Washington, D.C. based band Pree arrived in Savannah at 2:35 p.m. Their show started at 4 p.m., which gave them time to grab a late lunch at Social Club on Congress Street.
On the small stage in the courtyard, May Tabol grabbed her guitar along with second guitarist, Michael Zepeda. Their newest member, Benjamin Schurr, lifted his bass and hung it from his shoulders. Ben Usie sat behind his drum kit with 18-inch crash cymbals acting as high hats with a Roland SPD-S sampling pad set-up on the side.
Tabol sang with precision and control to strong yet playful melodies. The altered percussion added crisp and washy textures while the sampling pad added a quirky electronic element. Schurr danced with the rhythm and Zepeda picked away, laying in guitar strums.
Tabol writes the lyrics and general melodies for the songs, “and then fleshed it out instrumentally as a band,” she noted after the show.
Pree described their music as space-surf-doo-wop-prog-rock, which some people call Sparge-Wop. Pree’s light and fun sound with strong rock qualities fit the cool afternoon.
The audience sat in tables around the stage, enjoying tacos and drinking beer. Feet tapped and fingers lifted. No one was dancing up near the stage, but it wasn’t necessary.
Jay Richard from New Orleans, La. gave them an eight out of 10 and said, “They are basically the softer side of Weezer with a female singer.” He especially enjoyed the drumming and thought he heard Usie shout, “Let’s go, sha!” The Cajun word caught Richard off guard as did the quick drum beat changes, “but it really worked,” he said.
It was the first show of their week-long tour which will end in Austin at South by Southwest. “This tour is mostly for us to reclaim ourselves as a band and become something else,” Usie said.
He described Schurr and Zepeda as “new blood,” as they had both recently joined the band. “I think it’s been a quick and natural change.”
Tabol explained that the festival motivated them to bring Schurr on because it gave them a deadline. “So thank you for having us Savannah Stopover!” she said about the added motivation.
Before they make the long drive to Austin, they will stop in New Orleans and Lafayette, La. to play some shows with the Cloudheavy Recording Collective, which is loosely based in Louisiana. Pree is a member, along with Christopher Walker who is also based in Washington.
Tabol described their city’s music scene as intimate, and that she was happy to meet like-minded people. She commented, “It’s not all politics in [Washington].”
The band has been together for almost four years but is always changing. With their intimate folk roots, they will push on to new material – what Shurr referred to as “tasteful electronics.”
The Savannah Stopover Festival saw Pree risen from its ashes equipped with new members, a new sound, and a new direction.