The Mutineers with Brothers Young, Hurtbird, and Chris Story XXXperience @ Muddy Waters ~ June 9, 2011

Unexpected Experience

Santa Barbara is lucky to have such an eclectic variety of music to see live. So much so that it can sometimes make picking and choosing which shows to see an ordeal. But it was time for me to finally check out local one-man-band-around-town Chris Story.

The Chris Story XXperience is actually a two man band, with Chris on drums, guitar, and lead vocals (all at the same time) and Dakota Serge on stand up bass. The two create music that is reminiscent of old 50's tunes full of humorous lyrics. It was a rockabilly good time complete with audience participation that really added to the merriment.

My duty done and my rockabilly fix met, I was left to meander through the rest of the night. But I was unexpectedly drawn back in by the sound of the out of town band Hurtbird. From the other room I heard what sounded like samples, keyboards, and the beginning of a rap number... This wasn't rock. Curious I went to investigate.

Hurtbird looked like the IT department at my day job and had a sound that is difficult to assign to a genre. The enigmatic sound was composed of an MC spitting out fast paced poetic verses, backed by a live band with heavy drum beats, thick guitars, atmospheric keyboards, and a second flavorful vocalist belting out choruses that filled a void I didn't realize was there, all infused with the occasional sound sample. They were dynamic on stage and confident in their ability to blow your mind. And indeed they did.

Who knew such an random assortment of music could exist in one local show case. I was very pleased with my choice in shows that night and left with a greater exxxperience than I expected.



[Unfortunately, it was a school night and I had to bail out before the last two bands. Not my fault - they were running late! And I get tired.]