Hey Mavis enlivened the audience at the Music Box, 5/31/19

I had heard murmurs of Hey Mavis through friends and acquaintances for quite some time, always carrying a tone of respect and greatness. When I saw their name on the bill at the Music Box at the end of May, I decided it was about time to finally check them out.

I arrived moments into their first set and was instantly drawn into their presence on stage, the music spilling forth and the air it created throughout the enchanted audience. I sat towards the back to take it all in, quickly learning Hey Mavis had a lot more to share than just music. They embodied the storytelling spirit of the singer-songwriter in the form of prophetic creative writing fused with intricate musical composition.

They shared many of the stories and songs from their newest album, Silver Ribbon Dream – Songs and Stories of the Ohio and Erie Canal. An arts collaboration between Laurie Michelle Caner and visual artist Leandra Drumm, the album is accompanied by a beautiful book—the lyrics of the songs provide the stories of the Ohio and Erie Canal alongside beautiful and intricate illustrations.

Throughout the evening, the music flowed through shifting energies… smooth and soulful, driving and powerful, energetic and playful. Seeming to possess opposite ends of the spectrum as delicate and strong merged into one. The swells of intensity in the music embellished the power of feeling and emotion in the lyrics. 

Laurie Michelle Caner’s smooth and soulful voice spilled forth, intoxicating the intimate audience with the lyrical trills of her voice. She traversed through her various instruments, seamlessly shifting from banjo to dojo to guitar. 

Eddie Caner pulled the strings of his instrument back and forth between its identity as a fiddle versus a violin—picking hard into the high energy rhythmic patterns of the fiddle and then pulling long and deep through the smooth singing of the violin, sometimes within the same song. 

Bryan Thomas on bass and Anthony Taddeo on drums and percussion completed the equation, playing into one another as they explored solos of musical mastery and personal expression. The synergy between the players on stage revealed their enjoyment, fun and connection as they worked with one another, respecting and lifting each individual player as an intrinsic part of the whole.

Hey Mavis left a lasting impression on all those in attendance at the Music Box that night. The echoes of wonder and appreciation could be heard throughout the crowd long after the music had stopped. The perception I had picked up long before I had ever heard a note of their music held very true upon seeing them perform. Hey Mavis deserves every accolade they accumulate. I look forward to seeing them on stage again soon.