Event

Soul'd Out Presents
Down North + Tricky Thing
Fri June 16, 2023
( Doors: 8:00 pm ) SHOW: 9:00 pm PDT
Jack London Revue
529 SW 4th Ave., Portland, OR
Ages 21 and Up
$20.00 - $150.00

 

There are some performers who come to music later in life. Then, there are folks who you can just tell were voracious students and consumers of music since before they could talk. Seattle / Los Angeles / North Carolina based quartet Down North fall squarely into the latter group. Trying to pin genre tags onto their unique brand of psych-infused punk soul is an exercise in futility. These creatives pick and choose just-right bits and flavors drawn from the whole of modern western music like painters with unlimited palates. 

Front man Anthony Briscoe, bassist Brandon Storms, guitarist Nick Quiller, and drummer Conrad Real (who also plays with Ayron Jones and icons Digable Planets) were on a roll following the release of the No Retreat Volume 1 EP (2018). The record had been well received by the press, and extensive touring plans were in place. Then, the global pandemic brought everything to a screeching halt. 

When other artists might have succumbed to despair, Down North strives to live their motto: No Retreat, No Return, No Surrender. “We tried to see it as an opportunity” explains Briscoe. “We’ve been known as a great live band. This time we really wanted to show that we could capture that magic in our recorded music.”

Notes on Seating: The Jack London provides two options for ticket purchasers. Reserved Seating is purchased on a table-by-table basis in the central part of the venue and is only available for select shows. Seating in the General Admission section is limited, first come first served, and may be standing room only.
 
Down North
Raised on James Brown and Sam Cooke, Anthony Briscoe combines a style and emotional impact reminiscent of Prince in his vocal expressions and proudly steals the spotlight with his ballet-trained dancing while psychedelic-jazz guitarist Nick Quiller dominates the fretboard with a limitless imagination that explores the soundscape from high to low. Bassist Brandon Storms blends slap/pop bass lines with deep synth, and pitch bent solos that parallel guitar leads and Drummer Conrad Real glues together a foundation through impeccable groove and powerful chops, his finesse, intensity, and strength are evocative of Chris Coleman and John Blackwell.