Gundlach Bundschu Indie Rock concert

I know I've talked about this to a number of people already, but last weekend the Indie Rock concert at Gundlach Bundschu Winery was a complete treat. True Music Media was providing sound, so we got their early to set everything up and get sound checks done. I had no idea about what the bands would be playing or really even about the location. The winery has a great outdoor stage and hillside for picnics and all manner of events. We were essentially set up when the bands arrived and let us know that they had had the misfortune of being robbed of all their equipment just before their gig at the Bottom of the Hill in SF the previous Tuesday night. They had only been able to replace their guitars and this concert would only feature the singers with guitars. This made things easier for us on the sound side, but was obviously a disappointment. I think it was a blessing in disguise personally given what transpired over the course of the evening.

My partner in True Music Media, Richard, had said it would be a great show and I've come to know that while our tastes in music do diverge in several places, his recommendations are often spot on. The three artists for the concert were Nik Freitas, Maria Taylor, and Jonathan Rice. After a brief sound check the musicians went into the wine cave where they had some food and a space to relax before the concert started. We wandered down that direction shortly after they went there. I like looking at the wine cave spaces, as each one is unique. This one was two long and narrow passageways. What struck me immediately once we were inside and could hear Nik and Maria playing their guitars, was that the acoustics were phenomenal. I only stayed the length of one song and then went back up to the concert area, partly because to stay any longer I probably would have cried. I knew then that it was going to be something special.

Nik opened and played a wonderful set. Maria came on next and likewise had a great set, with her younger sister and Nik accompanying her on several songs. Jonathan Rice was the headliner and with his fantastic stage presence and showmanship really earned that role. As a resident of Napa Co. I thought it was great when he slipped up with a couple Napa references in front of the Sonoma crowd and he handled their "corrections" really really well. All of the music was far beyond anything I had expected and a huge portion of that for me personally was that it was so stripped down. I do not think it would been nearly as moving if they had been backed by full bands creating a wall of sound that would absorb and likely overshadow the beauty that shone through last Saturday.