|
|||
|
By Dane Bergeson
Hasenpheffer is a man and the Bomdiggity is his group. They are a new awesome combination of folk and jazz that will keep you guessing throughout the duration of their entire show. Especially because all the band members are some of most eccentric, unique and silly people I have ever met. When talking with them before I heard them play, I thought they would be playing stuff that was more like Ben Harper and Dave Mathews. I was kind of basing my thoughts on their appearances. They all have a hint of hippie-ness to their styles. To my surprise they outdid themselves. They played an array of music from their own '60s beatnik to Neil Diamond covers to pure solid '70s funk! I loved the show. Music has so many classes and styles these days it is pretty hard to classify to what group they belong. I got to hang out with the band in a totally informal setting and they left me so impressed. They are all such good, level-headed people. And all seemed to be exceptionally witty. Especially Hasen; it is no wonder where he gets his silly lyrics from. For example when I asked him who their musical influences were he answered, "Heroin and a whole lot a corn on the cob!!" I caught his sarcasm because they are very vice-free people. Along with their folkie sound they throw a trumped into the mix. It is played by Rachel Gianni and she kills it, she is really a very accomplished trumpet player. She plays super well and it makes their slower songs seem a lot more dramatic while she makes their faster-paced songs more dynamic. They have a song called New York City Haunts My Dreams and when the trumpet hits you can't help but ponder what an urban jungle is like. I recommend that everyone gets out to hear them play. They have been playing all over the university and continue to play live about once a week. This last week they played at the fun park while the week before they played at the university's Earth Fest. I think all types of people would be able to enjoy their music because it is so fun-based. When I was talking with Rachel she said that their band has no gimmicks, they just play in hopes that everyone will have fun. So when they think up songs they focus on funny things like He-Man and Mr. Rodgers. They focus on things that are super silly and pretty unseeable in other bands' music. That is why I would have to say they are totally unique. The people in the band are first of all Hasenpfeffer, or his true name Jason Cone, who is vocals and guitar. Next they have Philip Leffler on rhythm guitar and bass, Matt Cline on bass, banjo and guitar, Leo on the drums, and Dave Eyre plays the guitar and the accordion. They have quite the line up and when they get together something special happens, fun turns into reality through music. There aren't any sappy love songs and no political demonstrating, just "funky-funky rhythmic vibe" as Hasen put it, that has derived from the Sixties beatnik era. The bottom line is fun!
|
||