‘Stripping down’ with The Slaps at SPACE
Written by Lauren Travers
As the temperature continued to drop outside, there was nothing but warmth and comfort at SPACE Evanston, as people slowly trickled in to see the show. Candles were lit at every table, and cozy sweaters adorned by dozens of fans set the tone for an intimate night of music with The Slaps. Following the release of their fifth album This is My First Day At Drawing the previous week, The Slaps have embarked on a multi-city tour hoping to “unplug” with a fully acoustic set. After a sold out show opening for Ritt Momney , the Depaul Natives found their way home to Illinois on the second stop of their tour.
The show opened with Hemlock, a project by artist Carolina Chauffe, as the first of two opening acts. As soon as she took the stage, she easily commanded the audience's attention. Center stage with just her journal and guitar, Carolina drew in the crowd with the personalized voice recordings from her family and left them wanting more with her beguiling voice on song “Talk Soon.” Carolina made her appearance again supporting Merce Lemon, the second opener of the night, shortly after her own set. Merce’s song “Puddles'' seemed to resonate with the crowd. Merce’s enchanting vocals were somehow enhanced by the heavenly sounds of the pedal steel ringing out across the room.
As the lights dimmed at SPACE Evanston for the final time, guitarist Rand Kelly of The Slaps took the stage on his own, with only his resonator guitar in hand. The chattering crowd instantly quieted as Kelly took his seat, anticipation for the final act of the night lingering in the air still. He made no introduction; instead began to play the captivating melody of the classic Tom Waits’ song “Time”. I found myself mesmerized by the simplicity of it all. The raw sounds stripping away everything, leaving just a man and his guitar. As the final chords rang out, Josh Resing (Drums) and Ramsey Bell (Bass) joined the stage, following suit with their own guitars and welcoming The Slaps with a simple “ What’s Happening” eliciting laughs throughout the audience.
The trio took their seats and started off with “Nothing About Immortality,” a song with clear folk inspirations, diverting from The Slaps typical indie rock sound. The warm, intoxicating melody from the acoustics combined with the harmonious vocals of all three members left the audience with smiles plastered on their faces, remaining for the entire set. They maintained the folk energy as they rang out the heartfelt “You Are Your Neighborhood” with Ramsey and Josh singing out in a call-and-response-like fashion. The highlight of the night was unexpected and found in the wholly instrumental “The Acorn Shuffle”. Ramsey declared his apologies to any “lyric fanatics'' in the crowd, but apologies were unnecessary as the country-inspired melody filled the space.
The set ended quickly, after only seven songs, and I found myself desperate for more when it was all over. The concert was unlike any I’ve experienced before, and I wouldn’t have spent my Tuesday night anywhere else.
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