinks and watching baseball, which went on for longer than I expected. In fact, the first band didn't start until after the game that night finished - an hour and a half past the scheduled start time. That was a major clue that the place was definitely more bar than venue. Hussle Club was absent that night, something that must have happened a while ago but was never updated anywhere. That was another clue that music may be the secondary purpose here, so I began to wonder what might be in store when the first band finally took their places on the small stage hidden in the corner of the bar.

Big Tree

Big Tree was up first, taking the role of the headliners for the night's show. This five piece indie-pop band had Kaila McIntyre-Bader on vocals/piano, Anna Ghezzi on vocals/glockenspiel, Dan Pirello on guitar, Luke Bace on vocals/bass, and Colin Fahrner on drums. Once they began to play, all my concerns about the setting vanished as I got lost in their immaculate sound. The band used a combination of retro and contemporary rock styles to make something that sounded like a modern rock twisted version of '60s sunshine pop. Their songs were driven by tight vocal harmonies and jazzy piano wrapped around blues-rock styled guitar, bass and drums.

Big Tree

It was very refreshing to hear, like the band channeled the style and spirit of groovy jazz piano-driven vocal pop, but instead of keeping it quaint which could make them sound campy, they kicked up the energy and attitude with bluesy indie rock 'n' roll making the package pleasingly different.  Big Tree opened their set with the syncopated rhythms and crisp harmonies of "Move To The Mountains", a song from their first self-titled album that blends psychedelic funk with vocal pop very contagiously and did well to introduce the audience to what comprises this band's characteristic musical style.

Big Tree

Up next came "This Fall" from Big Tree's new sophomore album This New Year, still featuring the hypnotic vocal-pop harmonies but driven by a more contemporary indie rock sound. I really enjoyed "The Concurrence of All Things" because its unusual time-signature enhanced the retro jazz piano feel of the song and really gave it that old sunshine pop framework, but the guitar work kept the song modern. "Seattle Bound" and "Ah Ah Ah" had a similar stylistic balance that made them standout songs as well. I also liked how they finished their set with the more uptempo pieces "Cap'n Ted" and "Little Brother" that really brought out the rock 'n' roll aspect of their sound. "Little Brother" was an awesome finishing piece, as the band played an extended version with an instrumental breakdown that elevated the song to epic status.

Big Tree

Big Tree definitely had a clearly defined sound going for them that is apart from what anyone else is currently doing. They also seem to have a strong dynamic with each other, making it easy for the crowd to feel their energy emanating from stage. All together, they make for a talented, quite polished and likable group that can deliver a very enjoyable music experience with their unique style of songs. I was very impressed with their music and very glad that I was able to hear them and pretty astonished that I saw them at Lion's Lair of all places. If you are into indie-pop and/or music with a '60s throwback feel, seek out Big Tree - they are very good at what they do.

Number Station

Local psych-rock band Number Station came up next to close out the night. It was a performance I was looking forward to with great curiosity, because it was the first time I've reviewed a band I've seen before after major line-up changes, giving me the ability to do some compare and contrast. I saw Number Station a couple times back in August, and since then two members have left the band and two new faces have taken their place. Jay McBurney slid over from bass to guitar to make room for new bassist John Jarvinen and Kate Whysner joined the band as the new vocalist. Thursday night's show was the first live performance of this new iteration of Number Station.

Being the first time this new version of the group performed live meant they did not quite have the same cohesion that the previous group I saw did, but that was completely understandable as that will take some time to redevelop. Although much of the performed material were songs I've heard this band play before, they had a considerably different feel to them during this performance. The first thing I noticed was that the tone of the band seemed different - less dark and not really sludgey. The guitars did not seem as heavy or distorted - the riffs seemed to have a more subdued attitude about them.

It seemed strange to me not seeing Jay on bass. His somewhat stoic demeanor worked well on the bass but seems to sap a little life out of the guitar. Musically, he seemed to play well, but the dynamic seemed a little off especially compared to how Tom, Adam and John moved about on stage with their respective instruments. Kate seems to still be finding her presence behind the microphone. Her vocals are good, but too clean and don't seem to have conviction. I understand she is still learning the songs, so I'll just say she needs to develop a strong connection to the words she is singing, because as of now I didn't feel any conviction. Personally, I really liked the very dark, moody and almost twisted vocal delivery I heard from this band before, and right now I think the vocals are delivered straightforwardly with too much sparkle.

Number Station

Because of those things, the performance of the older songs I heard before just weren't quite what I'd hoped to hear Thursday night.  However, the new song "Still I Love You" stood out because it seemed to fit the new line-up of the band better. The song has a more solemn, introspective mood driven by a slower tempo and bluesy guitars that gives Kate the ability to sing more soulfully. I really think that a softer more soulful vocal delivery is Kate's strength - she had much more conviction and delivered better energy throughout that song. I suppose it's up to the band to figure which way they want to lean or if somehow both moody darkness and bluesy soul can coexist. I'd like to see this band again after a little bit of time when they form a more solid identity. The foundation is there, but the rest of the structure is still to come.

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