Last night’s adventure: Head downtown with Blake and Keni to see An Evening with Duncan Sheik and Vienna Teng at Sons of Herman Hall. This show was produced by Ally at Bend Studio and I was interested to see the atmosphere would change from her little listing room to a large hall with seating for a few hundred with a full bar. I really enjoyed the venue with it’s high ceilings and 90 year old wood every where you looked.
Vienna opened the show with about an hour long set. She has an amazing voice and was a wizard on the keyboard. She was on the stage with her two girls singing back up vocals sporting a cello and violin/viola. On one song she borrowed Duncan’s drummer; a favor that would be returned in spades during Duncan’s set when he would borrow the string section for a few songs. I was telling Blake and Keni that I don’t think I’ve ever been to a show with that combination of instruments, and I was very impressed with the sound that came forth. Her music was very easy to listen to, and very vocal. What impressed me most about Vienna was how well she interacted with and engaged the crowd. She put on a fantastic set, and I would highly recommend checking out her music and going to a show if she is in your area.
Duncan Shiek started his set shortly there after accompanied by a full band (bass guitar, drums, and lead guitar). For the most part, his music was pretty mellow and low key. There were a few songs that were pretty “rocky” and a few other songs that were very subtle and light. I was very impressed with his guitar player. He was a king of the whammy bar, but not at all in an classic Van Hallen style. He used it to create a very interesting sound that reminded me of a slide guitar, or even a little bit like the sound that Kullen Fuces creates by playing the xylophone with a bow. Duncan has a very strong voice with a huge range. I would be interested to see him in an acoustic set that really showcases his voice. The show entertained the crowd who came from all over north Texas to see Duncan perform.
So, how did Sons of Herman Hall compare to Bend? While it was still a nice atmosphere, I felt like I was at any typical bar show. Most of the audience was there to enjoy the music and have a few drinks. Some of the audience enjoyed the drinks more than the music, but that’s to be expected. One of the girls on my row enjoyed her drinks and the music up until she passed out in her friends lap. I’m still waiting to see that happen at Bend 
. Some other local musicans were in the crowd, including Dave Wilson.
Miss Keni’s Review : Clicky