Live Music Review //
Technical Reserve / Christie Echols / Caleb Duval & Michael Larocca
January 14th, 2023
@ Willimantic Records, Willimantic CT
This was my first time back at Willimantic Records for music in 2023 and it was the first time that Quentin had come with me since Willimantic Records changed locations. While this was a show I wanted to take Quentin to regardless, it was special because two of the three artists used upright bass while Technical Reserve had T.J. Borden on cello and in his school band Quentin plays the cello. I wanted him to kind of see what could be done with not only the cello but music outside of that fifth grade public school setting.
People outside of New England may not feel it and maybe it will be more meaningful in twenty years, but as I sit here typing this in mid-January we've only really seen one snowstorm this winter and it wasn't even that bad. We also haven't really had terribly cold weather. So it was somewhat nice while driving off of the highway and onto the backroads through Bolton and Andover to see some flurries coming down. I might otherwise complain about snow, but the feeling it gave me of confirmation that it is, in fact, winter seemed to make up for the worry of driving home in it (even though it didn't stick)
One of the biggest things I really liked about this show was that all three artists felt connected by that bass/cello driving the other components. Up first was the duo of Caleb Duval and Michael Larocca. Caleb Duval has a way of playing the bass that can just become the entire room. When you're a kid, growing up, and you see bands play it will often make you want to play guitar. But this was just that type of sound that made me realize you don't need a guitar if you can do it this way.
Michael Larocca fills in the sound with percussion which can range from banging on the drums to any number of other sorts of percussion-based instruments. There is one instrument which just looks like a bowl that can be pivoted around and something which sounds like a marble rolling inside of it can be heard. I also know that at some point in time I've heard this type of instrument on cassette and more than once. The music also got to the point where it was loud, but not overly.
Up second was the bassist known as Christie Echols. Echols would play the upright bass with a bow, fingers and in ways which almost felt like it was a process of destruction. This was the idea of taking one instrument and creating a sound which could still feel full and at times that even meant keeping the beat on the body of the bass itself. In many ways, this entire show was a way of finding out that the bass- which often sort of blends into the guitar- can stand on its own and really create a sound and style itself.
The way this sound can encompass an entire room is not only a testament of the instrument but of the musician as well. It can feel eerie, as if the score for a movie which can be full of suspense and at other times it can just feel like all of the walls are falling down around you, a real sense of destruction at its finest. The perfect soundtrack to the apocalypse, this is a sound you should certainly hear if able.
The third act was Technical Reserve, which is comprised of T.J. Borden on bass, Hunter Brown on electronics and Dominic Coles on electronics. This whole show felt like what could be done with a bass and Technical Reserve just added in these electronic components to help us hear that. The sounds were between alien and spatial with the three musicians working together at their finest.
As the set started and T.J. Borden began playing the cello I asked Quentin if he could do that. Quentin said no and when I asked him why he said "Because I'm not that good". It was at least nice to hear that in the way that it gave some sort of affirmation that Quentin realized if he stuck with it, then one day he might be able to create something such as this.
Overall this was a really good show because of how every act felt connected by the bass but also brought something all their own to their sound. Whether or not the theme was intentional, it would be well worth going out of your way to see any of these artists whether they are playing together or on shows with other musicians.
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