Nashville – The charismatic qualities of Houndmouth run amok onstage at Live on the Green in Nashville on this beautiful Thursday night. All smiles, as band members Matt Meyers, Katie Toupin, Zak Appleby, and Shane Cody begin to play their first song. First act of the night, Houndmouth was thrilled that the Nashville crowd did not disappoint by showing up on time and in large number to show their support for the band.
Singing effortlessly, as they often do, the quartet sang songs from their second LP, Little Neon Limelight, released in March of this year. It is thrilling to watch Matt Myers and Zak Appleby perform together on stage, their smiles radiant as they sing those beautiful lyrics and bounce around stage. Zak never staying still long enough to catch a photo, but I couldn’t quit watching him. He loves the crowd. Watching the sun set behind them as Matt tore into his guitar and Shane Cody lit up those drums. And let us not forget Katie! Watching her dance and play that keyboard made my night taking pictures. She has so much fun on stage and the energy she puts out is contagious. Most of my pictures are a bit blurry from dancing along with her. The energy they put into their music flowed from it as well, right into the crowd who enjoyed every second of it.
But back to the songs. The songs they sing are rich with emotion it’s not just all about style with them. Each member sings vocals, even drummer Shane Cody, as he beats his drums and smokes his cigarettes. Best New Bands said “There’s emotional and songwriting substance to what they do.”
As the band began to play the crowd favorite, “Sedona” you could feel this swell of emotion rise up. As silence took over to listen to every word, a slow hum and then recognizable sing along began to happen. The crowd singing right along, every word.
“Hey little Hollywood
You’re gone but you’re not forgot
You got the cash but your credit’s no good
You flipped the script and you shot the plot
And I remember I remember when your neon used to burn so bright and pink
A Saturday night kinda pink”
Shane Cody thanking our local Lightning 100 station after the song ended, apparently it was the first station to play the song on the radio.
The real magic happened for me as Katie Toupin took the microphone for “Gasoline”. Her voice is pure magic and as she sang out to the crowd, everyone instantly fell in love with her vulnerable vocals and mournful lyrics.
Ending the night with “My Cousin Greg”, an energetic blues number that left the crowd wanting more. I have heard many comments that Houndmouth’s performance was by far the best of the night. So if you have not had the chance, Houndmouth is a definite must see live band. The chemistry between one another and the energy they give to the music they send out to the crowd is quite remarkable.
See these sites for more on Houndmouth:
https://www.facebook.com/Houndmouth?fref=ts
https://twitter.com/Houndmouth
http://www.bestnewbands.com/album-reviews/houndmouth-little-neon-limelight-americana-good-hands/
http://www.bestnewbands.com/breaking-news/forecastle-announces-2015-lineup/
Photo of Houndmouth live by Jess Sneed
Jess Sneed
“The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling.” –Fabienne Fredrickson
Follow me on Twitter @BloggingJess
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