Extra Relish

Free Street’s Thursday night staple

By Sherie Dyer

Relish play Thursdays at the Free Street Taverna.

HOTDOG! with a regular weekly gig and an LP on the way, Relish are spreading.

Velvis, a fairly standard Portland rock quartet, left the building in 1999 when drummer Mark Diamond quit the band. Eight months later, with the three left behind, Relish was born. The new four piece consists of singer/guitarist Andi Fawcett, lead guitarist Mitch Elliot, bassist Chris Fawcett, and drummer Reed Chambers.

“It was just like starting over from scratch,” explains Elliot. “Mark Diamond left and so did Velvis.”

“After Mark left we played around for a while, just the three of us,” says Andi. “I personally got away from the more alternative side of rock and started to write songs on my acoustic. In Velvis, I did a lot of screaming, and now I concentrate more on actually singing. Less distortion, more music.”

Andi seems peaceful as she’s explaining all of this to me. She’s sitting next to Elliot with a serene smile. “We’re all really close knit, too. Chris is my brother, and Mitch is my boyfriend. When we met Reed he just fit. It’s been great.”

Still smiling she continues, “It’s like a totally different game now. When I run into people that remember Velvis they sometimes say, ‘Where did you go?’ ”

I ran into them on their fifth week of residency at the Free Street Taverna. Every Thursday night is college night and Relish’s gig. No correlation of course. The Free Street is the best place to see them due to the acoustics of the bar. We all know loud music doesn’t go over well in smaller bars, and the groove-oriented four piece compliments the Free Street’s size. An intimate evening of cheap drinks and sincere songs.

Andi fronts the band with her acoustic guitar and Ani DiFranco-esque delivery. Her dramatic vibrato threatens to rattle your drink off the table, but you don’t mind because her melodies are catchy. Elliot’s electric guitar drips with the standard blues tone. His solos are solid and fitting, and he’s well rounded. Inflections of reggae, funk, and jazz can be heard in his playing. Chris is a sturdy bass player, the kind who works with the drummer, knows the theory behind the music, and could probably fill in for any bassist in town.

Reed completes Relish in sound and style. He has the demeanor of a kitten, but the raw energy of a cat when he performs. Soft spoken and friendly, yet fiercely moving. Hints of traditional funk top off the island influence in his approach. It was February 2000 when he met the Velvis disbandits, and it was Reed who made Relish possible.

A loyal following makes a regular appearance at their shows, and they all seem very in touch with the music. Where I can see how they would enjoy Relish’s sentimental folk rock, the songs are a bit over the top emotionally for my taste. But Andi’s stage presence is truly passionate and convincing. “We’ve really toned it down when I look back at Velvis,” she says. “This music we’re playing now is really close to me.”

Andi may be spending her Thursdays at the Free Street, but she’s also committed to Mondays at The Big Easy with the new-new-new band Inside Straight. The Motown-inspired band includes the horn section of Rustic Overtones, as well as Santiago from kNOw Complex. Andi and Santiago sing backup for the boys and Stream’s guitarist Ryan McCaulman fronts it. Joined by John Lammi on bass, Eddie Dickhaught on drums, and Pete Dougas on keys, Inside Straight is definitely on my go see list.

And soon Relish’s fans should have more than just the Thursday gigs. The band is shooting for a late spring release of a full length LP. The recording is set for March out at Big Sound. They plan on mixing in several extra layers. Some horns were mentioned along with an MC appearance. A very different production from the quartet that got their name off a bar napkin.

Sherie Dyer can be reached at sheriedyer@netscape.net.