Interview and Show Review: Retribution Gospel Choir at Spaceland (4/13/2010)

by Brad Roberts

 

I was approached by Sub Pop to cover the Retribution Gospel Choir at Spaceland on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 for Radio Free Silver Lake and jumped at the opportunity to have a quick interview with band leader, Alan Sparhawk, before the show. (Alan is in center of photo at right) 

 

I've introduced myself to him a few times before, once at a Low concert, and at the first tour of Retribution... two years ago, at The Troubadour. But to have the chance to chat with him was too good to pass up. Even though I have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to interviewing, I figured I could try to incorporate some of our discussion into the review of the set and try to avoid the standard, "Why do you make music?...what's your favorite color?"-kind of questions.

 

Arriving at Spaceland at the appointed time, I walked in as Alan was leading Retribution Gospel Choir through a meticulous sound check. Spaceland, where, proportionately, I seem to be spending a fifth of my life these days, looks different in the daylight. Not really daylight, but with all the lights on, it's a little disorienting, so I was glad to see my friends, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians at the back of the room in the merch area awaiting their own sound check, giving me someone to hang out with until the interview.

 

I'll admit, being only my second interview ever, I was nervous, and had prepared a few questions to ask, but I'm not the sort to pry deeply into people's personal lives. I'll leave that for future biographers, or supermarket tabloids, but I really just want to engage in a chat where I get a read on the personality of the subject and extrapolate from there.

What I hadn't counted on was the chance to compare the songs in sound check to their full fledged live performance. That was an extraordinary gift. Retribution Gospel Choir blasted through three complete songs, and having only heard them on the album, I was super impressed with the power they took on live, and the sound balance was superb, even for a sound check. The songs were delivered in a clean, straightforward manner.

 

Before Alan came over to talk, the other guys in the band, drummer Eric Pollard, and Steve Garrington, Low's bassist, introduced themselves to me and said they'd find Alan. I'm sure being interviewed must be uncomfortable, especially for one whose introspection is such a part of his character that it's one of the focal points of his music.

 

I was curious if he had been born in Minnesota, where he and wife, Mimi Parker, and family live. No, he told me he was born in Seattle and moved to the Midwest as a youngster. (Mimi and Alan met in fourth grade) I told him that I had first gone to college in Superior, Wisconsin, next to Duluth, in 1968 where, by December there was five feet of snow on the ground and the temperature hovered around 40 below zero for four weeks. I headed back to Boston after one semester, and he said that was a notorious winter in the annals of Duluth history.

 

Indeed, the photo that graces the cover (at right) of the new CD, 2, is of broken up ice on Lake Superior, looking as primitive and remote as the North Pole. The kind of stoic individuality that characterized the early settlers to that area is still evident in Alan, as he seems, basically, reticent and shy.

 

I briefly explained how I was a recent re-convert to rock and roll and that Low was one of the first bands to draw me in, and one of the first concerts I attended. He seemed pleased when I told him it was the music video for "Monkey" that had been the key, and I considered it, not just a great video, but a fine piece of film making as well. I think he's very proud of that piece.

 

When I first heard about Retribution Gospel Choir in 2008, I was excited by the prospect of seeing Alan Sparhawk rock out. And indeed, he has explained, this band has allowed him the freedom to express himself outside the musical boundaries established by the music of Low, and just let go with his inner rock-god.

 

They've just recently returned from a tour of Europe and after a brief respite, he said, they're crossing the Atlantic again for dates in Spain and Italy during the month of May. As Low has a large European fan base it's not surprising there is great interest in Retribution Gospel Choir.

 

We chatted about changes he's observed during his over 16 years in the music business and he immediately pointed out that shows were far more well attended in the early and mid-nineties. Hoping to reassure him, I told him that I have noticed a marked increase in show attendance over the past three years, locally, and that the number of venues has nearly doubled. He acted pleased , but reticent, as maybe that's just an L.A. observation.

 

I certainly championed the local music scene to him, but he was cautious in his acceptance of that idea, and I'm not sure he took my word for it. As for the future, he said he plans to spend the summer working on new material for Low, with an eye on their next release. Speaking of their last album, Drums and Guns, I mentioned that it was a difficult album, but that it yielded fine rewards, and demanded perseverance from the listener. I felt that his work with Retribution Gospel Choir had freed him to take a far more experimental approach than Low would otherwise be permitted.

 

I thanked him, he thanked me, and I went off to catch a bite before the show. I came back as the first act, Peasant, was mid set and was immediately struck by the fine voice of this solo act from Pennsylvania. Damien DeRose plays acoustic guitar and sings sweet/sad songs, performing them in a plaintive voice that is filled with earnestness.

 

Next up were The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, who played a nice, solid set of great tunes from both of their albums and varied the set from the week before at The Echo. I'm sorry to say something was amiss in the mix so that there was a certain flatness to the sound, and it caused a loss to the depth of the sound this band usually achieves. Nonetheless, their playing was professional and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have seen this band twice in a couple of weeks.

 

I was a little surprised and disappointed at the turn out for the evening's program. I guess Coachella starting a few days later may have had something to do with it, but by the time Retribution Gospel Choir took the stage there was a good sized crowd assembled.

 

The extraordinary musicianship of Alan, Eric and Steve was on full display as they turned in a forceful and robust set of hard driving rock and roll. Augmented on a couple of numbers by a second guitar, which enriched the sound even more, it was remarkable to see to difference between the concise, meticulous playing during the sound check earlier and the seriously rocking performance I was witnessing now. Alan posed and strut like a rock icon and he transformed before my eyes into that guy who could easily command the attention of an arena sized audience.

 

They played a range of songs from the new album and a couple from their self titled 2008 release, Retribution Gospel Choir, each sounding fuller and more powerful than on record. It was most impressive. I left contented and satisfied and still reeling from the fact I'd gotten to talk with Alan. Thanks to Bekah Zietz of Sub Pop for arranging it.