I'm a Beulahette. And that's not a groupie, that's a member of the band.
Last Friday's Beulah show at the Khyber was sunny and cheerful, proving the group's prowess at effervescent, '60s-ish psych-pop. But more than just bobbing along with the melodies of the original Elephant 6 label and San Fran-based outfit, I participated. That's right, I played the tambourine on stage.
Beulah's unique sound centers around the less conventional and fun-enhancing trumpet, moog synthesizer, bells, maracas and tambourines, spicing up quick and peppy drums, bass and guitars. Focusing mainly on its new Velocette record, The Coast is Never Clear, but grabbing a handful of tracks from 1999's When your Heartstrings Break and 1997's Handsome Western States, the enthusiasm never wavered. Standout songs included the new sad-but-gleefully-executed single "Gene Autry" and the Talking Heads cover "Psycho Killer," which was simply phenomenal.
So when lead singer Miles Kurosky extended instruments into the audience for assistance in the creation of this superb set, my elementary school inner-volunteer surfaced and I snatched up the maraca and leapt onstage (I later traded for the tambourine for its retro hip-slapping factor). And on "A Good Man is Easy to Kill," from the new disc, Kurosky called "Steph" up to play flute with them because she had written them a letter with the music for a solo. After the show, the drummer told my friend and me that because of our participation we were now "Beulahettes" (there were two others as well, one a member of one of the opening bands, Mates of State) and were welcome to jam with them whenever they were in town.
The music was cheery and masterfully executed, the audience happy and lively and the band members friendly and accessible--seemingly monitoring their success entirely through the enjoyment of their fans.
