It is hard to define. It is impossible to teach. It defies logic. It is palpable. It is real. It hits you right between your eyes, and it is hard to miss. There are words for it. Charisma. Presence. Charm. They do not do it justice. You cannot read about it. You cannot describe it. You have to experience it. Last night High Valley brought it to the Troubadour. And they brought it in spades.
Pam and I love the Troubadour. We love the energy and the intimacy of it. When I heard that High Valley was going to headline the Sirius XM Highway Finds Tour and that they were going to play at the Troubabour, I was instantly interested. I had heard them on the radio and enjoyed their music. I convinced Pam we should go, though she was not as sold on the idea as I was, a fact she not so subtly reminded me of as we were walking to the venue. She simply said, “I am going on record that this is your pick.” This was a thinly veiled reference to the last time I had a unilateral pick, which did not end so well.
The show started with a very nice acoustic set by Brown & Gray. They have a really pleasant sound, and we enjoyed listening to them. Their most popular song, Top Down, resonates with me, despite the fact that they use a Mustang convertible instead of a Porsche Targa in their video, which appears to be shot in and around Malibu. After their set, I knew I would gladly listen to them again, and I said to Pam, “So far, so good.” She agreed.
Adam Doleac came up next. He was great. I really enjoyed listening to him sing his songs. He has a great style, great personality and lots of talent. I didn’t even have to comment to Pam after he was done. I knew she had loved his performance, too.
Which brings me to High Valley. As they set up for their act, Pam and I could feel a change in the venue. Both of the opening acts were quieter acts. They let their talent speak for itself. Unlike many young acts they did not try to use volume to impress the audience. Before High Valley took the stage, the Troubadour kicked the background music volume up, way up. Pam and I were leaning against the back wall and could feel the bass as it reverberated through the wall and massaged our backs. We knew High Valley would not be quiet. We just hoped they were astute enough to mix their sound so that their vocals were not drowned out by the drum beat, the wailing of the guitars and the deep bass notes. It turned out we should not have worried.
High Valley, led by brothers Brad and Curtis Rempel, put on an amazing show. They did not miss a trick. They are experienced, well trained, professional musicians. Though they are new to the US, they have years of experience playing in Canada where they are from. The band is genre conflicted, with equal parts country, Christian and bluegrass, and to my untrained ear, more than a trace amount of rockabilly. They employ a collection of electric and acoustic guitars, a dobro, a banjo and a mandolin, combined with great vocals, to create a unique sound. But that does not really define them for me. What defines them is their energy, their presence, their absolute commitment to bringing the audience into their fold and pulling them along in an almost evangelical way. On stage they are a force of nature, repetitively plying their shtick, schmaltzy as it could be construed, willing the audience to have a great time. And we did.
We hope we get the chance to see them again. The next time will not be a unilateral decision by me. Pam will be fully committed. Selfishly, we hope it will be at the Troubadour, though we suspect it won’t be.