Antique Animals

Did I slip into some sort of Chartreuse hallucination last night, or did I actually happen upon Antique Animals playing The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" with immaculate attention to detail and impassioned intensity? If the latter is true, I'm one Antique Animals performance closer to knowing they're one of the better live indie-rock acts in town.
Where did these guys come from all of a sudden? When did they assemble, as if by magic, into this group of learned, impressive musicians? The lengths they've come since The Great Working and early Antique Animals days...
I watched quietly, and in awe, as they poured out rich layers of music to a swaying, celebrating, packed house at Underbelly. Something was in the air, and I'd like to pin New Year's Eve as the sole culprit, but I've seen Antique Animals have this effect on crowds before. There's something sort of mysterious and engaging about the man with the plan, Joe Shuck, who gives intimate performances with or without his acoustic guitar, as he stands in the center of a powerful cocktail of keyboards, trumpet, electric guitar, and one of the tightest bass and drum combos I've seen here or anywhere else.
Toward the end of their set, Shuck, who's usually quite reserved on stage, exploded in a rare exhibition of joy and gratitude, thanking everyone down to his father and girlfriend for sharing in the experience. Enthusiastic cheers filled the room, and I was glad to have witnessed what I did of that intoxicating performance.
You can listen to their record, which is decent, but I don't think it captures what they're capable of live. I'd like to hear a fuller record from them. One that truly showcases all the goodness I've watched them bring to the stage. But for now, I'll be happy to catch them live when I can, and I recommend you do the same, in a room with good sound.
- The Skinny Jax

Did I slip into some sort of Chartreuse hallucination last night, or did I actually happen upon Antique Animals playing The Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" with immaculate attention to detail and impassioned intensity? If the latter is true, I'm one Antique Animals performance closer to knowing they're one of the better live indie-rock acts in town.
Where did these guys come from all of a sudden? When did they assemble, as if by magic, into this group of learned, impressive musicians? The lengths they've come since The Great Working and early Antique Animals days...
I watched quietly, and in awe, as they poured out rich layers of music to a swaying, celebrating, packed house at Underbelly. Something was in the air, and I'd like to pin New Year's Eve as the sole culprit, but I've seen Antique Animals have this effect on crowds before. There's something sort of mysterious and engaging about the man with the plan, Joe Shuck, who gives intimate performances with or without his acoustic guitar, as he stands in the center of a powerful cocktail of keyboards, trumpet, electric guitar, and one of the tightest bass and drum combos I've seen here or anywhere else.
Toward the end of their set, Shuck, who's usually quite reserved on stage, exploded in a rare exhibition of joy and gratitude, thanking everyone down to his father and girlfriend for sharing in the experience. Enthusiastic cheers filled the room, and I was glad to have witnessed what I did of that intoxicating performance.
You can listen to their record, which is decent, but I don't think it captures what they're capable of live. I'd like to hear a fuller record from them. One that truly showcases all the goodness I've watched them bring to the stage. But for now, I'll be happy to catch them live when I can, and I recommend you do the same, in a room with good sound.
- The Skinny Jax

The lineup was Katie Grace Helow, Antique Animals, Helado Negro, and Junip. The venue was the Five Points Theatre. The large audience was excited and in the mood for a good time. I stood to the side, my Moleskine open and my pen in hand, pondering my first assignment as a music journalist. Right on time, local artist Katie Grace Helow and her band took to the floor in front of the stage.

In my years of watching and listening to Katie, this was the first time I’d seen her with a band. The band, resolute and warm, was clearly rehearsed. I expected nothing less from the talented and soulful Katie, as she was backed up by a steady, classic sound that complimented her songwriting, and didn’t clutter it with showy playing. The overall performance of the band was understated, yet every member in it was given a moment to shine, as they effortlessly worked their way through folksy songs, flowing between soft and loud dynamics with a certain grace. Katie sang her somewhat brooding and minor toned work with precision and heart, with adequate backups provided by her lead guitarist. There was a true intimacy about their set, with audible shuffling from the band members and a soughing sound from the audience in between songs. My only complaint is that the band’s placement on the floor instead of the stage made for an awkward barrier between artist and audience, as the audience seemed unsure about how close to get to the artist. Get close, people.

I was impressed by the professionalism of the venue and the artists in moving the show along with quickness and efficiency. As soon as Katie Grace Helow was finishing, local Americana artists, Antique Animals, were taking her place on the floor. Antique Animals opened their set with a foot stomping crowd-pleaser, their ramped up energy proving them a welcome second act. They had a loose, happy feeling, as two of their front members spit boisterous melodies into a shared microphone. Their ensemble of cello, upright bass, acoustic guitar, and occasional fluid rivers of organ made the whole experience an earthy slide into the heart of blues, soul, and folk. Their sound seemed to emanate from them effortlessly, as if it were meant to be, and their front man, Joe Shuck, unpretentiously and coolly assumed the role of American roots music perpetrator. Both Katie Grace Helow and Antique Animals reaffirmed the notion that in 2011, a solidly formed “rock” band can still delight if they are interesting and well rehearsed.

The script flipped when Helado Negro, a solo artist who sings invitingly in Spanish, took the stage. A good portion of the crowd moved onto the floor in front of him. The theatre took on more of a club vibe, as Helado Negro expertly tweaked dials and buttons, much like a DJ, channeling the field recordings, beats, and samples that make up his bright and bubbly blend of Latin and dance music. This is potentially a different popularization of Latin music in the states than we have seen of late, with the likes of guitar virtuosos, Rodrigo y Gabriella. With their music, the audience knows when to applaud, because the dynamic shifts are blatantly apparent. With Helado Negro, there are no shredding riffs, but there are new types of rises and falls, tensions and releases in the music that make it exciting. He had a giant screen projecting images behind him, about which I heard remarks like, “I love that color, there,” making his set a complete sensory experience. My gripe with his set is that I would have liked to have seen more people on stage with him creating the sounds I was hearing, as I am still very much a fan of the human physicality a band can display. Also, it would’ve been cool to see more people in the audience moving freely and unworriedly to his music.

The headlining act, Junip, were greeted with cheers as they took the stage. The low, subby opening set up a sort of hip hop vibe right away, as the audience thickened on the floor and bobbed their heads. Junip had an instantly recognizable pop sensibility and maturity in vision, with a deft blending of traditional songwriting and electronic ambiance, which had a hypnotizing effect. Their minimalist, groove oriented music filled the venue with waves of steady, natural sound that obviously won the crowd over. Their drummer had extraordinary focus and their alternate percussionist added a certain whimsy to their performance. In the end, it was 2 to 4 chord pop, but technology has breathed new life into the timbres and transitions between those chords, and Junip yields that technology and their knowledge of music with a concentrated power. Gripe? If there is one, perhaps it’s that the bravado of “rock” music seems to have been replaced almost entirely by a more gentle, sensitive aura. The absence of an edge, some grit, some dirt, can leave one wanting. All in all it was a surprisingly impressive, even magical, night for local and touring music. - eu Jacksonville

The lineup was Katie Grace Helow, Antique Animals, Helado Negro, and Junip. The venue was the Five Points Theatre. The large audience was excited and in the mood for a good time. I stood to the side, my Moleskine open and my pen in hand, pondering my first assignment as a music journalist. Right on time, local artist Katie Grace Helow and her band took to the floor in front of the stage.

In my years of watching and listening to Katie, this was the first time I’d seen her with a band. The band, resolute and warm, was clearly rehearsed. I expected nothing less from the talented and soulful Katie, as she was backed up by a steady, classic sound that complimented her songwriting, and didn’t clutter it with showy playing. The overall performance of the band was understated, yet every member in it was given a moment to shine, as they effortlessly worked their way through folksy songs, flowing between soft and loud dynamics with a certain grace. Katie sang her somewhat brooding and minor toned work with precision and heart, with adequate backups provided by her lead guitarist. There was a true intimacy about their set, with audible shuffling from the band members and a soughing sound from the audience in between songs. My only complaint is that the band’s placement on the floor instead of the stage made for an awkward barrier between artist and audience, as the audience seemed unsure about how close to get to the artist. Get close, people.

I was impressed by the professionalism of the venue and the artists in moving the show along with quickness and efficiency. As soon as Katie Grace Helow was finishing, local Americana artists, Antique Animals, were taking her place on the floor. Antique Animals opened their set with a foot stomping crowd-pleaser, their ramped up energy proving them a welcome second act. They had a loose, happy feeling, as two of their front members spit boisterous melodies into a shared microphone. Their ensemble of cello, upright bass, acoustic guitar, and occasional fluid rivers of organ made the whole experience an earthy slide into the heart of blues, soul, and folk. Their sound seemed to emanate from them effortlessly, as if it were meant to be, and their front man, Joe Shuck, unpretentiously and coolly assumed the role of American roots music perpetrator. Both Katie Grace Helow and Antique Animals reaffirmed the notion that in 2011, a solidly formed “rock” band can still delight if they are interesting and well rehearsed.

The script flipped when Helado Negro, a solo artist who sings invitingly in Spanish, took the stage. A good portion of the crowd moved onto the floor in front of him. The theatre took on more of a club vibe, as Helado Negro expertly tweaked dials and buttons, much like a DJ, channeling the field recordings, beats, and samples that make up his bright and bubbly blend of Latin and dance music. This is potentially a different popularization of Latin music in the states than we have seen of late, with the likes of guitar virtuosos, Rodrigo y Gabriella. With their music, the audience knows when to applaud, because the dynamic shifts are blatantly apparent. With Helado Negro, there are no shredding riffs, but there are new types of rises and falls, tensions and releases in the music that make it exciting. He had a giant screen projecting images behind him, about which I heard remarks like, “I love that color, there,” making his set a complete sensory experience. My gripe with his set is that I would have liked to have seen more people on stage with him creating the sounds I was hearing, as I am still very much a fan of the human physicality a band can display. Also, it would’ve been cool to see more people in the audience moving freely and unworriedly to his music.

The headlining act, Junip, were greeted with cheers as they took the stage. The low, subby opening set up a sort of hip hop vibe right away, as the audience thickened on the floor and bobbed their heads. Junip had an instantly recognizable pop sensibility and maturity in vision, with a deft blending of traditional songwriting and electronic ambiance, which had a hypnotizing effect. Their minimalist, groove oriented music filled the venue with waves of steady, natural sound that obviously won the crowd over. Their drummer had extraordinary focus and their alternate percussionist added a certain whimsy to their performance. In the end, it was 2 to 4 chord pop, but technology has breathed new life into the timbres and transitions between those chords, and Junip yields that technology and their knowledge of music with a concentrated power. Gripe? If there is one, perhaps it’s that the bravado of “rock” music seems to have been replaced almost entirely by a more gentle, sensitive aura. The absence of an edge, some grit, some dirt, can leave one wanting. All in all it was a surprisingly impressive, even magical, night for local and touring music. - eu Jacksonville

Joe Shuck sings with his eyes closed. When he does open them, for a passing glance at an audience or band member, he grins or raises an eyebrow, then slips softly back into his private world of strums and wails. This introversion, this self-imposed isolation, could be interpreted as off-putting affectation were Shuck not so disarming. But he looks like a nice guy, and the songs — well, they’re damn good.

Lanky and pale, acoustic guitar slung high, Shuck is mid-set at the recent One Spark Town Hall performance at The Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville. His six-piece band, Antique Animals, is jammed into a tiny corner of the red-carpeted lobby. Framed by a decorative arch, nearly elbow-to-elbow and too loud for such an intimate space, they’re pulling it off. The pre-meeting gathering is modest but growing, and most of the attendees are actually listening.

The ensemble moves smoothly through its set, a collection of songs that ranges from gypsy folk and ’60s hipster pop to sea shanties and moody acoustic ballads. Dressed sloppy-neat in muted tones, a beige dress jacket and blue suspenders his most eccentric features, Shuck is part Morrissey, part Nick Heyward. He’d probably deny the former comparison and is probably too young for the latter to have any resonance, but his voice is a roiling mixture of both.

The band is a mish-mosh of characters, each with his own aura. There’s Mike Boff, the blithe, ponytailed bassist; Milan Algood, the bushy-bearded and dreadlocked drummer; Angel Garcia, the jovial keyboardist; Daniel Hunting, the unassuming guitarist; and Sergio Valdez, the mild-mannered trumpeter. Despite the aesthetic disparity, despite the challenge of performing in such cramped quarters (they thought they’d be playing on the theater’s stage), the sextet easily coalesces musically. When the band breaks down for the sing-along section of “I Got the Joy,” they all join in, as does a good portion of the audience. During the ballad “One Chance,” a couple dances cheek-to-cheek.

Shuck seems oblivious, tangled up in each song, focused on each lyric. When he is asked by an event organizer to direct the onlookers into the theater after the next number, he happily obliges, then quickly huddles with the band to discuss what song to close with. A plodding kick drum signals “Gospel Song,” a dark, droney blues with a repetitive two-note figure that crescendos as the song progresses. Several fans politely wend their way through the crowd, which has turned its attention to casual networking, and surround the band.

The sound is big, bigger than anything the band has played so far, and Shuck growls like Danzig. Hunting rips a burning lead, Algood ratchets up the tension with buzzing snare fills, and Garcia, Boff and Valdez drive it home until the inevitable denouement. The resolution is satisfying, and though many have filtered into the theater for the main event, dedicated Animals fans are fawning over the band. Hands are shaken and backs are patted. Hugs are exchanged.

“Dude!” gushes a bubbly twentysomething, her enthusiasm contagious. “That last song? We were, like, whoa! You guys were, like, groovin’. Where did that come from?”

Shuck is wide-eyed with appreciation.

Any Band’s Story

It’s Tuesday night, and out on Forsyth Street, “Auld Lang Syne” wafts and tumbles in the chilly downtown air. Upstairs, in a spray-paint-laden and trash-strewn loft above The Letter Shop/Burro Bags complex, Antique Animals prepares their New Year’s Eve set. Along with the traditional musical toast, they’ll play John Lennon’s “Happy X-mas (War is Over),” The Beatles’ “I Want You/She’s So Heavy” and Eric Burdon’s “Spill the Wine.”

For a band that prides itself on its original sound, this is a rule-breaker. But it’s only for one gig, and the band is trying to nail the tunes quickly and get back to working their originals. After agreeing on keys that suit Shuck’s voice and playing the songs through for good measure, they do soon move on, running a new piece that puts guitarist Hunting on lap steel. There’s a bluesy Pink Floyd vibe happening, and the band rides it.

Though this is a relatively large band, Antique Animals is a minimalist ensemble at its core. Each member plays his part, never over-reaching or showing off. Everything is in its place here, serving the song, pushing the lyric, giving Shuck the space he needs to tell his stories.

Shuck is obviously at the helm, but what becomes clear over time is the affection these players have for one another and their shared objective of making art. During the slow growth of the band over the past three years — from a duo composed of Shuck and former Antique Animals cellist Alex Noll to the current line-up — each member has become more deeply involved in the process, and more deeply invested in the future of Antique Animals.

The evolution from folky duo in 2010 to today’s rock-based sextet was a natural one. Boff, who originally played upright acoustic bas - Folio Weekly

Joe Shuck sings with his eyes closed. When he does open them, for a passing glance at an audience or band member, he grins or raises an eyebrow, then slips softly back into his private world of strums and wails. This introversion, this self-imposed isolation, could be interpreted as off-putting affectation were Shuck not so disarming. But he looks like a nice guy, and the songs — well, they’re damn good.

Lanky and pale, acoustic guitar slung high, Shuck is mid-set at the recent One Spark Town Hall performance at The Florida Theatre in downtown Jacksonville. His six-piece band, Antique Animals, is jammed into a tiny corner of the red-carpeted lobby. Framed by a decorative arch, nearly elbow-to-elbow and too loud for such an intimate space, they’re pulling it off. The pre-meeting gathering is modest but growing, and most of the attendees are actually listening.

The ensemble moves smoothly through its set, a collection of songs that ranges from gypsy folk and ’60s hipster pop to sea shanties and moody acoustic ballads. Dressed sloppy-neat in muted tones, a beige dress jacket and blue suspenders his most eccentric features, Shuck is part Morrissey, part Nick Heyward. He’d probably deny the former comparison and is probably too young for the latter to have any resonance, but his voice is a roiling mixture of both.

The band is a mish-mosh of characters, each with his own aura. There’s Mike Boff, the blithe, ponytailed bassist; Milan Algood, the bushy-bearded and dreadlocked drummer; Angel Garcia, the jovial keyboardist; Daniel Hunting, the unassuming guitarist; and Sergio Valdez, the mild-mannered trumpeter. Despite the aesthetic disparity, despite the challenge of performing in such cramped quarters (they thought they’d be playing on the theater’s stage), the sextet easily coalesces musically. When the band breaks down for the sing-along section of “I Got the Joy,” they all join in, as does a good portion of the audience. During the ballad “One Chance,” a couple dances cheek-to-cheek.

Shuck seems oblivious, tangled up in each song, focused on each lyric. When he is asked by an event organizer to direct the onlookers into the theater after the next number, he happily obliges, then quickly huddles with the band to discuss what song to close with. A plodding kick drum signals “Gospel Song,” a dark, droney blues with a repetitive two-note figure that crescendos as the song progresses. Several fans politely wend their way through the crowd, which has turned its attention to casual networking, and surround the band.

The sound is big, bigger than anything the band has played so far, and Shuck growls like Danzig. Hunting rips a burning lead, Algood ratchets up the tension with buzzing snare fills, and Garcia, Boff and Valdez drive it home until the inevitable denouement. The resolution is satisfying, and though many have filtered into the theater for the main event, dedicated Animals fans are fawning over the band. Hands are shaken and backs are patted. Hugs are exchanged.

“Dude!” gushes a bubbly twentysomething, her enthusiasm contagious. “That last song? We were, like, whoa! You guys were, like, groovin’. Where did that come from?”

Shuck is wide-eyed with appreciation.

Any Band’s Story

It’s Tuesday night, and out on Forsyth Street, “Auld Lang Syne” wafts and tumbles in the chilly downtown air. Upstairs, in a spray-paint-laden and trash-strewn loft above The Letter Shop/Burro Bags complex, Antique Animals prepares their New Year’s Eve set. Along with the traditional musical toast, they’ll play John Lennon’s “Happy X-mas (War is Over),” The Beatles’ “I Want You/She’s So Heavy” and Eric Burdon’s “Spill the Wine.”

For a band that prides itself on its original sound, this is a rule-breaker. But it’s only for one gig, and the band is trying to nail the tunes quickly and get back to working their originals. After agreeing on keys that suit Shuck’s voice and playing the songs through for good measure, they do soon move on, running a new piece that puts guitarist Hunting on lap steel. There’s a bluesy Pink Floyd vibe happening, and the band rides it.

Though this is a relatively large band, Antique Animals is a minimalist ensemble at its core. Each member plays his part, never over-reaching or showing off. Everything is in its place here, serving the song, pushing the lyric, giving Shuck the space he needs to tell his stories.

Shuck is obviously at the helm, but what becomes clear over time is the affection these players have for one another and their shared objective of making art. During the slow growth of the band over the past three years — from a duo composed of Shuck and former Antique Animals cellist Alex Noll to the current line-up — each member has become more deeply involved in the process, and more deeply invested in the future of Antique Animals.

The evolution from folky duo in 2010 to today’s rock-based sextet was a natural one. Boff, who originally played upright acoustic bas - Folio Weekly