Kristian Garrard is one of Seattles unsung guitarists. His music demonstrates the breadth of styles in the folk guitar tradition, alternating between bare-bones minimalism and frenetic finger picking. Occasional John Fahey covers show his jaw-dropping dexterity, while his sparser arrangements stack notes like a contrapuntal Jenga game, the songs structure held up by fragile harmony. Keeping Garrard from delving too far into the Dick Dale side of things is Luke Bergman, the other half of Thousands. Bergman, who necessitated the recent name change from K. Garrard to Thousands, is an equally accomplished multi-instrumentalist. His additions of vocals, pedal steel and upright bass add a relative foundation for Garrards melodies to rest upon. If you havent heard Thousands before, its probably because they rarely play clubs, opting instead for house shows, cafés and other venues where they can perform un-miked and un-amplified, preserving the sound of wooden instruments and flesh and blood vocals.
Sat., Feb. 21, 9 p.m., 2009