By: Bob Longmore
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House of Mercy Band - Photo from houseofmercyrecordings.com
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I thought for a long second and replied, “Yeah. I guess they would be a gospel group.” But know this before you dismiss the House of Mercy Band out of some preconceived notion of what gospel is or should be; House of Mercy play music from the heart. It is music void of ego and pretense. And from my point of view, you don’t have to heed the word to be moved by the music.
The seven-piece band overflowed the tiny stage of the 331 Club to celebrate the release of their latest CD, Left Behind. This being my first exposure to the HoM Band, I was surprised a bit by their youth. I don’t want to get hung up on looks, but lead singer C.P. Larson’s youthful expression betrays the old-soul kind of singing that flows from his mouth.
The band brought quite a crowd out, even for a frigid night. The band effortlessly switched back and forth between original songs and old-time covers and even a cover of the Johnny Cash-June Carter classic, “Jackson,” with singer Angie Talle playing the part of Carter. The House of Mercy Band original, “Trouble Coming” was a slow burning number, which showcased the bands use of comfortable rhythms that recall the best parts of country confessionals. The searing guitar work of Jeremy Szopinski made the song come alive on stage. It was enough to give me chills, but at the same time didn’t overpower the song or the sing-along lyrics such as, “These friends of mine / We’ll pass a jug of wine / That’s a long way to find / Your way back home.”
The spark plug of the band, Mike “Razz” Russell, stood at the side of the stage, but his perfect fiddle playing was not left out. Razz was able at times, to converse with patrons at the bar and then take a step to his right and jump right into the middle of the song without losing a thing. He played the fiddle with his entire body, in fact, the whole band seemed to feel the music flow through them, rather than playing back a memorized score. This is the kind of thing that gives me the sense of soul and that made me a fan right away.
So a band affiliated with a church, that releases albums on the church’s record label and if fact bears the name of that institution, actually moved me, a born cynic, and maybe even a heathen, to my bones. Songs from their soul, that went perfect with the whiskey I was sipping is the kind of faith I can have. Sometimes I (we) need something to believe in. So even if I can’t believe what they believe, I can believe in the messenger, and maybe for now, for me, that will have to do.
Location Info:
331 Club
Artist Info: House of Mercy Band
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