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PEABODY’S DOWN UNDER MONDAY NIGHT NOV. 17TH 2003

Edwin McCain
Brent Kirby
Will Hoge
Connor O’Brien
Mason Jar

Monday evening’s Edwin McCain show at Peabody’s Down Under turned out to be an exciting and well attended event, one of the more entertaining shows I have seen or heard in a mid-sized Cleveland club in weeks. Black painted, cavernous, beer soaked, and smoke-filled with two rooms for music (the main room and The Pirates Cove) Peabody’s is a conveniently located downtown venue in which to enjoy 20 Oz. well drafts, watch beautiful woman, and catch rising talent. This bill was chock full of all three of those most essential elements.

The evening began with Connor O’Brien belting out a selection of songs from “Soliloquy”. The current band assemblage sounded loose, apropos in that Connor has been on an extended performance hiatus for a number of weeks. Well-known chrome domed local hipster Dr. Bob sat in on electric guitar, while another fellow wielded a beat up, duct taped acoustic guitar. A bass player completed the lineup while Connor’s drummer Dave Cottrell sat watching the show with manager Rick Smith. Apparently, Cottrell came prepared to setup and play a full drum kit; however, promoters must have decided (at the last minute?) that this did not jibe with the acoustic singer songwriter theme. At any rate, Connor sang in a clear strong voice, radiating charm and showmanship, while more or less ignoring the occasional experimental sounding rhythms and parts. And while there is no doubt that Connor is a fine voice talent, and that the songs on the album are strong, the music this night did not reflect the crystal clear vision of perfection that is “Soliloquy”.

Next on the bill, we were treated to the sounds of Will Hoge. Up from Nashville Tennessee, wielding an acoustic Gibson Guitar and accompanied by a Piano player, Will played songs from “Blackbird on a Lonely Wire” (released on Atlantic Records). Since I was entirely unfamiliar with his music up to that point, and did not know what to expect, the first couple of songs hit me right where it counts: Great voice, stellar solo delivery. I found his story telling (and the brief blues rendition of “Ittsy Bitsy Spider”) disarming and charming. In spite of the albums huge and precisely orchestrated sounds, Will’s wonderfully spare Peabody’s performance gave the distinct impression that he has rolled hundreds of miles through the deep blue country night with only his voice, a guitar, and a piano player for company. His mist smoked whiskey soaked vocal delivery quavers and glides along well-crafted country tinged songs like a coal train around a Colorado mountain bend. This is some fantastic new music, with immediately accessible hooks and strong writing that demands repeat listening, check out a verse from “Second Hand Heart”:
“Here it comes another lonely night I’m waking up in my clothes – I know this place is poison but I’m coming back for a lethal dose
I got fist full of chances and a washed up angel to fill me up with bad advice – sex and god and lust and I just hope that maybe I can get this right”


At about the same time that Will had the big stage; Brent Kirby was rocking the Pirates Cove with his four-piece band. Brent is a recent addition to the Cleveland stable of singer songwriters, relocated here from Nashville Tennessee. Brent came up to Cleveland to GM a local Sam Ash music store, when he is not on stage you can find him out in Lyndhurst. I have heard Brent Kirby play his songs unadorned and Totally Freaking Acoustic with Chris Nekvinda at the Mudhouse in Lakewood, and I have heard him rocking out on stage with his band. Either way Brent is a charismatic character capable of delivering well-crafted slabs of American Rock and Roll. Brent’s band is certainly beyond reproach, they are well rehearsed and expertly maintain a deeply solid groove with two guitar sounds (Fender Telecaster and Gibson Les Paul) intertwining and sizzling between the bass and the drums. And although I enjoy a good rocking band as much as the next guy, I did not specifically attend this show to hear bands, I had come to hear songs and voices. As voices go, Brent’s possesses a distinct fragile quality, one easily buried under a band sound, and I would have rather enjoyed listening to Brent (and his band) deliver an acoustic set.

Who were those crowd-pleasing guys of “Mason Jar”? This was the first time I had heard them; they played with three acoustic guitarists, one pleasantly hyper bass guitar player, and a drummer. Right off the mark these guys were playing low key up-tempo acoustic rock with clear vocals and a bouncing danceable vibration that seemed to emanate primarily from the kinetic bass player guy. And the audience was into it – they connected with the music and crowded the Pirates Cove, bunching up to the stage like true believers. I noticed that the crowd encompassed many beautiful young professional women (well, the entire facility was packed with beautiful ladies). I spoke with a young corporate lawyer just a few hours removed from a long day slaving away at contract law, somehow she began to fret over her ‘nerdy’ eyeglasses – which (she said) she could not see without. I did my best to reassure her that her sleek, black framed glasses complimented her fabulous good looks, and she in turn made certain that I had the name of her band: The Curve. At about the same time, an attractive and buff young lady had started something with someone (further highlighting the crowd complexity), and for just a minute I couldn’t decide if I wanted to flirt with her or get the hell out of the way. If this is the kind of crowd that Mason Jar is bringing round, then count me in. Just don’t punch me out.

The headlining act, with a voice sounding at least as big as the Montana Sky and as dusky as a Texas sunset, Edwin McCain took the stage accompanied only by his guitar, and a sidekick Baritone Saxophone player who also wielded a magical slide whistle of some kind. Although Edwin is a platinum recording artist with hits "I'll Be," "Solitude," and "I Could Not Ask for More" that have brought him to the attention of fans nationwide, I, (once again - the whole reason to have gone to the show in the first place) was unfamiliar with the songs. Listening for the first time to the voice of Edwin was a revelation - he comes well armed with great songs. Apparently, Edwin is drawing inspiration from multiple sources. His web site indicates he maintains relationships with at least a couple of other Nashville songwriters (Neil Thrasher and Wendell Mobley) who have helped McCain write "I Want It All". And it looks like this guy has at least a few other irons in the fire, he is currently working up a ‘for cable’ TV series “The Acoustic HighwayTM" that will feature the singer songwriter touring around the country in search of songwriters, great songs, and stories. On the web site the pilot is described as 'Austin City Limits' meets Comedy Central's 'Insomniac' - sure sounds more interesting than about 70 percent of the basic MTV schmaltz.

Overall the Peabody’s Edwin McCain show was an entirely successful offering featuring mixed musical elements and some of the best local and national voice talent that can be heard in medium sized clubs, well worth the small ticket price, they even ended up giving tickets away at the door. If you are a fan of great songwriting, charismatic voice and acoustic guitar, then I heartily recommend catching Edwin and Will Hoge the next time they are in town. In the meantime don’t miss the opportunity to hear our local talent Brent Kirby, Mason Jar, and Connor O’Brien when they are playing next. After all, it might be one or more of our local artists lighting out for point’s unknown and returning to Cleveland with a few platinum hits and a Grammy or two!