Concert Review
Down The Line
March 27, 2010 @ Lincoln Hall
By Dave Miller
Zo
Down The Line celebrated the release of its fourth studio album, Open The Door, Saturday night at Lincoln Hall. It was the first time I saw the local band, which used to play Schubas before graduating to its sister venue. What I read about Down The Line was on the money. Levi Britton, Derek Fawcett, Dan Myers and Dave Rothkopf have wonderful voices. Their bright harmonies are impeccable. They can play their instruments, too. Myers is the most versatile in the bunch, playing mandolin, violin and harmonica while splitting lead-singing chores. Fawcett plays the djembe (a skin-covered hand drum), sings and even took a turn on the saxophone while Myers moved to his djembe. For my money, bare-footed Britton, who plays acoustic guitar, is the best lead singer of the three with a voice that features the most depth. Rothkopf is an active bassist who also contributes vocals.
Together, they play acoustic pop with high energy. The band came out fired up and were rocking a primarily college-age crowd, which filled about three-quarters of Lincoln Hall. I was impressed with their sound, energy and singing initially, but over time they wore thin with me thanks to lite lyrics and a sound that grew repetitive. I felt like a kid on a sugar rush who crashed. In the end, as talented of singers and players as they were, most of the music just didn't move me.
The highlight of the main set was the closer, "The Great Debate," a song from the new album which starts off spare before swelling with the whole band. The encore started slowly, but closed strongly. The band welcomely switched gears and finished with the shout-out blues of "All Wrong." Capping the show with it was all right. Fawcett left his djembe, took the microphone and worked the crowd to contribute varied vocals, splitting the room in four sections and assigning them different lyrics that were eventually sung at the same time. It was great fun. For the moment, my sugar high had returned.
Down The Line's setlist:
Theme Song
Here I Am
Float Another Year
Change Your Mind
Settle For Me
I Don't Want To Sing
Last Call
Wait 'til Tomorrow
To See The Ocean
Sitting Outside
Boy Like Me
Careless Whisper
Open The Door
Unconditional
Used To Be
Dion
The Great Debate
---------------------
Give In Again
Please Remember My Name
Cold Morning
All Wrong
Start: 11:00 p.m./12:33 a.m.
Totals: 21 song, 1 hour and 33 minutes
Opener Claire Stahlecker delivered an interesting set accompanied by a bassist and drummer, who sat on a wooden box and played it with his hands to nice effect. Stahlecker is a 21-year-old music major at Columbia College. Half of the singer-songwriter's set contained songs from her new EP, "A Little Piece of Heaven." Her material focused on your basic relationship stuff that was upgraded by some interesting lyrics. Her music was softer than Down The Line's, but it was more interesting, especially in its lyrical edge. Stahlecker still has plenty of room to grow as a songwriter and guitarist, but already she has a subtlely-strong stage presence that had no trouble filling Lincoln Hall. She's somebody to keep an eye on.
Claire Stahlecker's setlist:
Hurts Like Hell
Never Stop Lovin' You
Butterfly
Holiday
Riding The Fence
Broken Things
I Can't Sleep On This
Forever Better
Wire Away
All You Can Fall Asleep To
Start: 10:00 p.m./Finish: 10:45 p.m.
Totals: 10 songs, 45 minutes
