AbsentStar

Last Saturday, local alt-rock band, AbsentStar, played to a packed room at Beat Kitchen. Moments before kicking off their hour long set, lead singer, Derek Ingersoll, smiled at the crowd and joked, “This is because U2 was sold out, and we’re the next best thing, right?” Ingersoll and his bandmates – Noel Arnim (bass), Andy Dixon (guitar), Heath Hamilton (drums) and Marshall Hanbury, Jr. (guitars/keys) – then launched into “Slow Motion Change”, one of the new tracks off their sophomore album, Where We Begin.

As soon as they began to play, it was clear that this band was one that truly embraced their sound without being pretentious. Their transitions were seamless; their harmonies and timing impeccable. For a somewhat seasoned band (they’ve been around since 2004), they didn’t overpower one another; rather, they gave each other room to highlight their individual talents. Ingersoll’s vocals are both bold and moving, even though his stage demeanor is one of complete humility. More than once during the night, Hanbury seemed to meld with his guitar, pouring out these crazy solos that left audience members wowed. It was apparent that they are dedicated performers – despite the fact that Dixon’s guitar string broke, they still returned for an encore to appease the chanting crowd.

Where We Begin is certainly an album to be proud of – it took them two years to record. “False Start Chemistry”, “Education” and “Don’t You Think We Owe It To Ourselves” are songs that deserve to be listened to and will stick in your head for days. Even slower songs like “Ready When You Are” and “One More Day Here” showcase the band’s versatility, not to mention Ingersoll’s amazing vocal range. On the title track he muses, “why we try for something more.” The answer is to make awesome records like this. Well done, gentlemen. You’ve certainly outdone yourselves.