Concert Review: The Seedy Seeds

If you haven’t heard of Cincinnati synth pop duo The Seedy Seeds yet, just wait - you probably will soon. They have been gaining impressive amounts of airplay on WOXY.com, and their infectious single “The Little Patton” is reportedly one of the station’s highest-requested tracks in recent times.

I’ve seen and heard a lot of comparisons thrown around about the band: The Decemberists. Matt & Kim. Death Cab for Cutie. The Postal Service. But I’d prefer not to describe them relative to another group like that. The Seedy Seeds can stand on their own. So how would I describe the band? Joyfully simple. Deliciously uncomplicated. Humble, happy and kind. They’re not just good musicians, they’re good people.

I had the opportunity to experience this first-hand when they stopped by the Nite Owl, a tiny club in Dayton’s Oregon District. The MySpace pages of both the band and the venue claimed the show was slated for 9 P.M., with two other acts joining the Seedy Seeds: Eat Sugar and Human Reunion. I didn’t want to miss anything, so I arrived promptly, wife and friends in tow, at 9 P.M. I quickly realized we were in for a wait: The bar was practically empty and there was no sign of a band anywhere. Well, that was okay. It was Friday night, and it gave us ample opportunity to enjoy some drinks and company.

It wasn’t long before Mike Ingram and Margaret Weiner (compositely, the Seedy Seeds) showed up at the club and started getting set up. Approximately three minutes later they were ready to go. That’s part of that “joyful simplicity” of the band: Their full kit was just a guitar, banjo, accordian, and a couple kazoos. Oh, and an iPod. Who needs expensive Korg synth keyboards or MacBook Pros when you can just load your backing tracks on an iPod and jack it straight into the PA? Divinely unpretentious.

Despite the brevity of their stage setup and levels checking, we were in for more of a wait before they actually took the stage to start their set. I could only assume that was due to the lacking attendance. How typical of the indie music scene in Dayton. Clubs like the Nite Owl have been pulling in some surprisingly good acts in recent months, but either due to lack of promotion from the venues or just general lameness on the part of Dayton music fans, attendance at most shows is sorely lacking. This is truly sad, since these fantastic artists aren’t getting near the audience they deserve (and are used to in other towns!).

Even when Mike slung his banjo over his shoulders and Margaret donned her acoustic guitar to start their set, the number of people present and attentive was probably under thirty. Twenty would be a generous estimate, actually. But they paid it no mind, happily announced themselves and dived right into their set.

You couldn’t help but smile. Mike fingerpicked his banjo steadily over the toy-keyboard beats pumping out of the iPod, while Margaret strummed her acoustic guitar passionately. When the vocals kicked in, it was synchronized perfection. Mike’s voice was strong and sure, yet smooth and inviting. Margaret joined in and harmonized wonderfully, with a sweet tone you could curl up in. And invariably, everyone’s feet were tapping to the synthesized beats pouring through the PA. Sure it’s simple. Sure it’s a bit cute and bubblegummy in nature. But it’s that simple formula that draws you in, and then invites you to stay for tea. And you just have to shrug and say “sure!”

They covered the breadth of their album in their (relatively brief) set, playing their strongest tracks, including “The Little Patton”, “Alberta”, and “Earned Average Dance America”, a real leg-thumper. As the songs went on, the crowd grew. And many of those who came without any prior knowledge of the Seedy Seeds seem to have grown to love them in no time at all. Given the quantity of hardcore metal bands that frequent the Nite Owl, I was glad to see all the bar-hoppers having a great time watching two quirky musicians play their mix of indie-synth-bluegrass-pop.

After the set I spent a few minutes chatting with Mike and Margaret, and I can say with confidence that they’re very kind, humble people. I was glad to have seen them in such an intimate setting, and hope to see them many more times in the future. I’ll be closely following their progress as they release new material, and I encourage anyone who hasn’t yet heard them to visit their website and pick up their album. Not only will you be supporting one of Cincinnati’s finer indie acts, but you’ll be getting an album that you’ll cherish for its simplicity and originality. And if you have the chance to see these two live, don’t pass on it. You’re sure to have a good time.

More pics from the show: