Ducktails @ The Chapel, SF 3/22/13

March 26. 2013 | By Jay Raco

Friday night”s show at The Chapel in SF was a good way to wind down the week. The Mission was buzzing as usual, but the vibe inside The Chapel was serene.

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Magic Trick

The Chapel is one of the most enjoyable venues in the City right now. The sound is excellent, it”s a perfectly intimate setting, and there”s a nice bar that shares the facility to hang out in between sets, which is often really boring.

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Magic Trick

Tim Cohen of the Fresh And Onlys is one of the most prolific guys working in music right now, his side project Magic Trick churns out some catchy pop tunes.

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Mark McGuire

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Mark

McGuire

Mark McGuire followed, and as a one-man band was able to create some pretty epic grooves. The

tempo was winding and melodic and the crowd was engaged.

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Ducktails

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Ducktails

Matt Mondanile is well known for his work in Real Estate. His excellent guitar play is the foundation for the band”s sound. It”s wholly unique in its ability to sound organic and driving. The music from his latest record Flower Lane is original, and while the guitar work is undeniably Mondanile”s, there”s an early “80s, late “70s groove (a little Steely Dan-ish).

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Ducktails

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Ducktails

There are some excellent vocals on the record, but they don”t come from Mondanile. As a frontman he”s good, totally competent, but not great. “Sedan Magic” and “Letter Of Intent” didn”t have the same impact with Mondanile on vocals but the music was strong enough and the crowd danced along. He commented on the energy of the audience saying “San Fran, you guys are the best. We just played a show in LA and it was REALLY bad. You guys know how to treat musicians here. Thanks.” The best song of the night was “Timothy Shy” which showcased the band”s range. What started out as a mellow groove broke out into a full on thrash jam session.

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Ducktails

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Ducktails

Check out all the awesome photos from the night HERE.

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