With love ballads to New York City putting these would-be Kiwi cowboys on the musical map, indie-folk outfit Streets of Laredo just keep saying “yes.” Yes, we’ll move from Auckland, New Zealand, to Bushwick to do this whole band thing. Yes, we’ll take on a national tour without having the financial means to do so (hello, PledgeMusic!). And yes, we’ll totally charm your eardrums when we cram the stage at Soda Bar on Friday night.
Despite the moniker, Streets of Laredo forego twang and 10-gallon hats. For this not-so-motley crew -- the core of which are the Gibson brothers, Dave (drums and vocals) and Dan (lead vocals, acoustic guitar); Sarah, Dave’s wife (vocals, tambourine, anything she can get her hands on); and Si Moore (electric guitar, producer); plus any number of friends, including Tom Darlow (electric guitar), joining at a given show -- the cowboy is more a spirit animal than a tangible personification. It’s a tribute to knowledge being passed down by storytelling and songwriting, which the elder Gibson, Dave, has noted that he’s particularly fond of given that he’s in the band with his younger brother.
In that tradition, the band’s been known to wax Kiwi on audiences -- as in, give slang and vocab lessons (the difference between “sweet as” and “sweet ass,” for instance) -- between trilling contemporary iterations of ’70s folk. But when the strums start up again, Streets of Laredo conjure campfires with their sweet missives and golden melodies, a collection of fast-friends sharing food, drink, and good vibes in a simple existence. And come Friday, it’s high time to set the Soda Bar ablaze.
Streets of Laredo play Soda Bar on Friday, June 27, at 8:30 pm, $10, 21+. Colony House, John Meeks, the Gift Machine open.
Hannah Lott-Schwartz, a San Diego native, recently moved back to the area after working the magazine-publishing scene in Boston. Now she’s straight trolling SD for all the music she missed while away. Want to help? Hit her up with just about anything at all over on Twitter, where -- though not always work-appropriate -- she means well.
