Rousing Goodbye Black Happy Band Pours Its Trademark High-Octane Energy Into A Powerful Farewell Performance
Critic-at-large
Last Friday at The Met, one of the Northwest’s hugest bands, Black Happy, played for the last time in Spokane. (The band played its final concert Saturday night in Seattle.)
The eight-piece band took the stage in a rather unorthodox fashion. Instead of immediately blasting into its trademark, feverish, high-octane, let’s-go-crazy stage show, singer/guitarist Paul Hemenway stepped up to the mike with his Fender Telecaster and introduced the melancholy chords of “Myself,” Black Happy’s most somber song.
Hemenway, lighted only by the spotlight, played the song solo. Black Happy rarely featured “Myself” in past performances, but on Friday, it couldn’t have been more appropriate.
“I want to be more like my/more like my old self,” he cried, over and over.
It was as if through singing those lyrics he was trying to step back in time and relive the old days, days when there was no pressure bogging Black Happy down and the only thing that ever mattered was having a good time on stage.
In a way, “Myself” inspired the Coeur d’Alene band, because once the song ended and the colorful array of stage lights was turned on, Black Happy burst into action, launching into “Three Day Weekend” with a head-banging vengeance. The whole night, the members of Black Happy poured every cell of their bodies into the music, playing every song like it was the last.
This was exceedingly impressive considering the band has always treated its shows like each was the last.
Somehow, Black Happy took everything a step further. The band was tighter and immensely heavier. The horns were incredibly sharp and the vocals were flawless.
The result was a big, fat sound.
For more than two hours, the unit churned out exhausting amounts of energy and emotion on stage. It was amazing the building didn’t buckle from the tension.
The performance was, without a doubt, the show to remember Black Happy by; the band was at its best, both as collective musicians and as individuals.
The concert was also a celebration of Black Happy’s music and the mark the octet left on the Pacific Northwest scene. This band played a big part in shaping the scene’s sound.
It was nice to see Black Happy express its sincere appreciation of the Spokane audience, thanking the crowd for its support over the years. After all, its Spokane fans were largely responsible for bolstering Black Happy from a little-known band from North Idaho to an amazing success. Black Happy never forgot this and cherished its Spokane friends like the ninth member of the band.
Black Happy closed the concert with “Such Much Suck,” a song from the album “Friendly Dog Salad.”
Just as “Myself” was a powerful way to open the show, “Such Much Suck,” with it’s uplifting chorus - “There’s no reason/not to be happy/ We’ve got a million things to smile for every day” - was an impactful way to end the concert and close a chapter in Northwest music history.
xxxx Fans will miss Black Happy music, message Black Happy is great, obviously, because of their great sound and also they create an avenue between parents and kids. Parents can actually find out that not all music for kids is bad. It loosens the tensions. They are obviously just a great band. Chris Caro Spokane Their youth and energy, their hard work and passion for music. That’s putting it easily. They are a great bunch. I’ve played with almost all of them in the jazz ensemble or orchestra and I love them, too, and they are very, very good. George Conrad Coeur d’Alene Black Happy possessed an original sound. I had an opportunity to work with them in my college days, in broadcasting. I moved to Arizona and turned them on to some people down there. They could have gone a lot farther. I’m a little disappointed they didn’t. I wish Paul and the rest of the band the best of luck in their future endeavors. We’ll miss them. Thanks, guys, for great music. Jason Hilton Spokane The way they appreciated the crowd at their shows - you rarely see a band like that be so appreciative of their fans, and without the fans, they wouldn’t be who they were or where they were at. I admire them for the decision they made to split up when they couldn’t agree on artistic views and stuff. A lot of people would sell out and still go for the fame and money, and they decided they wanted to do something else they enjoyed rather than to make money, and I admire them for that. Mark Johnson Spokane They’ve got to be the epitome of the Inland Northwest rock now. They are the epitome of what’s going on right now. They are the greatest group. I was lucky to be one of the people to get a ticket to their (final) concert. It’s a shame they are breaking up. I’ve been into them for two or three years. Couldn’t wait to see their show. Mark LaVigne Spokane They put on a great show, and I wish they weren’t breaking up. Sara Dirk Spokane I want to talk about Black Happy with a reporter and say good things and how they’ve been important to me. They did something very special for my brother, who is very sick in Eugene, Ore. They got him and a friend on a guest list and asked how he was doing. Pat Palmer Spokane More than just music, it was like a community. They are the nicest guys I ever met, never let anything go to their heads, always owed everything to the fans. It was amazing how they treated us - very special; it was our band. We wish those guys a bunch of luck. Jean Paul Theriot Spokane All the words to their songs really related to our generation. They expressed everything that we are all feeling. I really commend them for that. Beth Kewandawaha Spokane I’m just sad to see them break up. It really sucks. They were a really cool band with a unique sound. Seth Little Spokane