Silent Cinema CD - Release Party

The metamorphosis of Micah McKee has been fun to watch. In 2003, I interviewed McKee and guitarist Matt Glynn, asking inane questions like "Charlie Chaplin or Buster Keaton?" and "Jeff Buckley or Elliott Smith?", and they answered gamely. (Keaton and Buckley, for the record, although they were split on the latter.) Silent Cinema was a newish outfit, having just issued a debut record of folksy, frail indie rock, and the two railed against the dearth of nonfunky music in New Orleans. Five years later, with Glynn as part of a revamped seven-piece, McKee is prepping a new LP, Fins and Feathers, and as his songs have focused less on folk, they've likewise become less frail — quite sturdy, in fact. His wispy whisper has evolved into a throaty bellow, and the band behind him has fleshed out the skeletal acoustic melodies to include alt-country mood swings and barroom sing-alongs. Half A Million Strangers opens. Tickets $10. — Noah Bonaparte Pais