Live they were even better.
The songs sounded nearly identical to the record with the added bonus of
watching the band play them. The record
sounds complicated, like it must have been the result of many takes, overdubs
and multi-track vocals, but after seeing them it seems equally likely that they
could have recorded the whole thing live.
I didn’t stop smiling from the moment they started the set with the addictive
“In the End There’s Only Love,” also the opening track on the on the record,
till the end of their set. There wasn’t
much of a crowd, but there were two girls who seemed to know the record as well
as I did. When the intriguingly mustached
Ewert announced they were going to play “Good Man Down,” the record’s title
track, they squealed with delight. “You
know it?” he asked them, looking surprised, and they responded they did. I don’t always like keyboards, but they were
an integral part to their songs, not to mention the lead singer’s instrument of
choice.
I only know two girls named Jolene, but I know at least twice
as many songs with that name, and they’re all pretty great. Ewert’s “Jolene” is probably is probably my
second favorite track on the record, and live the ringing glockenspiel made it
even better. I couldn’t have loved this
show more. Since I already had the CD, I
went up to the merch table after the show even though I had spent most of my
money on drinks. The T-shirt was very
cool, despite the fact that the band name is written almost microscopically
small next to a large conversation balloon which states, “You had me at hello.” “But they didn’t even play that song,” I
protested to the merch guy, who was also Estonian (in fact, I heard they also
had a publicist and their own sound guy with them. I guess they are big in Europe). He was so delighted that I knew the record
that he sold me the $20 T-shirt for $15.
I gave him my card and told him they should play at the house next time
through. I don’t know how often they
tour, but that would be awesome.
Lucky Trapper Schoepp, he was doing the entire seventeen
date run with them, from Austin to Vermont.
He was playing solo, his brother Tanner along to help drive and sing
some backing vocals. Five shows in they
still weren’t sure how exactly to pronounce the lead singers name, but they
were having a blast. The Schoepp brothers
are always charmingly sincere and their earnestness shines on stage. The songs from their most recent release Run
Engine Run are usually pretty literal (for instance, I’d thought the “Pins
& Needles” song references to “pain” and “medication” were a metaphor for a
relationship gone bad, but they’re really about being in the hospital with a
bad back, huh), but they are ridiculously catchy and heartfelt. Trapper did most of the set solo before
calling Tanner up for help on a couple originals and a cover of Hank Williams’ “Lost
Highway.” It was great to have Corey
Hart opening the night with a short set of awesome songs, many of which I had
just heard in my basement.
Quite simply, a really good night.
Corey Hart
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