Last night a friend and I went to the Fox Theatre in Oakland to see The Tallest Man on Earth. As if he isn't already brilliant on his album, oh my, you should hear this man live! As it turns out, he's actually a very small man, an unassuming hipster type with knees so knobby when he dances behind his guitar he appears almost childlike. His voice is hauntingly beautiful and his musical talent extends beyond the guitar, as he performed several songs on the piano as well.
We started out our evening with dinner at Betelnut. We've both been before, but I never tire of the interesting menu and open air bar seating. There was a seasonal tomato and curry chicken dish available, that turned out to be an excellent choice. It paired well with a South African Chenin Blanc.
Considering that shows nearly always start late, we were surprised when a long haired man and an unassuming drummer walked out on stage at 8 on the dot. They didn't introduce themselves, they just started right into a song. Half way through the set, the singer/ guitarist said between songs, "We should get to know each other better," which I assumed meant he'd introduce the name of his band, but he didn't, he just called out his drummer and then proceeded into the next song. I was so glad when The Tallest Man on Earth took stage and thanked his opener as Strand of Oaks, because the music was so interesting I was dying to know who to search on iTunes after the show.
