Remember that tune played so often over the radio, "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)?" Have you ever wondered what ever happened to that band? Well just in case you forgot their name, it's Nine Days. The name comes from how long front men John Hampson and Brian Desveaux took to write their first album, Something to Listen to. In case you haven't heard the news, they never left us. And they showed that in full force as they rocked out at Santa Fe Café in College Park last Saturday.
The concert was their first in Maryland since their days in 2000 touring for their gold record, Madding Crowd. "Those were the gravy days, man," Hampson said to the bar full of buzzed patrons as he and Desveaux reminisced. Though it may have been a smaller venue than during those gravy days, Nine Days, made up of Hampson, Desveaux, Nick Dimichino (bass), Vincent Tattanelli (drums) and Jeremy Dean (keyboard), took the road for their new album, Slow Motion Life (Part One), independently released by their own label last month. Part Two is due to come out in the summer.
Eren Cannata proved to be a fantastic and upbeat opening act, driving down from New York to promote his upcoming major label debut album Blame It On The City due for release on March 20. But the show really started when Nine Days took a darkened stage and Hampson belted out the first stanza of "Favorite Song" before welcoming in the lights and the music.
"Favorite Song" was to be the second single off their sophomore record, So Happily Unsatisfied, before the release of the album was held back by their label at the time, Epic Records. So Happily Unsatisfied was more alternative rock-oriented than the much more pop-rock Madding Crowd, but it never saw the light of day. With their break from Epic solidified, Nine Days quickly released the aptly titled, but rarely heard, Flying the Corporate Jet. After "Favorite Song," Hampson led the band into their modestly successful second single off Madding Crowd, "If I Am," and the concert was off to a roaring start.
One of the greatest benefits of going to a concert of a band that had only one major hit was that Nine Days had amazing flexibility in choosing which songs they played. The band played one song from their pre-fame days, when they released three records.
They also delved into Corporate Jet and Unsatisfied, but didn't neglect Madding Crowd, with Hampson singing the keyboard driven, "257 Weeks" and the suggestive "Revolve," where Hampson sings "I wanna crawl inside your womb / I wanna watch the rose on your cheeks bloom."
Hampson and Desveaux usually split the songs they write and sing pretty evenly, with Hampson singing most. Hampson was fighting a flu at the concert, however, and so Desveaux got a few extra licks in. He fronted "Bob Dylan," a tribute to one of their inspirations, and contributed half of the quick-paced "So Far Away."
Hampson's best song was taken from the new record, though, as he showed the range of his raspy voice in "Suddenly (A Brown Eyed Girl.)" Desveaux, however, was to own the most awkward moment of the night; while Hampson changed guitars between songs, he simply belted out the first stanza of "Marvelous" (from So Happily Unsatisfied), unbeknownst to his band mates.
The tenderest moment was Hampson's: all but he and Desveaux left the stage and he lent his voice to the Flying The Corporate Jet ballad "The Moment."
Nine Days finally got to "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)." When Hampson began the song, the bar went electric, since all listeners recognized the song. Knowing this, Hampson tried to get the crowd involved asking them to sing the chorus and then to even further energize the crowd they broke into "Sweet Home Alabama" in the middle of the song, before returning to "Absolutely."
The band also worked on selling the six-track Slow Motion Life (Part One), with Hampson singing "Girl in California," originally a country song Hampson wrote. It tells the story of a man who leaves the woman he married in New York to find the woman he loved in Hollywood, but telling his wife if he doesn't find what he wanted he would return. That's not to mention the soft but up-tempo "Worth Fighting For" and the funky "New Shoes."
Nine Days appeared ecstatic to be playing on the road again, and they seemed to miss the days of their number-one hits. They were pleased to be still playing and together (both Hampson and Desveaux released solo records Seventeen Minutes in the Dark and Alive Today, though the band never broke up).
"It's OK. We're a little older. We're a little fatter. Well, some of us." Hampson said on stage, cocking his head a bit and letting loose a smirk. "I'm kind of a big deal."
