The Hush Sound, Murder By Death

So, you’re wondering, why does that dashingly talented Miss McGuire’s latest concert review lack a decent picture? The answer is simple: due to a lack of foresight on a certain band’s part, my photographer’s pass’ necessity was neglected. Which essentially means that my review is as bare as a baby’s head. Not that I’m irritated or anything. I just had to send my best friend home, despite her deep adoration of headliners, The Hush Sound. No, no, I’m not bitter.

This Is Me Smiling

Okay, I really don’t want to like This Is Me Smiling. After all, they did cheese me out of my photographer’s entrance. But I can’t hate them. Try as I might, their infectious Maroon 5-meets-Dashboard Confessional sound melts the hearts of even the most stubbornly cold indie queens. They opened with “Pretty.” This Is Me Smiling halted mid-track just to explode with noise during the song. Combined with their silly rock-dance moves, bright smiles and melodies, I concede to the charms of This Is Me Smiling.

The two year old band interacted very well with the crowd, and their nonchalant but hip noise appealed to the audience, as lead singer Dan attests, “We try to make everyone feel included.” The keyboardist and Dan exchanged goofy smiles all night. While most would compare This Is Me Smiling to Ben Folds, Dan says their sound is “whatever you would really like to listen to combined with everything you like.” And they’re right. Their combination of The Beatles melodies with the feel of The Beach Boys makes for an indefinitely fun show.

This Providence

You know the kind of music that makes you jump and dance around your kitchen, but stop as soon as your family/friend/roommate comes home and you act like you have some incredible cramp in your leg? Do you like that kind of music? Meet This Providence, your new favorite band.

It’s a miracle the band made it out alive. Their drummer was attacked by his kit at one point, and they had to send up a first aid kit. To make things worse, their lead singer announced midshow, “I’m really sick tonight.”

To be honest, while I’m sure the band’s album is great, they were nondescript live. Their lead singer definitely knew how to work the crowd, but I still managed to be distracted by everything else going on. The crowd only seemed to open up when they played “Road to Jericho,” about thirty minutes into their set. They were really only average, but definitely catered to the underage crowd.

Murder By Death

The keyboardist of This Is Me Smiling asked me to ask Murder By Death if they like Johnny Cash. I think the answer is obvious. Imagine the man in black himself diffused through a rock filter, and you have an image of Murder By Death.

Most likely, my lack of attention span is most at blame for my inability to sit through the entirety of Murder By Death’s set. The band was seamless and awesomely talented, and their CD In Bocca Al Lupa has been essentially sealed into my car’s stereo. Still, Murder By Death seemed disinterested with the crowd. Lead singer, Adam Turla, who describes their sound as “cowboy rock and roll,” may not have been that involve with the crowd, but the crowd (or at least the older set, as their merch guy pointed out, “the parents have been buying the CD all night”) was hellbent on being involved with him. Troy Miller hitchhiked all the way from San Francisco to Anaheim and Los Angeles just to see them play, and is planning on buying a plane ticket to some of their more eastern shows. Why? “Their sound is just perfect,” he says. Their fanbase isn’t big, but it sure as hell is dedicated. Which makes sense, as cellist Sarah Balliet explains that her favorite part of making music is “performing and travel.”

There is such a thing as playing too long. When you’re at the point that you realize you’re indulging your own ego, the time comes to move stage right and let someone else have a turn. Thankfully, their closer was a doozy: “Those Who Stayed,” which drummer Alex Shrodt describes as their “tango number,” and is Balliet’s favorite song to play. Balliet took the stage orchestra style and the music soared to a rising crescendo, ending with a theatrically abrupt conclusion.

The Hush Sound

By the time The Hush Sound took the stage, I was swept into a sea of twelve-year-olds and their parents. I was ashamed to find out that I knew the words as well as they did ? or perhaps even a little less. They opened with “We Intertwined” to massive fanfare and catcalls from the young audience.

Sugar and honey don’t even begin to cover Greta Salpeter’s voice in general, but the dentist-supporting persona she took on for a younger audience hurts my teeth. By the end of the night, the parents had migrated towards the back in an almost middle school dance manner-but they were tapping their feet.

I was surprised to find that both singers, Salpeter and Morris, sound exactly the same live as they do on record. They closed with “My Apologies” and “Out Through the Curtain,” the only encore of the night, receding backstage to where Fallout Boy bassist Pete Wentz was (correctly) rumored to have been residing. Maybe The Hush Sound could start costarring in Doodlebop. Unfortunately, while Disney kid’s shows would be a wise business move for the band, it would make me feel even less cutting edge than I do now.

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