Redbird
Hermit Thrushes
Ben Fowler

April 28, 2010
The Bishop
Bloomington, IN
Recorded by Ben Myers

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Keep This Boat Afloat: Learn about the situation with which the Fowlers are struggling and find out how you can help.
The "Yer Mom Likes to Party" series consists of benefit shows for Ben Fowler and his mother, who had an unfortunate accident which was followed by several highly unethical events motivated by other parties.  You can read about it above.  She was there at the show selling cookies and talking to people.
Ben opened the show with a solo set, a mix of covers and originals.  Hermit Thrushes played fourteen songs in just over thirty minutes, with breaks for beer and dialogue.  Whew.  Their sound bounces around within songs between sweetly flowing melodies and cacophony punctuated by jerking rhythms.  I had never seen Redbird before, and seeing as by now they have played their last show, it was a treat.  This group has some delayed downbeats and stuttering in their songs, giving their sound a greater sense of having been mulled over for quite some time, as opposed to the urgency found in the Thrushes' quick and quickly changing songs. In the words of Dr. Steve Brule: "Check it out!"