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Monday, January 31, 2011
Live Reviews / News Live review: 2013 Wolves, Andy the Doorbum, Hectagons, Overmountain Men
Posted By Web Editor on Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 5:00 PM
By Jenny Lou Bement
2013 Wolves, Andy the Doorbum, Overmountain Men, Hectagons, Justin Aswell
Tremont Music Hall
Jan. 29, 2011
The Deal: The sheer amount of creativity in this city astounds me on a daily basis. Although our scene is small, the versatility and range of the people within it is enough to make it a truly rich one.
On Saturday, Jan. 29, this artistic talent was showcased at Tremont Music Hall when they held their art exhibit/show featuring music from Justin Aswell, Overmountain Men, Hectagons, Andy the Doorbum and 2013 Wolves along with visual art from Bobby Childers, David Childers, Kelly Keith, Justin Coco, Andy the Doorbum, Ronnie Farmer and Curtis Gaston. It was certainly a beautiful change of pace from your everyday show to experience two forms of art, some even coming from the same people.
The Good: Justin Aswell (of Mr. Invisible) opened up the night with a solo performance that immediately set the bar of the musical abilities to follow throughout the night. I must say he is one of the few people that can truly make me appreciate the complexities of electronic music. He plays a drum machine with ease and skill that will make your jaw drop. I have never seen anyone with enough coordination and speed to pull off the live beats he performs. Although he mainly did variations on Mr. Invisible songs, he brought fresh flavor to them as if they were brand new.
Overmountain Men was next up. It was definitely a stylistic change of pace but I must say that the crowd adapted pretty quickly. You can never go wrong with their hip-shaking country-esqe rock encompassing an array of instruments that meld perfectly to create catchy beats and intense harmonies. Listening to them makes you want to crack a beer and jam out with good ol' boys. They tore up all throughout their set and maintained a consistent peak. Ladies started dancing and eventually the men joined in creating a hootin' and hollerin' Overmountain Men hoedown.
From hip-hop, to good old rock 'n' roll to metal, Hectagons took the stage third and provided the crowd with breathtaking techy instrumental metal that would make even a Barry Manilow fan get into it. Every time I see them, I leave astonished and as delighted as if I had consumed a dozen cupcakes. Maybe it is because I have a soft spot for the stand-up bass, but I believe it adds the ultimate touch to the complex drumming and guitar riffs that sing like no vocalist could. Towards the end of their set, to our surprise, Justin Aswell made a guest performance, playing his drum machine along with the band and creating a versatile flavor and marriage of the worlds of metal and hip-hop.
As if our worlds were not rocked enough at this point, Andy the Doorbum took the stage and made one of the most valid and appropriate statements possible, “Art is not just what hangs on walls, it is what you hear or write in a notebook.” Immediately following, he and his band demonstrated this with their beautiful and soul-touching music with guitar, banjo, trombone and sax that have the capacity to make you want to smile and cry within the same song. Not to mention, Robert Childers made a guest performance on drums adding extra oomph to an already stellar performance. Musical art at it's best.
2013 Wolves closed out the night leaving no one dissatisfied. Neal MF Harper and Robert Childers tore up the house, causing everyone to jam out to the punkish beats, sludgy, fast guitar riffs and soulful singing. The crowd became a sea of head-bangers and hip-shakers — a final demonstration of the passionate creativity that themed the night. Ending its set with “TrenchSinner$MoneyHype,” the crowd screamed along with the band and gave the perfect conclusion to the evening: complete unity.
The Verdict: Art in every form surrounds us everywhere in our community and it was a privilege to be able to experience two forms in the same evening. When you realize what is around you and what people are capable of it truly makes you appreciate the drive and the passion of our local arts, especially our music scene.
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