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| Review #81 by: | Paul | |
| Written on: | Jan 8, 2005 (Read 154 times) | |
Wow! If you didn't have fun at this show you better check your medicine. Even people in pictures on the wall were singing along with "Keg on my coffin." With such a rich collection of story-telling rockers and ballads, it's hard to take a bathroom break at a Push Stars show. (But I did...several times in fact.) Chris Trapper's vocal performance was once again gripping. His infectious vocal tone was compelling both with vocal riffs like "Waiting, Watching, Wishing" and touching acoustic pieces like "Freedom." Both he and bass player Dan McLoughlin kept the show energy high, connecting with an enthusiastic crowd. After initially opening as a threesome, the Push Stars were joined on guitar and mandolin by a local musician whose name, unfortunately, I didn't retain. More often than not, bands with only one guitar usually jump out at you as missing something, but Trapper and McLoughlin are so good that it's hardly noticable. Trapper, capoed more often than not, gets alot out of the chords and finger progressions he plays. In addition to singing lead, he is an ambitious guitarist, never content to stay in one place to long. That being said, the added guitar and especially, mandolin, were a welcome addition. Drummer, Ryan MacMillan, kept the crowd dancing all night. His fast hands enhanced every song without the gaudy or disruptive poorly-timed riffs sometimes heard with other bands. The 'Stars showed they know how to have a good time as they invited two happy guests on stage to sing "drunk is better than dead." Although the lyrics got "changed" a little, it was a fun gesture by the group, indicative of their humble nature and appreciation of their fans. In a time when many song lyrics seem shallow, ugly or just plain indistinguishable, the Push Stars write songs with lyrics that captivate the imagination, and melodies that stay with you long after the song is over. Feeling a little down...catch a Push Stars show in town. |
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