Last Friday, The Hush Sound returned to the San Francisco stage after a lofty five-year hiatus. This time around, the 4-person jangle pop group joined forces with singer-songwriter Lucas Carpenter and openers Sydney Wayser and Brooklyn-based band The Last Royals at the Great American Music Hall, San Francisco’s own baroque music venue.
The setting was ambient, vintage and personal — the perfect feel for a reunion show after such an extensive break. At the peak of their career in the mid 2000s, the Hush Sound’s emo-pop Fall Out Boy-esque sound was all the rage in the mainstream. However, the mainstream has taken quite a turn since then — leaning more towards synth-heavy electro-dance rather than old school, electric guitar-based pop-punk. Thus, their return to the music scene was rather questionable. Despite this, it seemed as though the fans remained loyal throughout the years for the venue was brimming with eager 2000s-era hipsters in tight pants and outdated band shirts. It literally felt like 2006 all over again.
Around 10 o’clock, The Hush Sound took the stage — immediately bringing the crowd to a roar. First came the group’s founders, Bob Morris, the lead singer and guitarist, and Greta Salpeter, the lead female vocalist and keyboardist, with Darren Wilson, Chris Faller and Lucas Carpenter trailing close behind. As they took their positions, the group instantly broke out into “We Intertwined”, their most well-known song with Morris as the main vocalist, and the audience went absolutely wild. Heads were bobbing, arms were flailing and the chorus loudly echoed by the concert-goers. The energy was just as relevant on stage — the band members appeared to be having a dance party of their own all while hitting each note perfectly, instrumentally and vocally.
Next up was “Love You Much Better,” off of Goodbye Blues (2008), The Hush Sound’s most recently released album. This song allowed Greta to display her pristine vocal skills — delightfully so as she crooned the chorus “I can love you much better / And you know someday I’m gonna make you mine,” overlaying the boys’ “la-la’s” and “bah-bah’s” in true Hush Sound-fashion. At one point, she changes up the lyric as most artists do at shows to personalize the concert experience, “I can love you much better San Francisco!” However, the sound system did not do Greta’s voice true justice for the volume in her mic struggled to keep up with those of the other members, occasionally drowning out her voice.
The vocal switch-a-roo between Morris and Salpeter continued as the show went on, each taking turns singing lead vocals from song to song with the band members enthusiastically slamming away at their instruments. The set consisted mostly of Hush Sound classics, ranging from the melodic lullaby “Hurricane” to the angsty, percussion-heavy “Medicine Man.” A few new songs were also introduced, including “Scavengers” and “Not a Stranger”, which contain the same echo-ing lyrical nature and “la-la” undertones, but couldn’t quite resonate in the same way as the older tunes.
Between songs, the band members held conversations directly with the audience members and poked fun at one another — making the experience in all even more personal amidst the already intimate setting.
After The Hush Sound departed from the stage, they were promptly brought back out by desperate cries for an encore. They closed the show with “Not Your Concern,” a high-energy anthem that concluded with Morris pulling a signature guitar jump. I suppose it is now safe to say The Hush Sound is back, with just as much spunk and musical charisma as before.
Contact Michelle Lin at [email protected].