Rosie Thomas / Denison Witmer
the critique of pure reason presents:
9:30pm
$9
all ages
rosie thomas (sub pop records)
denison witmer (burnt toast vinyl)
Rosie Thomas’s early 2002 debut “When We Were Small” is an unassuming
treasure: quietly affecting songs filled with yearning, questing nostalgia.
The record was warmly received (with glowing praise from Q, Time Out NY,
Uncut, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and NPR’s Morning Edition, among
others). Since recording When We Were Small Rosie’s kept herself busy: she
used Detroit’s oldest church as a recording studio, escaped unscathed from
a lengthy and somewhat daunting European tour, and started a band for her
über-dork doppelganger, Sheila. Now she’s releasing her second full-length
album, “Only with Laughter Can You Win” (Subpop, 2003). Where “When We
Were Small” gave listeners a look back at the people and memories of Rosie’s
childhood, “Only with Laughter Can You Win” (the title itself a nod to the
influence of Joni Mitchell upon Rosie) is a more personal look into her
present. With the new record Rosie’s knack for laying bare her individual
experience is buoyed and enriched by an emphasis on collaboration and
increased instrumentation. Along with her gorgeous vocals, reflective
lyrics, and understated accompaniment, Rosie enlisted family and friends to
collaborate on the album.
http://www.rosiethomas.com
Denison Witmer’s observations about life—both the joys and
sorrows—may
seem a little incongruous coming from such a fresh-faced young man, but
nonetheless they seem painfully honest and true. Maybe it’s because
through
it all he maintains a sensitivity and sincerity rare in a person of any
age. This sort of gentle optimism in the face of an often embittered
world
is what makes his music so open-hearted, so accessible, and so timeless.
Witmer taught himself the folk-inflected guitar stylings he uses so
effectively today, citing Graham Nash, Red House Painters, and Jackson
Browne as influences. Early on his expressive acoustic guitar work and
softly inductive voice attracted the attention of Don Peris of The
Innocence Mission, who has since worked with Witmer as mentor, producer
and
sideman for his first EP and the minimal acoustic folk of his debut
full-length, “Safe Away” (2000). Over the last several years as
his
abilities and reputation have grown, Witmer has been befriended by
like-minded young performers Damien Jurado and David Bazan of Pedro the
Lion, and has shared the stage with them and other acts including The
Six
Parts Seven, The Ocean Blue, Rosie Thomas and Sixteen Horsepower. Now
calling Philadelphia home, Witmer tours extensively, his guileless stage
presence ensuring a warm reception wherever he goes. His most recent
full-length disc, Philadelphia Songs (2002), garnered excellent press
and
marked a new high point for him professionally. Though still drawing
deeply
from the folk/folk-rock tradition that has always informed his writing,
there’s a new breadth of expression and self-assurance.
http://www.denisonwitmer.com
