Lincoln Durham w/ Onward Etc.
Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA
04.09.17
You might not think the hodgepodge of delta blues, punk rock, and guitar distortion would work, but with a depression-era cigar box guitar in Lincoln Durham‘s capable, frenetic hands, it is a chaotically beautiful opus. A one-man wrecking crew, Durham has been described as a “southern goth, punk, blues, revivalist,” and his live show at Seattle’s Tractor Tavern did not disappoint.
As show time rolled around, the duo of Onward Etc.—a vested, bearded gentleman and a lanky trumpet player—walked on the stage. “Seattle! Are you ready to party!?” exclaimed Rosco Wuestewald, lead singer, and guitarist. Onward’s Americana was pulse-pounding at one moment and tender the next. Wuestewald told stories of his childhood, particularly how at age 17, while living in South Dakota, he told his Mom, “I’m taking my van to Alaska.” The next day, he “drove to f***ing Alaska.”
Back to the music, Wuestewald sang a loving ballad about his time in the great white north. At the end of the night, with three whiskeys in their bellies, they performed “Old Soul,” a crowd favorite that simply implored “We still love rock and roll.” As the song faded out, Wuestewald performed a trust fall into the crowd. So rock and roll.
After a short break, and donning a very full mohawk, leather jacket, and attitude for days, Durham immediately dove into his brand of fusion blues rock, opening with the heavy, “Sinner.” He had two bass drums, snare drum, tom-tom, and tambourine at his feet, and two microphones, all of which he used with relative ease.
The more distinct moments came when Durham brought out his cigar box guitar and played it on a snare drum with glass finger to give it that distinct delta blues sound, like in “Rise In The River.” He didn’t speak much in between songs and the “all business” attitude reflected in the earnestness of his music. But it didn’t mean he didn’t have fun. About four songs in, he realized he didn’t have a setlist. His tour manager brought him one, which prompted a very hearty belly-laugh from the very intimidating rock star.
His set reached its apex with “Creeper,” a hard driving track off his 2016 release, Revelations of a Mind Unraveling. It contained all of his influences and was the song that got the Sunday night crowd moving.
It was another night of awesome singer-songwriters at the Tractor Tavern, which is garnering a reputation for being a haven for those of the like. The acts may have been completely different as far as sound, but their storytelling hearts and traveling spirits are what truly resonated with the small, but very enthusiastic crowd.
Review and photos by Phillip Johnson
Lincoln Durham
Onward Etc.
