The Run River North with The Lighthouse & The Whaler concert was amazing! It took place in The Blind Pig last night at around 8:30pm. I had never been to the venue before, and I was surprised by its intimacy. It only fits around 400 people, and there are places to sit lined along the walls. My friend and I stood in front of the stage.
The Lighthouse & The Whaler played first. I was struck by their music’s resonance. Michael LoPresti’s voice was sometimes entrancingly quiet, but at other moments he sang with a vocal power that reminded me a bit of the energy of Mumford & Sons.
They played songs from their new album, Mont Royal; “Venice,” their most popular song (according to my friend); and occasionally lapsed into instrumental verses that carried a genuine, raw passion. It was infectious, and whenever they launched into one, I found myself grinning.
Their songs had a certain “exponential energy,” meaning the song gained momentum as it went on. Their entire performance soon made itself out to be that way, as well. There was a certain beauty in that style of performing because it made each song like a new chapter in an exciting book.
They played “Pioneer,” which I managed to record. The entire band would sort of mimic the feel of the song they were playing, like they were trying to embody it. It was very cool to witness. Another example is on video here.
To make a great night even better, after the band was finished playing, we got to take a photo with Michal LoPresti!
A few minutes after The Lighthouse & The Whaler, Run River North took the stage. They opened their set by playing the song from Jurassic Park. This was the band’s second time at The Blind Pig, their first time inspiring a (successful) marriage proposal. The now married couple was in the audience!
They played a few of my favorites, including “Run Or Hide,” “Ghost,” “Foxbeard,” “Excuses,” “Anthony,” and a song from their new album called “Intro: (Funeral) Parade.” “Foxbeard” was different from some of their other songs because it was much more melodic and initially slow. It too built energy as it went on, ending on a very empowering, sonorous note.
Alex Hwang, the lead vocalist, gave the audience a bit of an insight about their new album, Drinking From A Salt Pond. He said they didn’t want to come back to Ann Arbor and make the audience pay money for the same show, so “I grew out my hair and wrote some new songs.”
He also discussed how in playing his songs for an audience, he is giving them away to us. It was an interesting concept. It’s true – once we hear a song, we associate certain memories and emotions with the song for the rest of our lives. In that way, we make the song ours. He described the process as “giving away” songs.
The last song Run River North played was beautiful. It’s called “Growing Up,” and I highly recommend you listen to it. Hwang encouraged the audience to “scream the lyrics” if we knew them, and the result was this beautiful, all-encompassing harmony of the band and the audience singing together. It was a wonderful moment and I will always remember Run River North because of it.
