My love language isn’t words of affirmation, touch, acts of service, quality time, or gifts. It’s music. And I know I’m not alone.
Even though there are more music artists in this world than any one person could ever hear, there’s a level of presence, passion, and performance that a lot of musicians never reach. Those that channel this artistic vulnerability shine whether they play in a tiny venue or headline an amphitheater tour.
On Wednesday night at Poor David’s Pub, one band that fits this description came through Dallas. I am now a proud fan of Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers. A brilliantly eclectic blend of musicians from Michigan, Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers certainly know how to light up a room. Literally.
Clad in off-the-wall costumes, Joe Hertler and his colorful comrades played tunes off their newest album, “Terra Incognita,” nearly to perfection. With a full band backing him (including an insanely funky Saxophone player), Hertler led the way with his smooth vocals and catchy grooves (and dance moves. Go head wit yo bad self).
My personal favorite jams performed were “Feel” and “River Runs Dry,” which are both on their newest record. By the time their set was coming to a close, the crowd had kicked aside their chairs and started breaking out some dance movies as well. The band displayed a degree of chemistry and synergy that I honestly haven’t come across in quite some time. And they did it all with huge smiles on their faces. That perhaps was the most refreshing and impressive part of the their performance.
Prior to Hertler’s set, Yokochi Bare, made up of some gifted SMU musicians, warmed the crowd up with some of their original tracks (make sure to give them a listen on soundcloud). Before he took the stage, Hertler was kind enough to answer a few of my questions. Check out this Q&A:
The DC: Now, you just started your tour for this new album. What’s it like travelling on the road so far?
Hertler: “It’s been great. This half just started, so we got to go home for a week and rest up. The first half was awesome. I think we kind of felt like ‘oh wow. We can actually do this. We can get along and keep getting better each night too.’ To keep practicing always feels good. This is only our fourth show of this half, so it’s pretty fresh right now. We learned a lot on that last chunk and are trying to apply that on this one. In particular, we learned about taking care of your body. For me, a lot of has been trying to keep my voice healthy. This is our first time in Dallas though, so we are looking forward to trying it out for the first time!”
The DC: Is there a certain song off the new album that the crowd is really responding to?
Hertler: “It’s different every night. So much of our performances come down to how we connect with our audience. That’s kind of the point of music, you know, just trying to communicate and connect with people. I used to feel a lot of pressure to play funkier, high-energy stuff, but one thing I’ve realized on the tour is that it doesn’t really matter if the connection is there. Any song can be the one that really draws people in. In general, it’s going to happen with the more pop-like stuff that we jam out to a little more at the end. But there has been some really great moments in this tour of slower songs that feel really engaging.”
The DC: Is there a song for you that you connect to the most off the new record?
Hertler: “I’ve always loved playing ‘River Runs Dry.’ That’s a really fun song and a song called ‘Dragons’ as well, a slower song that doesn’t always hit but when it does, it’s a good experience for us.”
The DC: So far, do you like the touring side better or the recording process?
Hertler: “I like writing music. The studio is the second place for me. I mean, touring is great, but I like the moment of writing a song when it feels like you are making something good. Touring is great, but it is exhausting. Some bands do it nine months out of the year, and that doesn’t sound like fun to me at all.”
The DC: Do you have any plans for after the tour?
Hertler: “I really want to work on music. The thing about touring is that it kicks you into this creative mode, but you don’t really have a chance to write it down. I’ve just been collecting ideas and keeping a journal to jot stuff down. I’m just looking forward to organizing these ideas more and flushing them out into new songs.”
Props to Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers for just being freaking cool.
At the end of the night, I left the venue overwhelmingly happy because of music. It doesn’t get much better than that.
