Chris Bathgate is back and he’s been quite busy. The meditative and at times melancholy singer/songwriter will forever be claimed by the Ann Arbor (and SE Michigan) music scene from whence he broke out in the mid-2000s, garnering acclaim from NPR, The A.V. Club and recording memorable sets for the Tiny Desk series and Daytrotter, not to mention capping off a handful of Mittenfest’s with his sublime serenades.
Bathgate has spent the last seven months touring with the remarkable Molly Sullivan, a Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter and essentially kindred spirit to Bathgate’s style of breathtaking, twilight-folk centering on vocal melody while balancing electric and acoustic elements.
With a new album coming out in May, The Go Rounds, meanwhile, are comparably busy. The Kalamazoo based Americana/rock outfit is joining Bathgate for a few tour dates this month, leading into an East Coast tour next month.
The group found a new sonic stride and enticing blend of psychedelic-warble, smooth surf-tones and alt-country twang on last year’s release, Some Other Time.
Bathgate and The Go Rounds are joined by a Brooklyn/Toledo trio called The Antivillians, blending lo-fi indie pop with rootsy waltzes.
And you can catch them all Wednesday night at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit (1254 Michgian Ave)
Jeff covers music for Current, posting weekly show previews and highlighting new bands in the area.
