Live Live: Reviews
Townhall
4/11/02
Harper's Ferry - Boston, MA
Download the Live Live interview with Brian O'Connell here
As a kid, I loved apple pie. I loved the flaky crust, the gooey inside, but most of all, I loved the simplicity of it all. Chop apples, add sugary goop, put in crust, bake, and in a couple of hours you have a delicious apple treat that tastes the same every time. Apple pie was a known quantity in my childhood. It didn't change all that much from pie to pie, but it still tasted wonderful every time I had it. But as change is inevitable, one fine day I bit into a piece of apple pie thinking I knew exactly what to expect. But No! What was this, a tart, strange textured purple lump in my apple pie? A berry of some sort? I couldn't believe it. The color was off, the texture was off, the taste was...the taste...well, when I took a minute to think about it, the taste was pretty good. Yes, it was good, very good, ambiguously familiar, but with a strange twist. And because it was a berry, the pie could no longer be designated apple. There was an important life lesson in that slice of dessert: maybe berries are ok in pie after all.

If a band playing live is a fresh apple pie, then Townhall is that berry that I bit into so long ago. Throughout Townhall's set, I found myself trying to find the words to describe the three-ring-circus jamboree taking place in front of me. The one thought I kept coming back to throughout the show, as it was the first cathartic bite into that berry, is that I have not heard anything close to this before. Not in terms of better or worse, but in terms of style and musical idea. Townhall's sound is truly original. Initially, almost uncomfortably original because they leave no point of reference in my known catalog of music to which I could compare them. But like the berry, Townhall's exuberant sound drew me in and made me willing to try something new.

Being of rational scientific mind, I nevertheless tried to pigeonhole Townhall's sound. At first, I was set on them being a funky, groove-oriented band when drums, bass, Telecaster with crybaby, and Les Paul brought some deep grooves across the room. But the next song, I had to reclassify as an acoustic guitar came out, with banjo and hand percussion to accompany. By the third tune in their set, these barefooted gentlemen thoroughly befuddled my taxonomic system with strings, drums, harmonicas, and horns of various kinds. And vocals. On top of all their prowess on instruments, these boys can sing.

How can a group be so successful in mixing and matching instrumentation and creating a sound that subverts all systems of classification known to me? One of the biggest forces at work is that Townhall is young, and simply due to their age they are still in the process of forming their musical mold. And there is the energy of youth. The dynamism and enthusiasm that come off the stage in both song and presence are overpowering. You can't help but want to kick off your shoes too and join in the fun.

But despite their youth, Townhall comes across as experienced musicians comfortable with the stage and their music. While most young bands tend to play too loud and to rush, Townhall is able to lay back into a slower groove and execute excellent control of their tempo. Their manipulation of syncopation and sense of timing, combined with their schizoid arrangements, give that extra twist to the standard songwriting template that sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. To the uninitiated noodle-dancer, it might be a little tough to settle into, but I have a feeling that Townhall wants it that way. I think they want you to wonder why this show was different from all other shows, and to take that wonder and dig deeper into the music. Even now after the show, the more I listen to their CD release, "Live at the Point," the more they grow on me.

However, I caution: some part the Townhall experience does not translate to tape. As good as "Live at the Point" is, it is only an appetizer platter. Like so many jambands, I think Townhall produces records to support their live act. One really needs to see the country fair-style exchange of instrument from hand to hand in order to wrap their heads around what Townhall is trying to do. The difference here is that you can't call Townhall a jamband. I don't think that you can't call them anything except Townhall.

Vocals may have been the most refreshing part Townhall experience for me. In the midst of a constantly rotating blend of instruments, the listener will find wonderfully thought out lyrics in three-part harmony, which to me at least, is surprising. Most lyrics coming from bands Townhall's age are either fluff, silly, or nonsensical, but Townhall has a good poetic eye for the world around them and it is reflected in their lyrics. And to watch the boys deliver these lines is a thing of great joy. Eyes squinted, unconscious of their flailing legs and wiggling torsos, neck veins protruding...they dig in and deliver from deep down.

Townhall's stage setup is a soundman's nightmare. Instruments and mic stands are everywhere, cables twisting over cables, and it all is aggravated by the five barefoot musicians, who must have been a blast for their kindergarten teachers, refusing to stay in one place and wanting to play with everything on stage. But the chaos is only an illusion. Their music too is wonderfully thought out, despite the mix of sound coming from practically uncountable sources. What was so surprising to me is that the majority of Townhall's work is composed. In order to coordinate that much, it almost has to be. In the midst of a large improvisational movement in live music, Townhall brings to the table a unique brand of songwriting that weaves together styles and sounds that you once thought impossible to mix with precisely shifting meter and tempo and lyrics to tie it all together. It often feels like a private Friday night jam session, but closer examination confirms that it is generally arranged and composed. Yet, because of its free-spirited attitude, it still appeals to an improvisational sensibility.

Fans of folk, rock, jam, country, and jazz will all enjoy this unique sound. It is a meticulously stitched together musical patchwork. And above all, it's fun. At a Townhall show, watching the band give thanks that they are making music with each note they play and each word they sing, watching the youthful energy in the crowd, and hearing something like you have never heard before, you can't help but smile, want to kick off your shoes, and dance. Townhall is that novel, tart twist of berry in your standard apple pie concertgoing experience. So bite in, know that it is not apple, and after this slice, it may never be as simple as just apple again. Tastes good, no?

- David Taus