The Nashville-based alt-rock group Colony House visited The Southern Cafe and Musical Hall March 5 as part of it “Only the Lonely” tour. This tour is paired with their 2017 LP of the same name. However, the set itself was a satisfying mix of both old and new tunes.
The night began with a strong opening performance by Deep Sea Diver — a group from Seattle whose impressive opening set covered a wide array of styles within the alt-rock genre. The band’s use of lush keyboard backings and looped percussion tracks created an ethereal cave of sound within the tight and closed atmosphere of The Southern. The resultant mood was a great way to literally set the stage for Colony House.
The main act itself took the stage shortly thereafter and delivered a show that was nothing short of fantastic. The impressive stage presence from each of the Colony House’s members immediately stood out. The band’s brothers Caleb and Will Chapman — frontman and percussionist of the group, respectively — exuded a nonstop and infectious energy throughout the whole show.
Caleb’s vocal performances were passionate. He perfectly interacted with the crowd often — such as when he constantly bantered with it or when he left the stage to run through the audience near the end of the show. These interactions created a sense of unity within the crowd — one that turned the setting of the show into more of a collective experience than merely a viewed performance.
Will’s contributions to the show’s energy were just as important. His percussive performance was powerful throughout the entire night — providing an obvious and infectious enjoyment that gave him a level of magnetism rarely achieved by a drummer.
Apart from the Chapman brothers, bassist Parke Cottrell and guitarist Scott Mills each brought his own form of charismata and impressive backing vocals. The group members were having the time of their lives playing up on stage, and this excitement perfectly meshed with the intimate atmosphere of The Southern.
Apart from the amazing stage presence of Colony House’s members, the group adapted its sound to better cater to a live audience. While typically occupying a more mellow-rock sound, the band’s performance brought with it heavier and harder-hitting versions of many of their songs. Chord progressions were changed to bring out a harder-rock feel while still maintaining the ambient trademark of the group’s sound. These tweaked versions were well-crafted so that each song was more captivating to a live audience while still not straying away from the original sound and style.
Colony House succeeded in drawing the entire audience into the show and displaying a pure love of performing. In a world where unenthusiastic performances are far too common, Colony House’s “Only the Lonely” show was a refreshing reminder of what passion for music should feel like.
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