Eisley, Christie DuPree
Brewtones in Tyler
October 1, 2010
Better Than: Just about any blast from the past.
On Friday night in Tyler, a hodgepodge of around 150 young hipsters, adults and children sat comfortably in the auditorium of Brewtones, an occasional rock venue built into the Vineyard Church the members of Eisley attend.
In fact, the band helped start Brewtones over a decade ago, and they've had a heavy hand in running the place ever since. Their influence is obvious throughout the room--chandeliers that hang from various points in the auditorium are covered with a kind of greenery that might have been inspired by the fairy-tale subject matter of their earlier songs. Vintage drums that belong to Boyd Dupree, the band's manager and father, sat cluttered in the corners.
Personal issues and label problems have plagued the band for the last two years, making it the most difficult era the band has been through. But things are getting better according to the band, so this warm-up show for their "Over The River and Through the Wood Tour" was a bit of a comeback. And when they took the stage, Eisley seemed recharged.
It's understandable, though, seeing as they've played it hundreds of times since its release. The band finally settled into their pace around the fourth song, "Come Clean," which relies on a laid-back sway from drummer Weston DuPree, who was hidden behind a glass sound-proof wall, as well as the precise harmonies from singers Stacy and Sherri.
Their paired vocals, the band's signature, weaved in and out smoothly and precisely through the rest of the night--especially over the marching band waltz rhythm on one of the band's earliest songs, "Tree Tops."
This was most evident when Stacy introduced "The Valley," "Kind" and the show stopping "Ambulance," which is the band's most personal and powerful song to date. The song, written during one of the band's darkest times, shows an enormous potential for their future works.
Critic's Notebook