Live Review: Mia Dyson, Dana Gehrman

Leaving her band at home tonight, local country-rock lass Dana Gehrman cuts a confident figure with her guitar in hand. She is relaxed and chatty, and in solo mode her songs get a chance to speak for themselves. Even without drums and bass behind her, they are infectiously groovy and well-written. Her guitar tone is rich and so is her voice, smooth and older than her years. Her song choices range from a soulful rendition of Little Feat's Roll Um Easy, to the attitude-oozing Taking Me For A Ride, and the smoky single Under The Wire. Gehrman's solos show her talent on her instrument, and also the sheer love of what she does as her hips swing with every riff.

 

That same joy of performance is the hallmark of Mia Dyson and her band tonight. Their chemistry as a group is undeniable. Singer-songwriter and keys player Liz Stringer lends her sweet backing vocals for tasteful harmonies along with bassist Tim Keegan, and they are a real treat. Drummer Danny McKenna is a gleeful force to be reckoned with, his energy only growing over the night with solos that make several jaws drop. Dyson herself is a pleasure to watch, impressive as a songwriter, performer and consummate guitarist. She doesn't talk much, launching from one song to the next with gusto.

 

Almost the entirety of latest album gets an airing throughout the set. The insistent riffs of Idyllwild, When We're Older, Crazy Horse and She Can't Take The World make it impossible to stand still to these songs. Older track Pistol makes an early appearance as a show of raw vocal emotion wrapped up in danceable melodies, and the anthemic You Will Know What To Do When The Time Comes brings out some wild moves from the audience.

 

Dyson's strength as a writer shows in her more heart-felt moments too. Any Chord Will Do is a bittersweet ode to the life of being a musician, the rasp in her voice on show. She takes to the keys for ballad Made From The Same Clay, inspired by living in Los Angeles and being confronted by the homelessness. In other hands such subject matter could be trite, but it is sensitively written.

 

Set closer Cigarettes is electric. Dyson's plaintive lyrics hold the emotional core, and the ending sees her bringing the song quietly down to a whimsical guitar line, then to a triumphant close as the band joins back in. The wooden floors of the New Globe are stomped upon until they return. Although ending on a song that kept the crowd dancing, beautiful love song Based On Your Eyes is one of the true treasures of the night.