Ned Durrett, The Vespers, Grayson Venters play West Columbia venue Tuesday night
Rock took the spotlight on Tuesday at the New Brookland Tavern as Grayson Venters, The Vespers and USC alumni Ned Durrett and the Kindly Gents all played sets. The concert featured independent, unsigned artists as well as some of Columbia’s own.
Venters opened the show with a high-energy five-song set, which featured all original music. The singer/songwriter has been around the Columbia music scene for quite a while but is recently returning from a break from music. Last night’s performance made it clear that he was happy to be back. The crowd at New Brookland caught on to his vibe from the beginning.
Next, The Vespers took the stage. Sisters Phoebe and Callie Cryar and brothers Bruno and Taylor Jones continued the good vibes for the night. Phoebe and Callie — who provide vocals as well as banjo, guitar and ukulele — delivered solid vocal performances. The opening vocals in their first song “Grinning in Your Face” brought the background noise to an immediate stop and the sisters kept the audience’s attention for the whole of their set.
The Vespers’ instrumentals kept things interesting as well. In addition to guitar, drums and banjo, they used ukulele, double bass and the tambourine, supplied by brother Taylor. Their closing song — a cover of Van Halen’s “Jump” — was one of the highlights of the night.
Ned Durrett and the Kindly Gents closed the show. USC alumnus Durrett has become a familiar face in the Columbia music scene over the years, ever since he was a finalist on USC Idol. He and his band of gentlemen played mostly newer songs, including a track off the band’s 2011 EP, “Up Up My Friend,” titled “Boyhood Pride.”
Durrett and his band weren’t afraid to let loose and brought “southern charm to make you dance.”
The venue was small, but allowed the acts to interact with the audience. The crowd was enthusiastic and supportive of all bands — even The Vespers — who are not Columbia natives. One complaint: the starting act took the stage nearly an hour and a half late.
But once the music started, it was clear all three acts had great sets and complemented each other — not always a guarantee when you have three different bands on the bill. Venters’ rock set was a nice way to start the show and was just enough contrast for The Vespers, who had the most Americana sound of the evening. The Kindly Gents offered a perfect ending for the show, showcasing some great blues riffs and a mature sense of sound.
The heart of the show can be described best by one thing that Durrett said just as he began his set. Instead of trying to explain who they were as a band or how great their fans were, he simply said, “We’d like to play some music for y’all.”
And they did.