It was bright and sunny on Father’s Day afternoon when we arrived at the House of Blues Disney way too early. We sat on the edge of the fountain watching dads swing around their toe-headed tots and lines slowly grow in front of the venue. Something about this show already seemed different.
The queue had more people wearing sandals than shoes and other than ours, there wasn’t a pair of converse or vans in sight. Even more impressive – we spotted two girls strut by in pink stilettos. The crowd-to-be was 3/4ths female – primped and styled to the T. The small number of guys seemed to mostly be dads and boyfriends.
We got in about 2 hours later without a hitch and chatted and waited for the opener to take the stage.
A lone minstrel walked up to the center mic with a guitar and a harmonica and we looked around expecting more people to follow and fill up the stage. Nope. Patrick Park performed a solo acoustic set. When he started playing I was instantly impressed – his vocals are soothing and he created a rhythm with his voice using a repetition of crescendos and decrescendos. The harmonica interlude got plenty of cheers and his guitar playing was delicate and sweet especially in the song “Something Pretty.”
The problem was that the songs seemed to have little variation. Some
of the keys were different and the rhythms changed but his voice hardly
altered in style or melody and for the most part his set could have
been one long song. This is a problem if you’re already tired and every
song sounds like a lullaby. The best way to describe his style is “soundtrack music.” It’s
exemplary of folk and any one of his songs could have come straight out
of Garden State or Elizabethtown. So if you’re looking for background
music to add to the soundtrack of your life, use Patrick Park to play
during the montage of you traveling cross-country.
Next on the night’s agenda was the band who’d received such rave reviews – Wild Sweet Orange. From start to finish they were simply captivating and completely lived up to incredibly high expectations. Lead vocals Preston Lovinggood jammed on an acoustic guitar while to his right (our left) Garrett Kelly grooved to a loud bass rhythm, Taylor Shaw on stage left played with heavy distortion and reverb on the electric guitar, and Chip Kilpatrick on drums filled the melodies with light beats and plenty of cymbals. In every song, the vocals seemed to convey intensity and urgency without being over the top, ranging from whispers to full-on screams. Every song had a unique flavor and put the audience on their toes waiting for each new recipe.
Songs like “Ten Dead Dogs” had an acoustic-ballad feel whereas “Wrestle with God” had a stronger Johnny-Cash sound with heavy drums and gained intensity as it progressed like a freight train rattling into the venue. Nothing but love love love for Wild Sweet Orange – their whole set was a smorgasbord of musical deliciousness.
The headliner of the night was quick to follow – Augustana. We’ve all heard “Boston” right? After the album (and iTunes single) that made them popular All the Stars and Boulevards they finished their 2008 release Can’t Love Cant Hurt for which we can thank this fine tour. They opened with heavy steady beats, simple catchy melodies, and soft and rugged vocals peppered with sweet falsetto. Dan Layus made the perfect front man – attractive, intense, and a gifted musician. John Vincent on the keys (who vaguely resembled the Geico caveman) added a startlingly sweet harmony creating a near-perfect vocal balance.
For “Fire” Layus went very Elton-John-status soloing on the piano creating a gentle ballad. Later the four gathered around a vintage microphone for “Sunday’s Best” (for which the audience had been shouting all night) with two guitars and a five-part harmony that sounded how the Dixie Chicks would if they grew balls and toned down their country influence (that is in no way a diss but a profound compliment). Plus they added “Orange County” to the lyrics – how could the audience be less than in love? Dan prefaced the song “Reasons” by explaining “This song is about the ups and downs of love and all the stuff that comes with it. Mostly the downs, of course.” This song had a bit of a country twang coupled with one of the sweetest harmonies I’ve ever heard with simple and cold but somehow heart wrenching lyrics:
“You have your reasons, lord I have mine
Don’t call me baby, don’t even try
You have your freedom, lord I have mine
Don’t call me baby, don’t waste your time”
When they finally gave in to “Boston” it became an instant crowd sing-a-long. Their set overall was a triumph at showcasing their ability as musicians but somehow their capability of engaging the audience was lost. Except for those that were singing along to every word like Augustana was N*Sync in a convention center circa 1999, the rest of us were left trying hard to pay attention. It didn’t help that there wasn’t much audience interaction from the band.
Overall, I’d say the night was an interesting sort of success. It was definitely not lacking in talent or passion, but simply low on the excitement scale – something that I’m not too used to.
Stay Saavy,
Steph@A2S
More photos can be found in our Augustana album
