Jaded Reviews
A jaded view of music, movies and whatever else I desire.
She Swings, She Sways
She Swings, She Sways @ Balloons Over the Mississippi
***WARNING*** Click the following link at your own risk. It contains auto-play muzack. I hate that! Don’t say I didn’t warn you…..
She Swings, She Sways was the house band on hand at the 7th Annual Balloons Over the Mississippi celebration on July 18th. They touted themselves as Americana/Pop/Folk and I believe that to be the perfect description of their sound.
An odd compilation of characters, this band included a stand up Bass player, an accordion, a trumpet and a mandolin. At any given point you weren’t sure exactly what you were going to get. The three front men wore flannel shirts and jeans while the drummer and the rhythm guitar player wore t-shirts and baseball caps. The one female of the group played keyboard and the trumpet was dressed up, albeit tastelessly. The awkward way that she used a huge sparkly purple scarf to cover up the front her “over the top” of a bolero style black jacket was distracting. A beautiful girl, with a fantastic voice, really needs a personal stylist. Or, follow in the footsteps of the front men. Don a cute flannel top, a pair of jeans and high heels.
Their music was quite melancholy. I didn’t realize that Americana/Pop/Folk had to be so depressing.
If they had removed a few members of the band, I could see them fitting in quite nicely performing at some high end yuppie-style coffee shop between poetry readings in Chicago. It wasn’t until they began doing covers, such as 4 Non Blonds “What’s Up” that they began to grab my attention. Their original music (of which you can purchase at their website) did not whet my pallet on any level. Their commentary between songs was supposed to be humorous and down to earth I believe, however, once again they missed their mark. It was borderline idiotic rambling that got annoying pretty quickly. Their inside jokes that anyone not living in their “band house” wouldn’t get isn’t something that a general audience is going to bite and run with and really should be saved for nights of beer drinking around their table together.
However, the did have swag and plenty of it. From cd’s to t-shirts to buttons. They even had a sheet to sign up for their mailing list.
They are trying. Maybe we’ll see them around sometime. I would be interested to see if they grow or if this band is stagnant in their sway.
July 22, 2009 - 1:32 am
Warning, clicking on my website auto plays music. Hi, I’m the Organizer and Promoter of Balloons over the Mississippi. It amazes me that when I search the web after the event what I find. Are you a local, if not what brought you to the event? Anyway, thanks for being there.
Nannette Griffin
PS: She Swings She Sways was requested by the majority of those attending to come back again this year. Maybe we just don’t know our music
July 24, 2009 - 1:38 am
Nannette: Hey! Thanks for stopping by! That’s awesome you found my reviews just by running a search like that. I am honored to see you here!
No, I am not a local, actually. I moved to Abingdon, IL from Phoenix Arizona one year ago September. My fiance, my daughter and I quite literally stumbled into the event. Our good friend owns OGO’s restaurant in Keokuk and we had been there eating dinner when he mentioned that if we left at that moment, we would make the lift off. So, we did! And boy were we glad we did! I can’t wait to come back again next year.
I don’t think y’all don’t know your music. Just not my cuppa tea so much. My daughter, on the other hand loved them! I, personally think that Bogart Jones would be a better fit for what you guys have going on there! I don’t know much, but I do know what I like!
Thanks again for stopping by! Looking forward to next years event!
July 24, 2009 - 5:28 pm
Jade – We’re glad your daughter liked the show! Our stage performance is always a work in progress.
One correction for the record: Neither Jason (drummer) nor Jimmie (electric guitar player) were wearing tshirts or baseball caps. No one in the band owns a baseball cap, and even if he did, he would not be allowed to bring it anywhere near the touring van, let alone wear it on stage. We are wholly against baseball caps and everything they stand for.
Cheers,
Troy
Ss,Ss
August 1, 2009 - 10:26 am
Jade –
This is John from She Swings, She Sways.
I want to say something nice, but I take issue with so many parts of your so-called “review” that I am left searching for…well…anything to say at all!
1) WHERE EXACTLY WERE YOU IN THE CROWD?
Troy already mentioned that none of us were wearing baseball caps or caps of any kind. We were not wearing flannel shirts, but some of us were wearing plaid shirts with jeans. Not that it makes any difference, but these are more or less the kind of clothes we wear at home. And really – what is with the criticism of Diana’s outfit? Did you come to listen to a live band or to watch a fashion show? Perhaps if your attention was on the music, instead of what a 19 year old young lady was wearing, you would have a review/report that is a bit more accurate.
2) “BORDERLINE IDIOTIC RAMBLINGS”???
What time – exactly – did you leave? I’m assuming that you weren’t towards the end of the evening. The crowd started to dance and really enjoy themselves, and called out for us to keep playing.
Not to toot our own horn, but after the show, at least 3 or 4 people said to me personally how much they enjoyed the show. And how entertaining it was. Hell, we had 3 or 4 people who saw us perform the previous year and made a special trip to see us again.
Jade, it’s completely fine if you don’t like our music, our clothes, our banter, or even our faces.
But in the future, if you are going to do a review, please try a bit harder to either be more factual with your statements, or inform the reader that it is a work of fiction. Did you even come up and introduce yourself?
Or did you just form some half-baked opinion from so far away that you thought we were wearing hats?
Thanks –
John Gordon
August 3, 2009 - 6:08 pm
so you aren’t going to print my rebuttal then…?
August 6, 2009 - 12:15 pm
John: But of course I am printing your rebuttal. I do apologize that I did not have it moderated post haste, however, I had been traveling in MO when it came in and didn’t have access to a computer so that I may get it posted.
Truly, I do not know where I got the hat idea, however, there lies my only bits of confusion. I did not stay to the end of the night, nor did I show up to hear a band. I showed up for the balloons, as it was my first time out and like a child in a candy store was having a great time.
Personally, I do not care for your band nor it’s music. Being a personal review blog, my opinions are shared with my readers, whom are many, and taken as that. My opinions.
I think it’s fabulous you were told they loved you so much they made a special trip out to see you! What an awesome ego boost for you! Truly, tastes are subjective.
The only thing I had wrong is the baseball caps, for which I truly apologize.
Good luck to you folks and I do hope that your crowds keep following!
August 15, 2009 - 7:36 pm
So your “thing” is to get online and print disparaging comments about people that you admittedly weren’t really even paying much attention to? Is it a schtick? To just be negative?
You see, my band is my art form, but it is also my business. It is very dear to me and there are countless hours poured into it.
Indeed, tastes ARE subjective. But do you really display ANY taste whatsoever when all you do (according to the reviews that I read) is comment negatively?
Ah well, I guess everyone has a schtick these days.
By the way, I have no idea how those little “face icons” get attached to the comment, but the little red, angry starfish that precedes my previous comment is hilarious. And pretty accurate to what my face must’ve looked like when I wrote it!
August 15, 2009 - 11:18 pm
“So your “thing” is to get online and print disparaging comments about people that you admittedly weren’t really even paying much attention to?
— I don’t see where I said I wasn’t even paying attention. While in the beer tent you had my full attention. You just couldn’t keep it.
“…do you really display ANY taste whatsoever when all you do (according to the reviews that I read) is comment negatively?”
— I am not sure how you can base your take in my tastes on two reviews you claim to have read as, the review of your “art form” and that of Shotgun Dixie are the only two poorly reviewed and disliked bands thus far.
—Basically, you are sounding like a petulant child who is irritated that mommy didn’t like his tap dance all over her LPs in the living room floor. Feeling as though you’ve not received enough recognition, you are now going to throw a temper tantrum all over my art form for the simple fact that I didn’t like your art form.
You stated your case and then you felt the need to come back again and attempt to throw sand in my face. You are bitter and unpleasant.
I do not like your music, therefore I plan on never seeing you play again. You do not like my review site, yet, you keep coming back to play.
Odd.
August 17, 2009 - 1:14 am
No, you are quite wrong, as a matter of fact.
You are trying to paint my argument with a very, very wide and very vague brush. You make inaccurate comments, you pretend to be reviewing music – but you discuss outfits and clothes more than anything else, you insult us by describing our stage banter as “borderline idiotic” (ouch!) and then you say that when I call foul, that I am being childish. I think perhaps you ALSO dislike being called out, eh?
Now for the next point, it’s a matter of common knowledge that I am often both bitter AND unpleasant. You are right on the money there.
And by the way, I never said I didn’t like your review site.
I think it’s pretty.
Love – John
PS – if you ever change your mind and decide to come to another show, I’ll buy you a beer
August 31, 2009 - 1:48 am
hi jade.
i can imagine you’re quite sick of hearing from members of she swings, she sways. i would be too. i think your review of the band was just a bit of a shock considering it was the first negative review we’ve ever received. probably accounts for all the posts. personally, i think it’s just what we needed. i mean come on, you’re not the only person in the whole world who isn’t going to like our music and it’s not going to be our only negative review. someone has to hate it, right?
as john said though, if you change your mind and want to give us a second chance, we’ll buy you a beer or whatever your pleasure. i’d love for you to catch a show when we don’t have to play a bunch of covers and you can witness the originality of the band.
cory