Review: A Night With Wyatt Famous

Sunday, December 6^th was a day that had been marked on my calendar as “Sunday FUNday” for the past week or so. Given my current schedule from hell – the array of end-semester papers due in the upcoming days that still needed starting, the various depressing war novels that still needed reading; all thrown in with the grueling, time-consuming work schedule of your typical starving college student – it should have been, for all intents and purposes, a miserable Sabbath. But the local scene, like the lover of my dreams who knew when her poor, poor baby needed a good “de-stress sesh,” knew how to rub me just the right way. I’m referring, of course, to Wyatt Famous’ debut show at the Maxi Pad.

Though the group itself is brand spankin’ new to the scene, those involved in the project could be viewed as some of the scene’s most influential and fundamental movers and shakers: Anders Lundahl (Sports!, Corporate Thunder), Benjamin Butter (Cheney’s Dick, YCHYCWNA, Sports!), David Mold (Shivogitt, Meerkat Minority, Chicken Nuggetz), and Alexandra Evens (a real female!!).

Now, I do hate to single out Alex for being a girl, but let me finish, please! This is a big deal for our testosterone-injected scene; males have been dominating nearly every aspect of it since day one, and we could all benefit from some fresh female input. Granted, Gracie and the Mouse has been fighting the good fight for equality for months now – and we all know how amazing they are – but we can’t stop there, people! As Ben explained to me before show time:

“I think people are sick of a male-run music scene. Not just the bands, either, but the crowds, as well. We’d like to see some gender equality, since that is one of the main views espoused by this whole alternative music scene, y’know?”

I also had the opportunity to get some feedback on the gender issue from Alex herself:

“I must say that I'm pretty disappointed with the lack of women in the music scene in Duluth, since I know many talented women musicians, but rarely see a group perform with ladies involved. I'd love to see more women in the scene because I know there are so many talented ladies out there who could really add their own touch to the music scene in Duluth. I have to admit that it felt a bit intimidating at first, this being my first group project and also being a woman in a pretty male-dominated scene, but I also feel very welcomed and I'm having a lot of fun.”

Alright, I’ll step down from my soapbox now. . .

If you had to assign an instrument to each member, then Anders would be on electric guitar, Alex on acoustic, Ben on bass, and Dave on drums. This is not always the case, however, as demonstrated by last night’s performance of the song “Moving On,” when Anders exchanged instruments with Ben and Alex set the acoustic aside to adorn a tambourine.  In fact, no role seems to be set in stone – not only do Anders and Alex share the vocal spotlight, but Ben even steps up to the mic to sing (if you’re familiar with Ben’s past projects, then you can understand why that’s such a big damn deal). Hell, even Dave can be seen singing along from behind his set. All in all, it’s a pretty impressive sight, which brings me to my central point: the show itself.

Crammed into the basement of a house on the corner of 5^th and 6^th with a minimum of 40 others, I eagerly observed as the members of Wyatt Famous tuned. Then a quick introduction, followed by a few cheers, and they kicked off the show with their upbeat, social commentary-esque tune “Something To Get Behind.” Immediately the catchy folk-punk sound that emanated from the group put everyone in a good mood, and it became quite evident that this was going to be a very different show from what the scene has been used to for far too long. As the set continued the crowd continued to grow, and by mid-set we were vacuum packed, shoulder to shoulder, and loving every minute of it. Alex and Anders’s harmonies were, in the very least, some of the most refreshing melodies to come from this scene in what felt like ages, and Ben’s breakout vocal role during “Moving On” (coupled with his endearing modesty in admitting it was the first time he had ever sung in front of a crowd) made it feel as though, on a local level, all those attending were a part of something historical. And even if Dave never stepped out from behind his drum set, he made his presence known and was as much a part of the foreground as any other member. Before the set was over we were treated to a rendition of Billy Hays and Jay W. Johnson’s “Blue Christmas” (all too appropriate given the season, though I must admit it was completely unexpected), and another song later Wyatt Famous’ debut set was over, leaving me to reflect on the evening’s events while I struggled so desperately to care about my daunting studies.

So, what does all of this mean? To put simply, it means go see them the minute you get a chance. There has been stagnancy in the scene for some time now, and Wyatt Famous is the fresh air that’s blowing the monotony away. This is not simply an issue of gender equality, either. As fantastic as it is that WF is actively participating in the fight for females in the scene, their upbeat, in-your-face friendly style is something we just don’t have enough of around here. In reference to their sound, I think the gang summarizes it best on their myspace (myspace.com/wyattfamous) when they say “sounds like: vegan oatmeal cookies and a shot of whiskey.” So do yourself a favor and go out of your way for them. They’re already doing the same for you.