The Wood Brothers - Mutlu -- The Hamilton - Feb 20 2014

reviewed by Kyle Schmitt.

Mutlu - This Philadelphia-based singer performed as a solo act, stripping away the exotic instrumental touches that augment the songs on his EP Dreambook. His soulful voice and extroverted delivery helped make up the difference, however, easily relaying the positivity underlying his music. A gifted songwriter, Mutlu tackled broad, familiar themes on "One Life With You" and "Weight of the World". His self-described "sillier" material displayed more personality and inventiveness. "Board Games" covered "the late night, hanging with your loved one, getting freaky with it" side of such contests, and was perhaps surpassed in wit by "Caramel", which featured an audience sing-along and the sly come-on, "You know, Daddy's got to eat." Mutlu closed with a cover of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine", the most low-key song in his set but a fitting inclusion nonetheless. He sounds like he could write songs all day while drawing from a world of different influences; it will be interesting to see where he takes his talents from here.

The Wood Brothers - The Woods began their set with "Neon Tombstone", in which singer/guitarist Oliver Wood announced his desire to "be sent back to try, try again" upon dying. As an opening line, this declaration perfectly suited Wood, whose vocals give the sense of a man who's persevered through troubles unmentioned yet humbly expects something better to come his way. His playing meshes flawlessly with brother Chris Wood, who demonstrated outstanding versatility on his upright bass. Despite the Wood Brothers' considerable chops, their instrumental flourishes (from Chris Wood's funk inflections to percussion ranging from light accents to forceful stomps) were performed in the service of the songs. The brothers' harmonies were also locked in throughout the set, especially impressing on "Who the Devil".  All these elements came together on the live staple "Luckiest Man", which, along with "Postcards from Hell", showcases a man doing his best to deal with unrelentingly dire situations. By the time they finished "One More Day", buoyed by Jano Rix's insistent drums and Oliver Wood's guidance to never give in, there was no doubt that keeping on keepin' on was the Wood Brothers' only option.

Esoterica -  Approximately 15-20 fans brought a touch of Bonnaroo to the District, establishing their own hippie-ish dance section right of the stage and swaying gently under the benevolent gaze of Marvin Gaye (in poster form) … The crowd applauded for Chris Wood's own extended dance solo during "One More Day". Loose and unreserved describes it well enough … First impressions of the Hamilton: great acoustics, pleasant staff, and exceedingly fair beer prices for an upscale venue.