By JAYA GUPTA Special to the Daily Press
Intimate, acoustic performances have a funny way of striking a chord with you — pun fully intended. At the tiny Hotel Café in Hollywood earlier this month, two-thirds of the trio comprising Black Rebel Motorcycle Club played two spare acoustic shows to round off 2005. On a stage with six times as many instruments and amplifiers on it than men, Peter Hayes and Robert Turner gave a resounding performance in front of an utterly packed house.
The cafe was steaming as hundreds gathered together to see one of the most worthwhile acts around today. Hayes and Turner may not ever be as renown as Page and Plant or McCartney and Lennon, but they are one potent combination of innovative force. Whereas most of the alternative rock bands heard on the radio rely on the musical theory that made Interpol and Franz Ferdinand successful, BRMC have taken an altogether different, unpaved, and dusty path to grassroots music. Forgoing electric instruments and effect pedals, Hayes and Turner made the most of several acoustic guitars and a harmonica.
Hayes made his way to the stage first, soon after 11 p.m., and alone, quietly began “Grind My Bones’” amidst dead silence. He followed it up with “Fault Line” and “Devil’s Waitin.’” Turner joined him onstage soon thereafter to much applause by the ladies in the house. The duo played everything off their latest “Howl” CD, as well as many songs off their eponymous debut, and two off “Take Them On, On Your Own.” A striking aspect was how easily electronic-driven songs like “US Government” translated into acoustic guitar. In addition to their own material, Turner did a Bob Dylan cover while Hayes countered with a comic rendition of Marty Robbin’s “El Paso,” forgetting some of the lyrics while the audience chuckled and sang along. Nearing 1 a.m., they concluded the night with “Too Real” and quickly exited.
Perhaps it was the warm, woody timbre of acoustic guitar coupled with the spare-ness of Hayes’ raspy vocals, or perhaps it was the lack of pretension and marked presence of originality, but present on the night of Dec. 15 was a resounding musical showmanship. Their set may have included some minor technical issues and blips of memory lapse but if anything, it added to the memorability of the night, invoking an intimate feel between audience and musicians.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 23, 2005. Read the original PDF.