Indie Musicology: Alcoholic Faith Mission

Only last Friday, I was introduced to a band which renewed my faith in music and the music business. Alcoholic Faith Mission are from Denmark, a country you do not hear from all that much when it comes to the rock world. When I headed up to Portland's Doug Fir Lounge to catch their live show, I really didn't know what to expect. I had not conducted any searches, had not tracked down any of their music on the Net. I went up blind, expecting something worth seeing (they came highly recommended by friend Cam Carpenter who had seen them the previous week in Toronto) but not expecting what I saw. And heard.

First off, the venue was smaller than I'd imagined, ready to seat three to five hundred at best, shoulder to shoulder ("seat" is the wrong term, as the only seats lined the walls--- the floor was open and empty). The stage was small but with enough room for six Danes and their surprisingly small amount of equipment. The sound system adequate, but I had no idea how much so until I heard the music. I could not imagine sound emanating from so small a stage being as large as it turned out to be.

I walked away from that show convinced that I had just seen one of the best shows I had ever seen. The sound was excellent and huge and the music way beyond my expectations. Alcoholic Faith Mission is one of only a few bands I have seen which was actually better live than they were on record and I say that knowing that had I heard the music first, I would say it anyway. Their new album, Ask Me This, is terrific, but there was no way they could recreate in the studio the power and cohesion that they had that night. It was wall-of-sound incredible in places, flowingly moving in others and flat out an experience I will never forget. Rather than waste my time on words, I shall instead take you on a little Youtube journey through the music in which I have so much faith (and, yes, I am on a mission--- no, it does not include alcohol). Keep an open mind and open ears and you will hear just a portion of what I recently heard--- a band on the way up and confident in its mission. May you enjoy the journey (and may they gain fans, as they so much deserve).