For the past couple of weeks, the words “Ooheeah lalo, faroosee mneykro” have been stuck in my head — words Buck Meek created for his song “Gasoline” off his latest album, The Mirror. After experiencing that genius song for the first time, I had no doubt the rest of the album could only follow suit, and I am lucky to say I had the opportunity to watch the whole project come to life this past Thursday at Sid the Cat.
While I was grateful to venture out into LA, I have to admit that facing rush hour traffic wasn’t the most exciting detail to look forward to. It proved to be worth it, though, as my friend Nico and I got to explore South Pasadena — a corner of LA I wasn’t too familiar with. We arrived around 7 p.m., and with the music not starting until 8, we figured we had time to walk around. While the sun began to set, the town’s weekly farmers’ market was wrapping up its last hour, with families grabbing ice cream and the last few customers grabbing what produce was left. Nico grabbed a fresh loaf of sourdough before we walked down the main street, looking into cute vintage stores, an Irish pub, and some nice restaurants that I made a mental note to bookmark for later.
Following last year’s destructive fires, independent concert promoter Sid the Cat decided to renovate the old elementary school in town, recognizing the need for a warm and inviting community music space. They did an amazing job creating a venue from a nostalgic auditorium that perfectly honors the area and set a great vibe for the show to come.
We walked in around 7:50, with Kisser gracing the stage not too much later. Kisser is one of Buck Meek’s newer side projects, a band he formed with his partner Germaine Dunes, Jesse Quebemann-Turley, Jeffertitti Moon, and Luke Temple. Their set was lively and playful, and provided a fun punk intro to the night. Dressed in a loose red t-shirt, Buck Meek waved us goodbye as Kisser played their last song, before shortly rejoining us again, this time, dressed in a classy black suit, still donning his same white electric guitar.
He opened with “Gasoline,” and smiled as the crowd sang his words back to him — ones of his own self-created language. Meek played the rest of the album straight through, and I was pleased to hear some of my favorites, like “Can I Mend It?” and “Ring of Fire.” What I particularly appreciate about The Mirror is how he has retained a classic folk sound while infusing more experimental elements, such as modular synth, on many of the songs.
About halfway through, Meek gave the audience a glimpse into his intimate musical world. After introducing his brother, Dylan Meek, on keys, his engineer, Adrian Olsen, on synth, and the rest of his band, he explained how the record was made in a small cabin in Topanga Canyon — a very fitting setting for this album. He continued his set, inviting Germaine Dunes back to sing on “Heart in the Mirror,” which hosts some of the most raw writing off his project:
“Many years, I’ve lived in fear of bullies and critics
But now I know the thing they loathe
Is seeing their own fear in the mirror
Their fear in the mirror, fear in the mirror
So I’ll try to dive and breathe underwater
And I’ll try to write a song
That is not for others”
Towards the end of the concert, I noticed how, unlike many of the recent shows I have been to, no one was in a rush to film or document the night, and instead spent it dancing with their loved ones and friends. With the talented writer and musician that Buck Meek is, it’s hard not to be captivated. Meek is giving folk a modern twist and — aided by Sid the Cat’s community-centered venue — brought together a beautiful crowd of people for a successful opening show of his The Mirror tour, a night I’ll fondly look back on.
Listen to The Mirror here!
