Surprise! PopWreckoning loves Kevin Devine. After catching his show at the Jackpot, that love has only grown. Not surprised? Need more proof of Kevin’s awesomeness? Local Lawrence music legends The Get Up Kids apparently love Devine as well (GUK front man Matt Pryor took Devine on the road last fall) and several members were spotted rocking out to the songwriter’s set. If you’re still needing persuasion to check out Devine, read on ahead for a more detailed description of why this guy has won our hearts at PopWreckoning. If at the end of this you are still a naysayer, then all I have to say to you is that I’m sorry, but I can’t hear your negativity over the sound of Kevin Devine’s awesomeness.
Local band Big Surrender started the show with an extremely loud, but fun set that had the audience clapping and grooving along to their danceable tunes that are reminiscent of Head Automatica. Aside from a pre-recorded backing vocal slip up a la Ashlee Simpson, this band is well on their way to becoming the kings of KC’s music scene.
Longtime Kevin Devine friend Brian Bonz (& the Dot Hongs) were the next to grace the stage. I have often seen the clever Bonz rock out with Devine, but this was my first experience of Bonz with the Dot Hongs. The first two songs lacked the usual energy that I have seen Bonz display in the past, but by the third song the set did a complete 180 and returned Bonz to his usual energetic and humorous form. “This next song is a serious song that I cowrote with Kevin,” said Bonz before the third number. “It is about Barbies.” Not only was it a funny subject, but it was more rocking and featured some great harmonies from the full group. Bonz treated the crowd to a special number with Devine, a nice freestyle rap about merchandise (accompanied by a Jackson 5 bass riff) and a sweet Broken Social Scene cover. He completed all this all the while Devine tried to trip him up by making faces in the crowd. Not an easy feat, but a challenge that Bonz was more than ready to deal with (he rebutted Devine’s faces with some torturous Creed).
Then it was hard to resist the lo-fi sensations of Miniature Tigers. The sweet synth and loose drum beats give this band a sound that makes you long for a pina colada and a hammock or if you’re feeling a bit more energetic it might just make you break out your finest hipster dance moves. This band came complete with falsetto, clapping and a stage party that had Bonz, Devine and company up on stage doubling up on vocals, drums and…growls. As the warmer weather rolls in, I highly recommend checking out this band to provide your summer anthems.
A master of dynamics, juxtaposition and more, Kevin Devine balances all the elements necessary to craft a perfect song. And don’t let that shy demeanor fool you. Sure Devine has a tendency to start sets behind an acoustic guitar and a quiet verse, but just wait and he’ll hit you with an explosive chorus that sounds just as strong and loud two feet away from the microphone as it did less than two inches from it. “Another Bag of Bones” is an example of Devine at his finest. He’ll start close to the microphone on the first verses and then he’ll drop that chorus simultaneously as he drops his jaw into big yell with a stomp of his foot. As he is swept away into the storm that is his intellectually and emotionally charged lyrics, so too is the backing Goddamn Band. Like so many of his pieces, after a big storm of intense playing, a more peaceful calm works its way in to a song like “Another Bag of Bones” as either a coda or a follow-up number.
As Devine warmed up to the audience, he shared several anecdotes with the crowd. One about how he was mistaken for a Spin Doctor, which of course prompted the band to briefly cover…Sugar Ray? In another, fun crowd interaction he improved a crowd discussion in the form of a song, “The floor is open if there’s anything you’d like to discuss,” sang Devine. “Politics!” shouted a crowd member. “I don’t want to talk about that shit, I want to have fun tonight!” sang Devine in reply. Not that Devine doesn’t have that topic covered in many of his songs and isn’t still very aware of the subject as he proved in his updated to be more relevant version of “No Time Flat”.
No, Devine is a rare form of musician and in his rarity lies his appeal. He has passion, intelligence, skills, but above all a great attitude toward his fans. He isn’t afraid to get goofy, but he does this in a way that doesn’t compromise his image. He isn’t in music for the sake of getting rich, but because he genuinely cares about his fans and his songs and this is reiterated every single time he puts on a show.
Kevin Devine: website | myspace | Brother’s Blood review | @ north star bar | interview pt. I | interview pt. II
