Insider staff
If you’ve been following the Concord music scene for a while, you’ve probably heard/seen Pat & the Hats. The five-piece indie rock band has been rocking the Concord area for years, but the band recently packed up and moved down to Boston.
Apparently there are slightly more opportunities for gigs down there than there are up here. But, nevertheless, there’s always a gig to be played at True Brew Barista, and that’s exactly what Pat & the Hats did last Friday night.
Pat & the Hats took the stage like they have so many times before, vintage outfits, scally caps and all.
Frontman Pat Gochez could be heard before the show telling a patron that the soundcheck would feature a new song, and everyone in the room sat up in their seats at that news. Can’t miss a song’s world debut.
After about 20 minutes of waiting in suspense, the crowd got what it wanted when the band went on and trotted out that new song for the soundcheck.
This track was very indie, and very upbeat. It was pretty fast pace compared to what I expected – at an acoustic show at NEC Concord a few months ago, Gochez played mostly slower, less upbeat songs.
Once the levels were set, it was on to the “real” show.
The first song was another fast one, full of energy. The constant thumping of the tambourine really drove this song and set the tone. It had almost a ska vibe to it, only without the horn section. The song also featured a pretty trippy bridge section, full of droning ambient noise and fiddling with effect pedals.
That track gave way to a softer number with a slower tempo. Not to say this song was a downer – it was kind of like an electric version of Jack Johnson. A mellow groove gave way to a harder chorus with nice vocal harmonies. The song starts to fade out, and you think it’s about to end, but then it kicks back to the chorus for a nice little energy shot.
After a bass-heavy song, Gochez told the dense crowd, “It’s good to be back.” The place went nuts (pretty much). He then told the crowd that the band is a big fan of R&B-inspired music, and they proceeded to play an R&B-style song.
This was a nice, soulful slow jam with the whole band pitching in vocals. The five voices worked so well together that it sounded like a full chorus ensemble, not just a few people. The feel of this song was very 60s/70s soul. A really nice track.
The band went from vintage sound to throwback with the next track, which sounded like it could have been off a Gin Blossoms or Rembrandts album – and that’s a good thing. This one featured a lot of tambourine, too, and definitely made you feel like it was the 90s again.
The set began to transition after this point to some softer stuff. Gochez took a seat at the piano for several tracks and acoustic guitars made an appearance.
When Gochez started playing the first of the piano-driven songs, the crowd seemed a little impatient. After having their energy picked up by the faster stuff earlier, everyone seemed a bit antsy for more hard and fast stuff. That didn’t last long though, as the piano set allowed the vocals to be heard more clearly, and that gripped the audience.
The second track on piano also featured some cool synthesizer sounds in the intro that added a nice layer of ambiance. One could have mistaken it for a (dare I say) Pink Floyd show. Of course it would be a very small show for Floyd.
Another track in which Gochez was at the keys was called “Sensational” (one of the few tracks whose name was said before or after playing it). This one had a real jazzy feel to it. The drums were splashy and peppy, and they kept the thing moving. This song sounded like it could have been in some classic mystery movie or something.
After this came another piano tune, but this one was quite different in tone and feel. This track sounded kind of like the Beatles on “A Day in the Life.” I know, I know, I’ve already called these guys Jack Johnson, The Gin Blossoms, Pink Floyd and now the Beatles, but I guess they’re just that good!
Joking aside, though, the point is to illustrate how diverse the band’s sound is. While never really stepping way outside the box with death metal or Irish jigs, Pat & the Hats cover a ton of ground musically.
The band’s versatility is a product of its personnel; it’s a five-piece band featuring a female singer and four male singers, as well as piano and guitars. It’s a different combination that allows for more flexibility and adds a nice dynamic you just can’t get with four dudes playing guitars only.
And the band’s sound plays very well at True Brew, which tends to attract the more indie-minded music fan. It was not uncommon to look around the room last Friday and see dozens of people singing along with all the songs – all of which are original, by the way. True Brew doesn’t allow covers, not that Pat & the Hats would be looking to play covers anyway.
If you missed the show and are all bummed out because you’re not sure when you’ll get to see Pat & the Hats again, don’t worry.
Gochez (that’s Pat) will be playing with several other musicians at Concord City Auditorium this Wednesday night at 7. The show is called “We Write The Songs,” hosted by the Walker Lecture Series. Gochez will be accompanied by Anna Madsen & Brian Coombes, Susie Burke & David Surette, Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki & Matt Jensen, and Mike Morris.
For more information about that show, go to concordcityauditorium.org.
