Druid City

By Casey Childers

In the intimate, cozy setting of the Flicker Theatre and Bar on Thursday night, Druid City played to a packed house of 17. Understanding the acoustics were probably not the best, with the brick walls, sheets covering the unused speakers beside the stage, the red lights illuminating the stage and a curtain separating the stage and bar area, I didn’t except much. I expected no more quality than if I were attending a party in a basement with a keg and a friend of a friend just happened to bring a guitar to play for everyone.

However, on the first song, I was blown away by the quality of the musicianship of Druid City. Larry Tucker is on tenor sax, Aaron Wegelin on drums, and Julien Derocher singing while playing the guitar and harmonica made for a raw, reminiscent sound of 70s rock.

Derocher’s vocals were smooth and melodic contrasting dark against the light of an almost full marching band and orchestra behind him. But, there was one problem with Derocher’s performance: I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. He seemed so encapsulated in the moment, closing his eyes with each verse, pouring his heart out on stage.

Derocher’s voice is evocative of a muffled Bob Dylan overshadowed by his band. The fans, which seemed more like friends and family, really loved the show, with nodding heads and shouting requests. I felt like an outsider, as everyone in the room seemed to know what he was saying except me.

The overall feel of the sound evokes musical images of the smoothness of Allman Brothers Band, the guitar and piano breakdowns of Lynyrd Skynyrd with the soul of Van Morrison. The Druid City sound is authentic, not cover band material, with blues, R & B, folk influences blending without being obvious.

Songs changed style, with one song having a salsa beat with a strong drum and clapping beat with Derocher changing up his voice to a staccato feel. His voice matching the instrumentation reminded me of how Kanye West’s voice matched the trumpets in “Touch the Sky.” I can’t speak for the lyrics, but the multifaceted musicians in this band pulled it off, making the audience get up from the cheap wooden chairs and second-hand sheet-covered couches to dance. Druid City’s stage presence is approachable and likable. They spoke directly to the audience and seemed to really love entertaining.

Druid City is named for the hospital Derocher was born at, Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Druid City is a new band to the scene, with only four shows prior to Thursday’s show. There is little information available about Druid City or any of the musicians in the band.

Derocher is no newbie to the music scene though, with writings and recordings spanning over a decade. Derocher has a quiet, mysterious air to him. This may be because I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I’m willing to give this band a second chance, as they have a show in March coming up. Even without hearing what Derocher had to say, it seemed he owned the stage.