CWMA Highlights: Weekend 1 

Cavedoll, Fox Van Cleef, Plastic Furs
Burt’s Tiki Lounge, Feb. 4
If memory serves (and it barely does; that’s why I take notes), there were only the dregs of a bottle of Jim Beam and a bit of Sailor Jerry’s left standing … Camden Chamberlain and his Cavedoll cohorts are always worth keeping tabs on, and he’s got charisma for days as a frontman … Fox Van Cleef hit the stage with the comical (and unusual) chant-along of “I say Chris, you say Buttars!” The increasingly lubed crowd was ready to oblige … Fox Van Cleef delivered an energetic set that touched on soul and ska along its path … Thankfully, there were enough shots to go around for the Plastic Furs to throw one down before their set, which veered from slow-building sonic workouts to some jagged rock. (Dan Nailen)

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Cory Mon & the Starlight Gospel, Samuel Smith Band, King Niko
Avalon Theater, Feb. 4
Cory Mon sung and strummed with the passion of playing to a sold-out venue … Breaking into “40 Days,” [Mon and Co.] demonstrated how powerful, charismatic and soulful they can be … The Samuel Smith Band left an impression on City Weekly staff after owning the stage at our first-annual beer festival; if you can rock out a bunch of angry daytime drunks, you can rock out anyone … Conjuring the fist-pumping energy of early-’90s rock, Smith belted and howled as he cranked his Gibson SG in any way he could on “Picture” and “Knockin’” … The spirit of dancing was contagious as King Niko’s multitude of merry-making fans were joined by the legions of the previous acts … The band’s business-casual dress came across as bravado and confidence, in all the right ways. (Austen Diamond)

Paul Jacobsen and the Madison Arm, The Continentals, Michael Gross & the Statuettes, Parlor Hawk
Velour, Feb. 5
I still struggle to slap an easy label on Paul Jacobsen’s music; “alt-country,” “folk-rock” and “country-rock” can all apply at various points during Jacobsen and Co.’s sets … The fresh-faced trio The Continentals announced their Velour set would be their last show, at least for the indefinite future … At times they entered the prog-zone, but they were relentlessly entertaining as they switched instruments, blended various shakers and maracas with off-kilter three-part harmonies and played with various effects … Michael Gross & the Statuettes steered the proceedings back to a straightforward pop-rock vibe, and the energy the band brought to their set helped them win over a crowd that probably wasn’t too familiar with the band … Parlor Hawk, led by Drew Capener, moves easily between romantic pop balladry and Dylan-influenced folk-rock, and songs like “Every Bone” and “Like Thieves” hit their mark with ease. (Dan Nailen)

Holy Water Buffalo, Shark Speed, Bronco
Club Vegas, Feb. 5
I haven’t seen that much long hair in a band since grunge exploded out of Seattle in the ’90s, but the look totally fits Holy Water Buffalo’s sound: a mix of classic ’70s psychedelic rock with a modern twist that sounded at times like the band Rooney … The boys of Shark Speed stepped out of their Utah County turf and brought their energetic dance-rock tunes to Salt Lake City … The band put on its usual high-energy performance for a largely unfamiliar crowd, and rocked just as hard as any show in Utah County … There was something incredibly mystifying and intriguing about Bronco’s vocal harmonies that I couldn’t get past, and that I loved. (Spencer Flanagan)