Billed as the final band on the second stage, the band (which shares the name of its leader) played more like it was the headliner at Walnut Creek, rather than a second stage entry.

I went into the Big Shindig festival Sunday morning looking forward to 8:20 p.m. I have to admit that I just discovered Edwin McCain during final exams. Since then, I’ve been hooked – the group’s second album, “Misguided Roses,” has been a staple of either my home CD changer or my car’s player.

The second stage, set up near the entrance to Walnut Creek, was not much larger than the types of stages found at little clubs, but as soon as the band took to the stage, size didn’t matter. The band started its 50-minute set with “Grind Me in the Gears.” The song is an obvious choice to start the set, as it starts with a pulsing kick drum that crescendos into the melodic guitar lines. Before the show, I had this sense that the set would commence with the song. The song is great on the CD, but even cooler live. McCain’s voice was right on key throughout the set, and the rest of the instruments mixed melodically, echoing with a power that can’t be found on a studio recording.

My favorite song in the set was most definitely “What Matters.” Already my favorite track on the “Misguided Roses” disc, it’s even more so now. McCain’s voice showed no signs of strain during the song as it went from its low notes early in the song to the higher portions later on. The bass and drum lines enhanced the dual guitars’ chord progressions and just was an indescribably powerful ballad live.

The crowd favorite was McCain’s biggest hit to date, “I’ll Be.” By the end of the song, Edwin McCain had the entire audience singing along together to its chorus. The saxophone was sounded great as well live. While the radio and studio track both don’t highlight the sax as much, Craig Shields got to show off his obvious talent more live.

I wasn’t familiar with the song “Solitude” prior to the band playing it as its finale, though a lot of people around me knew the track from the band’s first album, most likely from radio play. The song has inspired me to pick up the first album.

I’d like to also point out that while Edwin McCain played on the little second stage, the majority of the audience was at the second stage during his set. We got there plenty early to get a good standing area (four rows back), but looking back, there was a sea of people that engulfed the hillside behind us and the sidewalk and grassy area all around. No other band I saw could brag about the same crowd.

It helps that Edwin McCain got its roots in the Carolinas. McCain actually commented that it was good to be back home, and it turns out that the hit song “I’ll Be” was even inspired in a Chapel Hill bar and written on the way to Charlotte. So it’s not surprising that the band and audience clicked the way that they did. The band members all were smiling, and McCain thanked the crowd numerous times. It was obvious that he appreciated the crowd’s enthusiasm, and it translated into an enthusiastic set by the band.

The set ran over into headliner Ben Fold Five’s main stage time slot, yet few audience members left for Ben Folds Five until they were sure McCain wouldn’t be doing an encore (no band did at the Shindig). If any band would have been appreciated for a couple of songs, it would’ve been Edwin McCain, though I doubt Ben Folds Five would have appreciated it.

Although G105’s ‘98 Big Shindig may be the last time we hear from a lot of those bands, I’ll be one of the greatest fans of Edwin McCain for years to come. The song “How Strange It Seems” has a line that says, “And love for the music is what keeps me here.” The band’s love shows.

Originally posted at NandoNext.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 29th, 1998 at 9:08 pm and is filed under Local (Raleigh Durham), Music, Music Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Related Posts: