On Tuesday, April 21, the Boston band Lansdownereturned to Prague after about a year and a half. The band, which has been building its sound since 2006 on a combination of catchy melodies, powerful choruses, and modern hard rock, has years of intense touring behind it, including world tours and performances alongside well-known acts. It looked like it was going to be a promising evening, but the reality turned out to be a bit more complicated.
The club was almost empty when it opened, and the first band didn't have it easy. Dream of the Sun, A young band from Prague, whose sound falls somewhere between alternative rock and indie, brought a dreamy, melancholic vibe to the stage. There were also signs of slight nervousness and vocal uncertainty. But it was clear that they appreciated this opportunity and were trying to make the most of it.
With Prospect Hill We’ve moved up a level. This Boston hard rock band displayed a completely different energy and confidence. Despite some minor technical issues, they kept the set under control and managed to draw the audience in. What’s more, they were joined on stage by Shaun Lichtenstein , guitarist of Lansdowne.
Joe Hermes, an American country-rock singer from Illinois, then took the whole evening in a completely different direction. It worked well live, even though the set was unnecessarily slowed down by long pauses and a fairly heavy use of samples. Interestingly, Adam Pucci of Prospect Hill helped him with the sound, which only underscored the fact that the whole thing functions like a close-knit group that set out on tour together.
Lansdowne started playing a little late, but it was immediately clear why people had been waiting for them. Suddenly, it had everything you could want from modern hard rock: powerful choruses, energy, and a connection with the audience. The newer tracks from the album "Wish You Well" fit naturally into the set. Right at the start, John Ricci called out for people to move up front and not hide somewhere in the back behind “that guy with the camera.” And it was quite a significant change. Until then, there had been an almost reverently created one-meter-wide aisle in front of the stage for the band’s cameraman, and the whole atmosphere felt a bit subdued. As soon as the space filled up, the concert finally really got going.
But the whole evening felt pretty disjointed to me. Four bands, each with a completely different style. On the one hand, it’s nice to see the bands supporting each other, but on the other, it didn’t really come together as a whole. It reminded me of the fairy tale “How the Dog and the Cat Baked a Cake.” Everyone brought something of their own, but it didn’t quite work when put together.
Report and photos by Lenka Machuldová