Annie Walsh Journal Contributor
The Sinclair’s intimate venue was the place to be this past Sunday night. The newest concert venue in Harvard Square hosted two incredible bands: Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down.
Lead singer, Sallie Ford, is a fascinating woman who on the surface appears a goofy, charming girl but whom encompasses an underlying power of feminist strength and pride. She immediately connects with the audience through her adorable weirdness as she dances around swinging her arms without a care in the world. Her voice fills the room with electrifying currents in its entirety and is comparable to legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday.
Ford possesses a sense of raw soul that is distinguishable in her raspy chords and defying lower sultry notes. She is the definition of rock and roll with a feminine touch represented through her choice in outfit, a bright pink tight dress with blue Converse lace up sneakers. The entire band is matching with their pairs of Converse sneakers as well. Jeff Munger on the guitar, Tyler Tornfelt on the bass, piano, organ, and Ford Tennis on the drums accompany Ford as well as interact with her talking about what they had for lunch and other comical irrelevant conversations that win the audience over. The band drinks beer while on stage and when a string breaks off of a guitar, they blame it on the beer.
Some of the crowd favorites included “They Told Me,” “Bad Boys,” and a more racier song “Do Me Right.” In “They Told Me,” Ford reveals her thoughts through her lyrics concerning not being “ashamed of what’s inside me” and declaring that she is “never gonna change who I am.”
Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside were a perfect opening act to get the crowd amped up for the next incredible band.
If you have not heard of Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, you soon will. The San Francisco-based band is climbing its way up in alternative folk rock as they go on tour with the release of their newest album, We The Common. Thao Nguyen is a commanding force with her bouncy energy and ragged but controlled influence. She is comparable to Imogen Heap or Rachel Yamagata with her sharp but smooth voice.
With her cowboy boots, Nguyen stomps the floor with the rhythm of the bass getting into the music so much she begins to thrust her body every which way with the sharpness of a knife. The crowd is so enthralled with her that they begin to move as she does with the same type of thrusts that come from her bands’ different guitars. Nguyen played five different types of guitar each bringing a unique sound to her different songs. Even under her dark black bangs she endeavors to make great eye contact with the audience and enforces a pause in her song that has the whole audience itching for her to continue the phrase, going wild as soon as she relieves their tension.
As Nguyen glances out into The Sinclair she comments, “feels so intimate in here. I feel like we could really hash some stuff out.” The audience reacts so strongly to her quirkiness there was a mutual feeling going around that we would all love to “hash some stuff out” with Thao Nguyen.
One of the favorites of the night and most distinguishable song was “Holly Roller,” which she played with a banjo in hand. Many of her songs have the pattern of gradually getting stronger and more powerful rather than ending drastically soft which only added to the penetrating nature of Nguyen’s style. A style that will not be the last to be heard at The Sinclair. Thao & The Get Down Stay Down are on their way to fame. They are the kind of band you can just tell will be the next Florence & The Machine. Be on the look out for this band and their unstoppable force of alternative rock.
