David Nance & Mowed Sound, Jordan Pantalone

David Nance & Mowed Sound, Jordan Pantalone. 8pm, $15/17. 21+

David Nance is a musician based in Omaha, Nebraska and David Nance and the Mowed Sound is his latest group and recording project. Led by Nance on vocals, guitar, and whatever instrument needs playing, with partners in crime Kevin Donahue on drums, James Schroeder on guitar and Derrick Higgins and Sam Lipsett on bass.

Nance grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska, played in the marching band, and discovered punk and garage rock before moving to Omaha and joining the mid-2000 garage punk scene happening there with the band the Forbidden Tigers. Several years spent in Los Angeles with his wife Anna led to a period of songwriting and home recording before they decided to move back to Omaha where he began finding his musical identity and started recording his songs with like-minded friends. What developed was a heavy burned-out rock vibe that still somehow fits in the punk universe. Nance also played with Omaha legend Simon Joyner and has continued to record and self-release tapes and cdrs throughout the past decade.

A full-length album, More Than Enough, was released in 2016 on Ba Da Bing! Records and featured Nance’s blown-out guitar leads, low-fi sound and great songs and was followed by 2017’s Negative Boogie. Somehow straddling the world you might find on Missing Link, private-press blues rock albums from the 70’s and the post 2000 punk landscape, Nance takes it further with skilled songwriting and melodic vocals. With Nebraska roots mixed in with his hypnotic blues riffs, Nance’s sound lands on a territory not too far from the country outlaws of the 70’s. This sound was solidified on 2020’s Staunch Honey, Nance’s self described “loner recording” mostly recorded by himself playing all instruments with long term collaborator Donahue on drums.

Nance is also known for his lightning punk cover recordings of classic albums such as Lou Reed’s Berlin, Beatles for Sale and Devo’s Duty Now For the Future. For this series, Nance will choose a favorite album, learn the songs and record over the course of a week and release it on CDR or cassette on his own Western Records. Nance plans on continuing this project and would like to release 100 of these eccentric home spun and destroyed love letters to the greats. Another partnership includes a collaboration with the musician Rosali that has resulted in two excellent albums and subsequent tours with the David Nance Group as her backing band. They had been touring with her band the Long Hots in 2019 and started playing together with mutual affinity. Rosali’s upcoming album was recorded with musical compatriots James Schroeder recording and Kevin Donahue and Nance playing, as well.

Not content to mine one musical formula, Nance and company continue to explore new sounds and spaces. From the blistered punk blasts of More Than Enough to the introspective stance on Staunch Honey, Nance and his friends find inspiration from the friends and fellow musicians that have accompanied them on their journey. A fruitful one indeed.

"The Nebraska guitarist and songwriter strips his music to its raw, noisy core, revealing how his favorite records might have sounded when they were still being hammered out in rehearsal." - Pitchfork

"David Nance & Mowed Sound is Feel-Good Rock ‘n’ Roll That Salutes Its Makers and Its Inspirations ; The Nebraska musician's latest shoulders rock music into new phenomena while remaining achingly indebted to its capacity for magic and freedom." - Paste Magazine

Band To Watch: David Nance Group - Stereogum

ALBUM OF THE WEEK: David Nance & Mowed Sound - “David Nance & Mowed Sound” - Post Trash

Jordan Pantalone

An instrumental figure in the SF/Oakland underground music scene over recent years, Jordan Pantalone has played in bands including Spiral Dub, The World, Almond Joy, and Rays. This will be the second performance of their new eponymously named solo project band.