By: Katie Bratsch
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Storyhill - Publicity photo from their website
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Muses were fittingly celebrated on Wednesday, February 14, at the Storyhill CD release show at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown. The night's opener Brian Joseph and headliner Storyhill each rolled out a very welcoming and inspired performance for a crowd of Valentine's Day lovers, hump day revelers, and possibly a few incognito cynics.
This audience was amazing. It felt like a happy wedding reception or a reunion of sorts, with people excitedly sharing stories and making the rounds from group to group. The Varsity Theater provided an ideal atmosphere, with comfortable living room appeal. Everyone settled in easily, some cross-legged on the floor down the middle of the theater, surrounded by others seated on the chaises and chairs along the sides. There was the inevitable "gallery" standing in the rear, passing business cards and comments close to the bar. That is where I started out but found myself gravitating closer, as the music and magnetic audience drew me in.
Singer-songwriter Brian Joseph took the stage first, playing several tunes off his album If I Never Sleep Again, released in 2005. His presentation was casual and appealing. He sung in conversational style, while swapping laughs with the crowd and alternating between guitar and ukulele. His lyrical wit was quick and extensive, similar to that of folk singer and humorist Loudon Wainwright III. He told us about his family, including two kids who've been known to keep him up at night—hence the title of his recent CD; he had a facetious Valentine's Day tribute song told from the heart-stomped perspective of Romeo's ex-girlfriend Rosalind—the one he dumped for Juliet; there was an audience sing-along with the refrain "We're gonna laugh, we're gonna cry, we're gonna buy fish tacos at Burrito King, and then we'll stay out late and love each other"; and finally he sang a lullaby about Echo Park in Los Angeles, a sweet little tune about stealing stars and captaining a spaceship that he had written for his young nephew. Joseph bid goodnight to the increasingly cozy crowd by saying, "There's a lot of cuddling happening out there on the floor and it's very exciting; it'll be a big orgy by the time Storyhill takes the stage.
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Brian Joseph - Photo from his website
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Everyone stretched their legs between sets but then returned to their seats to enjoy Storyhill. Chris Cunningham and John Hermanson (Alva Star, The Hopefuls, FICTION) joined the celebration to the sounds of cheers and applause, and they looked as pleased as the audience did to be there. They began with "Give Up the Ghost," the first song off their new self-titled album. Storyhill and the highly respected Twin Cities-based Red House Records had released the CD just the day before to much excitement and praise from local media, including an in-studio appearance at 89.3 The Current and a story by Chris Riemenschneider at the Star Tribune, among others.
Storyhill is legendary for their passionate live performances, supported by a large local and national fan base. Hermanson and Cunningham have been on a long journey to this 13th album, with stacks of songs and stories stretching back 18 years—from their high school days in Bozeman, MT, to St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, and countless hours spent touring and recording. They now live 900 miles apart (Hermanson in St. Paul and Cunningham in Bozeman), but they still maintain a close collaboration with their music, which is evident in their latest recording.
"Storyhill" is a cohesive album, with stories that fit well together and have complementary musical arrangements. There's a clear balance and polish to the music, likely due to the many years Storyhill has self-produced, but also because they enlisted Grammy winner Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare, [and recent songwriting collaborator for the] Dixie Chicks) to produce this one. They are also now working with a new manager, Eric Fawcett (Spymob, N*E*R*D, The Hopefuls, FICTION).
Cunningham and Hermanson have a rare chemistry together on stage, packing a real punch for two guys with guitars, occasional harmonica and stellar voices. Their songs sounded as they did on the CD, but with a lot extra. Their performance looked spontaneous at first, but then the music came together in complex ways, forming the multiple layers of a really good story, where you swear you can see, touch, smell and feel it in your own memory. There's something familiar about Storyhill, like Simon and Garfunkel, but they take it way beyond reminiscence to a place where listeners feel connected to the music and make it part of their own experience.
Hermanson segued into the second song of the night by saying: "We played a show here [in Minneapolis] in September and thought we might be pushing our luck with another so soon, but no. It's great to see all of you out again." Then they played the up-tempo "Blazing Out of Sight," a song about an infatuation so loaded that it doesn't stand a chance of surviving. Cunningham sang lead on this one, beginning with the poignant lyrics:
It's in the color of the trees on the highway, brilliant with dying
It's in the dust we're breathing these days, in your whispers and sighing
It's in the longest shadow stretching, into the falling night
It's in the deep red sun that's setting, before we're ready, blazing out of sight.
Many of the audience members were singing along or listening intently, chin in hand. Storyhill continued with a couple more songs from their new album. "Paradise Lost" really highlighted their uncanny ability to blend their voices into one. It's a song about their hometown in Montana becoming increasingly overrun by development—a tale that rings true for many of us who grew up in small towns that are now burgeoning suburbs. "Ballad of Joe Snowboard " was next, which Hermanson said was about his days as a ski bum giving other ski bums rides to the slopes in his VW bus. It's a fun, bittersweet tune about being young and free, and I think the crowd was really feeling like they were along for the ride.
But then the unexpected happened. The manager of The Varsity Theater came on stage to say that the fire marshal had arrived and requested that everyone vacate the premises due to exceeded capacity. We all just kind of looked at each other in disbelief, because the show had been going so smoothly, and it didn't feel overcrowded. But we quickly realized there wasn't much we could do about the situation except say our goodbyes and leave. It was a disappointing end to a promising evening, but luckily this story has a happy ending—as it should for a Valentine's Day tale.
The staff at The Varsity Theater has courteously explained that there was a "disconnect" between the number of tickets offered online and at the door, and the show was oversold. It was an unfortunate mistake, but they are taking steps to ensure that it never happens again.
The silver lining for all of us in attendance last Wednesday is this: The Varsity is currently negotiating dates for two more Storyhill shows, and they will contact all ticket buyers by email with information for a makeup performance. Information will also be posted on The Varsity Theater website. And, if you're among the few in town who missed the show, here's your chance to join Storyhill for the next one. Or, check them out during their current tour, including appearances at The North American Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, Tenn. on February 21-24, 2007, and at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Tex. on March 14-18, 2007.
Set lists:
Brian Joseph:
Storyhill:
Location Info:
The Varsity Theater
Artist Info: Brian Joseph, Storyhill
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