Singer Leslie VanEtten Broatch apologized to the crowd for not being able to tell jokes well. Drummer Joe Rosano followed that up with the ba-dum-bum that usually tails a joke. The audience laughed. So began a night of good-natured musical chemistry from Parker’s Tangent.
Over the years, the long-running New Haven-based band — Broatch, Rosano, Arthur Bargar on guitar, Hal Klein on bass, and Ken Ryu on violin — has played everywhere from Cafe Nine and Lyric Hall to the New Haven Green, and dozens of other places in between and beyond the Elm City. Thursday night it graced Best Video Film and Cultural Center’s stage on Whitney Avenue in Hamden, warming the crowd with a set of originals penned by Bargar that showcased both the guitarist’s skill as a songwriter and the band’s musical chops.
Parker’s Tangent started off with a slinky blues number, with Bargar and Ryu providing the atmosphere while Rosano and Klein held down the groove. It was just a warm-up. In the songs that followed, the band worked through more complicated art-rock song structures and its members began to step out. Bargar’s guitar playing when soloing ranged across the sound of his instrument, eliciting roars with violent strumming, and then bringing the volume down to a hush, a whisper of chords. Ryu likewise proved an adept improviser, punctuating well-chosen phrases with flourishes of notes that drew applause from the audience several times when his solo ended. Klein followed Bargar and Ryu on their excursions, giving them more support while never forgetting the fundamentals. Rosano’s driving, sympathetic drumming anchored the band’s sound. And in the middle of it stood Broatch, forging a strong connection between band and audience. In a voice that was deep and just a little raspy, she sang Bargar’s songs with the conviction to make them her own.
Brian Slattery Photo
Bargar and Broatch.
Bargar’s songwriting vibe — his sunnier material retaining a slightly dark edge, but his moodier numbers still tinged with good-naturedness — was mirrored in the camaraderie between the band as they bantered onstage.
“I’m not following the set list right now,” Broatch informed the audience.
“We can do … ‘Crazy River?’” Klein offered.
“No, no,” Broatch said.
“Do whatever you want,” Klein said.
Broatch savored her friendly victory. “We are doing whatever I want,” she said, whereupon the audience laughed.
As the set neared its end, Parker’s Tangent was fully loosened, pulling out the musical stops on its last song as Bargar took a few steps closer to Ryu and Klein so the three of them could jump together into an extended jam that found them trading lines, weaving and dodging, building a sound together. It was their finale, and felt like it.
“Thanks to Best Video,” Broatch said over a final round of applause.
“No, we’re the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address),” joked Best Video’s Richard Brown, who was emceeing for the evening.
“Fillmore Northeast,” Broatch said.
