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The Dundrearies
Horseshoe –
Chicago, IL
September 15,
2006
“Smoke and
Puzzles”
by Jackie Lee King
There are no new
stories in life. Our smoldering existence is recycled and replayed to
us under the guise of being contemporary. Music can change things
around and place different angles on events; giving them a new spin.
The new spinners of the collective conscious are a band called The
Dundrearies.
Taking their name
from a character in the stage play Our American Cousin, The Dundrearies
have found a way to mix it up a bit. With an Indy folk rock feel with a
little Foo Fighters flavor with some early REM, without the distortion,
thrown in to complete their melodious puzzle.
The five easy
pieces are Doran (Drums) and Mike (Bass) who interlock with Jeremy and
Nick’s guitars that are completed with Chris’s (Vocals) lyrics. What
distinguishes these rockers from your local bar band is the playful in
their playing. With one guitarist hopping about, the another one is
chilling in the back with the bass player. Chris’s vocal styling reels
you into the steady beat of the drum in what I can only describe as
enigmatic.
With a lyric like
‘…hangman with an invisible hand…’ - in the very catchy “Your Statues
Will Fall”, it is apparent that they have taken their namesake to heart.
The phrase
Dundrearyism is a colloquialism in which a phrase is combined with
another one rendering it nonsensical (i.e. “Birds of a feather gather no
moss.”) The term comes from the character Lord Dundreary in the play
who is plagued with these mutterings. You may not be aware of the play,
but you are aware of its impact on President Lincoln. It was the play
he was watching when he was shot my John Wilkes Booth.
Further taking
their cue from History, the Dundries call up their own interpretation
historical events in the song “Get Wise.” ‘Maybe Judas got confused…or
misread the good news…I think he’s taken enough abuse…couldda been me,
couldda been you.’ The band is not afraid to challenge the audience in
what it conveys an how that two people can see the same event
differently.
 Challenging one’s
views does not have to be adversarial; on the contrary the band invites
the listener along in a non-evasive musical experience. Their live show
beckons the audience to bob their heads in appreciation of their beats
as well as their beliefs. Many a long conversation begins after the
show in interpretation of lyrics and whether or not the hopping
guitarist ever hits his head on the sound system mounted above. So try
to fit them in to your dundrious life, cause you know it makes sense.
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