Hey Marseilles and Phox in Ann Arbor at the Ark 6/17/2013

Back in October, I had the chance to see Hey Marseilles play at Frankie’s Inner City in Toledo as an opening act for Sea Wolf, and as I wrote here on Tunesmate, the experience was wonderful.

Quite a bit has happened for the band since then.  In March, they released their second album, Lines We Trace, a week after they started a nationwide tour that saw them head down the Pacific Coast, over to Texas for South by Southwest, through the Southeast, up into the Northeast, and then trekking their way back home to Washington via the Midwest and  the Mountain West.   Now, they are in the midst of headlining a summer tour that has the band again traversing the nation to promote Lines We Trace.  Last night, I had the opportunity to see them at the Ark in Ann Arbor with Phox as their opener.  Once again, it was a wonderful show, and all three parts of the show made it worthwhile.

First is the Ark.  The Ark is a great place to see music, situated on Main Street, right amid the vibrant Ann Arbor downtown that features tons of great places to eat, shop, eat, walk, and eat.  The stage room is intimate and cozy.  You can relax and enjoy the music close to the act no matter where you sit.  If you follow the hallway wall outside the stage room, you see quite a few acts you’ll recognize, including the likes of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Paula Cole, and the late Richie Havens.  As one of the Ark’s volunteers told me, all of the pictured acts have played at the fundraising concert at the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium that the Ark hosts each January.  But you don’t only have to go to that event to see famous acts because sometimes they come to the Ark itself, as Cowboy Junkies will this November and as numerous other bands do, from the more famous to the less famous to a whole host of acts in between.

Second is Phox.  Hailing from Baraboo, Wisconsin, Phox provides a great lead-in for Hey Marseilles, as they feature some similar stylistic features, though as Hey Marseilles front man Matt Bishop said during his set, he was thankful for the audience’s willingness to make the transition from the happiness of Phox’s music to the forlornness of Hey Marseilles’.  That’s an astute characterization.  Phox has a perkiness to their sound that corresponds with the fun that they clearly seem to have while they’re on stage, even when lead singer Monica Martin is sometimes singing about not-so-fun subjects with lines such as “Face deep, in between my best friend’s knees, telling me that you don’t want to hurt me.”  Phox will be with Hey Marseilles for their next couple of shows – in Ohio for Columbus tonight and Akron tomorrow – and then again in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on June 30.  For a sampling of Phox, check out their YouTube channel and go to their website.

And, third, of course, is Hey Marseilles.  If you’ve read what I’ve written on Tunesmate about Hey Marseilles here and here, then you know how I feel about this band.  I have a 25-year history of listening to U2 that has made Bono and the boys my favorite band, but Hey Marseilles is quickly challenging for that spot.  If you get a chance to see Hey Marseilles, please do.  If you hang around, you’ll likely get to meet the band, and that’s worth it as well.  Even if you can’t see them play, check out their debut CD, To Travels & Trunks, and their latest effort, Lines We Trace.  You can purchase both albums at their official website, and right now Amazon.com is offering an MP3 digital download of Lines We Trace for five dollars.  Surely, that’s worth giving them a try, even if you read this and think I’m just a fan who is gushing too much.  On Lines We Trace, check out the deep energy of “Heartbeats,” the reflective passion of “Bright Stars Burning,” the gentle sway of “Elegy,” the Beatlesque title track, and even the hint of U2 in “Building Glare.”  These guys make orchestra rock, and they make music roll, swing, slide, push, pull, and do all sorts of neat tricks.  I hope with a listen you’ll see why I can’t help but gush so much over this band.

At the show, Bishop told the crowd that Hey Marseilles is still climbing the ladder of success.  I hope they climb all the way to the top.  I really think they’re that good.