My first Clarendon concert felt like two separate concerts: the one the band was putting on and the one the format was allowing. Will Baskin, Dan Lyster-Mensh, and Eian Burgess sounded good throughout and tore through an impressive array of covers: everything from “Drive” to “American Girl” to “No Diggity.”
It was sad that they were held back at times by the vibe at the venue – that focused more on drinks for bros at the bar than showcasing talent. Early on, they were reduced to a jukebox in the background. The low point was a clap prompt during “Life Is A Highway” – the equivalent of half the cameras being off during a virtual meeting.
Fortunately, as the night went on, attention grew, and people really took to the performance. As they should have, since there were genuine bursts of creativity throughout. My favorite moments included the unexpected Sublime / Chumbawamba mashup, the funk licks during “Another One Bites The Dust,” the keyboard plinks during “The Middle” / “Semi-Charmed Life,” the ‘campfirrrre’ inflection during “Sweet Home Alabama,” the electric solos during “A Thousand Miles” / “Lose Yourself,” and the realization that the setlist was one mega Carlock playlist. More than a decade later, I still recognized Yellowcard’s “Ocean Avenue” because of those mixed CDs.
Ultimately, I’m glad I saw the show and dig the band. It was great to meet another potential Poetry Club guest (comedian Justin Um) and to support frontman Will Baskin. Will inspired my students at Busboys & Poets and at the year’s last club meeting. The feeling was apparently mutual, as Will pledged to use students’ ideas for the second verse of his new song. He also said he left the meeting on a “artistic high.” If you haven’t heard Will’s acoustic stuff, I would definitely recommend it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Icr6epg7I https://www.instagram.com/wfbaskin/?hl=en
Grade: B / B+
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