Mail The Horse @ Songbyrd Music House - 6/17/16
Mail the Horse loves to jam. Mail the Horse loves to rock. Mail the Horse loves to have fun on stage and show off their musical chops. And to promote their latest EP, Magnolia, Mail the Horse has embarked on a tour that made its first stop at Songbyrd. The band isn’t one for spectacle – instead, they impress by showing their dedication to the ideals of 60s and 70s rock/Americana.
Part of the appeal of the band is the interplay between its members. Keyboardist Michael Hesslein breezed through songs, taking lead vocals and occasionally getting up to play some guitar with the rest of the band. Guitarist Donny Amidon shared in vocal duties, but mainly stood stage right deep concentration on his guitar. Bass player Brendan showed the most emotion of the band, laughing and beaming his way through the set.
Mail The Horse's Michael Hesslein performing at Songbyrd Music House in Washington, DC - 7/18/16 (photo by Mauricio Castro / @themauricio
A spirit of free-wheeling rock and extended jams that let the songs breathe gave songs like ‘Backlash’ off of this year's Magnolia EP,and ‘Flowers, Keys & Gasoline’ off of 2015's excellent Planet Gates an overall laid-back vibe that took the crowd down Route 66 with the top down for the duration of Mail The Horse's set. What could easily drift off into jamband territory is anchored by great songwriting and the pedal steel guitarist Chris May bringing a more traditional country and Americana sounds to their solid rock and roll base
Hailing from nearby Frederick, MD, Silent Old Mtns. proved to be a highly entertaining opener for Mail the Horse. Their brand of folk-influenced rock is propelled by singer/guitarist Andrew Bromnal and banjo player/hype man Samuel Whalen. Their latest single, Trenches, is available on SoundCloud, with new music soon to come from them.
