Appearing solo and playing an acoustic guitar, Texas native Elizabeth Wills opened for Five Times August on Wednesday night with "Sweet," a word that perfectly captures everything about her, from her vocals to her personality. Often compared to Sarah McLachlan, the Cocteau Twins and even Norah Jones, Elizabeth Wills already has a lot going for her.
Not as jazzy as Norah Jones however, Wills’ style leans more toward an acoustic-rock / pop sound. Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Wills grew up listening to musicians such as Joni Mitchell and Aretha Franklin and began playing piano at age 6. By the time she was 19, she released her first album, Rivers, with the help of friends. She performed tracks from Rivers in coffee houses and bars around Texas and neighboring states. Slightly folksy, her music maintains a mellow feel while her down-to-earth lyrics deal with issues just about everyone can relate to.
Her closing piece, "Fly," also the title track of her new album, deals with the end of a relationship. The lyrics are such that the listener isn’t left feeling angry or bitter toward any ex-lovers, but empowered and in a positive mood.
Also appearing last night was Stephen Speaks. Lead singer Rockwell Ryan maintained a pleasant banter with the audience and the duo remained confident, though they were lacking a drummer and even forgot the words to one of their songs. Their music sounded fine without the drummer, though it led one concertgoer to say the two sounded like "(contemporary) church music," and to wonder how they would sound with percussion.
Five Times August appeared last, performing songs such as "One Way Road" and "Do It Again." Being performed by the first group with a drummer, "One Way Road" brought even more energy to the room, almost surprising concertgoers with its start. Brad Skistimas, Texas native and lead singer of Five Times August, also performed an acoustic version of "Do It Again," arguably one of the best songs of the night. With a 90s feel, Five Times August has been compared to Matchbox 20, Green Day and Norah Jones, as well.
Each group expressed their surprise and pleasure to be playing at Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel St., even though the crowd (if you could call it that) wasn’t very large throughout the entire night. But it was a Wednesday night and the bands were also competing with One Republic, a better-known group, playing down the street at the Meridian, 1503 Chartres St.
None of the groups seem to have much a fan base in Houston just yet, but that should soon change as more people are exposed to the music of Wills, Stephen Speaks and Five Times August. However, we can only hope to see them more at venues like Warehouse Live and outside of the coffeehouses and bars where they started.
