Live concerts often bring out the best in a band’s musical showcase, especially when they are playing to support a public cause. Last Friday’s benefit concert for Habitat for Humanity, featuring performances by Off White, Tangent, the Wait, and Sirsy, was no exception to this.
Off White, this year’s champion of the Battle of the Bands, opened the night with a stellar performance that was even better than what they played at the last battle of the bands exhibition. Like a fine wine, their music has improved significantly each time that I have heard them play; Off White’s songs projected a smooth mesh of alternative sounds that featured awesome dynamics and an energetic, raw feeling. Their vocals were also quite impressive, especially for their signature tunes “Here and Now” and “Off White.” I enjoyed their music so much that I purchased their self-titled CD after the show.
While their music was not quite as good as Off White, Tangent also put on a great show. Their compelling alternative blend of hard and soft songs reminded me a bit of Goodness, a female rock band from Seattle that used to open for the alternative group Candlebox. Like Goodness, the voice of Tangent’s lead singer was astoundingly enthralling, with a tone that sang to the heart and an upbeat rhythm that lifted my spirit; I’m sure that her voice was a strong part of Tangent’s march to the finals of the battle of the bands contest held at Northern Lights in the fall. Tangent’s instrumentals were also superb with strong guitar play and roaring drumming.
Like Tangent, Sirsy—the most well known of the four bands nationally—was led by a female singer with a stirring, beautiful voice. She did an excellent job conveying the somber feeling surrounding the sad song “Again.” I was also really impressed by her flawless playing of the flute, a rare instrument to have on stage during a rock concert. Unfortunately, Sirsy suffered a tiny bit from a lack of solid organization and rhythm and many of their songs did not fit well together.
After three strong performances, I expected the last group to be just as good as the others; as the old saying goes, “save the best for last.” However, the Wait turned out to be a huge disappointment. The Wait’s lyrics were extremely difficult to make out because their instrumentals drowned out the lead singer’s voice. Their dynamics were also extremely poor, and the band’s guitar skill was terrible. I did enjoy their song “Forever More,” which told of a relationship’s struggle to survive rough times.
Overall, the concert was exceptional and well worth the $5 admission price, despite the Wait’s bust. I look forward to the Spring Fling today at 3:30 pm—the last concert of the year—and hope that the performances there will be as good as the ones I heard last weekend—three of them anyway.
