This past Sunday, I headed down to Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley (a comfortable Music City bar and listening room that hosts a combination of mid-level touring acts and local showcases), to check out Vanguard Records artist Greg Laswell. One thing’s for sure—if you’re going to 3rd & Lindsley for a show that has even a remote chance of selling out, you better get there early. I arrived at seven sharp—the show’s official start time, but still a full two hours shy of Laswell’s set—and the place was already wall-to-wall with 20-something hipsters, not a seat available in the house.
That’s impressive in a town so saturated with music that concert goers routinely skip the opening sets altogether.
In return for a $10 cover, the sold-out venue was treated to nearly three hours of well-crafted singer/songwriter tunes blended with spunky acoustic pop.
New York four-piece Harper Blynn started things off with a tight set that showcased the sweet vocal melding of lead songwriters Pete Harper (keys and rhythm guitar) and “J” Blynn (lead guitar). The pair ebbed between fleeting, effervescent harmonies on soft-hearted indie fare to a firmer, more assertive style of rock, while drummer Sarab Singh and bassist “Whynot” kept the rhythms churning along without a hitch.
Harper Blynn has a ton of upside—hip and talented, the group lacks only great material. Unfortunately, that’s a pretty troubling thing to lack, and most of the set was comprised of music that sounded great but said little that could be recalled even a few minutes later. There was nary a solid hook to be found.
Further driving that point home was the fact that the band earned its most enthusiastic response of the night from a Keane-informed cover of Beyonce’s R&B smash “Halo.” The band masterfully captured the essence of the song and channeled it back out through its own colorful musical lens, and the result was stunning.
Next up was hometown boy Cary Brothers, best known for the song “Blue Eyes,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the 2005 Zach Braff/Natalie Porton flick Garden State.
Brothers’ set was missing the energy that Harper Blynn brought to the stage…which was bit strange, since Harper Blynn was still on stage. The group, in addition to being the tour’s opening act, also serves as the backing band for both Brothers and Laswell, but there was something awkward about seeing them hand over the reins to a less charismatic, less talented performer.
Laswell didn’t have the same problem. Donning his trademark fedora and a sport jacket over his t-shirt, the “Take Everything” singer opened with a rousing, keyboard-driven take on “Off I Go” that had a lot more punch than the recorded version.
The chemistry between Laswell and Harper Blynn was strong, but Laswell really shined when the band stepped away and his rich, emotive voice was given space to stand on its own. On the pensive “Comes and Goes,” and a downbeat cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun,” he solidly held the notoriously tough-to-impress Nashville crowd’s attention.
But, like much of what’s proffered on the indie scene these days, the bulk of Laswell’s set was too loud to be especially compelling. It was hard to imagine those not already deeply acquainted with his catalog coming away from the show with much to hold on to, mostly because it was nearly impossible to hear his lyrics in the mix.
On top of that, as it was true for Harper Blynn so too was it true for Laswell that his biggest applause of the night came thanks to a cover. The fact that his treatment of Lauper’s signature hit earned such a fiery response should be telling, at least to the fact that hooks are important—even to the cool kids. Weaving memorable, resonant lyrical hooks into a narratives gives listeners something tangible to grasp. Without a great hook, a song is a bodiless collection of words that bleeds back into the library of language from whence it came.
It’s no coincidence that massively popular mainstream hits can be adapted under an indie aesthetic and made appealing to a young, hip crowd. But it’s surprising that more indie artists don’t strive for that same type of catchiness in their own tunes.
Still, the evening was a an enjoyable night of well performed music—probably more enjoyable if you’re already a fan of these artists, but easily worth a Hamilton (or even a Jackson) even if you’re one of the uninitiated when the tour comes rolling through you town.
I love Greg Laswell. My favorite song by him is Come Clean. It is so different but so great at the same time.