Pure Bliss – Evan Bliss that is – at the Hard Rock Cafe DC

Post and photos by Niki Clark www.see2photography.com

There was really never much of a chance that I wasn’t going to love Evan Bliss. I didn’t know that, of course, when I made my way into his release party Thursday at the Hard Rock Café, but I should have.
First, I have been in intense admiration of guitarists as of late. I had taken a classical guitar class way back in college and understood it was difficult, but it wasn’t until recently that I really understood how coordinated (and talented) you have to be to play, especially play well. That is, until this guy I’m dating introduced me to Guitar Hero. Now, I know I’m behind the curve here, and that Guitar Hero is, in fact, a video game, but that game is HARD. And seeing people that are really masters at it has given me a whole new appreciation for guitarists in general.  Bliss, a singer-songwriter, whose cd ShhhPOW! has found a heavy rotation in my car since Thursday night’s gig, is a master guitarist. I bet he’s really great at Guitar Hero. And so as soon as I heard him start to strum, I was impressed.

Second, his name is just cool. And Bliss happens to be my favorite Phish song. And the middle name of my first-yet-to-be-conceived daughter. (Yes, woman name our children in advance. It has nothing to do with you.) So I was partial going in. But bliss also describes the aura of music that Bliss performed for nearly two hours. His lyrics are deep, sometimes abstract, sometimes comical, but they all ended up putting a happy step in my feet. Listening to live music always does that, but Bliss seemed to have the majority of the more than 100 people at the show dancing with the joy of seeing good music. Put quite simply, his music, while introspective and with depth, is just fun.

And finally, he won me over with the one cover he played during the set, Iko Iko. As a New Orleans native, how am I not supposed to love him after that?

Although I really, really enjoyed his show, I find myself having a hard time describing his sound. One song started off with me recalling Steely Dan. I could see Maroon 5 in there. His voice is unique, but reminds you of someone else, someone you just can’t put your finger on. A fellow concert goer, Cori Howard, tried to figure it out all night, with no luck. She did have this to say about the show:  “I didn’t even know they had bands at the Hard Rock Café anymore. I thought it had morphed into just another TGIF (restaurant), but I was surprised. These guys could play instruments and they were good.”

Bliss is not just a solo act. He performs with two other guitarists, bassist, drummer and keyboardist, who I believe pulled out a flute at some point. The result is electric, and as a not-so-unbiased new fan, I highly recommend checking him out.

www.evanbliss.com