Concert review: Backside Pick, Dirty Little Mouth, and Hatch at Hailey’s in Denton (December 12)

by Laurel Johnston of My Denton Music

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Backside Pick is a band that grabs you from the first note, sinks its teeth in, and tears out your misconceptions of what a funk band sounds like.

Backside Pick / Dirty Little Mouth / Hatch -- Saturday, December 11 at Hailey's in Denton

Ally Jayne

In a world full of dazzling lead guitarists, Hatch makes you forget about the instrument altogether with a unique, guitar-free lineup: two drummers with full drum sets, a bass player, a keyboardist, a trumpet player, and a percussionist. I assure you, you've never heard drumming like this before. This is an experimental/jam band that you can't pull your ears away from. This is a band by, for, and about musicians.

Elliot Morgan stood front in center, nodding and happily head-banging to his funky fresh driving bass lines. Drummers Nick Werth and Mike Hodges kept their eyes on each other as they pounded out two distinct yet complimentary drum lines. Nate Werth stood between them, playing all manner of percussion instruments with a perfect understanding of how much sparkle to add (and no, they don't need more cowbell). Mike Shields played his trumpet like a fiend, pacing and stalking around the stage in a black leather jacket. Chris Villanueva ran his fingers over the keyboard keys like it was second nature, a distinctly cool and refreshing splash of water in a sizzling fusion inferno.

The most incredible thing about Hatch is that they never play the same thing twice: All lines are completely original improvisations created by the musicians playing them at that single point in time. Hatch can dance on the line between heavily syncopated funk and fusion, occasionally veering into the experimental and psychedelic. Hatch can transition from almost-acid jazz to a reggae-like groove, then bring it back up to a full throttle jam. These guys have been opening up for some fantastic bands, but when will they get their headline? Not soon enough! Until then, you can e-stalk Hatch at myspace.com/hatchtheband.

Ally Jayne

Up next was Dirty Little Mouth, semi-newcomers to the Denton music scene. What these guys lack in polish, they make up for in enthusiasm. Dirty Little Mouth sounds like a blend of hyper-masculine guitar rock and hyper-feminine dance pop, an uncommon combination in a town full of jazz and jam bands.

In keeping with the holiday spirit, most everyone was dressed in their Christmas finest: Lead guitarist David Abrams and bassist Justin Haber were dressed in Christmas pajamas, guitarist Matt Aslanian was in Christmas-themed footie pj's, even the backup singers Whitney Wilson and Jolene Hoadley were dressed in gaudy Christmas sweaters usually worn by moms in the '90s and teachers ... well, let's be honest, teachers still wear those things. While drawing a large crowd, Dirty Little Mouth struggled to get people off of their feet and onto the dance floor until their song "Sexy Just Like Me."

Lead singer Seth Falkner, dressed in Mick Jagger-esque skin tight turquoise jeans, has a strong voice but lacks the charisma of a true lead singer. At times he seemed complimentary of the crowd, at other times he shouted incoherently into the mic, leaving me wondering what to think. Was he appreciative of the audience? Disdainful? Indifferent? I found myself asking these questions of the entire band: What was the message? Their biggest strength and weakness is their abundance of individual talent -- each member is strong but the overall sound isn't tight. Dirty Little Mouth has great energy and spirit; what they need is time and more practice as a group. Watch as they blossom and grow at myspace.com/dirtylittlemouth.

Ally Jayne

Headlining was Backside Pick, one of Denton's finest funk/jam bands. These guys have been playing Denton and the DFW area for more than three years, and it shows. If anyone from Dirty Little Mouth had stuck around to hear the whole set, they would've learned a lot about stage presence and band cohesion. Backside Pick is a band that sounds as if they've already hit their stride from the first note they play.

The backup singers, the lovely and talented Melissa McMillan and Candace Washburn, have perfected the art of engaging yet subtle dance moves. Lead singer Rocky Ottley has poured his blood, sweat, and tears into this band over the last several years. You can see it in his funky-frantic strumming and skanking, and you can hear it in his soulfully sexy voice. While Backside has many strengths, perhaps their strongest attribute is the way they transmit their feel-good funky attitude to the audience. Every member smiles and laughs on stage, and it's clear that they're all having just as much fun as the audience. They have the ability to galvanize any audience into showing off their best dance moves; although the crowd had begun to disperse by the end of the evening, die-hard fans moved and grooved as close to the stage as possible until the very last song.

Backside Pick isn't just a killer party band; they're a band whose musicians are backed by years of formalized musical training, giving them that ultra-polished sound. Backside Pick is a band that grabs you from the first note, sinks its teeth in, and tears out your misconceptions of what a funk band sounds like. Curious? Check ‘em out at backsidepick.com.

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