The Kendall Café 3/24/01

Where the hell did all these people come from? My gawd, is this The Kendall? It is, and The Puzzlebusters (Keith Michel and Nate Rogers) have packed the joint for their CD release show, to the extent that I’m blocked in standing by the jukebox and water cooler, craning my neck for an occasional peek at the band. Acoustic power pop is how the duo refers to themselves. Hmm, I’m not hearing much power. Cuddly, middle of the road acoustic guitar pop with occasional mandolin is more like it. Nothing offensive, mind you, but I’m hearing precious little deviation from their flatline, linear path of happy-happy pseudo-Dead meanderings. Sounds like two kids ditching class and playing Dead covers on the Common in between hackey sack tourneys. Fine. Perfect for The Kendall. Their fanbase eats it up and spits out the love like pabulum, but there’s nothing in it for me.

I’m still blocked in, but finally sitting; progress. Often the folly of attempting to describe music with words strikes me. Words are flawed, and fail to adequately honor the total mental, physical and emotional package that is playing original music live. Such is the case with Northampton’s Hospital, featuring singer/ guitarist Mark Schwaber, cellist/ pianist Abby Barlow (yep, Lou’s sister), bassist/ guitarist Jose Ayerve and drummer J.J. O’Connel. I could bandy about clichés such as emotive, ethereal, crystalline, and transcendent. I could describe their set as a brooding tapestry born of rarified air, optimistic yet holding on to a hint of melancholia, with intelligent songcraft, happy resignation, and always a totally logical ending. Ultimately, however, words fail. Tonight’s set is all of the above, a bit subdued, but nevertheless replete with the unexplainable intangibles that make a special band. To say more would diminish the moment. This’ll have to suffice.
-- Brian Westbye of The Noise