By: David de Young
 The Dale Hush Hush at the 400 Bar - Photo by David de Young (See more photos from the night here.)
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I had headed out with a friend who was a fan of headliners, The Pines, meaning only to arrive early enough to also hear Spaghetti Western String Company, who were playing the middle slot. Fortuitously, we arrived in time to hear the only band on the bill that I had not heard of, The Dale Hush Hush.
As it turned out, The Dale Hush Hush is Linnea and Eva Mohn, the pair of sisters who make up one half of Coach Said Not To. Named after the stoicism of their grandmother and great aunts, whom they say are “women of utmost decorum,” the duo plays music that is at once arresting, intelligent and extremely pleasant to listen to. The 400 Bar audience grew as the band worked through their set, most patrons captivated and watching in attentive silence.
For the most part, Eva plays guitar and Linnea plays piano, though the two musicians do switch roles, both providing vocals for many numbers and the gorgeous harmonies only blood relatives can provide. The Dale Hush Hush has yet to record a disc, existing as somewhat of offshoot and laboratory, if you will, for Coach Said Not To, where songs can be tried out before being brought to the full band for full instrumentation. The songs available so far on their MySpace are rough, at best. However the austerity of the recordings actually helps convey some of the presence you will likely experience if you see them live. (Which I recommend you do, by the way.)
At Saturday’s show, Eva Mohn sat on a stool in a red polka dot sundress and gazed into the audience and Linnea Mohn sat to her immediate left behind an Alesis keyboard. Songs that stood out in the set included “Solstice,” (available for listening on their site) a song about having a rather successful and enjoyable party on one’s own because no one else was actually invited, and "Coffeeshop," a song that had a certain vibe of verisimilitude about the trials and tribulations of a barista.”
After DHH had warmed up the audience–in the true sense of the word–Spaghetti Western String Company played a short 30 minute set as a trio (Michael Rosetto on banjo and guitar, Nicholas Lemme on mandolin and Ethan Sutton on cello) to a slightly more chatty crowd. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as some of Spaghetti Western’s music, like film music, can still be thoroughly enjoyed as an excellent backdrop to other things that may be going on, including quiet, respectful conversation. But Nicholas Lemme’s vocal interpretation of a Radiohead song in Italian surely got the attention of anyone whose focus had wandered elsewhere. 400 Bar bartender Jeremy Bishop was invited by Benson Ramsey to read a few short stories before the Pines took the stage, a seemingly unorthodox proceeding, but one that also somehow fit in perfectly with an altogether satisfying evening. Around 11:00, Benson Ramsey and David Huckfelt of the Pines began their set, with members of Spaghetti Western String Company joining in, to close out the night with some of their best-loved songs including several tracks from their recently-released album, Sparrows In The Bell, which is without a doubt on my list of the best Minnesota releases of 2007.
Location Info:
400 Bar
Artist Info: Spaghetti Western String Company, The Dale Hush Hush, The Pines
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