Limbeck/John Ralston/Mascot/John Gassett/The New Frontiers @ Nite Owl 2.24.08

...upon arriving at the Nite Owl, we were hardly shocked to find that a fifth band had been added to the Do Tell bill on this evening. Fortunately, the show started early and opener The New Frontiers (from Dallas) turned in a powerful, short set. Reminding us of everything from Teenage Fanclub to post-Byrds Gene Clark, we'd love to see these guys come back through Dayton (sorry, no photos. technical difficulties)...

...taking the evening in a more intimate direction, John Gassett delivered a dozen or so fleeting gems tempered by self-effacing banter. With such sublime melodic gifts and a penchant for brevity, we'd love to see more of Gassett out and about...


...as Mascot bridged the gap between the intimate and the rock, we arrived firmly back in rock n' roll mode as John Ralston and his band took the stage. With such an enthusiastic and finely honed band, Ralston's material sparkled and grabbed the audience's collective ear. Even during the few songs Ralston performed solo acoustic, the momentum and intensity of his set remained. As guitar hooks and impeccable vocal harmonies drifted across the room, smiles beamed back at Ralston and his band...



...as headliners Limbeck hit the stage, it quickly became evident that this was to be a drunken endurance test. Handing out tambourines to a pair of audients nearby (a move which we cannot condone), the crowd surged toward the stage and joined in the fray. With sun-scorched British melodies in spades and a beer-soaked joviality, Limbeck drew the evening, and the weekend, to a conclusion...