The dark stage entrance is something that many bands do. But when The Oh Hellos emerged on stage Saturday, they took this old trick to a new level. The nine-piece outfit took their places, picked up their instruments, and began to play. Quietly at first, with just the soft strumming of a guitar and gentle plucking of a banjo. Vocalist Maggie Heath began softly singing the words to “Like The Dawn,” and then, as her brother Tyler joined in, the music slowly began to swell. The drums picked up, the melody took form, and the other members of the band added their own voices to the mix. The climax of the song emerged, and suddenly the memory of a once-quiet stage became distant, replaced instead with a thunderous and captivating opening song.
There was quite the buildup to this entrance by The Oh Hellos. The night started out with Family and Friends and Cereus Bright, who successfully whipped a packed crowd into a frenzy. The night, in the end, belonged to the headliners. In the break after the first song, members of The Oh Hellos smiled at each other happily amidst a cheering crowd, and Tyler Heath encouraged the audience to dance. And dance they did.
The live sound of The Oh Hellos differs from their recorded music. While they retain their core sound, two drummers add a more prevalent percussive element. The band also tinkers with dynamics much more in their live work. Most songs have moments where the band explodes and, while it was a bit repetitive in my opinion, it never failed to get the crowd going. Beyond that, the band stays true to itself, with influences ranging from Sufjan Stevens and The Middle East to Fleet Foxes. This all blends together nicely, and there were multiple moments where the crowd made little to no ruckus, not due to boredom but born of appreciation for the talent of the ensemble.
In-between songs, Tyler Heath and the gang engaged in some awkward yet well-received banter. Tyler, the band’s electric guitarist, described the crowd as “courteous… cheese curd-eous.” This and other quirky exchanges during breaks in the music served to add some humor to the night.
Highlights of the setlist include a rousing rendition of “Second Child, Restless Child” and the band’s best-known song, “Hello My Old Heart.” The night culminated with members from Cereus Bright and Family and Friends joining The Oh Hellos on stage for a song, a group of more than 15 people onstage at one time. With the new additions belting out the lyrics to the final song, it was bedlam, with some performers climbing on amplifiers and even onto the edge of the balcony at the Majestic, only to jump into the crowd.
In the end, it was a long night of music, with the two opening acts playing decently-sized sets and The Oh Hellos running a full set plus an encore performance. But despite the length, the performances were good enough to keep the crowd’s energy high throughout the evening, and the mood in the room after the show finished was one of satisfaction.
