If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon and then tried to describe it to someone, then you know the plight that I am facing currently. The Grand Canyon is something to behold yet it is an impossible task to put into words what one has witnessed. You can say it was “beautiful” or “awesome”, but you would not even be scratching the surface of decent descriptors. You might tackle adjectives like “grandiose” or “breathe-taking”, but you are still falling short. So, all you can do is break it down into smaller segments of your visit. If you talk about an individual crag, crack, or rock formation you might be able to bring someone closer to the vision in your mind. To take it in its entirety and bring it forth to someone who was not there will have you drowning for the right nomenclature. This is where I am with the musical duo of The Weird Sisters. I will attempt to lend the correct words in this article that do the band justice and inform the reader as to the complexity of this multifaceted tandem.
First, I would like to thank my buddy Will for introducing me to this ensemble. He told me about The Weird Sisters many months ago and even when he told me about them, I had no idea what to expect. I knew they would be entertaining and eclectic, I knew the music would be good, and I knew to trust Will. We went to their album release show at The Vinyl Lounge in Nashville and it was…well…indescribably beautiful. Now, Will and I would be seeing them again. This time at Eastside Bowl in the same city and I swore I would write about the gig. Here we go.
The curtain lifts and we are invited into a world of sound. The Weird Sisters are Gabrielle Lewis and Isaac Short. Gabrielle is the keyboardist/ singer/ saxophonist and Isaac sings, plays guitar, and rocks the keys as well. This incredible amalgamation of buzz and synth that is being created by their instruments is walled by infinite creations of melodies. It is just the beginning tones, and they are slowly introducing us into what they call “Space Disco.” Then there is big-punchy-fuzz-driven-psychedelic-rock backed by sneaky yet attacking drums and a steady bass that holds our musically acrobatic front people in time. It is a cosmic crusade that we have signed up for.
The Weird Sisters are our generals, and we are the soldiers marching in agreement of their campaign. Isaac and Gabrielle face across from each other on the stage. Their board are set back-to-back as to mirror each other. Gabrielle, on our left, strikes her electric ivory pegs and adjusts her mechanical switches as Isaac plays his part with veracity and we await for him to swing that axe that is strapped to his back into a forward position.
He crouches down to his armory of foot pedals and makes the necessary harmonization needed for the next bastion of sound. The two are dynamically in unison. Laser lights flash before us, backing the band, in multitudes of color and rapidity. To be bewildered is a wonderful thing. It is being born again and not knowing everything is okay. I stood there, against the barricade, front and center. I saw every movement; every dial being turned and all the adaptations to make the song come to fruition, yet the end product was beyond my knowledge of anything I have heard before. I have seen My Morning Jacket, Daft Punk and Beck live before and an easy yet dismissive way to describe the show would be to say it is all these formations massed into one, but ultimately, I had comparisons.
Midway through the show I realized I had not turned around yet. I always take a deep breath, find my center, and ingest the vibe of the rest of my fellow music lovers, by looking around. Seeing us as a whole- at a concert- is always humbling and remindful that we are all one. Outside the venue it is easy to slip back into our divisive ways, but here in this moment we are together. As I turn, I see a wave of wanders who ended up occupying the same piece of earth this eve as I did. We all sway back and forth, jump up and down and smile a joyous grin of gratitude together. This is thanks to The Weird Sisters tonight.
The complexity of the music paints abstract grooves and scratches scores of stories we have all wanted to behold. Their voices add to the fray and slap on yet another layer of gorgeous convolution. Isaac has a raspy, robotic element piped into his microphone that heightens this mystical adventure. His words seem to bounce around the room and crash through any physical barriers. Gabrielle is not to be missed on the other side of this team. She brings forth an element of soul, hitting high angelic notes and phenomenally constructed primal screams. She dances graciously between notes and vocals. She is in the moment. We are all in the moment.
At one point Gabrielle picks up the shimmering saxophone that I have noticed throughout the show. It has been humbly sitting behind the artist waiting for the moment that they would become one. In the middle of heaving guitar riffs and crunchy bellows we are met with this sexy slowed down jazz filled woodwind solo that flips us into something contemporary. It is an astounding piece to behold. It has the feel of a 1960’s fusion jam band. I am again enamored by their juxtaposition and creativity.
They are coming off that album I mentioned before, which is entitled “Who Are The Weird Sisters?” The title is the dilemma that engulfs me and maybe the band too. Talking about the album, Lewis has said, “There’s a continuous flow to the album. All the songs are connected. There’s no interruption but rather a spell-binding cohesion. For us, the album itself answers the question ‘Who are The Weird Sisters?’ better than we ever could with words.”
They are the self-described “Dance Commanders” and that aptly chronicles the status of their compilations. Funk has collided with electronica and slammed danced with jazz and soul with punk-EDM and psychedelia ploughing into the onslaught. Are you getting it yet? You will just have to listen for yourselves. In fact, I implore you to dive into the pool. The water is nice, but you cannot see the bottom and if your feet do not touch, you are in the right place.
The Weird Sisters have a sound. It is a uniquely and profoundly tonal bundle of various ear buzzing melodies overlain with succinct toe tapping harmonies that put you in a delightful place. Their imposed galaxy is a safe space for all to live. Despite playing in a smaller venue, their proposal is that of a large festival or arena which I will most certainly be at. They are good. They are really, really good. There, I nailed it.
