Christmas Concert with the Hard Lessons

by Courtney Hilden

The Hard Lessons, the best punk/indie band in Detroit, has been giving an annual Christmas concert (the day after Christmas, natch) for five years. This year, instead of their usual three or four bands playing, they had six bands, and it made it the best of their Christmas concerts yet.
The opening bands were surprisingly good. All three of them sounded similar to The Hard Lessons and gave solid performances. The only thing disappointing about their performances was the reaction from the audience, which was antsy and waiting for the main performance to start. Their loss, because if they had listened they would have heard how good these openers were.
The Barretts, a barbershop quartet featuring Koko Louise (the female vocals and piano of the Hard Lessons) was stunning perfect. They had the clear sound of choral music, and all four members were in sync with one another. The harmonies blended together like a delicious mixed drink, and was just as enjoyable. Their version of "Mr. Sandman" was inspired and fun. Can't these ladies perform more often?
After a brief break, Frontier Ruckus came on. I must here make the confession that I am somewhat biased when it comes to this band. I took a class a couple of years back with the drummer, Ryan. At the beginning of the class, I was familar with the band but unaware of his connection to them. I liked Ryan as a fellow student because he was smart, well-read, and engaged in the class. Only later another student in the class tipped me off that he was in Frontier Ruckus.
The band's been touring the US for quite some time now, and having them back in Michigan (which features heavily in their songs) makes their recent homecoming all the sweeter. Frontier Ruckus is more rock than Bon Iver and more twang than The Builders and the Butchers, with Bob Dylan's love of long, winding narratives thrown in for good measure. They are not the sort of band that needs to be seen live, but they are all excellent musicians. Watching them is watching a master's course in subtle performance. Zack's work, with multiple instruments including the saw, is particularly impressive. Matt is right to kneel down at his feet, a strange libation to make several times mid-perfomance.
Finally, the crowd could stop anticipating, because The Hard Lessons were finally on. Again, I have to pause to explain my bias. I attended a school where the guitarist and male vocalist, Augie, taught for about a year.
The Hard Lessons consistently give carthatic performances. Their albums pale in comparison with their live show. This was no different. Once again, they played a perfect set, one that reflected their entire career well. After their release of their B and G Sides, they were playing mostly off of that album, and for all it's strengths, it was a very different album than their previous work, and their live shows weren't quite as energetic as before or after. Their "Don't Shake My Tree," "Bamboo," "Milk and Sugar" and "Carey Says Alright" were all crowd pleasers. The audience was clearly loving it, singing along, screaming, dancing and throwing their hands up for "The Arms Forest." The band's Christmas concert is an excellent night out, and I personally cannot wait for the next one.