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Color 'em glad, and hope these musicians perform in Logan often
By Heather Fredrickson
Historic Ellen Eccles Theatre in downtown Logan played host to Colors, a trio of USU students who use personal experiences in love and life to write their original brand of songs and weave their delicious harmonies. A documentary by a Salt Lake City filmmaker, Tucker T. Dansie, called Colors - Up Close and Personal, introduced the band to the audience through interviews and candid shots showing the boys goofing around both on the stage and off. No time was wasted with these three as they launched into their opening song as soon as the film clip ended. Brian Tibbets and Russell Dixon on guitars, and Ryan Merrill on percussion played old favorites from their first three albums (No Time In Particular, Standing on the Sun" and "Falling In) and some cover tunes including the Pearl Jam version of Last Kiss, and Ritchie Valens' La Bamba. A few a capella numbers were thrown in for good measure, including Row Row Row Your Boat and Under the Boardwalk, both arranged so that one member sang and the other two accompanied in the style of Bobby McFerrin using their mouths and breathing patterns to produce the rhythm. Tibbets' ethereal vocals often led the group in their songs, while Merrill's raw energy flew his hands across the bongos in a blur. Dixon appeared to be the leader of the group, introducing most of the songs, taking control while the others joked and danced around, and sharing his own airy vocals. The harmonies were amazing considering the band members' confessions of not being able to read or write music. Colors shared personal stories between songs, letting the audience in on where their inspiration comes from. One such story revealed how Tibbets heard a song in his head while he slept during a road trip to Moscow, Idaho, in an attempt to support the USU Aggies' football team. He woke up early, wrote down the song, Moscow, and then went back to sleep. On the trip home, he played the new song for his car-mates to rave reviews. The concert included a collaboration between Colors and the Cache Children's Choir, the members of which were described as cute "buttons" and "cookies" by Merrill and Dixon. The Choir returned later to help Colors finish off the night with their version of Silent Night. The absence of their scheduled pianist threw a kink in the lineup of songs, but the group breezed right thorough the mix-up and continued on their way. Throughout the concert, the frenetic energy that emanated from Tibbets, the pure joy on Dixon's face, and the amazing energy that Merrill seemingly turned on and off at will as he glided across the stage in his socks, convinced the audience that these guys were having more fun than should be allowed, especially right before finals week. One hopes that Logan will be the host to more events of this quality.
Colors should visit Logan professionally more often. |
Archived Months:
September
1998 |
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