American Indian band's show great, but too few attended / LJWorld.com

Archive for Monday, September 10, 2007

By Sarah Young - Special to the Journal-World

September 10, 2007

A modest crowd at the Lied Center on Saturday night greeted the performance by Irene Bedard and Deni.

The four-year-old band is fronted by American Indian singer and actress Irene Bedard, who is best known for her roles in many films, including "Smoke Signals" and "Lakota Woman" and as the likeness and speaking voice for the title character in Disney's "Pocahontas." Her husband, Deni Wilson, has been a popular indie musician for many years, and he and Bedard pursued mostly separate but successful careers until recently. Inspired by the birth of their son to bring their talents together in the band, Bedard and Wilson have produced three albums, some of which have been nominated for a Nammy (Native American Music Award).

Led by Wilson on guitar with Scott Reed on bass and Rod Bradley on drums, the band creates an unusual blend of native rock and techno beat that serves Bedard's purposes in combining her native roots with a 21st-century sound. The group is creating a noteworthy catalog of songs that reflect the couple's social and cultural concerns and reveal their considerable combined talent.

A central set in their performance is a series of stories inspired by Bedard's Inupiaq heritage. They are traditional-sounding native stories, sung with Bedard's funky modern riffs. "Wolverine's Secret," "Artic Fox" and "Raven in the Midnight Sun" are as rocked out as any garage band could desire but maintain the charm and humor of the lyrics' origins in family storytelling.

"Warrior of Love," the title track of their first album, drew the most response from the audience. Following Bedard's opening cry, "Say it : I'm a Warrior of Love!" the music is a dizzying and deafening brew of American Indian chant and exploding electric guitar sounds.

Wilson is an extraordinary musician, and Bedard has a firecracker personality that she uses to great advantage. Despite the obvious talent on the stage, however, the evening was uneven, and Bedard and Wilson could draw only a lackluster response from the Lied Center crowd.

Local band Stormy Story, composed of Haskell Indian Nations University students Jim Dandy, Curt Yazza and Jason Kootz, opened the concert with about a half-hour's worth of their own music. Crowd favorites, they enjoyed a sympathetic and enthusiastic response.

Sarah Young is a lecturer in Kansas University's English department. She can be reached at <a href="mailto:youngsl@ku.edu">youngsl@ku.edu</a>.