 "Photo: Baby Teeth Thieves")
Murfreesboro's local music scene is teeming with talent these days. And though it is easy to assume there are only electric guitars and booming bass onstage, the uniqueness of the acoustic and soulful Baby Teeth Thieves should not be overlooked. Their recent performance at Tomato Tomäto was simply delightful.
Although I am not a fan of the small-restaurant-trying-to-be-a-music-venue trend in Murfreesboro, Tomato Tomäto (the gourmet pizza restaurant that replaced Casa Burrito on West Main Street) should be credited for providing an appropriate atmosphere for live music. Baby Teeth Thieves were a suitable fit in the fresh and comfortable environment of the new restaurant.
Trey Bishop (lead guitar) and Casey Kauffman (cello) have been friends for years, but only began playing music together in the fall of 2006. With the recent addition of Devin Lamp (12-string guitar), Jeremi Morris (upright bass) and Danny Greene (drums), their sound became more intricate and acoustics even richer.
The texture of four wooden string instruments and no percussion (Greene was not present at this show) felt natural in the small space by the front window. There was no stage, so the performers and audience were eye level with each other, which created a personal feel, as if we were all in someone's living room. (Baby Teeth Thieves have played their share of house shows in Murfreesboro; in fact, they prefer them.)
Two things immediately stand out at a Baby Teeth Thieves live performance. Namely, Bishop plays left-handed guitar with a twist. His left arm is gone below the elbow, so he forms chords with his right hand, which is uncommon for most right-handed guitar players. Strumming and picking, Bishop is solid and inspiring to watch. His voice has an indescribable originality that is gentle and wise beyond its years.
Next, how many local bands do you know with an upright bass and a female cellist? Morris and Kauffman are a breath of fresh air compared to the typical electric outfit. Kauffman's diverse range as a musician suggests a classical background and a keen sense of composition. Her soft, breathy voice is similar to the English "godmother of freak folk," Vashti Bunyan, when she sings falsetto.
When all the members sang together, the union of their harmonies was pleasing to my jaded ears. On "Piney Coney County," the wailing vocal refrain lingered in my head even after the marchlike song changed gears. As all the musicians balanced each other's melodies back and forth, it reminded me of an old married couple finishing each other's sentences.
The band opened with a catchy song titled, "We Used the Legs of Crickets," which led off with a cheerful rhythmic guitar melody. The song alludes to the changing of seasons and the life that grows in place of what dies. Many Baby Teeth Thieves songs seem to be about nature, animals and the fundamentals of life. Kauffman's cello was capable of transforming the tone for different segments of the song. For example, by playing long strokes on low minor notes, the bridge became immediately more consequential than the toe-tapping introduction. Lamp's guitar riffs were like an echo piece to Bishop's lead chords.
A few new pieces were tested on the Tomato Tomäto audience (which consisted of approximately 20 friends and acquaintances of the band, plus or minus a few locals). Although the atmosphere was mellow, and even a bit hushed, there was a favorable response to "Endless" and "Sparrows." These tracks will not be on Baby Teeth Thieves first full-length LP, "To a Green Thought in a Green Shade," due for release this summer, so it was a privilege to be part of the sneak preview.
The set list included several tracks from the "Manatee Blood" demo, including "I Growl in the Morning and Meow in the Evening" and "Build Me a Boat, Sailor Jerry." Yes, the latter is likely named after that tasty brand of rum, but the desperate tone of the song contrasts the happy-go-lucky belligerence of rum drinking.
The haunting ballad about a love lost at sea featured a lovely cello arrangement, and Bishop sang the somber but hopeful lyrics: "Steady your oars and row/ Open your heart and let go/ In my arms/ Through the tide."
Between the lines of "I Growl in the Morning and Meow in the Evening" there was a sense of criticism and personal voyeurism. Bishop and Kauffman's vocals overlapped each other as they sang, "We're losing ourselves lose ourselves / And I'm watching myself waste myself/ I'm loving myself love myself/ And I'm hating myself hate myself." The way their voices layered each other's was peaceful and innocent, like a lullaby.
The only minor distractions were the customers captivated with the "make-your-own" tablecloths at Tomato Tomäto, a feature of the restaurant that allows it to serve alcohol and gourmet food while keeping a youthful edge. The blank broadsheets begged for graffiti, and the worn-down Crayons hiding between the salt and pepper shakers were signing names and playing tic-tac-toe all night.
It was refreshing to watch such talented artists sincerely enjoy music and each other. Many songs in the commercial music industry today are so processed and plasticized for radio or TV, that it's nearly impossible to understand the meanings behind the artist's music. The sound and mood Baby Teeth Thieves bring to a room is so genuinely organic that, even if it's not your style, it's hard not to appreciate that the members love and believe in what they're doing.
As my friends and I walked out into the rain, my soul was brimming with peaceful melodies, and I felt an astonishingly strong urge to buy a cello.
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