Hanging By A Moment at Toad's

(Published in The Mirror 5/5/05)
Jason Wade, the lead singer of Lifehouse, took his over shirt off to the sound of girls screaming from the audience, and he later wiped the sweat from his brow and threw the towel into the crowd to more screams.
Maybe the baby-faced 20-something isn't your everyday rock star, and maybe the band Lifehouse can be considered a top 40 band to a certain extent, but the unforgettable rock n' roll quality of the Toad's Place stage was perfect for the presention of their music last Tuesday.
After a year-and-a-half break from music, other band members and touring, Lifehouse recently came back together to produce and release a new self-titled CD and to go on the road for a national tour. No matter how poppy some people think Lifehouse is, any city they land in during this tour will bear witness to a powerfully impressive show.
Lead singer and guitarist Wade and drummer Rick Woolstenhulme are the only remaining members of the original band, and they have been through two bass players to get to their current one, Bryce Soderberg.
The three were joined by their touring guitarist Ben Carey for this show.
It was more than obvious that the band had rehearsed vigorously for the tour with their professionally and tightly arranged song compositions. Musicians' emotions are what makes a show most enjoyable when you're as close to them as you are in a venue like Toad's Place, and Lifehouse had energy to spare.
Woolstenhulme, adorned with a side-tipped military-type hat, beat the drums as if he was at war with them.
Wade sang as if his life depended on hitting every single note with the precision of a sniper. He would contort his face and body to expel a deep and strong voice in every single song.
It's one thing to go to a show that sounds great, but when the show looks great too, it becomes memorable.
The most impressive display of his vocal talents were displayed in what he told the audience was the first song he ever wrote, "Trying". Carey and Wade played acoustic guitar side by side for this quiet song and the simple silence of his powerful voice was almost chilling.
Carey, the only one not officially part of the band, was the most animated. The highlight of this show was during the song "The Sky is Falling" when he easily switched back and forth between playing both necks of a double-necked Gibson guitar as well as a nearby mounted acoustic.
Smiles, evil grins, head-banging and bending backwards gave Carey much of the spotlight Tuesday.
They would be smart to hold onto this performer and after the show, Wade hinted at this possibility.
"I couldn't be happier with this band," he said. "We just click."
Standing on the sidewalk outside Toad's Place beside their tour bus, Lifehouse mingled with a small group of fans, signed CDs, shirts and tickets, told stories, answered questions and posed for photos. The humble group stayed outside in the brisk air for about 35 minutes before their tour manager told them they had to get going.
Before they got back on the bus, I was able to pull Wade aside and talk to him for a couple minutes.
To help explain the show's intensity, he said they prefer the intimacy and personal feel of club shows like at Toad's Place rather than the detached feel of a stadium. He said it makes them more energetic and pumped to make the show better.
Lifehouse has been known for their first single, "Hanging by a Moment", and for a while this song exemplified the mindset and musical feel of Lifehouse. There has been a shift recently, though, with the new CDs mellower feel.
More focused on lyrical quality and relaxing songs as opposed to the harder feel of the first two CDs, Wade said this new CD really does represent the band's musical position most accurately.
He said the new songs people should focus on to get the best idea of what kind of band they are "would have to be 'Everything' from the first CD, and 'Blind' from the new one. Those are my favorites," Wade said.
Ten years ago, did Wade see himself ever having three records to his name?
"Not in a million years," he said. "Every single day we wake up blessed to have had this experience. I love every minute of it. I'm having a blast."
He said they love listening to and making music and that it has become an important part of the band members' lives.
"I think what we love about music is that it is always there and becomes a part of your past," Wade said. "It becomes difficult to think back and not relate certain experiences to various songs, and I love that we get to make some of those songs."