The lights, the music, the energy that fills the room: it
causes an adrenaline rush like no other.
The excitement takes over your body, and you can’t stop jumping,
dancing, smiling, and singing at the top of your lungs. Concerts that sport this rare concoction and
perfect balance can be rare to come by. So,
when you find a band that can produce this experience during their set, you
want to stick by their side until the end.
After attending a show at Webster Hall, I can truly say that I have
found a band that achieves this level of excellence: Sheppard.
This
Australian indie pop band started when the Sheppard siblings, Amy and George,
formed the duo. Years later the third
Sheppard sibling Emma joined the band, adding her bass and vocal talents to the
mix. In 2014 the group released their
single “Geronimo”, which won “Most Played Australian Work” and “Pop Work of the
Year” at the 2015 APRA Awards. This
single, including the rest of the Bombs
Away album, contains pristine harmonic vocals, with a heavenly and
uplifting sound. The energy released by
“Geronimo” surrounds you and immerses your mind and soul in the music, making
you feel like anything is possible.
Hearing this song live brings this liberating experience to another
level. The band invites the audience to
dance and jump as high as they can, causing the inspirational chorus to
literally propel you to the sky as the venue’s floor bounces and shakes. The energy builds and builds until the whole
venue explodes with liveliness.
Sheppard is
touring in America this summer with the band Lawson, who also exhibit high
energy in their performance. The male
vocals of this band are captivating, and are a perfect match for Sheppard. The band is comprised of lead
singer/songwriter Andy Brown, singer/lead guitarist Joel Peat, bassist Ryan
Fletcher, and drummer Adam Pitts.
Originally named the Grove, the band changed their name to Lawson in
honor of the surgeon who operated on Brown after he was diagnosed with a brain
tumor. Soon after, the band released
their debut album, Chapman Square in
2012. Along with Lawson, the band Say It
Say It performed before Sheppard.
Say It Say
It’s set was difficult to listen to do to sound check problems. In turn, it is difficult to gauge their
performance accurately. The instrumental
and vocal levels were severely off balance, creating the impression that the
band’s vocals were compromised or are inaudible live. Despite these issues, I do recommend that you
listen to Say It Say It’s song “Scandalous (I Wanna Take You Home)”. Outside of their music, Say It Say It
possesses a unique quality: a female drummer.
In an industry that it heavily male dominated, it is rare to see a
female behind a drum set. Lexie Viklund has promise
as a professional drummer, and I look forward to seeing her grow as an artist.
