The Features proved again a few weekends ago that they are the most entertaining live band in Murfreesboro – and Nashville for that matter.
The night of Friday, Jan. 20, at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre the quartet put on a killer show following strong sets by fellow locals The Clutters and Feable Weiner. Along with plenty of regular staples like “Exhibit A” and “Blow it Out,” The Features unleashed a number of new songs that added to the anticipation of their second album, the most notable being the groovy, hip-swinging, cowbell-jamming “I Will Wander,” on which Roger Dabbs lays down a truly sweet bass line.
The Features hit the ground running with this show, opening with the frenzied “Circus.” From that point on it was a classic Features set: short, explosive songs coming at you rapid-fire, and with minimum between-song banter.
The Features do not go over the top in their live shows with extended jams or solos; their songs’ strengths lie in their compactness and explosiveness. Few songs in their set last longer than three minutes. But within those three minutes are enough instantly-memorable melodies, power chords and keyboard licks to keep you humming the rest of the night.
Vocalist/guitarist Matt Pelham has the type of voice that instantly grabs your attention and earns your respect. Numerous times throughout the show he would get a mischievous grin across his face, usually during one of the ooh-ahhh vocal parts, that adds further to his intriguing personality.
As though rocking out the Tucker Theatre wasn’t enough for one weekend, Pelham and keyboardist Parrish Yaw, or The Feats, as they were known for this show, played a special acoustic set Saturday at Grand Palace, supporting The Mattoid and Apollo Up.
This evening it wasn’t a stage separating the guys from hundreds of fans, but an oriental rug separating them from a few dozen. I suppose the proper word for a show like this is “intimate.”
For many there, it was probably the first time ever seeing Pelham playing an acoustic guitar. While strumming away on the guitar, Pelham was also playing the kick drum with the heel of his right foot throughout the short set, as Yaw jammed away on the keys.
The highlight of this set was the cover of “The Beehive State” by Randy Newman.
So in the course of 24 hours, The Features showed they can rock out a few hundred people with their old and new songs, but they can also strip it down and put on just as good a show with an acoustic guitar and keyboards.
