The Brunettes

Ferraby Lionheart

Troubadour - September 13, 2007

Live Review by Amber Henson

I found myself at the Troub this past Thursday eve, being greeted by a man on stage who was wearing a velvet smoking jacket and cowboy boots, while clouds of mist sprayed out from above him. He thanked me for coming out tonight, then proceeded to play ten songs. He called himself Ferraby Lionheart, and he was accompanied by a bassist, a drummer, and a slide guitarist. He himself sang and played acoustic guitar and keyboard. His music had a country twang, and he sang songs about love, songs about life, and songs that people smoked pot to. He wasn’t necessarily a good match for The Brunettes, but that’s hard to do, and the crowd responded to him well (especially when he finished with a rocking version of “Paradise” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).

Then The Brunettes came out to set up their own equipment. Heather Mansfield was wearing a candy striper type of dress with bows and red heels, Jonathan Bree matched her somewhat in a red argyle sweater. Once they were done, they simply started playing the last song on the album, Structure and Cosmetics. It took a while for the talking to quiet down, the way they begun their set kind of snuck up on the audience. Next, they played the first song from their album “B-A-B-Y” and did the “YMCA” type of arm spelling to it, then told us that was the first time they’d played that song. They played seven out of the nine songs on the new album, along with several off of “Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks” and “Mars Love Venus”. Mansfield spends her time, when she’s not playing her clarinet, xylophone, or keyboard watching Bree. It’s hard to say what Bree is watching through his indie bangs.

But the most amusing part of the evening was a very drunk woman. That’s not to say The Brunettes weren’t entertaining, but I think perhaps they should take this woman on tour with her. Amongst a plethora of embarrassing things like dancing on stage, flirting with the security guys, and shaking it in the middle of the floor by herself, she attempted to climb the metal structural supports that are in front of the stage several times. Now, the security guard pulled her down, but I know for a fact they could hold her, because I saw Ebbot Lundberg (frontman for Soundtrack of Our Lives) climb them a few years ago, and he is not known for being a skinny dude. I also have it on good authority that other bands have also done such things. This seems elitist, but I suppose it may just be a liability thing.

This review’s for you, Drunk Lady!