A Decent Animal making a westward migration

When a band calls it quits, especially if it's a band you have come to admire and follow, it is never a happy occasion.

A Decent Animal isn't breaking up, but the band is doing something that just might be more painful than simply ceasing to be.

You see, the guys from this undeniably original Charleston band are relocating, and to the West Coast no less. I'm sure they have their reasons, and with any hope the band will find fame and fortune in the Golden State, which will then allow them to tour, and thus return to the Lowcountry. Call me selfish, though. I just don't want the guys to leave.

I first stumbled on the band at a show at Cumberland's a few years back. I had come to see the headlining band that night, and there were these three guys up on the stage playing this trippy music that sounded like a combination of Pink Floyd, Tom Waits and Neil Young.

At the front of the stage stood miniature cardboard cutouts of guitarist Jonathan K. Nicholson and bassist Richard G. Weld. I remember being struck by how unusually cool those standees were. I left that night the newest fan of A Decent Animal, and have been lucky enough to catch the band performing at various venues around the city, including opening for Forget Cassettes at the Map Room, as well as for Cary Ann Hearst at The Pour House. At each show the guys have gone the extra distance to add cool visual elements to the band's set, including inventive lighting, giant backlit logos and props. A show is never the same twice, which is a big part of the band's appeal.

Saturday night A Decent Animal performed a farewell show at The Pour House as a way of thanking fans who had supported the band over the years. Members also took the opportunity to use the occasion to showcase a couple of other music acts that it deemed worthy.

Lindsay Holler and the Dirty Kids were up first. For those that have yet to see Holler perform live, let me just say that you are missing one of Charleston's finest voices. I do believe that if I had the money and the free time, I would hire Lindsay Holler and Cary Ann Hearst to sing country duets to me while I lay in a hammock sipping a cocktail. Hey, a guy can dream, can he not?

Backed by a band that included vibraphone player Mike Hanf, drummer Nick Jenkins, guitarist Dave Linaburg and bassist Ben Wells, Holler performed her unique style of jazz-chanteuse-meets-cow-girl vocals. Holler doesn't just sing a song to you, she makes you feel every bit of the emotion being conveyed by the tune's lyrics. Although her set was short, Holler managed to pack quite a bit of music into her set. Highlights included "Forever Always," "Nothing Tonight," and "#9." Also good were a couple of new songs, "Under the Dirt" and "Keep Bleeding," both of which I hope Holler will soon commit to recording.

Next up was Charlotte band, The Sea of Cortez. I was unfamiliar with this group, but Holler advised me to check them out, and I was glad I did.

Performing all instrumentals, and featuring at least seven musicians (my view of the stage was a bit obscured), the members of The Sea of Cortez at first seemed to be struggling against one another musically, but then just seconds into its first song, the band seemed to meld together as if the members had been tossed into some big instrumental blender. The resulting music, which included theremin, pedal steel, and accordion in addition to the usual drums, bass, guitars and keyboards. The band's music sounded like some wonderfully weird background music to that really strange dream you had last week. Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to any of the band members after the set was over, and there is next to nothing on the Internet about these guys, save for a MySpace page. So, unfortunately I can't even give you the names of the band members. Do make plans to see them when they come back to town, especially if you're a fan of country-fried, space-age instrumentals done in three-quarter time. It is really wonderful stuff.

Finally, it was time for A Decent Animal to give Charleston a long, passionate kiss goodbye. True to form, the band's rabbit head logo was backlit and prominently displayed at the back of the stage. The band had also commissioned two huge posters from local artist Kevin Taylor — one of an elephant and the other of a fox — which served as the stage's backdrop. Nicholson and Weld were joined by drummer/keyboardist George P. Baerreis, and they wasted no time, plunging into "Tigers Are Free." Toward the end of the set, Weld commented that Saturday night's show was the longest the band had ever played at a single gig. The 14 song set included just about everything from the band's arsenal, including audience favorites such as "Kings Highway," "Living in Stereo," and my favorite, "Bird." Other songs included "Western World," "Phantom River," "Joining the Zoo," and "Boxmaker."

Weld and Nicholson traded vocal duties, and during the set's final song the band invited Holler and the Dirty Kids up on stage to assist in singing "What I Need." Holler was visibly misty-eyed, and even the members of A Decent Animal seemed just then to realize that they were indeed leaving the Lowcountry.

I wish the band nothing but the best out on the Left Coast. The band is as original as they come, and if that isn't recognized in a liberal-minded town such as San Francisco, then we're all in trouble.

If you think about it this week, send out a little positive energy to Baerreis, Weld and Nicholson as they make their way toward the Frisco Bay, and their destiny. The fact that A Decent Animal graced Charleston with its presence for the last few years is a wonderful gift indeed.

Here's hoping the band visits again soon.

Contact Devin Grant at chucktowncritic@yahoo.com.