A.A. Bondy with Dave Godowsky
Where: Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE, Washington
When: 8 p.m. doors, 8:30 p.m. show Thursday
Info: $10; 202-388-7625; rockandrollhoteldc.com
When A.A. Bondy was the front man of Verbena, his style and persona were often compared to the late Kurt Cobain.
It likely wouldn’t be a mistake to say one reason the rockers’ releases became alt classics was the disillusioned persona — reflected in the band’s music — that Bondy and his band mates projected.
But don’t think the title of Bondy’s second solo album, “When the Devil’s Loose,” means he’s stuck in the Cobain persona. Quite the opposite.
“I have a hard time living back there,” he said of the Verbena years. “People ask me about the old band I used to play in. It’s so strange, but that stuff gets filed away. Ninety percent of that [time] fell away in eight or nine days, almost like it never really happened to me before.”
But one can’t help but think that rock experience set a foundation for Bondy that allows him to now create the intimate, personal yet deeply sophisticated music that is his solo work. On his latest album, the sound relies mainly on his jagged vocals and minimal instrumentation that melds country, blues and a touch of rock into a lonesome, raw sound. Think of it as something akin to early Bob Dylan with a Ryan Adams twang, and you have the idea.
Bondy brushes away comparisons, noting that in a way he is only the conduit through which the sounds develop.
“Generally things are going my way, and I try to catch them as they pass,” Bondy said of musical concepts. “It took awhile, but I now try to catch all of them as they come by. As far as the ideas, I don’t know [how they develop] because the process is more abstract.”
The songs on the latest album were recorded live with minimal tweaking. The casual process is well-reflected in the music and will likely move onto the stage during this tour, Bondy said.
A man of few words, Bondy paused when asked whether he liked his own album. Yes, he said, but with some caveats.
“It’s hard. I am never going to be granted the luxury of hearing it with someone else’s ears,” he said. “I am doomed to use mine. I am not one of those people who find it thrilling because it’s the newest one. You know, I don’t know if I ever felt that way. Certain parts I’m proud of, but it depends on the hour, the day, the minute, the attitude, the sun, the sky.”
