Woodsman
Big Snow Buffalo Lodge
June 1
Brooklyn, NY

I was a little unsure if I made it to Big Snow Buffalo Lodge due to the maroon awning over the entranceway that read “Good Times Party Hall and Party Rental” but after spotting a doorman I knew I had made it to the right place. The Brooklyn venue/recording studio/rehearsal space, which opened its doors last October, could easily pass as an abandoned store-front while the interior presents an extremely DIY sound system set-up, bar, and basement. Even though Big Snow is a part of Brooklyn’s new flock of music venues to pop-up this past year, the space has built up a reputation as a home to NYC’s up-and-coming artists. On this night the Brooklyn-via-Denver psych jammers (and Big Snow favorite), Woodsman, were headlining. Because of a relentless evening downpour, I was one of only a handful of people able to make it out to the show, making the event all the more intimate.

Opening the night were the Lexington, KY-based group Jovontaes. Jovantaes, who were the unsuspecting highlight of the show, live in the same tripped-out universe as their Fire Talk label-mates, Woodsman. The band warmed-up the venue with simple, but energetic garage/kraut-rock tunes that commanded everyone to stand at attention.

Although Woodsman previously recorded and toured as a quartet with two guitarists and two drummers, the group has been playing recently as a trio with only one drummer. Their 45-minute set, which began just past midnight, favored instrumental pieces that were occasionally punctuated by airy vocals from the two guitarists. Looped guitar drones, minimalist melodies, and tribal drumming dominated throughout the five songs that were artistically pulled from the band’s 2011 EP Mystic Places. It was evident that these musicians had the capability to play all through the night, but they kept their jam-tendencies in check with each song not going over the 10-minute mark.

Even with the Woodsman’s abbreviated set-up, the group were able to create heady soundscapes for the small gathering at Big Snow, bathing all those present in thick aural drones.