Photographs by Sarah Rix
It’s safe to say that when it comes to The Hush Sound, it’s been a while. A four-year hiatus, lineup changes, and side projects have kept the band out of the musical spotlight for some time now. So yes, it was a bit surprising to see a Toronto tour date pop up – more surprising, still, that they would play the 19+ Horseshoe Tavern.
To me, The Hush Sound is nostalgic of high school years and more likely to draw in the young kids than the drinking crowd. Indeed, much of the audience seemed to be on the younger side of legal (or at least in possession of some very good fake IDs.) But I suppose even the most ardent of scenesters have to grow up – and if there’s a band from your awkward adolescent era that isn’t totally embarrassing to listen to, I might actually suggest it’s The Hush Sound.
The Chicago-formed band was last in Toronto in 2008, at the time playing shows with the likes of OneRepublic, Panic! at the Disco, and pop punks The Cab. Alumni of seminal emo-pop label Fueled By Ramen, they rode that wave of popularity amongst label mates like The Academy Is…, Gym Class Heroes, and Yellowcard. But with the resurgence of acts such as Fall Out Boy and Paramore, it makes sense the Hush Sound would come out of hiatus and make a go of it once again.
While it’s been a while since I’ve actually played any of their songs, the four-piece (who tour with an additional member on keys/guitar) proved still highly memorable. Their older material from albums 2005’s So Sudden, 2006’s Like Vines, and 2008’s Goodbye Blues, has the same swing that it did when first released. It also drew a great reaction from the crowd who were happy to sing back choruses and clap on command. “As You Cry” received a warm response, as did the woah-oh sing along chorus of “Medicine Man.” Set closer “Wine Red” showed the band at its best – big instruments and intertwining male-female vocals – while the encore of “Carry Me Home” also played well with the crowd
The new songs played well, too. “Scavengers” packs the same bounce as their older material and features some adventurous guitar offerings. “Not A Stranger” was more jam-focused and bass-heavy – and also included two young people awkwardly dancing on stage. The Hush Sound received a strong showing of audience appreciation, particularly given how sweltering the venue was – the band told the crowd it was their second sweatiest show in their history, losing out only to a Boston concert.
The band also proved highly affable, vocalists Bob Morris and Greta Salpeter frequently engaging with the crowd. References to Arrested Development, The Addams Family theme song, the Kool-Aid Man, and KISS covers were thrown around and it genuinely seemed like they were happy to be there. It was also very nice/smart of them to throw bottled water into the audience. They gained all of the bonus points for that.
Both age and the years spent on hiatus have served them well. In general, it seemed a far cry from when the city saw them last – back then they were best described as exhausted by the relentless touring. Now, they appear refreshed and ready for what’s to come. While it’s lame to call a comeback triumphant, in this case it appears to be warranted.
