1. Stacy Lukasavitz - Writing Sample -- Concert Review - First Person Narrative
Stacy Lukasavitz
Writing Sample -- Concert Review
(In First Person Narrative)
Stacy Lukasavitz
selukasavitz@gmail.com
248-667-8229
http://about.me/stacy.lukasavitz
@damnredhead

2. Stacy Lukasavitz - Writing Sample -- Concert Review - First Person Narrative
Concert Review: Amy Millan in Pontiac, MI
(Originally published on October 18, 2009, as a blog post at thatdamnredhead.net.)
Keeping true to my obsession with semi-obscure Canadian independent music, last
week I was lucky enough to find myself on the guest list for one of my favorite alt-
country/folk artists, Amy Millan, when she was in town at the Pike Room, a swanky dive
upstairs from Pontiacʼs Crofoot Ballroom. Now, it should be said that playing in the
Ballroom downstairs that night was this angry-guy band that sounds like every angry-
guy band — extremely loud, obnoxious, and with a cool sounding name like “Five
Finger Death Punch,” which was was so loud that we could both feel and hear it over
our nice, intimate, folky show of about 60 attendees.
Oddly enough, in my Harley Davidson
jacket I could have easily slipped into
the other show and not looked out of
place, but any band whose name
sounds more like a concoction
prepared by a goth mom at a
Halloween party and whose album is
entitled “War is the Answer” can safely
be assumed to be the very antithesis of
the very Canadian, very folky music
that I love and came to see.
Opening the show was an interesting fellow named Afie Jurvanen, who also goes by
artist/band name “Bahamas,” for what reason I have no idea except to perhaps convey
sheer irony in being a Finnish guy from Canada. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as
he opened with a beautiful ballad called “Hockey Teeth” and instantly won me over. His
drummer was missing, but his goofy demeanor and commanding stage presence made
him make going solo look easy. His vocals are reminiscent of Jack Johnson but he can
play a mean stratocaster. Always one to support the opening act, I bought his CD, Pink
Strat, and encourage you to check him out and support him, too. Heʼs really good.

3. Stacy Lukasavitz - Writing Sample -- Concert Review - First Person Narrative
Now, onto Amy Millan. The best way for me to
describe her sound is the bastard child of
musical Williamses – Dar Williams, Lucinda
Williams, Victoria Williams, and Hank Williams –
somewhat folky, somewhat breathy, somewhat
twangy, somewhat depressing, but everything
she plays sounds instantly classic. She opened
with a strong “Losinʼ You,” the lead song off her
first solo record, Honey from the Tombs,
followed by a steel guitar-infused cover of Death
Cab for Cutieʼs “I Will Follow You Into the Dark.”
From there she played a mix of songs old and
new, this tour to promote her latest album,
Masters of the Burial, which has a slightly sad
tone but is nonetheless beautiful.
Any band who can play live with a steel guitar,
an upright bass, a mandolin, a ukulele, and a
trombone and make it sound AWESOME earns
MAD RESPECT in my book. (The only thing that could have made it better would have
been a successful accordion accompaniment, but they canʼt all be like Cowboy
Junkies.)
Highlights of the show had to have been a spunky version of her Rolling Stone-
acclaimed hit “Skinny Boy,” and a bluesy, almost-jazzy “Bruised Ghosts,” which is her
first single off the new album. For her encore, she played my request of the song that
made me first fall in love with her music years ago, a very country-esque “He Brings Out
the Whiskey in Me,” that rings like a classic country song a lá Hank Williams or Loretta
Lynn.
Having been disappointed with my new iPod Nano videoʼs lack of ability to record well in
loud, dark spaces, I decided to try shooting some video with my BlackBerry instead, and
surprisingly, the quality wasnʼt too bad, save for my obviously-shaky hand. If youʼd like
to see a bit of the performance, my shaky capture of “Bruised Ghosts” from Amy Millan
at The Pike Room (10/15/09) can be found on YouTube.