Lara went out to check out
Kevin Steinman at the 400 Bar on May 7, 2009.
It’s funny to note that
311 singer
Nick Hexum is the older brother to
Zack Hexum.
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Zack Hexum has the “Swine Cold,” a terrible mutant strain of the original “Swine Flu.” He’s dangerous and wants to spread the virus by touching people with his hands. Don’t be fooled by his boyish good looks—ZACK HEXUM IS A MONSTER. JK, readers! ROFLCOPTER!* Hexum is wholly sweet and friendly and a real trooper (he played a full set
plus duets with Kevin Steinman, all while battling flu-ish symptoms). Even though he reminds me of a hot soap opera doctor, Hexum has that big boy voice that is always surprising coming from the mouths of such teeny, tiny human beings (see:
Ben Sollee).
Thursday’s show at the 400 Bar was nice and mellow, a bit
beachy (if beach jams were played under low lights in dank clubs); maybe one-part pop soul, two parts college rock, and a splash of Hollister “SoCal.” While Hexum sang confidently, head thrown back, eyes closed, heart showing—which is just, you know,
sigh—I’m not sure that his lyrics had me at “hello” (mumbling musicians make me merry mrustrated). I’d hoped that “Princess of Darkness” would be a cute-sad ode to Kelly Osbourne, but it seems, instead, to be about a gloomy wallflower type (could still be about KO). Nevertheless, live versions of “Sun Still Shines” and “How Many Times” were enjoyable and people-pleasing (this was a “yeah, dude!” crowd) and very much the style of music that primetime TV drools over. Zack Hexum paging Zach Braff: “Writing any interesting screenplays about depressed twenty-something existentialists lately?”
Instead of breaking to set up more instruments, get more beer, and/or allowing patrons to smoke a motherfucking cigarette, Hexum invited
Kevin Steinman on stage for a duet. Here’s some math that you might not be aware of: male singer + female singer = adorable/ovaries swelling. Female singer + female singer = sexy (or, conversely, the Indigo Girls). Male singer + male singer = asexual/mildly homoerotic**. Watching Hexum and Steinman sing together was like watching Olympic divers—attractive bodies doing impressive things, but nobody’s getting turned on. Possible repressed sexual urges aside, Steinman said some nice things about his duet partner—he considers Hexum a musical soulmate and they have a code word for calling each other to the stage (the Norwegian term for ‘meatball’). Fittingly, they covered songs by iconic bands with great creative relationships, including the Beatles (“If I Fell”) and the Everly Brothers (“All I Have to Do is Dream”). True to Steinman’s word, the pair sounded lovely; their voices complemented nicely and the harmonies were spot on. A lot of dorky things happened on that stage (Hexum played a clarinet; Steinman played the glock; too much meatball was thrown around), but I couldn’t help smiling through most of it.
After Hexum exited, Steinman and his drummer (Troy Groenke) carried on. I really like this combo when it’s not the White Stripes. If a singer-songwriter isn’t ready to go full band, a positive small progression is to add a drummer to the mix; at the very least, this helps discourage the “open mic” feel of so many solo guitar acts. I had seen Steinman play a couple months back, opening for
Joe January, but in all honesty, had very little recollection of the show. I did remember, however, that Steinman met his wife through Myspace, a fact that’s completely irrelevant and fascinating to me. As a lyricist, Steinman writes about the romantic side of life—love, heartache, self journey, love, love, love. In person his mild-mannered spirit and brooding good looks suit the prose; I have a hard time
not imagining him tucked in the corner of a coffee shop, scribbling furiously in his moleskin journal. While it’s difficult to breach the formulaic barriers of traditional love songs, it helps that Steinman’s M.O. doesn’t follow the route of novelty or tacky pretense; instead, he seems at a comfortable place, one where authenticity is measured by dedication to the craft. Songs like “Home” and “Love Always Wins” (it doesn’t, but thanks) are not going to blow minds, but the whole product—the melodies, the voice, the man—is just so
likeable and likeability always wins. THEN, it was towards the end of the show and Steinman pulled a little trick from his sleeve, a sort of politically-charged, conversational verse with wit up the yin yang. “55 Year Occupation Blues, or, Mom and Dad Won’t You Please Come Home” questions the implications of stationing American troops all over the world and speaks of Steinman’s experiences growing up in Germany while his parents taught at special Department of Defense-funded schools. Where did this come from? Is there more? These are the questions I’m left with. (Watch Steinman perform “55 Year Occupation Blues” in Berlin
HERE.)
Two things must be noted: 1). I’m getting nicer in my older age, and 2). You can find more information on both artists at their respective websites and Myspace pages (see below). Kevin Steinman will be at the 318 Café in Excelsior, MN this Friday, May 15.
* Just learned this. I think it’s a helicopter that is rolling on the floor laughing or something.
** I’m not insinuating anything on the Internet, folks, but the two musicians
did close the show with a Bert and Ernie song. I think we can all guess what that means.
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