Two of the original three band members, Tom Hooper and Kevin Kane, are now touring on an acoustic duo show that brought them to Harmony Hall in Gormley,On. This tour has taken them back and forth across Canada.
The duo walked on stage quietly to a sold-out show in this beautiful space. This was the first time they have played in this room, and you could tell immediately they were both comfortable and happy to experience a new place to play.
Even before they started, it felt as if everyone was huddled around a campfire and were settling into an intimate evening of storytelling and wonderful acoustic music. The atmosphere was warm, pensive and open.
The opening notes of the guitars seemed extra crisp and clean. Then the harmonies showed up like a long awaiting friend. It was a sound of youthful energy and wisdom that surrounded the room. I was amazed at how refined their vocals stayed intact all these years. They started singing back in 1983 when they first started and their resonance has not aged a day.
This existential campfire mixed with this sound invited the cosmos to reveal itself as we gazed into our own imagination.
“You may be right”, was an enjoyable mix of Neil Young meets the Beatles vibe. They continued with a song from 1987, “Completely Lost” and I found myself drift far away without realizing it.
This show may have been acoustically driven that kept everything pretty simple. It was the topics of the songs that carried a huge emotional range that spread very wide and expanded deep within each one present.
I went up to the stage before the show to peek at the set list to be more prepared, but the sheet had no songs on it. These two were flying by the seats of their pants, creating the show any way they wanted.
What made this so memorable were the honest and open experiences these two men on stage had throughout their lives. No topic was taboo.
For example, one story was about being in a recording studio which they shared with two 80’s Glam Metal rockers, Vince Neil and Tommy Lee. They all sat on the couch together to watch MASH. It turned out that Jamie Farr from MASH was Vince Neil’s next-door neighbor and he loved to walk around his backyard in dresses, like his character Klinger on the show. That was good for a chuckle.
The other story was them talking their way into a Pink Floyd show with backstage passes. They both took a large amount of Magic Mushrooms before the show. One of them experienced terrible paranoia, thinking everyone was staring at him and judging him, so he went back to the hotel room to let the bad trip take its course. I am sorry that happened, because when I did Shrooms at a Pink Floyd concert, I had the time of my life.
Throughout the evening there were plenty of other songs, but just in case you go and see them, I do not want to be that spoiler telling you all of their secrets.
I believe these songs stand the test of time due to their quirky storytelling nature. They may sound like friendly Poppy folk songs, but the messages come at you from very different perspectives. A song like, “Now”, is delicately light and lifts your spirits with the gentlest hug. A song like, “Mexico” is both an adventure and an escape from some raw emotions. They even have a song about a spaceship, but that is far as I am going with this one. Go find out what song I am talking about when you do have a chance to see them.
“I can’t find my way home is a powerful song that has probably changed meanings over the years and in retrospect becomes even more cathartic now.
Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of this song. It has a line that states, I’ll be there. This particular song had some of the best harmonies that I have ever heard. The purity of those vocals will live inside of me for a very long time.
As we were nearing the end, a random man yelled out, your stories are amazing. The entire audience laughed in agreement to this statement. A woman yelled out, Thank you for keeping it real!
These two men have had a very full life and shared it with this audience. These are stories of their youth and the trials and tribulations of growing wise with time. They not only carry their youthful energy, but their sense of humour was what kept us engaged for the entire show.
When the Grapes of Wrath decide to come back this way, I do hope they chose Harmony Hall. The atmosphere of the building mixed with absolutely amazing sound makes this small trek to Gormley On worth the drive. It is more worth it than the drive to Acton.
A few shots from Harmony Hall-
If you are interested about learning more about Harmony Hall to see a great show there, visit their website and plan your next musical adventure, just 3 minutes off of Highway 404.
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