Scott Arbogast Rainstick Cowbell Portland Musician Songwriter

Rainstick Cowbell's Scott Arbogast

Wow! Last night I got treated to indie/folk acoustic heaven at the Ash Street Saloon in downtown Portland. I simply closed my eyes and listened. People! You MISSED OUT! Almost nobody was there.

First on – Rainstick Cowbell nearly put me into a state of Nirvana! If I hadn’t seen Scott, I would not have known if a male or female was singing – his voice is that gender neutral – and it’s beautiful and intense. (He says he’s comfortable with his feminine side! Gotta love him!) Listen to him a few minutes and here’s what you’ll be able to surmise: the man is intelligent, he’s passionate, he cares about the people and the planet, and he’s mastered his craft. Boy – howdy has he mastered his craft. It amazed me that such a full sound could possibly come from one man and his guitar.

I do give some credit to Adam, who set up the stage and sound for the musicians that night. When I complimented Adam, he attributed the great sound to the musicians. But I’ve heard some really good musicians that sounded terrible in certain venues. I don’t know what Adam does – but he does it right! I recommend Ash Street as a venue to consider if you’re a performing musician. If Adam sets you up, you’ll sound awesome!

Next up was our only out-of-town guest from Northern California, Trout and Parrot. OMG! They did one of the BEST covers of the traditional bluegrass standard, “In The Pines” that I’ve ever heard. I got chills. They also have a bevvy of fantastic original songs as well. Trout and Parrot is the stunningly beautiful Jillian Secor (guitar, vocals) and Alex Stephens (mandolin, guitar, vocals). If they ever roll through Portland again – stop whatever you’re doing and get yourself out to hear them. Learn more about them on the Reverb Nation Trout and Parrot Artist Bio.

Shout out to Jillian – It’s just not fair to be that beautiful AND that talented. Have you ever thought about running for Ms. California? :-)

Third in the lineup was Adam Goldman, Class M Planets, with uber-creative original songs. Just Adam and his guitar. I love these lyrics I jotted down while listening…

“I didn’t like that one book so I burnt down the library. Can’t find one trace of you in the dictionary.”

My favorite was “Freak of Illuminary” about a cat that would stare at empty space such that the owner was certain it was seeing spirits or something. You can find Adam on MySpace at ClassMPlanets.

And last, but not least, Ivy Ross! started off by teaching us how to sing with our V’s. I mean, she actually had us trying to do it! Um, I didn’t quite figure it out – but neither did the guy sitting next to me. LOL. :D

Ivy Ross was a mix of comedy, audience interaction (big time) and beautiful music. She’s the epitome of an entertainer – which she also does for children in hospitals and other charities plus she teaches voice, guitar and songwriting to children. Sooo, in addition to being a bright and beautiful, talented woman, she has a heart of gold as well. You can find her at IvyRoss.com