REVIEW: Hanging with Tim Kasher and Old Canes in Troy
05/30, The Hangar on the Hudson
“Despite the more melancholy tone of many of Kasher’s lyrics, the energy at the end of the set was the same pastel orange vibe of the sunset that colored the river just a few hours earlier.”
A late spring show in Troy is one of my favorite things. The air is cool but not freezing and the sun sets late enough that it’s still light out when crossing the street to step into the venue. The Hangar on the Hudson adds to this perfect combination with a view of the river from the back parking lot. I got this experience firsthand when heading in to see a solo performance by Cursive’s Tim Kasher, supported by tour opener Old Canes and locals Dan LaFave and Craig Dutra.
The night started with LaFave and Dutra. The duo was a perfect opener for the night, warming up the attendees at The Hangar for what was to come. Their set consisted of songs they have played before, but also some new songs that had only been played in front of people a handful of times. LaFave and Dutra closed out the set with a cover of The Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to do is Dream,” encouraging the crowd to take out their phones for the lyrics and to sing along together.
Coming in the middle of the night was Old Canes, setting up as another duo with frontman Christopher Crisci inviting people in. Despite only being a duo, Old Canes had an incredibly full sound, playing songs that had both “country” vibes and the more indie-emo vibes one would associate with a Cursive opener. Crisci at one point broke out a harmonica, encouraged by cheers from the crowd to play a very Dylan inspired solo. The whole set filled up the room and only added to the energy LaFave and Dutra had cultivated.
Wrapping up the night, Tim Kasher took the stage as the only solo performer of the night. The setlist started with “The Dying Animal” — the opening track off his newest record, Sponges of Experience. From there, Kasher discussed the record, how it came to be, the impact making it has had on him, and his upcoming plans. He played songs throughout his personal discography, picking from Cursive records like Mama, I’m Swollen and the newest, Devourer. He also chose from other records like The Game of Monogamy, Middling Age, and Help Wanted Nights. Peppered between almost every song was a story or a comment about the song or the album. This banter added so much to the performance, making it personal and interactive in a way a lot of bigger shows aren’t able to be.
One of the most interesting parts of Kasher’s set was watching him use the Omnichord as a support band. While on stage, Kasher managed to compensate for the fact that this was a solo tour by layering, looping, and altering various guitar parts and midi beats. I will admit that, at first, I doubted how the 8bit style beats could replicate a full throated band like Cursive, but once all the layers connected, it was clear that Kasher knew what he was doing and how to manipulate the sounds. The loops allowed him to play guitar solos over vamping rhythm parts and play around with different sounds. At one point, Kasher put down the guitar as the track looped and ran over to play an accompanying drum part on Old Canes’ set. The way Kasher used the Omnichord throughout the set was just a testament to his talent as a multi-instrumentalist and innovation while on tour.
The set ended with Kasher performing “Album of the Year” off The Good Life record of the same name. The song stories a year in a relationship, from meeting to moving in to the final break up. This performance was the loudest of the night, with basically every person in the room singing and cheering along. While The Hangar is a fairly small venue, it benefitted this final song, making the experience that much more personal as Kasher wrapped up for the night. Despite the more melancholy tone of many of Kasher’s lyrics, the energy at the end of the set was the same pastel orange vibe of the sunset that colored the river just a few hours earlier.
Overall, Kasher’s set at The Hangar on the Hudson was a perfect indie rock performance for a late May evening. While Kasher has been to the Capital Region often in the last few years, I think it’s safe to say that he is always welcome back, sooner rather than later.
You can read my interview with Tim Kasher about playing in the Capital Region and his newest record at www.themetroland.com/blog-main/interview-tim-kasher-01.
