On Friday night, the Basement housed the sold-out EP release show for Alanna Royale, also featuring Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes, Golden Spurs, and Maureen Murphy. We told you to head down there, but even we had no way of anticipating of what was in store.
Maureen Murphy can sing. Holding long and powerful notes like a 2013 Whitney Houston (truly, though), the strength behind Murphy's voice will take you to church, regardless of whether or not you want to go there. The Massachusetts-born singer/songwriter opened the show to a packed house and made some new fans in the process, as exemplified by the boy behind me who couldn't contain himself and kept screaming "I fuckin' love you!" (It was well-deserved praise.)
Continuing the Massachusetts theme, Golden Spurs brought their garage-style rock vibe to the stage, adding an additional layer of sweat to every member of the packed and dancing audience. The only surprising thing about the rock trio's talent is that more people aren't aware of it. But the band is still relatively new to Nashville, so there's no doubt we'll all be on board soon.
We first wrote about Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes back in April of last year and they were fantastic then. But the four piece has sharpened their sound and their live show so effectively that they are currently winning our year-end poll (to your right) and accomplishing everything every independent band sets out to accomplish. After returning from their recent U.S. tour, the band hasn't stopped, giving everyone little choice but to become a fan of their eclectic blues pop-rock. Essentially, Daniel Ellsworth & the Great Lakes are blowing up-- and no one is surprised. Their set at the Basement was a testament to how far they've come.
Alanna Quinn-Broadus is a powerhouse, both vocally and in personality. Unrivaled when it comes to stage presence, it makes sense that the refreshingly sassy frontwoman is balanced at the front of the stage by the six male band members behind her. From making their radio debut earlier this month to selling out the Basement just a few weeks later, it's difficult to deny that Alanna Royale are onto something. Playing a set consisting of the songs from their Bless Her Heart EP and a cover of Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box," Quinn-Broadus announced the end of the show and responded to the subsequent groans in the crowd with, "We don't have any more fuckin' songs!" Though it seems we've all become rabid superfans before Alanna Royale was ready for us, the recently-formed band seems to be handling our new-found obsession like seasoned veterans. And I cannot wait until they give us some more fuckin' songs. –Brianne Turner
