June 04, 2006
HEM REVIEW
I went to the Hem/Over the Rhine show last night, and the show was so great, I cant review it in just one post. So let me talk about Hem first, just because they went first.
I've been following Hem for a few years now, and last night was my second time seeing them live. I saw them in Atlanta on both occassions. I saw them for the first time at the Red Lantern cafe, a really small little joint where I saw the whole show from about five feet away. Last night I saw them at the Variety Playhouse, a larger place (but not too large) which proved to provide much better sound quality and lighting.
For those of you who dont know anything about the band, let me give a brief breakdown. The band was initially a group of three particulary talented musicians (some of whom are from Brooklyn, NY; maybe all): Dan Messe who was the primary songwriter, Gary Maurer who was the producer/engineer, and Steve Curtis who was enlisted as a co-musician and songwriter. The guys put an ad in the Village Voice for a singer, and to make a long story short, they received a demo tape from a woman named Sally Ellyson singing old-fashioned lullabyes, and they quickly brought her on. It has now become a tradition to begin their albums and their live shows with Sally singing one of these lullabyes.
I can probably pick out three main things that make Hem stand out as an exceptional group:
1) The songwriting: Hands down, Dan Messe and Steve Curtis are two of the most intelligent, purposeful songwriters working today. Each individual Hem song is a testament to what is possible when songwriters pour passionate, detailed effort into their craft. Their songs are exquisite and incredibly well-defined.
2) The singer: Sally Ellyson has a sweet voice. Her voice is a perfect match for these songs. I dont know if she has kids, but her kids are bound to be lucky to be sung to sleep by this woman.
3) The musicianship: I love going to shows where the technical quality of the instruments really shines. The last time I remember hearing a show where this stood out so much was Gillian Welch and David Rawlings about 3 years ago. The guys in Hem (which now includes Bob Hoffnar, a pedal steel player, and no longer seems to include Gary Maurer) are obviously masters of their instruments. More than that, they are masters of how to blend their instruments together. This is really the best part about Hem. Their sound has such a rich and pure texture, unlike anything Ive ever really heard before, because the musicians really just know how to play together. Its quite outstanding.
Im going to continue to follow this band through each step of their career. I dont imagine I will ever lose interest. I have had the pleasure of meeting the band both times I have seen them. Last night I was able to talk to them and to tell them I really wanted them to play a show in Chattanooga sometime. They said that they have gotten that a lot for some reason. They said that for the past five years, they have gotten a lot of requests to come to Chattanooga, and that it really appears that they have a fanbase there. So hopefully they will come down on their next tour! They have a new album coming out on September 5, "Funnel Cloud", so I wouldnt be surprised to see them down south again before the year is over.
I should also note that besides the fact that Hem is built upon such great songwriting, they are also an amazing cover band! They are the kind of band I would fear being covered by, because they tend to outdo their original source. Some examples of covers that just blow me away would be Bruce Springsteen's "Valentines Day," REM's "South Central Rain," and Fountain of Wayne's "Radiation Vibe."
Definitely check these guys out! And definitely see them live! Its the only way to go.
Posted by todd at June 4, 2006 02:16 PM