First/Last-Blessed Feathers

Blessed Feathers

Howler's Coyote Cafe

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Bloomfield

"West Bend is a Southeast Wisconsin town where the Milwaukee River shifts directions, angling to suddenly head West. It’s also the home of Blessed Feathers, a duo that initiated when Donivan Berube’s life similarly altered course. Hailing from Lakeland, Florida, Berube was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness, teaching himself guitar and recording songs in his bedroom. He left home at 17, disassociating himself from the church and driving 36 hours from the Florida sunshine into a Wisconsin blizzard. Berube found work in a restaurant in West Bend where he met Jacquelyn Beaupre, who is now his partner in both music and life."

The duo return to Pittsburgh this Sunday at Howler's on a bill with Way Yes and Andre Costello & The Cool Minors supporting their fantastic, just released, "Peaceful Beasts in an Ocean of Weeds". My thanks to them for taking some time to participate in this edition of First/Last.

The first album you ever bought?
Jacquelyn Beaupre: Usher's “You Make Me Wanna...”.
Donivan Berube: Something embarrassing. Nelly's “Country Grammar” or Train's “My Private Nation” or something.

Your last album bought?
Jacquelyn: The Animal Collective & Vashti Bunyan collaboration album.
Donivan: I've been listening strictly to ‘60's African Funk lately, so anything from the Analog Africa label out of Germany.

Favorite album of all time?
Jacquelyn: Elliott Smith's self-titled album. The one with 'Needle In The Hay.'
Donivan: Funky Rob.

Least favorite/most disappointing album?
Donivan: ‘Greatest Hits’ are almost always a drag, right?

First concert attended?
Jacquelyn: Steve Miller Band.
Donivan: Red Hot Chili Peppers in Orlando, Florida. Or was that St. Pete? Maybe it was in Tampa.

Last concert?
Jacquelyn: We saw Andrew Bird in March. Watching him perform is like being at a museum.
Donivan: And we opened for Youth Lagoon in April. He had got food poisoning the night before in Chicago. He played six songs. Puke everywhere.

Favorite concert ever?
Jacquelyn: Sufjan at the Pabst Theater.
Donivan: tUnE-yArDs put on a killer 11-11-11 show in Milwaukee last year.

Least favorite concert?
Jacquelyn: Do you mean concert we attended or concert we played? At the end of our last tour we were all filthy sick in Minneapolis.
Donivan: We live in a small town, so making the trip out to shows in the bigger cities mean that we can't really afford go to a bad show.

Any thoughts, experiences about Pittsburgh?
Jacquelyn: Breakfast at Pamela's Diner.
Donivan: Cannot wait to get back to Salem's Greek Market on Penn Ave. Honey Balls. Also, looking forward to stealing towels from our friend, the Math Jesus.

Thanks, guys. For the record, I love Greatest Hits. Getting a sampling of an artists work acts a primer of sorts for me. You like it, get more. You don't, move on.