I love much about music. One aspect that thrills me is the
way that somehow, in some ways, contrasting combinations of sounds and elements
can become unexpected partners in perfect sync. (This is, I believe,
experimentation’s reward.)
When I saw My Son The Hurricane live about a year and a half
ago, I was thoroughly impressed, refreshed and energized by their sound. I
witnessed, as I watched all of the action on the stage, the successful
partnering of what I had thought were two very opposing musical aspects. My Son
The Hurricane is a 14-piece band that incorporates musical elements from two
very different spectrums: big band brass and hip hop rap. To date, they have
released two albums: Check the Barometer
in 2009 and You Can’t Do This in
2011.
I’ve been repeatedly listening to You Can’t Do This lately. For sure, with the combination of a brass
band and hip hop, there are many upbeat tracks, such as “Cookie Monster,”
“Barrachone” and “Honor Among Thieves.” Those
tracks are balanced with an assortment of more serious tracks, such as “Pushin’
Up Daisies” and “The Life Of An Emcee,” yet what I love about the band’s sound
is that even the tracks that have heavier lyrics still manage to have a
lightness about them (and don’t make you feel depressed). How can you feel
depressed when bright, shiny saxophones and trumpets brighten up the melodies
and shine up the lyrics? You can’t deny the light, likeable energy of MSTH’s
front man, Jason Bergsma, either, regardless of the mood of the song.
Not only is there a substantial lot of instruments
contributing to a full sound but also other instruments and voices get a chance
to shine in the spotlight and spice up the songs: a killer guitar solo in
“Honor Among Thieves,” mellow, melodic acoustic guitar in “The Life Of An
Emcee” and the rich, smooth singing voice so different from the rapping in such
tracks as “Pushin’ Up Daisies” and “Barrachone.”
As enjoyable as I have found listening to My Son The
Hurricane’s music at home or in my car, I am so glad that I had the opportunity
to see them perform live. The energy you hear in the recording is multiplied
live because theirs is a show that is really fun to watch. When I saw them live, my eyes were darting this way and
that, there was so much excitement on stage—so much to take in. Bergsma did not
stop moving—he was so full of life—and I could tell he really enjoys what he
does. I would have felt tired for him had not the rest of the band members been
continually invigorating me as I watched and listened. At one point, the tuba
player and his giant tuba parted the audience like the Red Sea and stood there,
taking up a colossal amount of space, the player just playing the tuba,
surrounded by fans. There was literally no dull moments, with 14 people to
watch.
14 [extremely talented] people, clever lyrics, a balance of creativity and
control, a balance of brass band and hip hop, light even while serious, a
tribute to New Orleans, funky, lively, entertaining, enthusiastic, energetic, even my son loves them, nothing else you've heard sounds the same--
My Son The Hurricane.
“Shout out to all the
fellas and the ladies that ain’t givin’ up ‘till they pushin’ up daisies”
-My Son The Hurricane
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