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As I enter Harper's Ferry, Malibu Lou is treating us to his acoustic guitar stylings and some of the worst singing I have ever heard, toneless and miles off-key. Mercifully, it seems to be his last song.
Scamper are a sunny, melodic four-piece that make catchy, hooky pop songs with pretty melodies and great harmonies. If these songs had cheeks I'd want to pinch them, they're that sweet. I'm reminded of a de-quirked They Might Be Giants. Nate is struggling audibly with a cold, which impacts his vocals, but he gets points for soldiering through, and some of the raspiness actually adds some depth at times. They should maybe scream more often. The guitar solos are infrequent, short, and simple, and I could stand an occasional minor-key excursion. But it's impossible not to smile when this band is playing.
The Charms proceed to supply everything that was missing. Raunchy, sweaty rock? Check. Smokin' guitar solos? They've got 'em, and they're brilliant, spiralling deliriously out of control before landing back at the melody just in time for the chorus. The song they identify as a new one sounds like a punked-up '60s girl-group number, and the Farfisa is the perfect accompaniment. The drummer is noticeably tighter than the last time I saw them, and the lead singer/rhythm guitarist is a sexy, sassy bundle of energy and attitude. My favorite moment in the set comes when she notices the bassist blocking her path to the mic, saunters over, and expertly hip-checks him out of her way precisely on the downbeat. How rock is that?
Headlining are Red Chord, a bluesy, boozy six-piece. A bluesy six-piece is a scary thing at Harper's Ferry, home of Jam Band Hell, but if anything their songs are too simple and straightforward. The lead singer is in full-on Janis Mode, drunkenly swearing about not being able to smoke and missing her entrances, but then howling and growling and rocking the room. She has pipes for days. The melodies are simple and kind of monotonous, and the various solos--guitar, keyboard, and saxophone--never really stray from blues basic. But it's all about the singer here, and if she had to carry the entire band on her growl alone, she'd be up to the task.
