Larry & His Flask

Event information

Musical anthropologists interested in the study of just how fast a band can evolve need look no further than the six upright, upstanding men in Oregon’s Larry and His Flask. Formed by brothers Jamin and Jesse Marshall in 2003, the Flask (as the band’s expanding army of fans calls them) spent its first half-decade stuck in a primordial, punk-rock goop, where a blood-sweat-and-beers live show took priority over things like notes and melodies. Don’t misunderstand: The band was (somewhat) skilled and an absolute joy to watch, but the goal was always the party over perfection.
Over the past two years, however, Larry and His Flask has gone from crawl to sprint at breakneck speed. First, Jamin Marshall moved from gargling-nails vocals to drums. Guitarist Ian Cook became the band’s primary voice. And a trio of talented pickers and singers — Dallin Bulkley (guitars), Kirk Skatvold (mandolin) and Andrew Carew (banjo) — joined the family. (And no, you didn’t miss something. No one is named Larry.)
‘Their latest EP, Hobo's Lament, continues where their debut album All That We Know left off, with its mix of American bluegrass and 300mph punk. While their records don't quite capture the sheer euphoria of their live shows, the Flask's songwriting is more than strong enough and nuanced to make up for it. They've proven time and time again they know their ways around some good melodies and tunes, and Hobo's Lament is no different. Case in point: the opener "Closed Doors", with its droning bowed double bass intro exploding into Ian Cook's fluid guitar lines and a typically rabble-rousing chorus, something the band seem to have a skill for. The slower, downbeat title track also showcases a new trick they seem to have learned, or at least something I didn't notice on their previous releases; a sense of dry black humour. It may be a song about homelessness, and it is sang with empathy, but the touch of humour just keeps things on an even keel, allowing for a change of tone and breathing space while not putting a dampener on the party that is the rest of the music.Larry & His Flask always sound as if they're teetering on the edge of a drunken abyss, but they always pull away just in time. It's reminiscent of the Pogues in the way they toe the line between mayhem and togetherness. Again, it's something that's best appreciated live but it still shows up on record. Amidst all the energy and bar-room rioting lies one of the most robust, tight bands around, with a strong knack for arranging songs so that all six members have space to be heard.’ Realmusic
They’ve just been supporting Frank Turner on his sold out tour now we get the chance to see the full, wild show