Carlton Kim
June 1, 2001
Music 162
Extra Credit Concert Review


	Just days after Dolour as a collective band had disintegrated, Shane Tutmarc, the
songwriter and driving force behind Dolour performed solo at Bellevue Community College
(BCC) on May 20th.   Although Dolour has gone through numerous changes in cast, one thing
has been constant and that is Tutmarc’s ability to make the best out of situations, and
in doing so  - hone his songwriting and prove to be an up and coming artist in the ever
so competitive Seattle Scene and beyond.  Consequently, it is fitting for Tutmarc and
Dolour to be interchangeable.  With a scant half hour’s worth of material, he nervously
proceeded to put together an intimate, emotional performance.

Just a month after its long-awaited debut album, Waiting for A World War, Tutmarc sat in
front of a sleek, polished grand piano in front of a brilliantly radiating blue backdrop
that created a surreal environment for a performence that left me in awe from beginning
to end.  He appeared as a nervous, prepubescent child at his first piano recital, with
his nervous introductions to the songs, self-professed uneasiness, and small talk with
the audience (he surveyed  the crowd’s reaction to the latest Weezer album).  Regardless,
his performance was not hindered, and his sincerity and intensity could be felt as his
fingers hit the keys.  He performed album tracks such as: “(No) Ordinary People,” “So, So
Sad,” and “Sophie” on the piano in front of a small crowd of people who gathered in front
of him.  Also included in the set of piano songs were more recent cuts like “The Ballad”
and “Three’s A Crowd” that offered a much different take on the songs, because the
presence of the guitar is so essential to the recordings, especially on “Three’s A
Crowd.”  What was especially memorable about Tutmarc’s performance was his awe-inspiring
so renditions of“(No) Ordinary People” and “The Ballad.”  On the grand piano, these songs
retained a full sound, with every note encompassing the entire auditorium.  

Towards the end of the set, he went to his acoustic guitar to perform the fan
favorite, “Cleopatra Eyes” and rocked back and fourth in his seat.  He then reached back
a few years to pull out, one of my personal favorites, “Radiation is Jazz,” a melancholy
tune is unlike what he’s writing and performing these days.   In an effort to comfort
himself on stage, he oftentimes closed his eyes and let the music take over; in fact, he
seemed at ease performing, but became visibly nervous (in a charming way) when he felt
the need to fill the silence between songs.  If anything, it’s almost as if his nerves
fueled him to perform at the impressive level he did that night, which is exactly what he
has been forced to do with Dolour. 

Fortunately for me, I was lucky enough to catch this seemingly once in a life-time
experience, because Dolour as a live performing band seems to be back on its feet as
Tutmarc and some friends gear up for a couple of West Coast tours this summer.  Don’t
expect to see a stripped down performance like this, but do expect to experience an
emotional performance dripping with pop, loud guitars, and an all-out good time.