The Spring Standards

Following the release of Yellow Gold, I was amazed how this album demanded repeated listening. So much creativity packed into each track, absolutely no filler here. I was brought back to the Beatles post-Rubber Soul era. Bringing us back to the current tour, supporting this complex recording in a live setting will always be a challenge. So depending on the capability of the sound board and house system, YMMV. That said at Mercury Lounge, the technical achievement allowed the powerful humanistic sensibility of this band to transport the whole room. Guess you could say I rather liked it.

The opening act notwithstanding, this was one of the best shows I've ever seen. The Mercury Lounge is a pretty tiny venue so the show felt intimate. The Spring Standards have to be the hardest working band when it comes to their time on stage. I've never seen so many instruments being played by so few people. They were just as amazing live as they are on their recordings. I hope to see them again soon!

The Spring Standards put on a great show. The songs are well written, thoughtful, individualized pieces - from their older albums plus some unreleased. Lovely, strong vocalists; and not your typical folk group...use of a number of different instruments - bass, classic guitar, tambourine, drums, keyboard/ electronics, harmonica. And the group has a lighthearted and warming stage presence - the audience loved them.

I first saw these guys at the ARK in Ann Arbor last summer. Once again, they did not disappoint. There music is original and lively, they all take turns playing different instruments, they all sing lead, and most importantly, they give it all. This is what music used to be like before all the formula driven garbage that is the mainstream. There is still real music happening, and thankfully it is at places like the Ark where you and 200 of your closest friends can experience magic. Go see these guys, you won't be disappointed!!!