If your looking for some curious sound, check the Soul-Saving Southern Gothic rock of Rochester’s The Lobster Quadrille. This nine-piece ensemble blends dark and light to create a carnival of humorous purgatory. The Lobster Quadrille sings of the damned, but they make it sound so fun to be damned.
With melodious vocals and wide range of instruments, they create a sound reminiscent of a neighborhood jug band come to rock. Their music is infused with light wit, from edgy, yet often bouncy, arrangements to their revival of lyrical storytelling. One is never sure if vocalist Solomon Blaylock is really trying to save souls or just having a laugh.
Apart from the standard rock band elements, they are armed with an assortment instruments. They toy with everything from a kazoo to a clarinet, occasionally tossing an organ into the mix. The Lobster Quadrille presents flawlessly, dressed like high-society Southerners (circa 1940), and they jam with a bible-thumping seriousness. The result is a raucous jubilee played by the ghosts of culture past.
They have released four recordings, 2004’s Old Time Tunes for Washboard and Spoons, 2006’s Reviled Standards Translation, 2007’s Bringing You Into a Holy Ghost (recorded live at the Bug Jar), and 2009’s The Lobster Quadrille.
You can catch The Lobster Quadrille live January 8, at Abilene (w/Lovesick Heartstabbers), January 13, at Water Street Music Hall (w/Devil Springs), and February 12, at the The Keg.
Fun Phact: Not a single member of The Lobster Quadrille is a Jehovah’s Witness
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