More than a decade into his career fronting Hiss Golden Messenger, MC Taylor has weaved from quiet and introspective folk and Americana to more of a gospel-leaning sound and, on this year’s Jump For Joy, songs radiating with optimism that are some of the North Carolina songwriter’s poppiest works to date. But on their current tour, Taylor and his band have opted to take a more freewheeling approach to crafting their setlist and letting the jams flow freely. This more spontaneous and exploratory style of show has found the band in fine form, as was the case when they came to Portland, Oregon’s Revolution Hall on Saturday, December 9th.
Midway through the set, MC Taylor observed, “For a band that’s not traditional this is probably the most non-traditional setlist we’ve played in a long time.” Luckily, Taylor’s bandmates seemed more than ready to indulge his off-the-cuff impulses for a set that captured the essence of his soulful Americana. “Sanctuary” was an early highlight with its organ-laced folk-rock, while the loping “Bright Direction (You’re a Dark Star Now)” carried a supremely groovy bass groove, the kind of piano work that would make Bruce Hornsby smile, and an extended guitar solo from guitarist Chris Boerner that gave an early indication of the kind of vibes this band would be radiating throughout the set. The pure Americana of “Biloxi” felt breezy and heartfelt, followed by the exuberant, hopeful “Jenny of the Roses.”
Eventually, Taylor ditched his acoustic for an electric and the band really cut loose as they dropped into the aptly titled anthem “Rock Holy,” with Boerner laying down some serious Jerry Garcia-toned guitar flourishes before the slinky Southern rocker “Mighty Dollar.” If the outlaw country and Grateful Dead influences weren’t clear from the first part of the set, the band confirmed them with a jammy cover of Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried” only to follow it up with the Dead’s “Eyes of the World,” a hippie-dippie tune that at times borders on prog-rock and in this case showed off their instrumental chops. Soon, Taylor was taking requests from the crowd and reeling his way through “Tell Her I’m Just Dancing,” the swelling emotion of “Hardlytown,” and a version of “The Wondering” that saw keys player Sam Fribush laying down synths reminiscent of Ween’s “The Mollusk.” “Heart Like a Levee” was one of the final tunes of the night, and one that invited the crowd to sing along as the band brought them back to earth.
It’s been a long journey for Hiss Golden Messenger and the band continues to find ways to evolve their sound. This was evident throughout their show in Portland as they stretched out and shared their music with the appreciative crowd. While Jump For Joy finds the band leaning towards a more pop-rooted sound as they continue to reach larger, perhaps more mainstream audiences, Saturday’s performance found them unafraid to have fun and showcase their earthier folk-rock sounds.
All photos by Greg Homolka.
