HOUNDMOUTH AND SPORTS TEAM AT WEBSTER HALL
The crowd this Saturday night started off sparse and minimal, but by the time the opening act of Sports Team came up it was evident that the night would not be without its fair share of screaming and whooping for the bands that were scheduled this nite.
The opening act was a group from London called SPORTS TEAM, and I have to say honestly that not knowing anything about this band I was surprisingly and happily blown away by the sheer energy and charisma that came with them. The band quickly went into an obviously well known song (by the fans that were in attendance) and a raucous audience sing along quickly followed and many more were to be had as the set went on. Personally, it was quite a revelation for me as I quickly became a fan after their set. Lead singer Alex Rice was certainly energetic and entertaining as he led his band with movements that would make Mick Jagger proud, (gotta wonder what it is about British bands that make the girls in the audience scream with glee). Again, my ignorance about this band was quickly remedied when scrolling thru various social media platforms I came across the Instagram page of Al Greenwood, who is the drummer for the band and I got a small glimpse into how the band might have gotten their name. It would seem that bandmate Henry Young who is the band’s lead guitar was for a time a sports reporter for CNN. Also, Al Greenwood on her Instagram page has a huge and
touching story about how she and her dad are huge fans of football (better known to
Americans as Soccer). Al is also doing a photography project based on the future of the game and their hopes for the new season. The rest of the bandmates rhythm guitar, Rob Knaggs,
bassist Old Dewdney, drummer Al Greenwood, and keyboardist Ben Mack rounded out the sound and gave the audience what it came for, solid musicianship and a fun nite of rock and roll, UK style.
To be sure, this band was a really great surprise and quite the revelation for yours truly. I will definitely be looking out for them when they pass this way again. Check them out, they will not disappoint.
The headliner this evening was HOUNDMOUTH, and believe me this indie band from New Albany, Indiana had the crowd jumping for joy as soon as the lights dimmed and they walked onto the stage. The cheering girls in the audience had the boys on stage smiling and ready to sing for sure. The band consisting of Matt Myers on guitar and vocals, Caleb Hickman on keyboards, Zac Anderson on bass and Aaron Goodrich on drums. These boys brought their A Game this nite with their own brand of blues and rock. They definitely had the audience rocking with anticipation of each and every one of their songs as they went thru their set list with ease and played with a definite power and the energy that the crowd transferred to them kept them in high gear throughout the set.
This band since forming in 2011 rose to notoriety quickly and have played venues as far and wide as the US will allow and that means everywhere from here on the east coast in NYC all the way to California. These guys are serious about their music and the people know and appreciate what they bring to the house. Houndmouth and Sportsteam are definitely on my radar for future shows.
Review and Photos by Raymond Aponte
