The Northern Light

Issue date: 6/24/08 Section: A & E

Media Credit: Gretchen Weiss Jay Farrar, formally of Uncle Tupelo, fronts the band Son Volt. Son Volt produced three albums in the late '90s before disappearing until 2005 when, with all new band members, Farrar revived the band with the album "Okemah and the Melody of Riot." Son Volt's latest album, "The Search," was released March 6, 2007. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Gretchen Weiss When not supplying bass for Son Volt, Andrew Duplantis fronts his own band, The Unfaithfuls, based in Austin, Texas. During Bear Tooth's First Tap, Duplantis lost a string on his bass but continued to play, to the subtle amusement of his bandmates and observant audience members. [Click to enlarge]

The first time I saw Son Volt in Anchorage was about two years ago. I was in the balcony of the Egan Center, squinting at the band and rocking out in my stadium chair. The band returned on June 5, playing at the Bear Tooth's June First Tap where I got a much more up-close and involved experience of the band's live shows.

Another added bonus this time was beer. The thing about seeing a band live while drinking beer is that it either allows you to enjoy them that much more, or causes you to scrutinize them a little more.

Son Volt came about after the schism of the band Uncle Tupelo, which included lead singer Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy of Wilco (who coincidentally will be playing in Anchorage on July 26 at Moose's Tooth).

Both bands stayed in the alt-country vein that Uncle Tupelo made their way in, but while Wilco experiments with their sound and branches off into other territories, Son Volt just does their thing, holding on to their twangy, country-fermented roots.

Throughout the years Son Volt has seen their ups and downs, and today Farrar is the only remaining founding member. But they're still going strong.

The June 5 show started with local troubadour Jared Woods. Woods got the crowd up on their toes with a solid set that included an eerie reincarnation of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby."

Following Woods, Son Volt came out punctually and got right down to business. No introduction, no hello, just music. When they did not have the audience bouncing around with one of their rowdy jams, they had everybody swaying with one of their more laidback songs.

They played tracks ranging from their most recent record, 2007's "Search," to their 1995 debut, "Trace." The music came roaring out of the speakers, blistering with power and aplomb. No notes were missed or even somewhat neglected.

Their sound was tight and crisp, but the band seemed like they were just working. Farrar barely spoke to the audience, and it's hard to recollect a single smile from him.

The music was enthusiastic, but the band didn't seem to match that. Some of the members didn't quite look like they belonged. For the most part, Son Volt looked like good old-fashioned country rockers, complete with plaid, snap-button cowboy shirts, and stoic stares - apart from the guitarist, who looked like he should be in an emo band, or the lap steel/keyboard player, who looked like a Gerard Depardieu double. They had their place, but it seemed like they didn't quite meld with the others.

At the end of the set the band turned in their guitars like timecards and headed for the door with maybe a wave but no goodbye. The audience cheered for an encore, though it seemed a little arbitrary, and the band returned for a psychedelic jam-out.

The show was great in the sense that the music they played sounded spot-on and made for a good night, but overall it lacked the personal connection that you look for when seeing a band live. Son Volt probably could have played those songs in their sleep. The thing is, though, at times it seemed like that's exactly what they were doing.

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