If Blind Pilot, the folky indie rock band out of Portland, were bummed by the fact that their blue, full-size, old-school tour bus was broken down in front of the Tower Theatre, they sure didn't show it. The sextet, which had been off the road for almost ten months, delivered a vibrant and full-sounding set to an almost sold-out Tower for this PDXchange Program show.
The highlight of the set -- at least for hardcore fans -- was the new material Blind Pilot debuted. The cuts from 3 Rounds and a Sound were great, but that album is more than two years old, so it's excellent to hear what's next for the band.
Bend's own Sara Jackson-Holman, who like Blind Pilot, is on Expunged Records, opened the show with a set that was, from what I've seen, her most solid performance yet. While it's her songwriting and piano chops that draw most to her sound, Jackson-Holman's vocals -- especially in a big room like the Tower -- are as strong as anyone in her genre. Should be exciting to see what she's got ahead of her.
If you weren't there. Here's what you missed.
