Hometown Music

Count Me In Concerts celebrated Chicago-area roots by bringing in two Chicago-area bands for a hometown show at The Underground in Naperville. The western suburbs are home to all of the members of the David Yeager Band, and The Least of These hail from Judson College and the Elgin area. The two bands have solid local followings and are hoping to continue to grow their fan bases. This joint show was a step forward in introducing their music to new audiences.

The David Yeager Band opened the show with "Sound" which allowed Yeager to bring out his violin, one of the standout elements of a DYB set. His improvisational skills add a richness to any of the songs that feature this.

A series of "love songs" followed, emphasizing different kinds of love." "Love Rules" speaks of God's love, "Jill" is a song about a crush, and "Won't Let Go" tells of the unfailing, unconditional love God has for His people. This quiet acoustic song featured a beautiful violin interlude (ok, I admit it: I'm partial to the violin riffs!).

The DYB cover of "40" by U-2 caught the attention of those not familiar with the other songs, and showed the band's ability to make a famous song their own.

The band followed up with "Tom Bombadill," which Yeager called "a song about being a dork." (The title refers to a character from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy) The crowd fed on the energy of the band; perhaps we all could related to the dork concept! The David Yeager Band wrapped up their set with "Free Time" which featured an awesome violin/bass jam that could have gone on several more minutes as far as I was concerned.

The Least of These has opened for many big name bands like Superchick and the Newsboys, but tonight was their chance to headline. This was also the first time I had seen their new band mix: new drummer David Blascoe replaced Josh Calhoun, who has moved up front on guitar, and this new blend has added another layer of richness to their music. Their brothers, Ben Calhoun on lead and vocals, and Ben Blascoe on bass, round out the foursome.

The band opened their set with "One," a high-energy song that brought a group of fan-girls to the stage to sing along with every word.

TLOT covered "Umbrella" by Rhianna, and it's always interesting to me when a Christian band covers a secular song. I listen to the lyrics with different ears, and I love the spiritual truths I discover. "So go on and let the rain pour/I'll be all you need and more" is infused with a different, deeper meaning.

"Things I've Learned" followed, and perhaps some of the audience had heard their live rendition a few days prior on Shine.fm The band had visited the radio station for an interview and live performance, as well as recording an interview for the internet station, ShineRock.

Another cover, Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" included an AMAZING drum solo where new member David Blascoe showed off his skills and won over the crowd.

Slowing down the music a bit, Ben Calhoun soloed on "Sing, Sing, Sing" which the band had written for a movie, Furious Love (www.furiouslovethemovie.com) This was followed by special guest, singer-songwriter Becca TenHaken debuting her song "Love" from her EP. She's a worship leader at Harvest Church who brought a folk vibe to the show and was well-received by the audience.

A bluesy couple of tunes followed, the first a cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" with Josh Calhoun and "his sultry voice" (according to his brother!) taking on lead vocals. His vocal quality is different from his brother's, and the two harmonize and blend beautifully.

As their set came to a close, frontman Ben shared his heart with the audience. "We truly believe what we sing about. My life has been changed by a guy named Jesus. Music doesn't fulfill me...Jesus makes a difference in my life." He encouraged people to "tell me your story," saying he might even write a song about it because inspiration comes from many places.

This was a great evening showcasing some of the local talent that deserves a broader audience. Be sure to check out both bands on itunes.