Live music review: Precocious Reina del Cid and The Other Favorites in Houston
Readers may remember, last May I wrote of two musical acts that have been running a 21st century grass roots campaign via YouTube and various social media; Reina del Cid and The Other Favorites. I recently caught up with them in Houston while they were on tour. That is what I am going to tell you about now.
First, let me go back a few years. The hour was late, the night was dark and the body was tired. The mind however wanted to unwind and busy itself with learning to play an old song, “The Tennessee Waltz”. I’ve loved this song for as long as I can remember. As a child, the song and “The Streets of Laredo” were my two favorites.
I took to YouTube as many do, to find some renditions of the tune and follow along. I am not much of a guitar player but figured I had most of it but wasn’t sure where the chording went. That night, I came across two versions which I couldn’t stop playing; The Other Favorites and Renia Del Cid. They were similar, yet different and both were beautiful. Each duo treated the song with the respect it deserves. I started following these “kids” and never stopped. I couldn’t be prouder if I were their father, or at least lifelong friend. I couldn’t be more in awe of them either. They are amazingly talented. Watching them on YouTube, however, just doesn’t compare to their live show.
Houston’s Firehouse Saloon is where they played. The night before the tour stopped at One-2-One Bar in Austin. I pulled into the venue parking lot and nearly ran over The Other Favorites. As my bride and I have grown older, everyone seems to get younger, but she couldn’t believe we had driven two hours to see “baby folks singers.” They are all anything but babies musically.
Songwriter, Renia Del Cid is an amazing young lady with a jazzy, whisper-soft voice, sweet smile and an earnest spirit true to her folk roots that comes across not only in her stage presence, but in her recorded music, too. Guitarist Toni Lingren accompanies her. Lindgren is just as unassuming. Sitting at the bar, she looks like the girl you’d not approach ‘cause, she’s too good for you. On stage, she looks like she might be more at home in a book store. But behind a guitar, she is at home. She plays with a palpable ease, making the listener feel both joyful and a little annoyed simultaneously. Annoyed only because of my modest ability and jealousy at her skill. She displays wit and boy does she ever know how to fill up a song, yet not get in the way. Trust me, this isn’t easy. But Lindgren makes it look effortless.
Carson McKee and Josh Turner are The Other Favorites. Both of these lads sing superbly and can carry the night alone. Together, they make perfect harmony. McKee knows how to tell a story about a song without risking losing the audience amid the banter. Turner apparently knows how to play all the instruments except perhaps a French horn. My money wouldn’t be on the French horn winning out. He’ll probably master that, too. Accordingly, it takes a masterful hand to guide a banjo through a set and not overpower the accompanying players. Again, Turner made it look easy. The performance was natural.
It wasn’t long after I got in the door until Reina and Toni took the stage, playing song after song to near perfection. Lindgren’s playing was astounding. My wife told her after the show, that it seemed like the guitar just did whatever Toni told it to do… as if the guitar would make coffee and toast if she so desired.
Turner, came out to play bass and sing a little near the end of their set as a guest performer, then an intermission. The Other Favorites took center stage for a set of their own. Afterward, all four took the stage, playing and singing together. Let me tell you, if they formed one group and toured like this more I am not sure the music world would be able to contain their talent. They closed the show with a song Reina called one of the best songs ever written: “The Tennessee Waltz,” which naturally was a-ok with me.
I do not wish to diminish the obvious hours, days, weeks, months, and years spent practicing, rehearsing, performing, and learning… perfecting their craft, but it does feel as if the gods of music have blessed these four with not just abilities or talents, but a rich depth most performers do not gain till they’ve matured over time, the hard way through trial and tragedy. Each know how a song is to be performed. It is as if the music is coming right from their souls. Folks this young shouldn’t be this good. They shouldn’t understand good music this well, and they shouldn’t be so damn likable. It makes it harder to envy and dislike their precociousness.
After the show, each artist stood behind the table outside the venue selling CDs, t-shirts and other things fans buy. The kids today call it “merch.” I’ve also heard it called “swag.” My wife and I bought some items and visited with the foursome. They were as down-to-earth and pleasant as anyone I have ever met. I found myself wanting to adopt them, bring them home and have them play music all day and night. A man can dream, right?
What impressed me most isn’t the talent, it isn’t the gift, but rather the love of music and what they are all doing. Obviously, they have vast musical influences, crossing genres, blending styles, and grinding them all down into a folk/Americana vibe. Thus, making an old song sound brand new. This is a time-honored songwriting tradition I find inspiring. No matter if it is a 45-year old rock song, a folksy country classic or one of their masterfully written originals, these artists are performing and recording at a level we do not see every day.
Go and listen to their music, point your browsers to their webpages, download their albums, buy tickets to their shows, and enjoy some of the best music to come along in a long time.
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