The first thing you notice is the chemistry.
There’s a loving dance that happens onstage, a push and pull relationship between actor and actress, two performers embracing the theatrics of a live show. They don’t take up a lot of space onstage. A total of 10 cubic feet, tops. One wears a grey flannel suit, his usual uniform. The other a sundress with a leather jacket, boots and jeans if it’s chilly outside. But onstage it’s hot. Always hot. The stage lights shine down simply on the two of them swaying back and forth, engaging with each other, then the crowd, then back to themselves. It’s a private moment sold and bought for the pleasures of the masses. It’s a spiritual experience in a loving environment.
One sits behind a drum kit, the other stands behind a guitar. Then they switch.
Combating with the difficulties of rehearsing, memorizing and playing instruments, recognizing lyric cues and playing off one another harmoniously and to perfection, they leave everything they have on stage. They sweat it out, fall over each other, come forehead-to-forehead in a lover’s stare, pulling away, pushing back, sweating some more.
Then there’s the eye contact. Man, is it palpable. You feel like an invader, an unannounced house guest in a windowless room. They stare and they sing, on each other’s wavelengths from the moment they emerge from the back of the stage to their final bows. There’s fire in their eyes and love between the two so real it’s almost visible. They’ll slow things down, step easier on the kick drum, strum lighter on the six-string. Hair will stick to foreheads, shoes and boots become looser, the muscles in their hands will tire. Then they march on.
They sing songs about each other, to each other and with each other. There are songs about rivers, lakes, lovers and thieves. Songs about hard times and good times, bad people and good friends. You get lost for a night, down a deep well of carefully placed lines set to catchy, melodic, hard-nosed Americana rock music. “And that’s what concerts are for,” you’ll tell yourself leaving the building. After they bow- hand-in-hand, wave and smile at each other one more time, you’ll smile along, clap and hope for more.
Patrick Filbin recently saw Shovels & Rope perform in Chattanooga, Tennessee and has been thinking about it ever since. They play tonight at the Canopy Club.