For those of you who don't know who Hayden is, let me give a little background. Hailing from Ontario, Canada, Hayden is a folk/rock musician who, in the mid-90s, released his first album Everything I Long For to both critical acclaim and a certain amount of play in the U.S. It was followed up by The Closer I Get in 1998.
These first two albums contained quite a few "bummer" songs that, as a late-teen to twenty year old art school student, fit my likes perfectly. His lyrics told stories that, as a budding film major, helped me figure out how to fit a narrative into 4 minutes of imagery. Of course, these "bummer" songs were often about tragic events, from drowning to break-ups, but the stories were told in such vivid ways that I couldn't resist.
As the years passed, Hayden's music and subject matter matured, evidenced on his absolutely amazing record Skyscraper National Park, which contained the single "Dynamite Walls."
I can't recommend this album enough.
Since Skyscraper, Hayden has released a live album and two more studio efforts, Elk-Lake Serenade in 2004 and the Neil Young-influenced In Field & Town this past year.
Okay, now that we're all up to speed, onto the show.
I have seen Hayden perform live three times over the past decade. And, honestly, at each show he has been a better stage performer. Sadly, though, the guy is criminally unknown and plays in front of extremely intimate audiences. Last night, I think I counted 40 people in the crowd. At a previous performance I saw, back in 2004, there was roughly the same amount of fans. Come on, people! This guy should be filling clubs!
The set consisted of mainly selections from In Field & Town, but reached back as far as The Closer I Get. Touring with Hayden as his backing band was the four-piece Cuff The Duke, who have a few records of their own. They complimented him well, adding depth to his sometimes simplistic melodies and filling in the silences with extreme technical dexterity.
The band played as if they were hosting a full hall, having us clap along and provide back-up vocals to the night's closing number "Carried Away." And, what was nice, was that the 40 of us there were big enough fans to oblige. There was a certain sense of camaraderie in the room, a certain "were in this together" vibe that gave the night a warm feeling. And the band didn't mind playing to such a small audience. They seemed to almost get a kick out of having so few of us there and fed off of each and every one of us for the 75 minute performance.
Opening the night was Northampton-based singer/songwriter Dennis Crommett. His acoustic set reminded me at times of Iron and Wine and was a nice compliment to the main event. The Professor picked up one of his CDs on the way out at the end of the night. I'm interested in giving it a listen.
Hayden will be jumping onto indie-darling Feist's tour next month, which should lead to bigger crowds. Until then, he's doing a little tour of the Northeast. If you see him coming to your area, you should check him out. As he put it last night, "Tell your friends about us. We're not creepy!"
For more on Hayden or Cuff the Duke, you can click here to go to Hardwood records.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment