Ghost Town Gallery - West Oakland, CA
John Thatcher Boomer and John Morgan aren't brothers, in fact they're pretty different. But that doesn't stop them from bickering like sibs. In their native environment every remark is a tongue-in-cheek jab, approaching subjects of attitude, vision, and technical prowess to delicately cut the other down to size. But they beam with commitment. It's the bond, even if artifically wrought, of two brothers who realize they're better off together, despite their differences. In an effort to present these two sides of the same coin, we start with the work of John Thatcher Boomer. John Morgan's piece will come later this week.
Thatcher, as his friends call him, can't help himself at the piano. His touch ranges from subtle and responsive to big and burly. He'll occasionally get lost in a run or a roll and wake up in a far away octave. His playing is both fiery and formal. Mostly self-taught, like the other John, Thatcher makes up half of their performing duo, who have made their appearances on SF's Market Street and other Bay Area public transit terminals their sole occupation.
They have an exquisite album out now, which you can hear on their website. Follow them on Facebook or Twitter.