There’s a twang, an emotion, a polarizing sense of attraction between you and Ben Ripani that is almost indescribable. It’s not quite blues. Or rock. Or folk. Rather, it pulls a piece from each of them and creates a patchwork musical canvas that has a little bit of Dylan, a smattering of Blues Traveler, a dash of Dave Matthews and some Wilco for good measure. Each and every member of the Ben Ripani Music Company plays with a passion and focus that I haven’t seen live in quite some time.
Every song is a collection of individual ephemeral moments weaved together into honest tales about life. The message on some songs exudes classic Americana, but in this case that isn’t a bad thing. They’re not just regurgitating the songs of years past, they’re re-imagining them. And they’re re-imagining them in epic fashion.
No one in the band remains still for more than a fleeting moment. The stool reserved for Chris, the keyboard player, appears to be there for show because most of the time he’s frenetically banging on his keys from an upright position. Patrick and Dave (percussion and bass, respectively) are more in tune with each other than some of the instruments that occupied the same stage earlier. Chris (different Chris) works his guitar with such ease that it seems as if the guitar is an extension of his body. And then there’s the proverbial face and name of the band – Ben Ripani.
Ripani himself – as the proverbial face and name of the band – is without compare in current Indie music. Every once in a while, you’ll catch Ripani with his eyes open, but it’s definitely the exception and not the rule. When you’re working instruments (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica) like he is, the emotional high you get from watching is all the eye contact you really need. For their individual parts, they’re all amazing musicians. But this is definitely one of those situations where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
SHOW DATE: Saturday, December 4, 2010
WORDS BY: Ben Dahl ( @CobaltInfinity )
PHOTOS BY: Tracy Graham ( @tracygrahamcrkr )
One Comment
I love this band. They play songs you want to live with.