I have to say that I wasn’t too sure what to expect when I moved to Roanoke, VA. I didn’t think I would find much of a music scene, and I resigned myself to buying records and living vicariously through my friends who could still see live shows…that was, until I saw that Vandaveer was scheduled to play a show in Roanoke. I immediately reserved a ticket (much to the surprise of the venue’s owner, who I am sure has NEVER been asked to hold a ticket for ANYONE before) and started counting down the days until the show.
Needless to say, the show was fantastic…not only because Vandaveer put on a great set, but also because the openers were, much to my surprise, amazing. The first opener was a guy named Marcus (and for the life of me I can’t remember his last name), who played a ukulele, a banjo, and a guitar over the course of his set and covered songs by artists as diverse as the Decemberists and John Prine (hats off to anyone who covers John Prine). Marcus was followed by a local group called the Missionaries…I was a little skeptical at first about what to expect from a group calling themselves missionaries and describing their music as “healing” and “easy listening,” but you should all give them a listen. The seven member band layered music and vocal backing into a hypnotic and ethereal sound that left everyone in a complete and total trance…and hey, I don’t know if I was healed of anything or not, but I definitely felt good at the end of the set. After the Missionaries, Vandaveer took the stage and capped off what was already an impressive lineup:
Vandaveer – “Dig Down Deep” (Kirk Avenue Music Hall – September 16, 2009)
Vandaveer is the music of Mark Heidinger, who is touring now in support of his second album Divide & Conquer (released by Death by Polka Music and Supply & Demand Music). I first heard Vandaveer after the release of their first album Grace & Speed in 2007. As I listened to that album, I found that I couldn’t get enough of the lyrics, which combined cautious optimism with poignant displays of human shortcomings in a sort of give and take cosmic contest for our souls boiled down to ten tracks and thirty-five minutes. At the time, though, I envisioned Vandaveer as a soft-spoken, soft-singing folk musician…the songs had a certain subtle and quiet quality to them. From the first notes Vandaveer played live, however, I realized that I was completely wrong. Heidinger’s voice pierced the room like a trumpet, seeming more powerful when he stepped away from the microphone than when he was standing in front of it.
Vandaveer – “A Mighty Leviathan of Old” (Kirk Avenue Music Hall – September 16, 2009)
“A Mighty Leviathan of Old” was easily my favorite song of the set (as well as the new album) and shows that Vandaveer continues to develop musically, vocally, and lyrically:
You tied a rope ’round my finger…you hoped for a dead ringer…you draped it over a towering oak…
But the rain came down with a furious sound and rusted that bell ’till it broke…
So I clawed though the dirt that soiled the earth with bare hands that barely could shovel…
The canyon did flood with water and blood from a thunderous storm up above…
Yes, God spoke clearly for the very first time in my life…
The sounds he made were glorious and grave…it was a tidal wave of rhythm.
Divide & Conquer marks a new stage in Vandaveer’s development. Not only does Heidinger team up with Robby Cosenza and Justin Craig of These United States (one of my favorite bands), but he has also been joined by Rose Guerin, whose vocals add a depth and texture to Vandaveer’s songs that make Divide & Conquer an entirely new and wonderful listening experience.
Vandaveer – “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” (Kirk Avenue Music Hall – September 16, 2009)
Not only was Rose’s performance exceptional, but an enthusiastic two thumbs up to anyone that chooses to cover a Bob Dylan song for their solo…and if this is what she sounds like when she has “consumption”…then wow.
Posted by the Needle
