Sound Track web extra: Donavon Frankenreiter show review

Even before pro surfer-turned-groove-rocker Donavon Frankenreiter took the stage at The Orange Peel last night, the modest-but-enthusiastic crowd in a celebratory mood. The free copies of Frankenreiter’s new CD, Glow and the fake mustaches (especially funny on winsome, long-haired girls) certainly didn’t hurt. (For those not familiar with Frankenreiter, in addition to his thrift-shoppy, 70s wardrobe of bellbottom jeans, fedoras and floppy, crocheted caps, he sports a thick mustache and regularly films his Mustache Manifesto — short podcasts — while on tour.)

Along with the shwag, there was was other compelling evidence that this would be a slick production: The tour bus parked outside the Peel with Frankenreiter’s face on the side, and a message to text “GLOW” to some number. And the equipment trailer with the whole band, all wearing Sanuk apparel.

Indeed, from the opening notes the band proved to be immaculately rehearsed, launching into “All Around Us.” Though Frankenreiter is touring Glow, he interspersed new tracks with lots of hits from his back catalog: “Life, Love & Laughter” (with vintage piano), “Your Heart” (with cornet), and “What’cha Know About.” The first handful of songs were polished to a high gloss with little (if any) variation from Frankenreiter’s albums. His four-piece band (who, by the way, looked like the offspring of Frankenreiter himself and Asheville musician Seth Kauffman, what with their shaggy haircuts, fedoras, butterfly collars and lithe musicianship) easily providing the accents and flourishes that make Frankenreiter’s laid back, beachy, feel-good songs just funky enough to stand out from the whole Jack Johnson/Brushfire genre that launched Frankenreiter’s career.

Half-a-dozen songs in, the band seemed to loosen up a bit, adding a few jams (albeit, carefully choreographed ones), and Frankenreiter engaged the audience a few times, offering a beer to a guy celebrating a birthday. A bath of purple lights and spacey intro dropped into Frankenreiter’s opus, “Move By Yourself.” Steady kit drum and solid funk bass provided a bass for some piano noodling and a tastefully-rocked-out electric guitar solo by Frankenreiter.

Except for a couple of loud songs, most of the set was pretty mellow with the easy, sunny kind of energy for which Frankenreiter is known. (AllMusic recently semi-panned Glow, writing, “Frankenreiter does little here that sounds wrong (or right), reassuring listeners that ‘everything will be all right’ on a song that’s titled, naturally, ‘All Right.’” Yeah, there is a theme of all rightness/be yourselfness/feel goodness. But what’s so bad about that? The collective playlist can’t be all Neil Young’s “Needle and the Damage Done” and Richard Buckner’s “Boys, The Night Will Bury You.”)

Following a lanky, ukulele-tinged rendition of “Free,” Frankenreiter told the crowd, “It’s really meant a lot to us to be back in Asheville. It’s a cosmic town.” (The musician recorded at Echo Mountain last year, and played the Orange Peel in 2008.)  He then played “Dance Like No One’s Watchin’” and his new single, “Glow” before promising a prize to whomever could first name the “deep cut” the band was about the play. They launched into the opening bars of “Sweet Home Alabama,” but it turned out to be a joke. The surprise was not really a deep cut as such, but a lovely and unexpected cover of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” with a slow, waltzy tempo, two-part harmony and Frankenreiter’s bassist performing a haunting harmonica solo.

Frankenreiter wrapped his set with “Call Me Papa,” letting the audience take the verse, “Don’t forget your mama’s my baby, too” before segueing into an instrumental from “Layla.”

From start to finish, the show was a happy, relaxing and completely enjoyable affair, and if Frankenreiter was shy to start, he quickly warmed and gave a sweet and professional performance.

Photos by 98.1 the River. Go here to see the full gallery.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “Sound Track web extra: Donavon Frankenreiter show review

  1. mule

    Surfers looking to capitalize on their “renegade” status as a means to garner favor in the so-called indie music scene are pretty much a dime a dozen these days.

    Next…..

  2. ashevillain7

    I’m sure we’ll all be patiently waiting for you to name at least a dozen….

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.