Boise Street Music

We were taking the night in downtown just as the club scene began jumping. It was that moment when you don't know what you want to do and you have no plans, but are contemplating whether to dance, take in live music. or buy four street tacos with hot sauce and a drink a monster before calling it a night.

As that happened on the night after St. Patty's Day, a traditionally slow night in the entertainment industry, something eerie happened. Spontaneity sprouted on the corner of 5th and Main. We could just make it out from the far side of Addie's lot. A slight fog fell just under the street lamps and was further illuminated by the lights of the building's ground lights from below.

A crowd of about 25 people surrounded what looked like a homeless man from our vantage point. Shoe-less, unkempt, and vocal. I had seen mobs gather in various cities with various outcomes, so naturally intrigued, we made our way to witness...whatever. Entertainment comes at varying costs and with unpredictable outcomes. My date hoped it was the witnessing of a werewolf transforming, my hope was a giant Leprechaun just waking from a stupor.

This was neither. It was a man taking requests from what seemed to be a crowd from a gig they had been performing in at a coffee shop of sorts. While packing up their equipment, the lead singer and performer had been enticed by the crowd to start an impromptu performance right there on the corner.

As the other band members came with equipment in hand to load their van, they instead opened their instruments and began a jam session that had everything but the jews harp and the coon dog howling from the porch.

As this pied piper led his group to the next corner of 6th and Main they picked up followers...when they arrived in front of the old Red Room venue, they encountered competition. Another band was playing and entertaining their own crowd. As this band played and the lead singer intensely belted out more mature vocals the crowds merged. We caught some of the action on our phone...and enjoyed the set. Something seemed off. These bands were talented had a following and were producing cds for sale...then they introduced themselves.

The first was Adam Stip and the second Michael of Grand Falconer a hot new artist whose voice is pure, rugged, and resonating. This story was building. I recognized the names and then it hit me.

These were both bands booked this month at the Color Cube on Main Street just behind the Red Lion. A small almost underground club whose site explicitly claims to never book cover bands. A nice twist in the community that has relied heavily on the remix and looms on the brink of a creative blue funk.

This noble mantra however, has not impressed the landlord who has put the proverbial kabash on bands playing at this super mini mall storefront. We had an email in to them over the past week to get the scoop and have not heard back. Their site has several acts announced and redirects their dates to various venues around town including tonight at the Linen Building on Grove St. where the Grand Falconer will perform. Enjoy some of the footage we captured...