A.A. Bondy to take Bear’s stage

Guitar in hand and stories abounding, southern singer-songwriter A.A. Bondy will take the stage at Bear’s Place tonight, doling out his distinctive take on the blues-folk revival.

Along with a solo performance from Dave Davison, vocalist of Chicago post-rockers Maps & Atlases, the intimate show aims to bring in a wide variety of Bloomington music fans.

While happy to see the night’s headliner, junior and Live From Bloomington Assistant Director Nicole O’Neal has been anticipating the opening performance by the Maps & Atlases front man.

“I’ve seen Dave’s solo stuff the last two times he came to play solo here, and it was great,” O’Neal said.

Filling the second half of the bill, Bondy, a Birmingham, Ala., native, brings years of experience to the stage. As the former front man of Verbena, whose 1999 major label debut album “Into the Pink” was produced by rock heavyweight and Foo Fighters front man Dave Grohl, Bondy saw only moderate success but gained a wealth of understanding about his own songwriting capabilities.

After the group disbanded in 2003, Bondy immersed himself in his own music, working hard and recording in an old barn near his New York home until he finally released his debut album, “American Hearts,” in August 2007. Re-released in April on Fat Possum Records, home to such diverse acts as Andrew Bird and Dinosaur Jr., the musician’s debut album struck a chord with critics and fans alike.

With some citing that his former band Verbena seemed to be like the second-generation sound of Nirvana, Bondy and his solo work makes quite a departure from the roar and resonance of Seattle-based grunge.

Instead of using growling guitars and gritty vocals as a means of relaying angst, Bondy approaches his new music with a heightened sense of maturity while still touching on more serious themes. The singer-songwriter weaves his words into familiar stories, effectively conveying the mood with simple blues-tinted chords and a subdued, melancholic delivery.

Garnering comparisons to such substantial songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams, Bondy keeps true to the tradition of effortlessly combining weighty material with a straightforward, acoustic-driven melody.

Bringing his music to bigger indie audiences after being invited to perform at NPR’s music showcase at the 2008 South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, Bondy caught the attention of acts such as Cold War Kids and Bon Iver, with whom he recently finished touring.

Rallying on the warm response he has received since, including positive nods from Entertainment Weekly and American Songwriter and a guest spot on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” he will be spending the month of November headlining his own national tour.

With the warm intimacy of the Bear’s Place stage on his side, Bondy will aim to captivate the late-night concertgoers.

“The first time I saw A.A. Bondy, he put on a really great show,” WIUX Co-Music Director George Drake said of the singer-songwriter: “I’m glad he’s coming to Bloomington so other people can hear his music, too.”