Mud and Water gets the ball rolling

Mud and Water, one of the newest additions to the downtown nightlife lineup, opened to the public in October after a short tracked renovation and has seen good turnout even before ramping up it’s live music schedule recently. With 2013 in full swing, the venue has begun to book more and book bigger, and fans of live music are starting to reap the rewards.

I had the opportunity to catch Lafayette avant rockers Oceans and Chimneys there this past Saturday along with some great local support from Matthew Schwartz of Pacifico, who is putting the finishing touches on a new record, and the Peter Simon trio, who are one of the most talented and consistently entertaining live bands in Baton Rouge.

It was the first time I myself had seen live music at Mud & Water. It’s a great room with a comfortable layout and good sightlines to the stage from every corner, and a spacious outdoor patio area if you need to catch your breath. I think Mud and Water is poised to become a very important and long standing staple of the local music scene and bring some really exciting and memorable shows to town.

This Thursday night, Mud and Water hosts an impressive triple-bill with Luke Ash, Julie Odell, and Tess Brunet.

Mr. Ash, a fixture of the local singer songwriter scene, posseses both a soothing and unpretentious voice and a penchant for turning out extremely catchy, wide-eyed and earnest folk rock songs. Julie Odell is a native Louisianian with a powerful but bell-clear voice who now performs her own mesmerizing, disarmingly honest and inviting songs as a solo artist after having been a big part of Giant Cloud, a terrific New Orleans band signed to Park The Van Records.

Tess Brunet is a native of Houma who now calls New Orleans home. She released a wonderful self-titled LP last year under the moniker Au Ras Au Ras with some help from Seth Kauffman, the studio wizard and creative driving force behind the band Floating Action, which also happens to be one of my favorite bands. Miss Brunet set out to work on her own projects several years ago after cutting her teeth during stints with Generationals (labelmates of Giant Cloud on Park The Van), Deadboy and The Elephant Men, and Animal Electric.

Luke Ash, Julie Odell and Tess Brunet, Thursday, January 24, 10pm at Mud and Water, 174 South Bvd.