Sean Smith promises potent surprises at East Village.

Cranked Up: Smith’s acoustical beginnings will transition to the thunderous sounds of his present, affording fans the rare opportunity to see a musician transform onstage.

Sean Smith promises potent surprises at East Village.

By Adam Joseph

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Avant-garde guitarist Sean Smith is debuting something he is calling “the master set” this Saturday at East Village.  

“It will encompass the past, present and future of my music,” Smith says. “We’re going to f*cking bring it.” 

Smith’s non-stop, electric power trio – featuring Marc Dantona on synth and bass and Spencer Owen on drums – will play mostly songs from Huge Fluid Freedom, the musician’s first album with new material in two years. 

The four-track, 35-minute LP explodes with complex orchestration, screaming guitars and a chorus of women’s voices. Smith is quite aware that it’s a true departure from any of his previous material. 

“I’m going to lose a lot of fans on this one, but I’ll gain two for every one I lose,” he says. “It’s of my mind, body and soul.” 

There’s an accompanying EP, Proposed 7” Tracks, with two pieces that didn’t make it onto the album, including the gem “My Body Is In the Way.” The song erupts with smoky blues, garage psychedelia and an unexpected Latin flavor before ending with a stellar guitar solo that sounds like it comes straight from “Southern Man,” with Neil Young’s blessing. 

“On paper it looks ridiculous,” Smith says. “But in reality it’s one badass motherf*cker of a tune.” 

Smith’s show will mark the last of Keigan Skydecker’s acoustic/electric series at East Village. It heads to Carbone’s next month. 

The two-part format seems tailor made for a musician like Smith, as his new album helps demonstrate. The 10-minute-plus “Ourselves When We Are Real” is an ode to Smith’s solo-acoustic beginnings, which he plans to revive during his first set. “I will resurrect pieces from my early records,” he says. “The solo set will include tunes from all my albums and surprise guests.” 

Smith says he’s already started gathering material for a new album and dreams of having the opportunity to play in a surf band one day. 

But for now, the Pacific Grove native is just thrilled to have a platform like the acoustic/electric series to showcase his always-evolving guitar chops.  