Written by Max Bryan
March 30th marked the return of Shakedown Street, a DIY house venue in Lawrence. Included in this lineup were Kansas bands Sinew of Creation, Sputnik and Captain Howdy. Also featured was The Salesman, all the way from Denver! Shakedown Street had an incredibly intimate atmosphere- you were never more than 20 feet from the band. The setup was in the living room, which had a projector and screen behind each band displaying visual effects of their choice. Additionally, there was a merch table featuring adorable ‘made by mom’ hand-knitted products from The Salesman. The decor and lighting complemented the music, creating an engaging and relaxed atmosphere.
Sinew of Creation opened the night. Although multiple of their members were gone, their substitutes filled right in. The band’s sound was thick, lush, and hazy. It felt like a wall of sound hitting you all at once. The guitar melodies meandered and morphed with savvy use of guitar pedal effects, and the throbbing bass rattled through the walls, all accompanied by tight and energetic drumming. Sinew of Creation used trippy liquid light for their visual effects, as did Sputnik. Sputnik’s genre-bending lineup consisted of drum fills, bass solos, riffing vocal lines, and unusual guitar techniques. Sputnik’s songs ranged from folksy, melancholic, and experimental to bright, uptempo, and pop-y. The highlight of the setlist was “Lady Born of Oak”, which contained a breakdown section where guitarist Aidan Wallsmith used a violin bow on the electric guitar to make an alien-like sound.
Touring band The Salesman was the third on the lineup. The Coloradan three-piece band brought lots of energy, lighting up the entire room. They had a super unique prog-rock sound with the drummer on vocals. The group had incredible chemistry and was exhilarating to watch. Their melodic bass lines and heavy guitar riffs accompanied visuals from the film Koyaanisqatsi on the projector. Captain Howdy was the final band of the night. The group had an energetic sound with heavy drum hits, guitar riffs, and bass tying the whole sound together. The band utilized the projector to display a game of Subway Surfers. Captain Howdy absolutely rocked their set, but unfortunately, it was cut short due to noise complaints. Even though the night ended rather abruptly, it was a great night of music.
Follow these bands on Instagram to keep up with their upcoming shows and projects, and keep an eye out for future shows at Shakedown Street!
Sinew of Creation: @sinew_of_creation
Sputnik: @sputniklfk
The Salesmen: @the.salesmen
Captain Howdy: @captainhowdysunsetserenade