The first time I saw Lukas Read, he was doing a stripped down, seated, solo performance of world-weary guitar tunes, channeling the old-world folk of the kind of troubadours who played NYC’s Gaslight in the early days of Dylan’s career. Since then, Read has worked hard to fill out his lineup with a couple of talented musicians, bassist Janson Sommers and drummer Rudy Villareal (El Campo), who made their debut for a show at Lambert’s last Saturday. Read’s songs build on Americana roots, incorporating a healthy dose of rock ‘n’ roll; gritty, old-school riffs blend with Read’s slightly snarled vocals.
Although Read is fairly new to Austin’s music scene, he’s no stranger to performing, evidenced by his comfort onstage and lack of reticence as he delivers songs. This project shares tendencies with Austin’s time-honored folk and songwriter traditions but has the rough edges of bands like Whiskeytown and Uncle Tupelo. The trio is talented, and we can’t wait to see where it goes.
Check out a gallery of photos from the night below. All images © Bryan Parker & Pop Press International; all rights reserved. Click any image to open in slideshow viewer.
Disclosure: Lukas Read (aka Lukas Truckenbrod) is a contributor to Pop Press International.
