There Is No Mountain, Margaret Darling
9/7/2010
The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave, Cincinnati, OH
10pm, Free, 21+
http://cometbar.com/
There Is No Mountain is a reference to a Zen koan, a lyric from a Donovan song, and an americana/psych-pop duo known for its catchy off-kilter sonic adventures. The Portland, OR-based band toured extensively around the country and released heaps of varied folk/americana material under their previous name (The Ascetic Junkies) before paring the band back down to the core duo (married couple Kali Giaritta and Matt Harmon), changing the name to There Is No Mountain and recording a new batch of musical pieces.
Although they say they don’t have a particular message or agenda, anyone who hears the couple at work knows they are up to something inspiring. For some reasons you can explain, and for some you really can’t, their energetic live show and subtly virtuosic arrangements keep your spirits lifted for days.
The duo sings nearly everything in harmony while Giaritta plays a medley of tom drums and percussive instruments, and Harmon animates his acoustic guitar using nimble fingers and a myriad of carefully chosen effect pedals. African rhythms, jazz harmonies, classical arrangements, theatrical melodies, and psychedelic swirls seep through the americana exterior, making their live show a total surprise to any first-timer.
Harmon and Giaritta are travelers at heart – if you can’t find them in Oregon, you might check one of the other 49 states (try: music venues, national parks, yoga studios, metal concerts, or the homes of various Couch Surfing friends), abroad, or possibly in outer-space (Harmon hopes to fly in a civilian spaceship before he dies).
There Is No Mountain is a new name and a new sonic direction for a couple of people who’ve been playing and writing music together for almost a decade – the next chapter in the story Harmon and Giaritta started with The Ascetic Junkies. The band plans on continuing to tour nationally and releasing new material online as often as possible in 2013.
