Tonight a somewhat small crowd gathers at The Bakery to see The Evens, a band consisting of Ian Mackaye and Amy Farina. The duo is warm and friendly and prompts the crowd to participate wherever possible throughout their set. This includes chatting and interacting freely with the crowd, starting sing alongs and even a mass crowd chorused “fade out”.

The crowd takes a little bit of convincing to get into the swing of things but when they are eventually won over by the pair’s sincerity, a great intimate show ensues. The crowd tonight is surprisingly young given Mackaye’s illustrious musical background and the frequency with which any band from Mackaye’s Dischord label makes it to Australia. Yet at the same time this is inspiring. It’s a good thing that the music of The Evens can reach these people on its own merit, or even that Mackaye’s music can transcend to a new generation of people.

The show is an all ages event, which the band would have insisted upon and it is one of the issues the two discuss throughout their set. There are no support acts and the show begins at 8.30 pm and is done by 10. The band has a very DIY ethic, as the pair mix the music themselves as they go along, with Farina changing effects and the mix for each song. At the end of the show, the two sell their own CDs at the front of the stage. The pair’s friendly chat really make this show. It is the complete opposite of the untouchable rockstar barrier that some performers attempt to establish and makes The Evens’ songs far more honest and convincing.
The venue is ideal for a band of this mentality; the walls are covered with artwork and the stage is low and small, allowing the crowd to get close and intimate with the band. The duo share duties straight down the line, with Mackaye playing baritone guitar and Farina on drums. Singing duties are shared between the two evenly, and Mackaye and Farina complement each other’s style and tone with some clever harmonies. Both play their instruments passionately, Mackaye plays his guitar with gusto, getting into it moving with the music while Farina often closes her eyes as she hits the drums with feeling. Mackaye does not have perfect technique, missing a string here and there. But this is excused when he talks to the crowd and his enjoyment and passion for playing outweighs his technical ability.

When it comes to singing, Mackaye has a great range of feel in his voice, his soft voice is sensitive but can quickly change and his anger and cynicism shows when he raises his voice. Farina’s voice is just sublime, she has a great voice and uses with great effect to add feelings of hope and bittersweet to the song. The band play the majority of the songs from both their albums to date – debut album The Evens and new release Get Evens. Most of the songs Mackaye would describe the basis of wiring the song, once again bringing relevance and insight into the band’s inspirations. Highlights of the set include Mt Pleasant Isn’t and You Won’t Feel a Thing, where Mackaye coached the shy crowd through a great sing-alongs. Songs like Everybody Knows and set closer Cut From the Cloth, from Get Evens, sounds superb and full of feeling.

The Evens put on a refreshing, original show, and the warmth and friendliness created helped make their music come alive and reach the audience, which made up for any lack of technical ability from Mackaye or Farina. Throught the show, The Evens managed to show their emotion and keep the crowd wanting more – a skill bands of this nature strive for but few genuinely achieve.