Heartless Bastards and Good Old War at The Varsity Theater on 4/4/09
By: Donette Ambrosy
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| Heartless Bastards at the Varsity - Photo by Jenn Barnett (See full slideshow of photos by Jenn from this show here.) |
Despite the unfortunate circumstances, I confess I was pleased that Gaslight’s postponement meant I had the opportunity to hear extended sets from Good Old War and Heartless Bastards. I mean no disrespect to Gaslight Anthem – I am certainly looking forward to catching the reschedule, for which tickets will be honored by the Varsity, the date of which will be announced when Fallon is restored to full dental health.
This show was special, in that it was the last time Good Old War and Heartless Bastards would appear together on their respective tours (Heartless Bastards will continue to tour with Gaslight Anthem). Previous stops together included New York’s Webster Hall, as well as shows in Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, and Columbus. In honor of the event, Heartless Bastards’ bassist, Jesse Ebaugh, joined Good Old War on pedal steel guitar for one number. Ebaugh, who also featured on steel guitar intermittently during Heartless Bastards’ set, has enjoyed the good fortune of studying under the tutelage of Neil Flanz, a venerable steel guitarist who toured with Gram Parsons and Emmy Lou Harris in the short-lived group The Fallen Angels.
I had the opportunity to speak with members of both bands prior to the show, and the camaraderie between them was evident. Good Old War, who hail from Philadelphia, warmed up with whole songs from their set, accompanied by Dan Schwartz’s acoustic guitar, and drummer Tim Arnold’s accordion. When asked about their influences, Arnold mused, “The Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Van Morisson, the Beatles…really, anyone we’ve ever heard.”
While that is almost certainly true, other influences - or at least similarities - became immediately identifiable when Good Old War started their set. Their male 3-part harmonies make it easy to draw certain comparisons to groups such as Crosby, Stills & Nash, Fleet Foxes, and even The Kingston Trio. Regardless of the similarities, these are no knock-off artists; Good Old War hold their own when it comes to originality, songwriting, and beautiful vocals. Schwartz’s guitar playing at times had an almost Mexicali flavor, and Arnold’s occasional breaks from the drums to feature quaint accordion playing lent an extra element of coziness to their already warm aesthetic. The aforementioned brief appearance of Ebaugh on pedal guitar completed the experience.
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| Heartless Bastards - Photo by Jenn Barnett |
A few months ago, I found myself discussing Heartless Bastards with a cab driver – a tremendous fan, who had seen them play several times. To paraphrase her description; “ You can’t believe that voice comes out of this tiny woman, she looks like she could be, I dunno, your Aunt Joanie or something.”
Indeed, vocalist Erika Wennerstrom’s surprisingly deep, gravelly, yet pitch-perfect voice is undeniably the cornerstone upon which Heartless Bastards are built, and I found her stage presence to be riveting. After forming the Heartless Bastards in Cincinnati in 2003, Wennerstrom transplanted to Austin, TX in 2007 for, according to the band’s press kit, “a change of inspirational scenery, a new recording project, and queso.” Beyond her distinctive voice, she is the only constant member of the band, furthering her natural status as band matriarch.
The band opened with “Into the Open” with Wennerstrom on keys (she alternated between keys and guitar for about the first half of the show), following with “Out at Sea” from their recently-released album The Mountain. It wasn’t until the third song of their set, however, that they really hit their stride with “Done Got Old” from 2005’s Stairs and Elevators. A raw blues riff provided the foundation for Wennerstrom’s howling lament, “Can’t do the things I used to / ‘cause I feel o-o-oooold.” The mixed-ages audience, many of whom couldn’t possibly relate to this sentiment, exhibited no problem relating to the rhythm. The crowd inhabiting the recently expanded standing room in the partially renovated Varsity bounced appreciatively to the beat. The absence of Gaslight Anthem didn’t seem to be bringing the audience down, as evidenced by the crowd’s reaction when Wennerstrom said, “I don’t know how many of you were coming out to see Gaslight Anthem…” and was immediately cut off with shouts of “We’re here to see you!”
During the second half of the set, Wennerstrom favored the guitar as the momentum continued to build. Wennerstom’s iconic Muppety mop of hair shook and shimmied, while the rhythm section and their backup guitarist provided ample, perfectly channeled energy. Due to the extended stage time, the band was able to pay relatively equal tribute to each of their three albums. Heartless Bastards are at their best when capitalizing upon Wennerstrom’s innate lyric-belting ability, the nature of which is more present on the albums Stairs and Elevators and The Mountain. During more down-tempo songs, however, I found myself wishing that her voice could accommodate the change in mood more successfully.
The show wrapped up with a few more songs from the The Mountain, and although I like the new album very much, I was very pleased that the encore was comprised of older songs “Gray” and “Runnin,” which left the crowd with some of Heartless Bastards’ most rocking and signature sounds on their palates.
Be sure to check out Jenn Barnett's slideshow of photos from this show here.
Location Info:
The Varsity Theater
Artist Info: Heartless Bastards
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