Last Thursday, I was fortunate enough to be at the Strutt for a few hours in the evening. While I was there, a handful of bands also happened to be playing. While I can neither confirm nor deny weather these two happenings were coincidental, I can certainly confirm that the show was most excellent, and if you missed it, you missed out. No worries though, I’ll do my best to get some Cliff’s notes going.

The evening opened with a general dimming of lights, a requisite fading-out of the stereo, and a single woman stepping up on stage with an acoustic guitar. The woman, of course, being Kalamazoo’s very own Fiona Dickinson. For those that have seen her set before, rest assured it was nothing short of excellent (the best of hers I’ve seen).

For those that have not experienced Ms. Dickinson first-hand, it sort of goes like this. She plays haunting guitar chords in strange tunings – many, I’m sure, of her own design – and sings with a voice that balances the subtleties of the human condition with raw vocal power. The control Fiona commands over the absolute atmosphere of a venue is staggering, especially considering that, at the end of the day, it’s only one person with an acoustic guitar. A must-see for any Kalamazoo music-lover. A must-see for anyone, really.

Second in rotation, The Nue Spritez (Neu Sprytes? Nwe Sprights?) brought it heavy. This four-piece outfit is Kalamazoo’s only true progressive rock band, and they do the whole bit to a ‘T’. The boys had arrived early to set up their huge array of gear, so that the start was abrupt and jarring – just the way I like a prog band to start.

Employing everything from strange time changes, blistering guitar-parts, odd sound effects and a strong yet subtle ambiance that I could not do justice through typed word, these cats put on a great show. Although, if progressive rock is not your thing, I suppose it could get tiring.

Thursday’s show was also the Spryghts’ long-awaited (two-years-in-the-making, in fact) album release show. The disc is beyond great, so if you’re a fan of these boys or progressive music in general, I suggest hunting them down and picking one up. They’re 10 bucks a piece, and totally worth the cash money.

Surely weary from the road, Holy Sons geared up and played as soon as the New Sprites finished cleaning up their mess of equipment. The Sons’ set-up was a pretty standard rock format, with two guitars, a bassist, and a drummer. To think they would bring a pretty standard rock game, though, was to be foolish. In two words (and ironic to the band’s name): Hell yeah.

The songwriting harkened to Tom Petty’s heavier stuff, which is definitely a good thing in the eyes of this writer. A hint of old-timey music cut deep with ripping guitar and grizzled vocals. The songs were good. The rocking came easy. At one point a guitar went off on it’s own, and the esteemed DJ Polar Bear turned and informed me ‘I think they call that tone’. I was in the midst of the pit for this part of the show, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Catch these cats if you ever can again.

Holy Sons finished their set near the end of the night, and got out of the way rather quickly. After a brief intermission, the feature of the evening took the stage. Que a headliner that was absolutely worth the cost of entry.

Scout Niblett was, bluntly and un-eloquently, most excellent. A two-piece featuring a spastic and heavy-hitting drummer, and a young woman with an overpowering voice and voracious electric guitar. The vocals were at times pseudo-soothing, at times somewhat creepy, and at times rather alarming. An interesting listen, but a great show nonetheless.

The vast majority of the crowd seemed rather enraptured by the sight before them, and that sort of grandiose effect tends to speak for itself. Scout Niblett was one of those acts that really stays with you long after initial ingestion of the music. The recorded bits are similarly excellent, but the full experience is really in the live show, and the proof is in the pudding. Get some of that if ever you can.