Fans of Miracle Legion seemed genuinely surprised to be sitting in front of a stage that would soon be graced by the cult college rockers who hadn’t played together for nearly two decades. The intimate upstairs of the Columbus Theatre in Providence was, after all, only the second U.S. gig on Miracle Legion’s reunion tour in support of the recent reissue of their final album Portrait of a Damaged Family. They may have aged in years, but as soon as the members of Miracle Legion took the stage it was immediately clear that the collective spirit of the band members was as vibrant as ever.
With little more than a friendly wave and a round of smiles, the band kicked off their set with “Country Boy”, letting Mark Mulcahy take the lead with a joyful, meandering harmonica solo before the song really took off. Suddenly the band jumped in and here was Miracle Legion, back again after so long. Had the show been seated, the audience would’ve started dancing like mad, instead bouncing in their seats with beaming smiles and singing along. Though his band mates looked straight and narrow, Mulcahy’s cloud puff beard and wild grey hair gave him the presence of a street preacher, but more eloquent. It’s no surprise that over the years Mulcahy has drawn comparisons to R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe both in voice and mannerism. As the singer in front of such an intimate audience, Mulcahy’s stage presence was simultaneously cathartic and vulnerable. The same could be said for the guitar playing of Ray Neal, who seemed to be in a state of intense focus with his head down, winding around Mulcahy’s vocals and harmonica with jangly riffs.
“Even Better” found the band tapping into a whimsical, surf rock sound coupled with loose, rambling harmonica. “The Backyard” showed off the fragile innocence of Mulcahy’s voice and also the catchiness that three of the four members of Miracle Legion would later put to wonderful use as the band Polaris in the 90’s show Pete And Pete. “Butterflies” continued in the same vein with a timeless sound and chorus of “Will you wear my coat?” There were also moments that showed just how much time has passed for this band, like when drummer Scott Boutier had to mouth the opening lyrics to “Old & New” to Mulcahy, who seemed to stumble at the beginning of the song. This was fleeting (and excusable considering this was only the second show of the tour) and Mulcahy quickly jumped into the groove of a passionate poet as he danced and recited verses. The combined musical power of Boutier, Neal, Mulcahy and bassist Dave McCaffrey hit a peak during “Closer To The Wall”, which exploded in frenetic, electrifying rock and roll power as Mulcahy spun around and shouted the chorus.
It’s impossible to pinpoint why bands don’t make it big, but it goes without saying that Miracle Legion certainly should have. In Providence, a grateful audience found something that is almost non-existent these days: an intelligent, thoughtful band capable of making you think twice about their lyrics while still managing to rock your face off. Today it often feels like it’s impossible to find a band talented enough to pull off both of those things, which is why we should all be rejoicing that Miracle Legion is back on tour.
Check out some fan-shot videos from the show:
[youtube id=”HCwJ1Cbz6ok” width=”630″ height=”350″]
[youtube id=”aMGB1ONcgU8″ width=”630″ height=”350″]
[youtube id=”K1qrf8iS4SA” width=”630″ height=”350″]
[youtube id=”6cAdCqMEXdk” width=”630″ height=”350″]
One Response