Friday, March 30, 2018
Port City Music Hall, Portland, Maine
This was such a fun, easy night. After the chaotic Glen Hansard show I attended at House of Blues in Boston the week before, I was really glad to have a night where everything was relaxed and the energy in the room was positive. Shouldn’t concerts be a good experience, after all?
I had a pretty sweet Friday afternoon–a massage, a chat with a friend who lives in Spain, and I attended a ceremony where some of my students were inducted into the National Technical Honors Society. I made it to Portland around 8:30 and grabbed a front row spot for the 9 PM show. I’d seen The Wild Reeds open for The Lone Bellow (one of my top favorite bands) back in November and really liked them. I’d never heard of Wild Child, but I listened to a few of their songs online and they were really good. I’m glad I made it to this show to check them out live.
The Wild Reeds were great live a second time. Fronted by a trio of women with pipes, I like their sound and energy and that they share the lead. Kinsey Lee, Mackenzie Howe, and Sharon Silva share the duties of playing electric and acoustic guitars, harmonium, keyboard, and harmonica. I suspect they all contribute songs to the group, too. Nick Jones and Nick Phapiseth fill out their sound on drums and bass. Kinsey, Mackenzie, and Sharon have powerful voices in their own right and also blend effortlessly. Rolling Stone named them one of “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know: March 2017.” I wouldn’t call them country, but genre is so fluid these days. Check out their 2015 NPR Tiny Desk Concert to get a better feel for The Wild Reeds, and definitely put them on your live show calendar.
I’d noticed by the end of The Wild Reeds’ set that I was mostly surrounded by teenagers up front. I think most of them were there to support Wild Child, and I wonder how I’d managed to be so far behind on knowing about them myself. Either way, I am so glad I stayed to check them out. Wild Child is a seven piece band from Austin and, in a word, they’re fun. Their energy is infectiously positive, and I was so taken with lead singer/violinist Kelsey Wilson’s stage presence. She leaned into the audience, made direct eye contact with fans, and smiled warmly. “Break Bones” seemed to be a crowd favorite. This is their mellower side, but their show was dynamic. I found out a few days later that Kelsey will be at Newport Folk Festival this summer playing with Glorietta–which is a supergroup if ever there was one–including two of my favorites, Noah Gundersenand David Ramirez. I will definitely be there to check them out this summer!
I had an awesome, unobstructed front row spot for the Wild Child set, and when I decided to head home a little early, I offered my spot to a teenager who was near me and knew all of the words to all of their songs but was craning her neck to see. Her eyes lit up when we swapped spots and she realized how much better her view was. It made my day to enhance her concert experience. It’s always good for your concert karma to help your neighbors have the best possible concert experience, too. Thanks to everyone who went to this show for making this a no-drama night!
xo,
bree
whatbreesees 