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The origins of Vertical Horizon date back to 1991, with Matt Scannell and Keith Kane forming a two-man acoustical band. The two Georgetown University undergraduates had an easy-going musical style about them, something which generated a strong local following in the DC area. Their first two albums - one featuring the two founding members and the other feature a guest-heavy full band - were acoustic in nature and allowed the band to build a strong cult following along the eastern seaboard. Nonetheless, the band decided to make a push for the big time in 1999, releasing the plugged-in Everything You Want. The rest, as they say, is history, which might not be a good thing.
Vertical Horizon's 2001 summer tour included a recent stop in the DC metro area, with the band opening for the Barenaked Ladies at Merriweather Post Pavillion. The band gave its fans (and those merely waiting for the headlining act) a heavy dose of their latest album, with varying results. Predictable opener "We Are" provided a nice entrance for the band, hitting the audience with a radio-friendly rocker that generates a slight buzz. While the band's first single from Everything You Want has not achieved the success of some of the album's later offerings, it is still a concert must, and the band delivered a peppy rendition. Another radio hit, "You're a God," followed closely behind, although this number did little to enhance the excitement level. Unfortunately, problems began shortly thereafter.
If all of a band's early work is acoustic and its members now make their living with electric guitars and the like, what should be done with the older material? Should it be discarded? Should it provide a nice change of pace during the set, with the band slowing things down for a short while? Or, should the band try to adapt the older songs to the newer format? Vertical Horizon has elected to practice this third option, and the results were less than ideal. "Candyman," the first of two tunes from sophomore effort Running On Ice, does not translate well to an electric style, with the song sounding forced and unnatural at times. "Wash Away" blended in a little bit better, but it seemed out of place when stuffed between a section of Everything You Want songs.
Vertical Horizon's current live show works best when the band sticks to its rock-intensive newer pieces. Although these sometimes led singer Matt Scannell to implore the crowd to sing along - an effort which proved primarily fruitless - they are true to Vertical Horizon's current musical self. The jazzed-up versions of older acoustic numbers merely serve as a reminder of the band's simpler past. Vertical Horizon has moved on to a new sound and evolved as a band. Fans of the original style - such as myself - need to accept this change and embrace the new Vertical Horizon. For better or worse, this new band is here to stay.
Setlist:
Submitted 8/2/01.
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