In a free show at Newcastle’s Lass O’Gowrie Hotel, The Smith Street Band’s Wil Wagner and Max Stern of Cleveland-based bands Signals Midwest and Meridian played a pair of emotionally charged acoustic sets to an extremely appreciative local crowd.
Newcastle’s Spencer Scott got the night off to the best possible start, performing a set comprised mostly of originals and a sneaky Bruce Springsteen cover in honour of The Boss’ Australian tour.
Set highlights included ‘16 Months’ and ‘When The Ships Sail Out To Sea’, with the latter’s spine-tingling final verse and chorus a true indicator of the promise Scott showed as a solo performer.
Next up was Sydney banjo duo Pinch Hitter. Despite being a far more subdued act than those sharing their stage, the group kept the crowd thoroughly entertained with their almost lullaby-esque brand of banjo folk.
Though a very strong set, the clear stand out was ‘Body Clocks’. The simple vocals, contrasted with its complex riffs epitomised the tranquil beauty with which the duo so effortlessly engrossed the audience.
After a quick tune up, it was then Max Stern’s turn to take the stage, much to the delight of the growing crowd.
Though the Meridian frontman had journeyed from Cleveland only days earlier, it didn’t show, with Stern’s vocal ability proving strong in the small venue.
Having just released an EP titled Summering, much of Stern’s set was drawn from solo original work, however he also performed pieces by both of his bands.
In a set full of highlights, two of the greater moments were Stern’s performance of the Meridian song ‘Love And A Sense Of Belonging’ along with Summering number, ‘The Spins’.
‘Love And A Sense Of Belonging’, regularly performed as a band, made the transition to acoustic performance exceptionally well with the stripped-down sound underscoring the meaningful, reflective lyrics, while ‘The Spins’, a recent addition to Stern’s repertoire, displayed the combination of sentimentality and irreverence that is present in so much of his work, combined with a catchy and upbeat riff.
As Wagner took the stage, the crowd swelled and packed right in – and they were not disappointed.
Kicking a typically vibrant set off with fan favourite ‘Golden’, Wagner then performed some new Smith Street Band material before moving on to more of his solo songs, including ‘More Like Signals Midbest’ from 2013’s Laika, due in part to Stern’s presence. Sentimental and with more than a touch of darkly comedic resignation, the tune highlights many of Wagner’s songwriting strengths, while the emotion in his performance left the crowd with a true sense of the meaning of the song and Wagner himself.
From this point, the performer predominately played older material from The Smith Street Band collection.
Inviting opener Spencer Scott back to the stage, the pair played a duet of ‘The Belly Of Your Bedroom’ before moving on to other favourites from No One Gets Lost Anymore, including ‘Sigourney Weaver’ and ‘The Best Friend I Ever Had’. The key lines, “Don’t you ever fucking touch me!” and “I’m not a singer-songwriter, and I never fucking will be!” were both echoed so loudly by the crowd
As the set drew to a close, Wagner performed ‘Young Drunk’ from 2012’s Sunshine And Technology. Descending into the crowd, his energetic performance reached its peak, dancing and jumping around with the crowd whilst performing his final number.
From start to finish, each performer brought their own individual ‘something’ to their set and the night as a whole. Scott and Pinch Hitter both displayed promise for the future, while Stern and Wagner served to remind the crowd why they listened to them in the first place.
