Ryan Loredo
A&E Editor
A stage with dim lights and a campfire is a warm scene to those entering from the autumn cold outside. People gathered into their seats and began to wait for the show to begin. Waldorf School is an alternative K-8 school system, making it the perfect venue for artist Seth Glier and partner Ryan Hommel. The two artists played a benefit concert for the eighth grade graduation trip, destination to be determined.
Seth Glier was brought to Waldorf School exclusively by a group of young students of various grades dubbed “The Glierics,” a group of fans who have seen various Glier concerts. Bob Cummings, one of the main event organizers, said he brought Glier to Waldorf because, “My daughter, who’s in the eighth grade class, Emma, is a huge Seth fan and about a year ago this weekend she took me to see him for the first time and I was so blown away by his music that we had him at our house for a house concert in March here in Keene. We just moved here from western Mass. last year and we really were just so taken by his music that we wanted to share it with other people so we arranged to put this together and introduce the people of Keene to Seth.”
Around seven in the evening the people of Keene who were attending began to hear the soft light voice of Glier as he and Hommel strapped themselves with ankle instruments and other percussion equipment and began to play their first song, “The Next Right Thing.” The all-acoustic beat song gave a definitive new age folk attitude for his song style.
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After his first song a cavalcade of claps and whistles gave their grand approval. When getting ready for the next song Glier went into a short description of how he wrote his songs. His second song, “Gotta Get Away,” was one about being 22 and living at home. The third song in his set was one of love and loss. “Walk Katie Home” was summed up before its presentation: “I would drive four hours from Shelburne, Mass. to a girl who I had a crush on who lived in East Village to take her to dinner and walk her home,” Glier said on stage. “Afterwards I would drive a lonely four hours back home.” His next songs were all about new movements and changes; one song, “In Transition,” was about a new perspective on life.
After “In Transition,” Glier described his and Hommel’s band history. According to Glier they played 250 shows the previous year, “We would slowly take each city two vests at a time.”
“We weren’t good at anything else, besides playing music. I think we (Glier and Hommel) were friends right along the same time we started playing music with each other and that’s always been true even as we still play music and were still friends first,” Glier said.
“First” was the next song after his description. The song was describing home as not only a place of location but rather “a place of inspiration,” according to Glier.
“Naia” was the next song on the list. The love song was possibly the best way to describe a relationship as it grows worse over time until the final break up. The tenth song followed, titled “No Place to Land.” The song was about how one may lose oneself in success and “develop blind spots,” due to the success.
After “No Place to Land” the audience broke for a 20-minute intermission. Most people crammed into the area where the Waldorf children were selling baked goods as another fund raiser for their trip. Parents and students alike were offered baked goods and were asked for donations for the class trip, which they will take near the end of their year. After intermission the crowd came into the auditorium for the final playlist. Glier began with a smooth jazz piano intro to his next song, which rescued the crowd from their intermission inhibition.
After a few songs Glier offered the stage to guitarist and friend Ryan Hommel so he could play his self-written work titled “Christa Can I Kiss Ya.” The song was about a personal experience Hommel had when he wanted to kiss a girl and the girl said no when he asked. After Hommel’s song Glier came back to the stage to present the final scheduled song, titled “Find Someone Else to Crown.” The crowd gave a standing ovation at the final chord and students from the eighth grade class presented a white rose to Glier and Hommel. Glier and Hommel then signaled the lighting director to turn off all the lights so the fake fire from the fake fire place could illuminate the auditorium allowing a more relaxing feeling to infect each attendee. Glier and Hommel then played an unexpected song from music long past, “Let It Be” by The Beatles. The crowd joined in a choir for the final chorus and gave another standing ovation when the lights glowed strongly again.
People were all congratulated by Glier and Hommel, from the students of the eighth grade to the lighting director identified as Jeremiah, to even a little girl running all over the venue to the music.
Ryan Loredo can be contacted at rloredo@keene-equinox.com