1. 10/24/16, 2:27 PMMarah – Elmore Magazine
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Marah
Bowery Ballroom / New York City, NY
Live Show Reviews | September 30th, 2016
Dave Bielanko, Je! Clarke, Serge Bielanko
Marah’s spectacular, sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom on Friday, September 23rd
was proof that rock ‘n roll is alive and well. The set opened up with Jeff Clarke’s solo

2. 10/24/16, 2:27 PMMarah – Elmore Magazine
Page 2 of 4http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2016/09/reviews/shows/marah
Dave Bielanko by Mike Cobb
bagpipe serenade to announce the group’s entrance, and hinted at the maximum folk-
rock to come. The band came on to great applause, with brother Dave Bielanko
thrashing away on acoustic guitar, and other brother Serge Bielanko on a vintage Guild
electric hollowbody, a guitar player’s dream. When I asked him about it after the show,
he responded “Oh, I’m not even really sure what model that is.” This says a lot about
the band– they are about heart and soul, far more than any gear nerd-ology.
I’d heard a great deal about their legendary live shows, and was not disappointed.
From the get go, Marah launched into their tunes with reckless abandon, Dave’s
acoustic guitar showing signs of wear and tear similar to Willie Nelson’s beloved axe,
Trigger. They played many of the greats from Kids In Philly, including “Far Away You,”
“Point Breeze,” “Cat Fisherman,” “The History Of Where Someone Has Been Killed,” as
well as much of Angels of Destruction, with “Coughing Up Blood” ending their first set.
I recently read that Dave is Marah. Whether
hopping about on one foot, kicking at the air,
or getting down before the crowd center
stage, he certainly seems to embody the
band, as well as the spirit of so many rock
gods before him. In Dave, you can trace an
arc from Elvis Presley, Keith Richards, Johnny
Thunders, Joe Strummer, Paul Westerberg,
Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, to his own
damn thing. This dude sweats– profusely. But
only because he’s giving his all to every single
song as if his life depended on it.
If Dave mans the bow, Serge is at the stern
keeping this ship focused and directed, or so
it appears. In fact, both brothers write, lead
and rock hard, but there’s no question Serge
keeps the live show grounded, which is a
good thing. With Dave you feel that things
might explode at any minute; he might even sweat on you. But Serge ain’t playing
second fiddle to nobody. At one point, he came out into the crowd for an extended
harmonica solo, an extra-long mic cable looped through the audience thanks to an
attentive stage hand. His harmonica chops bring to mind the squeaky urban folk
stylings Dylan or Bruce; no blues wizardy here. But it makes for great entertainment.
And brother Dave seems right at home supporting Serge, allowing him to strut his
stuff. After all, this is a family band.
To that point, the two Bielankos swap guitars as effortlessly as if they were passing the
potatoes. The ego issues of the past seem far behind them now, with the main
emphasis being to put on the best damn rock ’n roll show you’ve ever seen. Spectacle
should have surprises, and there were plenty more to come. The band brought out
friend and fiddler, Emilio Zef China, to play three tunes, continually switched up
instruments (including Adam Garbinski and Mike Brenner swapping bass and third
guitar) and keyboardist Christine Smith joined the Bielanko brothers for some acapella
goodness, center stage. The peak had to be when the entire band walked out into the
crowd to perform “Walt Whitman Bridge” unplugged, offering deeper insight to
Marah’s folk roots and summoning visions of them busking on Philly street corners. If
there were a hat, I would’ve thrown money in. The band closed out the show with
crowd favorite “Reservation Girl,” which apparently isn’t on any studio album.

3. 10/24/16, 2:27 PMMarah – Elmore Magazine
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Serge Bielanko by Mike Cobb
October 24th, 2016
Peter Case
October 24th, 2016
Anna Ash
October 21st, 2016
Otis Redding
October 21st, 2016
Blood Orange
Marah are back from a break up, mostly
sober and clearly committed to rocking your
world. This tour supports the vinyl re-release
of Kids In Philly and Angels of Destruction, and
anticipates another trip over to Spain, a
country they know and love dearly. Brother
Dave spoke to the audience about it: “It’s a
fucked up world. And who knows what’s
gonna happen with this election. We might be
moving to Spain!” With that he windmilled like
Keith, let the chord distort into feedback like
Westerberg, and furiously launched into
another number like Strummer. The next
time Marah comes to town, mark your
calendar; they’ll revitalize your faith in music
and humanity. Don’t miss the show!
-Mike Cobb
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4. 10/24/16, 2:27 PMMarah – Elmore Magazine
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