A family band might sound like a gimmick in the current age of sophisticated, experimental music, but Brothers and Sisters proved Sunday night that they weren't ashamed of their family tree.
DC9 welcomed the band, along with The Beanstalk Library, Sam Champion and Sera Cahoone, to the District for an evening of adventurous folk music that continued into the early hours of the morning.
Though all of the acts had their own niche that made their performance invigorating, the two most successful acts came first on the bill, leaving little reason to stay to see the concert's end.
The most energetic and musically enticing band of the evening was D.C. born group The Beanstalk Library. The band blended deftly executed acoustic ballads and clean, piano-driven songs ornamented with saxophone and trumpet. At times, Ryan Walker's sleepy vocals were unsuited for the more aggressive tunes, but his ability to flesh out the nuances of the melodies made up for the occasional disconnect. Their clean technique and political lyrics kept them balanced on the line between contemporary folk and rock, making their performance impressive and engaging.
Moving further south, folk-country rockers Brothers and Sisters hail from Texas and are led by siblings Will and Lily Courtney. Their set consisted mostly of tracks from their newest album, "Fortunately," released this past July. Their music made the transition from studio to stage without a hitch, providing the club with lush, warm melodies and lively folk beats reminiscent of The Eagles and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Most of their ambiance and down-home sound was attributable to Ray Jackson and his apt use of pedal steel. He provided a sweeping, ethereal canvas that gave the other instruments and the siblings' mellow vocals a solid base from which they easily expanded.
Will's vocals carried most of the songs, providing a consistently pleasant guide for their nostalgic and romantic lyrics. His light, floating tone, uncharacteristic of his husky build and intense beard, shone on songs like "The Wind," "Make a Man's Body Hurt" and their highly successful cover of Sister Golden Hair's "America."
"It's good to see all your smiling faces," Will said as the band paused between songs, recounting the story of their last trip to D.C. where they received a less-than-favorable welcome.
Perhaps those memories kept the band from fully interacting with the audience. Though their musicality was impeccable, their mellow attitudes at times made them seem like mildly apathetic performers.
The only other blemish on their set rested on the sound engineer's ineptitude. His failure to balance the numerous instruments and vocals involved in Brothers and Sisters' set reduced nuance into one giant wall of sound. At times it aided their cacophony by giving equal weight to all the players, but more often it resulted in a muddy, thick sound. It also failed to highlight most of Lily's winsome vocals, most notably on "The Trees are Bare" and "Mason City."
But the audience didn't seem to mind the minor potholes in their otherwise smooth musical journey. Their enthusiastic response to all of the evening's bands created a comfortable environment, which was perfect for the homey, sincere sound of the night - the sound of family.
You can reach this writer at tbrooks@theeagleonline.com.
