Wednesday was a night of firsts for Grand Hallway: It was the band’s first time headlining Neumos, its first time performing some new material it recorded over the winter, and its first time playing with new member Shenandoah Davis. Fortunately, unlike some other first-times we can think of, Grand Hallway’s night of debuts was neither awkward nor bumbling. Instead, the now-eight member orchestral pop group proved its headliner chops, delivering a stirring performance and capping off a solid local bill that also featured Johanna Kunin and Carrie Biell.
It was also the first time I had seen opener Johanna Kunin play with a backing band. While she can fly quite capably solo, with just her stunning vocals and piano accompaniment, Wednesday night Kunin enlisted the help of seven musicians playing violin, viola, flute, clarinet, guitar, bass, and drums. Some singers’ voices might get lost in the mix with such a large band, but Kunin’s piercing vocals rang out clearly, elevated by the multi-layered accompaniment. They played a variety of new material from Kunin’s upcoming album Hidden Systems, which Kunin recorded with an equally large cast of musicians.
All I can say about Grand Hallway that I haven’t said before is that this band continues to impress me. Its albums are lush, gorgeous affairs, filled with tender lulls and rousing, heart-wrenching climaxes. Live, Grand Hallway loses none of the delightful subtleties and intricate arrangements found on its recordings, bringing together piano, violins, and pedal steel, among other instruments in impressive harmony. Wednesday night the band elevated this already-potent live show by adding another talented musician to the mix. Singer-songwriter Shenandoah Davis made her first appearance as an official member of the band, lending vocals, piano, and accordion to Grand Hallway’s panoply of instruments. It was a seemingly predestined move; as frontman Tomo Nakayama pointed out, Davis’ boyfriend is named Grant Holloway.
Grand Hallway’s new songs also did not disappoint. After playing some highlights from its past releases, including “Darling, Wife” and “Seward Park”, Grand Hallway played five or so new songs from a yet-to-be-released album the band recorded and mixed over the winter. The new tracks included “Under the Roof,” a song, as Nakayama described, “about living in a tiny apartment in the U-District”; “Happy New Year,” which Nakayama preceded by leading the crowd in a New Year’s Eve-style countdown; and the jubilant “Honey Bee” (currently streaming on Grand Hallway’s MySpace. The night ended on a tender note, with Nakayama crooning solo, “I spend most every night / wondering how you are.”