WERS Review & Live Video: Good Old War at NonComm
One of the largest crowds of the NonCom convention packed in to catch a set from Philadelphia’s native sons, Good Old War. With their name derived from the band member’s own names – Keith Goodwin, Tim Arnold, and Daniel Schwartz – the band formed in 2008 but has already released three records. They were one of the most buzzed about acts at NonCommvention and the general consensus seems to be that they’re going to become a much bigger blip on music’s radar screen in the near future. Last night, the boys of Good Old War treated the crowd to a few tracks from their latest album Come Back As Rain as well as a few of their “better” known tunes and even a cover of “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)”.
Seriously.
In case you couldn’t tell by now, Good Old War is not burdened by self-consciousness. Playful and engaging throughout their set, the three members interacted with the crowd, goof-ily danced around, and generally were just very entertaining. Oh, and they played some great music, too. Earlier in the day, among the chatter on the convention floor was that “you simply have to see Good Old War Live to really appreciate them” and that their vocal harmonies were “on the level of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.” Clearly, that kind of high praise was setting quite the bar for a band that still hasn’t shaken the label “up-and-coming”. Even considering that, they did not disappoint. The harmonies that formed the core of their folk-pop truly were something to behold in a live setting.
Although WERS listeners would recognize the band for their single “Calling Me Names”, a highlight of the set came when they played their next single, “Amazing Eyes”. The band mentioned that they just recorded a video of the song that features Mad Men’s Peyton List, who they described as “super hot”. Right after that heartfelt ballad, Goodwin asked the crowd if they wanted to see something cool. He then suggested to Arnold that he should show the crowd his Harry Belafonte impression. He obliged, and the band launched into “Day-O”. Naturally, the harmonies were pitch-perfect.
See a video of them performing “Amazing Eyes” above!
