Casa will feature a performance by Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons, with musical stylings of the saw.
When listening to Angela Perley and the Howlin’ Moons, one instrument can cut through the rest.
The Americana rock band will be playing at 10:30 p.m. at Casa Nueva, 6 W. State St., with Perley playing the musical saw.
“I was listening to old field music, and I heard an eerie, haunted sound,” Perley said. “I was determined to learn how to play whatever it was, and I locked myself in the bathroom for a while and just figured out how to work it.”
The saw appears on several of the band’s songs, including a cover of AC/DC’s “Long Way To The Top.”The group also plans on playing four new songs it has never performed before.
“Traditionally, you play sitting down, but there’d be a lot of bars where there were no chairs, so I just learned how to go without,” Perley said.
Perley, an OU alumna, wrote a song about her time spent in college. The song, simply titled “Athens,” attempts to capture the spirit of college life.
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“Being in Athens was such a huge part of me growing as a person. I feel like you can only have that moment when you’re in it, and the song is just about how important it is to me,” Perley said.
The song is currently a finalist in the 2014 International Songwriting Competition in the Americana category.
“We’re extremely excited,” said Chris Connor, guitarist. “I’ve always loved that song. I saw potential in it and I’m glad we decided to record it. I’m glad people are hearing it.”
The contest is a good way for other songwriters and the general public to hear the band’s music. The Howlin’ Moons won’t know if it has won for two more weeks, but they are confident in choosing “Athens” for the competition.
“It was a feeling,” Perley said. “At all of our shows, that’s the song that we always get feedback on. People really like ‘Athens.’ It hit home for a lot of people and represents how proud we are to be from Ohio.”
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Perley and the band also spend an extensive amount of time touring. Last year, they traveled around he country in a Dodge Caravan, playing over 120 shows. The band’s extensive touring has taken the group all over the country, including SXSW, where it recently returned from playing.
“The energy was very high,” Perley said. “We met a lot of cool bands from Texas and all over.”
Perley, who only returns to Athens once or twice a year, expressed her excitement to be back in town.
“Athens is a special place in our hearts, we’re always excited to come back. I’ve met a lot of people I’m excited to see,” Perley said.
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