Taking a nip of Jack Daniel's you feel the warmth spread down your throat and slowly seep across your chest. A slight grin flexes in your cheek muscles and maybe a gentle sigh keeps it company.
Listening to Cass McCombs is kind of like that.
California-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Cass McCombs mesmerized an intimate crowd of 150 or so at the High Noon Saloon last night, kicking off another great week for music fans in Madison.
Silhouetted by a backboard replete with brightly lit bulbs, the sounds of McCombs and his four-piece band melded just enough guitar, vintage keyboard and electronic reverb to call to mind the wavering haze of a sunset on the horizon somewhere out west.
Early in the set as he plucked out the likes of "The Lonely Doll," the audience stood calmly, in a polite yet tangible silence, giving off the initial feeling of disinterest. Soon enough, though, it became clear this quiet was more of a blissed-out reverence for McCombs' easy-flowing vocals than a lack of investment in the sounds filling the room.
Regardless, this quiet was soon quelled as McCombs threw out a casual inquiry, "Is everybody still doing good out there?" right before kicking up the tempo, and with it, involvement from the crowd.
Heads bobbed and toes tapped in typical subdued concert fashion as the band broke out in a bluesy jam. Several more seemingly improvisational and upbeat moments highlighted the evening, bringing a funky, jazzy quality to the live show more so found on his 2009 album Catacombs and less-prevalent on 2011's two releases WIT'S END and Humor Risk. But no matter what album you listen to, it will not do his in-person performance justice.
McCombs is one of those rare gems of performers who sound better live than in the studio. In the same small room, his broad range of sighing falsettos and rumbling baritone notes make a stealthy creep into listeners' emotional cores.
His voice also took off a bit of its strong tonal quality from his albums and added a whispery caliber, like the soft brush of lips against stubble. This, coupled with his laid back vibe sent with love from California, made for fluidity in both performance and listening.
Finishing the night with his most-popular number "County Line," the audience swayed and more likely swooned to its slow, hypnotizing trudge.
