Fight the Big Bull at Balliceaux: A new space, a new sound

Last night, coming off of their three year gig at the restaurant and bar Cous Cous, Fight the Big Bull began their new bi-weekly residency at Balliceaux. The difference from the old home turf to the new was striking, from the band’s sound to their appearance.

November 5, 2009; 9:07 AM • by Dean Christesen

Many remember the old Bogart’s Back Room: the legends and the locals who played there, the stories that have originated there. The space is only a memory now since being recently acquired by a new pair of restaurateurs and experiencing a total gutting and impressive renovation. Like its predecessor, Balliceaux has asserted itself as a small but in-demand venue for live music since beginning service in August. Chris Bopst, who books music for the restaurant, is a firm believer of only booking bands that can knock you off your feet with power, intensity, or just plain uniqueness. All of the above describes Fight the Big Bull.

Most everybody could agree that the band sounded incredible. They took over the room, in a good way. Unlike at Cous Cous, bar chatter didn’t stand a chance intruding on the music, except maybe at the quietist of musical moments. There was great balance and clarity between the brass, reeds, and rhythm section. The saxophones had a large sonic presence during even the loudest, most brass-heavy sections. Everything seemed to fit right in place at the right volume, much like the band’s performances to completely attentive audiences like at RVAJazzfest or Mingus Awareness Project. Even with conversations going on in all corners of the room, the music’s balance wasn’t jeopardized.

As always, Matt White’s Fight the Big Bull seems to run itself. The antithesis of an arm-flailing conductor, White’s left to other decisions like cuing new sections or focusing on his own guitar work while each section is democratic in cuing backgrounds based on the pacing and development of the solos. In last night’s case, the mix of the brass behind one of Jason Scott’s clarinet solos was perfect. And Scott, squealing and searching with bluesy expression, commanded the new room.

Trumpeter Bob Miller’s electroacoustic noise and ambience — created with sounds from the trumpet played into a microphone that’s fed into an amp with effects — creates staggeringly different moods each time a tune is played, but it’s only one stitch in the fabric. While some horn backgrounds for solos are notated, others are made up on the spot to serve the music’s needs, and the perceptive and creative rhythm section of bassist Cameron Ralston, drummer Pinson Chanselle, and White, dish out new ideas each time to keep their extended story evolving.

One highlight of the first set was the multi-dimensional title track to the band’s upcoming album on Clean Feed, All is Gladness in the Kingdom. The second set saw a rare performance of an early favorite, “California is for Suckers.” White’s Papa Staples gospel tone on the guitar dripped with soul, appropriately seguing into another early favorite: a re-arrangement of the Staple Singers’ version of “Uncloudy Day.” In his solo, trombonist Reggie Pace played the role of lead singer Mavis, borrowing inflection and bringing the singer’s voice to life. The evening closed with their powerful version of The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” with trombonist Bryan Hooten taking his signature lead on the song and an infectious sing-along on the final chorus.

Add Fight the Big Bull to the list of bands that are impressed with the way they sound in this space. White commented afterwards that he thought the room sounded great and that it’s “nice to have some space” for the band, adding that not being situated directly above his amp makes all the difference for him. Hooten noticed that the rhythm section wasn’t as overpowering in the new space, thanks to acoustic features like the cork ceiling and wood paneling. Both guys contributed to the general consensus that clarity and balance were the two key words for the band in the new space.

Fight the Big Bull plays at Balliceaux every other Wednesday. They’ll be back November 18. Meanwhile, Glows in the Dark plays there tonight, 9:15, free, 203 N Lombardy St.