It was rather fitting that Vermont trio Mountain Man performed at the First Unitarian Church the night a much-needed rainstorm brought some relief from the triple-digit heat that’s been scorching the city of Philadelphia for the past few weeks. As the rain washed away the layer of grime that sticks to everything when it’s oppressively hot and humid, the lovely female voices that filled the church’s side chapel came as a breath of fresh air to a music scene that seems to have all but forgotten the artform of unaccompanied vocal harmonies. With songs that appear to be inspired by old sailor tunes and Southern hymns, Mountain Man creates a sound that feels familiar but is also unlike anything else that’s out today—factors that are reflected in the band’s unfussy live act.
Fans squeezed into the tiny chapel, all slightly damp after waiting in the rain for the doors to open, and Molly Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Meath (also sporting wet hair and clothes) casually began the show with a spectacular rendition of “Honeybee” without even pausing to find their first notes. The performance continued in the same effortless-sounding vein as the band stunned the audience with slightly re-worked versions of songs from debut album Made The Harbor, along with a few well-chosen covers. Standout songs included “Animal Tracks,” “Sewee Sewee” and “River,” as well as “Babylon,” a nun-like round that was befitting of the show’s church setting.
The set, like the album, was overwhelmingly a capella, with each girl displaying her versatility by sharing duties on lead vocals as well as both high and low harmonies. Occasionally, Sarle or Sauser-Monnig would strum or fingerpick an acoustic guitar, but the instrumental aspect was never a focus of the act and instead was used merely to add to each song almost as a whim. In today’s age, when it’s easy to hide behind veils of loop pedals and special effects, it’s truly inspiring to see a band brave enough to lay it out bare and talented enough to do it perfectly.
What was especially unique about this performance was its warmth and intimacy, as the girls joked around with each other about eighth-grade diary entries and dreams about Marilyn Manson, paused to say “God bless you” to a fan who sneezed and giggled between songs. Even a mistake on guitar (punctuated by a frustrated “Fuuuuck!” from Sarle), which would have been a glaringly awkward blunder at any other show, only added to the band’s down-to-earth vibe. The set felt less like a performance and more like the audience was sitting in on a hang-out session between three best friends, who were singing together solely for the joy of it, with no rock-star pretence to spoil the mood. We in the audience felt included in the love, too, when the band ended the set by engaging us in a three-part round, leaving the stage to blend in with the crowd.
—Emily Costantino
