Reviews
The foursome, led by guitarists/vocalists Scott Brodeur and George Lenker, was not fooling around: Though they're a new band, they played an hour-long set - more than what most long-running groups bother to have ready. And Mudpony had obviously rehearsed, as shown by their fine harmonies, fun covers (especially a rocking stomp through Wilco's "I Got You (At the End of the Century)"), and thought-out arrangements.
Mudpony was a pop band, powered by trebly, non-distorted electric guitars.
Brodeur and Lenker took turns singing lead (they harmonized often) and playing leads. During the tune "Sing This Song," a highlight of the show, Brodeur even worked in a bit of "Frere Jacques" during his solo, which was odd but fun.
It was their first time playing together in front of a crowd (with Mark on drums and Ron on bass), but there was no hint of nervousness - no flubs, no trainwrecks, not even any hemming and hawing between songs. Mudpony was polished, kept its feet on the ground, and sometimes even lifted off into the air a bit, like when Lenker played some gloriously slippery solos, reminiscent of the psychedelic leads of the Byrds circa 1966.
They closed their set with the energetic original "The Only Thing," for which Lenker invited the seated audience members to get on their feet and dance; one guy and a gaggle of women took him up on his offer.
Mudpony was solid and steady, making its way into the world; give them some growing time and they'll be stronger, wilder, and take more chances. But the band's debut show, which could have been a stumbly training-wheels affair and no one in the supportive crowd would have held it against them, instead turned out to be a great party.
Group DeVille shared the bill and headlined the evening, and though they're also a quartet, they're a different kind of rock act, with one foot in glorious British Invasion-inspired pop and the other in the blues, and the hands bent back somewhere in jazz - their music's like a game of Twister.
Guitarist/vocalists Rick Murnane and Steve Hinks are the two frontpeople, trading off songs. Murnane has the perfect-pop voice and the catchy choruses, Hinks has the wailing harmonica and bluesy organ. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of drummer Nick Dines and bassist Fred Goodhue gives the band a sound like absolutely no other; it's chipper and swinging, more jazz than rock. It sometimes makes for a schizophrenic evening of music, but the four guys are clearly good friends and enjoy the sounds they make together.
Group DeVille played a handful of new songs, but the highlights for this pop hook nut were still Murnane's memorable verse-chorus gems like "No Use Pretending" and "You Don't Need Him Anymore." And though it may have been tough following a debut appearance by a band (which gets a sort of super-power, just for making it through successfully), GDV got most of the crowd to stick around on a Sunday night - no easy feat.
If you missed the show, the two friendly bands will play together again on April 24 at Theodore's in Springfield (where Group DeVille can take full advantage of its bluesy side!). Only you can support your local music scene.