Wednesday, September 16, 2015

The Oh Hello's Close Out KPRI's Green Flash Summer Concert Series Tonight

The Oh Hello's (Tyler and Maggie Heath front and center, flanked by their tour band)
The Oh Hello's are playing San Diego tonight to close out 2015's KPRI Green Flash Summer Concert series at the Birch Aquarium.  Considering the current landscape of rock music, the only surviving remnant of the folk rock explosion of the early 2010s is a spacier Mumford and Sons.  I know plenty don't miss that genre one bit, but trust me when I say The Oh Hello's, with their exuberant melodies and gift for both subtle and soaring harmonies, will move you with the power of Americana again.


The brother sister duo's eponymous debut EP made me a fan, but it was their full length follow-up Through the Deep, Dark Valley that cemented me as a believer.  I love finding groups of tracks that move with confidence and purpose and this album has two sets that I'll never skip through.  The quickly poignant "Eat You Alive", the buoyant guitars of "Second Child, Restless Child" that sets your "spirit running wild", and lovely "Wishing Well" all fill out the first half of the album with the poise of a band that is truly a family.  This trio is followed by the sublime "The Lament of Eustace Scrubb", "I was Wrong", "I Have Made Mistakes", and "The Truth is a Cave".  Despite the angsty titles, these songs have the melancholy and joy few artists ever experience, much less distill into song.

In a just world, Maggie and Tyler Heath would have put Mumford and Sons out of business by doing this music right.  Perhaps it's for the best they're finally coming to San Diego when their musical kin have faded from view; they're going to leave an incredible impression.

Local favorite Josh Damigo and contributor to SDDialedIn opens the show tonight at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla.  Tickets at the door for $38.95, doors are at 5:30p, show runs from 6-9p.m.   Check out the title track from The Oh Hello's upcoming album Dear Wormwood after the jump.



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