There was more than just music on people's minds Saturday night at First Avenue, as they filled the club for Gimme Shelter: A Benefit for Haiti. Not only were there plenty of great local bands and intriguing artwork on display throughout the night, but all the proceeds from the evening went to support relief efforts in the earthquake ravaged island of Haiti. Normally, such tragic events would cast a somber pall over the proceedings, but the bands and the crowd chose to play it pretty loose, buoyed by the turnout and the knowledge that in our own small way we were making a difference, providing aid to a country filled with people in desperate need of assistance.
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| Photo by Jon Behm |
| Zoo Animal |
The mercurial music of Zoo Animal got things going early, and the three-piece made their debut performance on the First Avenue stage a strong one. Frontwoman Holly Newsom's breathy vocals really reminded me of Chan Marshall, and she intently lead the band through a brooding, atmospheric set that established an auspicious tone to the evening that the other performances only added to.
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| Photo by Jon Behm |
| Peter Wolf Crier |
The bucolic two-piece Peter Wolf Crier delivered a stirring, determined set that showcased not only the strength of the songs on their wonderful debut album,
Inter-Be, but also made clear that frontman Peter Pisano can command any stage he steps onto. His impassioned, riveting songs rang clear in the venerable nightclub, and enraptured all who were there to witness the performance. The solid, spare drumming of Brian Moen gave the songs a core, but Pisano's earnest vocals gave them their heart during the duo's engaging, engrossing set.
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