Ordinary Elephant is a folk duo comprising of married couple Pete and Crystal Damore who, for the past five years, have been traveling together in their RV with their three dogs around the United States. The crowd for this music set was small, but as far as The Ark is concerned, this condition always lends itself towards the Ark’s most charming atmosphere: a simple stage setting with a cluster of audience members crowding the stage, setting up an intimate space for music, storytelling, and community building.
The music of Ordinary Elephant is subtle, earnest, and would accompany one nicely on a late-autumn afternoon. Crystal provides strong and vulnerable leading vocals alongside her acoustic guitar, and Pete contributes a strong harmony and proficient technique on his octave mandolin and banjo. I found my favorite moments of the evening captured in the interludes of songs during Pete’s instrumental solos. The chemistry of the two on stage proved to be rather striking: quite present was a gentle acceptance and mutual appreciation for the other that I hope to emulate in my own relationships.
Ordinary Elephant’s storytelling encapsulates a deep and grounded honor for family. Often before each new piece Crystal would breathily whisper into the microphone—as though telling us secrets—about the inspiration for their next song. The great majority of their work seemed to come from stories of her life in Lafayette, Louisiana: her activities of leisure, memories of her grandmother, and warm devotion to her father. Another great delight to share in were the readings of Crystal’s imagist-like poetry with precise words and thoughtful delivery that seized me. I found myself struck with wonder as we, the audience, were invited into a reflection on the value of the simple and the good.
Crystal most certainly proves to be a competent leader for this duo, but I would have loved more space to get to know her husband through the music. Raised in Austin, Texas, Pete has a charming style and seems to be a gentle, good-hearted man. His harmonies complemented his wife’s so well, and often helped make the presented lyrics more clear. There were times the words were muddled from a less-than-articulate delivery, yet this commonplace practice is not unusual in the folk genre. What could, I believe, move this group forward is the building of distinguishing dynamics; while their musical style and content reflects deep sentimentality and timeless values, there were moments I had hoped they would expand their reach and deliver some more punch and pulse to their set.
I hope that Ordinary Elephant passes through these parts again some day: every time I sit through a group’s set at The Ark I feel like I’m saying goodbye to an old friend when it’s time to go.
Ordinary Elephant is on Spotify and just released their third album, “Honest,” on May 3rd, 2019. I’ve included their link below, and I encourage you to invest in the music of this delightful duo.
