Friday, Jan. 31: Camp Wisdom

Northern

By Rev. Adam McKinney on January 29, 2014

On a recent re-watching of the great Band documentary, The Last Waltz, I was once again struck by the sheer awkwardness of that final performance. As all of the film's guest stars come back on to perform "I Shall Be Released" together, what they end up creating is a gangly Frankenstein of voices (oddly enough, the voices of Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Van Morrison and Dr. John don't quite mesh as well as one would hope). The majestic feeling of unity that they're going for is actually captured quite well in the harmonies of Camp Wisdom - though you do miss the sight of a patently stoned Neil Young embracing a nervous Joni Mitchell. Camp Wisdom takes folk rock and imbues it with the kind of riled-up enthusiasm that's necessary to unite those singular voices into one. 

CAMP WISDOM, w/ Lures, Generifus, 8 p.m., Northern, 414 ½ Legion Way, Olympia, $5