Photos / Review: Them Evils at Webster Underground in Hartford, Connecticut

Who: Them Evils

Where: Webster Underground, Hartford, Connecticut

When: May 11, 2018

If you have not heard of Them Evils yet, it is high time that you did. The up and coming rock band has been making a huge mark in just a short amount of time with their big sound and even bigger stage presence.

With the band already having started to make such a big impact on the scene, I was expecting the Webster Underground to be packed, especially considering it was a Saturday night, but unfortunately, there were no more than 20 people in the audience. Them Evils showed their professionalism by getting on stage and giving it 100% from the get-go. The first three songs were a little bit slow and quiet – the audience was not warm and the rainy weather was not helping either. Once the opening notes for “She Got Nothin’,” off of their latest release Rollin’ Stoned and Livin’ Free, there was a huge shift in the room and it suddenly felt like you were watching this band perform at a much bigger venue in a packed room. “Got Me Rockin’” had the same effect, as did “Have One On Me.”

Vocalist Jordan Griffin has a unique voice that you would be able to recognize anywhere. He is also an excellent guitar player and is charismatic enough to charm a crowd of 20 people or 20,000.  He got the audience to move right up to the stage, where before they had been clinging to the walls. He also stopped using the mic to speak to the crowd. It seems like something that would be common sense to do, but was a genius move; it felt like there was no barrier between you and the band and that they had come into your living room to perform. Bassist Jake Massanari only stopped running around the stage and headbanging when he had to sing vocals. He did a great job of getting the audience’s energy up. Drummer David Delaney was impressive; not only were his vocals amazing, but he was a really strong drummer. He even got to take the spotlight for a minute during the set when an audience member requested a drum solo. After the striking display, another one was requested; then yet another one was requested, “The Phil Collins one” this time. Delaney gave the audience what they wanted each time, which impressed the fans and made the show a lot more fun and intimate.

Webster Underground is a small room, to begin with, but it was really unfortunate that there was such a small audience. Them Evils, instead of scoffing at the show, made it seem like it was a private show in someone’s home. They have a really big sound which filled up the venue. Seeing Them Evils live was exactly like listening to their album; all of the energy that is contained in the EP is the energy that you get when you see them live. Something that always impresses me about Them Evils is that their sound never sounds flat, even though they only have one guitar. A lot of times when bands have been hyped up so much online, seeing them live falls short of the mark, but the PR that has been floating around this band does not even begin to scratch the surface of how much fun they are live. It is just a matter of time before Them Evils really explodes onto the scene and performs to crowds of 20,000.

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Post and photos by Karen Shalev

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