Off the Record goes Home For The Holidays
Home for the Holidays poster by Natalia Pfieffer.
In a successful attempt to spread good tidings before the upcoming winter season, Off the Record hosted our first-ever house show, appropriately titled, “Home For the Holidays,” right in the heart of St. Louis, MO. This inaugural celebration of the city's buoyant music community was a tour de force, a night that fluttered with unbridled liveliness.
The night kicked off with an enlightening performance from Goo Man, a project recorded and produced by Luckas O’Donnell. Departing from his usual full-band performance setup, O’Donnell captivated the crowd with stripped-down, acoustic renditions of his hits, including "Take in The Noise" and "Sunbeam Lazar." His self-proclaimed "slow songs" gently started the night with an endearing charm, immediately drawing the audience in with their fascinating, introspective nature.
Martyridge had much to celebrate with the release of their first-ever self-produced song, “Never Change.” Birthed from a vintage phaser in lead singer and guitarist Jordan Dugger’s basement, along with help from the analog simplicity of a 1970s Silvertone amp, a ripping guitar-driven solo laces the track. They got the group energetically jumping on the first floor of the century-old St. Louis house. Shedding his shoes and his inhibitions, Dugger and the rest of Martyridge enticed the audience with an unrestrained stage presence and consolidated with fans from the fireplace to the kitchen island.
Closing the night was the 5-piece Leaving Missouri, a group on the rise since the release of their debut self-titled EP, and most recently the release of the live recording “I’ll Be Your Girl.” Their unearthed energy unleashed echoes of power in songs like “Bryan” and “I Think It’s Time For You To Go Now” which incited an off-the-wall surge of energy and prompted the crowd to reiterate the lyrics back to them. A thrilling conclusion to the Off the Record inaugural “Home for the Holidays”; Leaving Missouri’s compelling melodies captivated the crowd with a palpable passion.
For one glorious evening, the unassuming St. Louis home was transformed into an intimate, dynamic music haven, the walls shaking with the sounds of holiday cheer and the promise of good things to come from the surrounding music scene. Until next time, St. Louis!
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sloane Johnson.
Photo by Sloane Johnson.
Photo by Sophia Bianco.
Photo by Sloane Johnson.
