The crowd latched onto this feeling and dived right into the spirit of the music. From filling in the “ah ah ahs” in “Top Bunk,” or bumping along loyally when the band declared there last song, “I Was Thinking,” a time to dance.
Whether the lyrics of their songs are appropriate to dance to, I have no idea. I’m not even sure the members of the band know. As much as the sassy, floating vocals lend themselves as a nice contrast to Rauworth’s pinching guitar strikes, don’t expect to come away from a Gauntlet Hair show swept away by their delicate poetry.
You may, however, leave talking about Nice’s playful interludes. He contemplated taking his shirt off with the audience. He took his shirt off. He dedicated the action to his girlfriend, who was in the crowd. He belched. He did whatever the hell he felt like doing, and it was fun to watch.
The Great Scott created an interesting setting for Monday night’s show. Although Gauntlet Hair is a fairly well-known, nationally touring band, the Great Scott was fairly empty. There couldn’t have been more than 40 people at the show. This intimate setting gave the audience a unique opportunity to see the way the band puts together their music.
Most of the melody in their songs comes from the bass, while Rauworth mostly uses the guitar to create backing noise. He virtually never stops strumming, and all of the guitar’s action comes from his frantic left hand working its way up and down the fret board. Nice’s drums serve as the cornerstone for the whole ordeal. When he plays, his mouth puckers and he stares straight ahead, focused on creating the music’s base.
Overall, Gauntlet Hair put on a killer show. However, their one flaw was almost fatal. Gauntlet Hair’s most important member, and, if I had to guess, probably the only reason why they got anywhere in the music world, was absent. I would elaborate further, but I’ll let this picture speak for me. We miss you, Penny the dog, and we love you.
-Jake Lucas
