Backstage Pass

Aqualung
The Grand Emporium, Kansas City, September 12, 2005

Every once in a while, the universe will  align in such a way as to provide me an entire evening of fantastic music. Maybe I’m a picky listener or know dick about really good music, but after tolerating mediocre opening acts, I often find myself so pissy when the headliners take the stage that I have to remind myself I should be having a good time. But at this show, oh, at this show—the great chasm in the sky opened up, and four musically amazing hours dropped down just for me.

The evening began with a set from Tracy Bonham. Guitarist John Darling joined her on every song, save one—“Whether You Fall”—on which she played solo on the piano. Despite her petite frame and schoolgirl brown locks, when her mouth opens up, a low and heavy grumble saunters out, walks up to you, and slaps you in the face. It’s phenomenal. Her voice has a range and clarity unlike any other artist I know. She performed a handful of songs from her new album Blink the Brightest, the most notable being “Shine,” with its soaring chorus, the lullaby-like tune, “Did I Sleep Through It All?” and the lyrically curious, “And the World Has the Nerve to Keep Turning.”

Second up were the Perishers, a four-piece (touring as a six-piece) from Sweden, performing a set composed entirely of songs from their debut album, Let There Be Morning. I had just two issues with the performance: the music didn’t really have a live presence, and the band didn’t seem to be having much fun. Each song sounded fairly similar to its recorded counterpart, an impressive feat to some, but a pretty boring retread for the rest of us. Perhaps that would have been different had the band looked as if they were actually enjoying themselves. Regardless, it was a good set, highlights being “My Heart,” “Weekends,” and “Let There Be Morning.” Considering the amount of positive praise and media attention the band has received in the last six months, perhaps they were just having an off night.

And then there was Aqualung. First, let’s just clear this up—Aqualung is Matt Hales, a brilliant singer/songwriter who’s been composing since the age of four. He is British. His sense of humor is quirky and dry. His accent is adorable. He tends to ramble. He performs with a full band (including, most genetically, his brother Ben). Due to the Grand Emporium’s lack of a backstage area, the band had to cut through the crowd to take the stage. Hales sat down at the piano and started off with the title track from his first U.S. release, Strange and Beautiful (the album being a compilation of his two U.K. releases). Hales moved from his piano and stood center-stage, with a guitar in one hand and keyboard keys beneath the other. He proceeded to play most of the songs from the new album, switching from piano to guitar to occasional keyboard. As if all those instruments weren’t enough, his falsetto is perhaps his most memorable weapon—quiet, easy, and heartbreakingly beautiful. The inclusion of a full band, though giving the album a layered feel, made the live show seem a bit noisy. The sense of intimacy so striking on the record was made hazy by their abundant presence.

Hales then introduced “three very sad songs,” those being, “Falling Out of Love,” “Breaking My Heart,” and “Another Little Hole.” In truth, there’s a sort of sad poignancy to all his songs, so the setup wasn’t entirely warranted. He also played “7 Keys,” which he said very nearly made the U.S. release. For the encore, since there was no backstage area, the entire band stood up and turned their backs to the audience. At Hales’ instruction, we cheered riotously for a minute or so before they turned back around to play a few more. The night ended with the hit single, “Brighter Than Sunshine” before Hales and the band, one by one, cut back through a satisfied crowd toward the exit. | Mandy Jordan