Date: Fri 10-May-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNO

Illustration: C

Quick Words:

kick-at-heaven-Phylum-concert

Full Text:

(rev of performance by kick at heaven, 5/10/96)

Concert Review-

Together, They Make Beautiful Music

(with dropquote)

By Shannon Hicks

FARMINGTON - "Personable" is a word that is becoming overused these days. When

someone can't think of a better way to explain that someone is enjoyable

company, fun to be around, easy to listen to and laugh with, maybe even a very

engaging person, it is too easy to sum it up with that one word. Personable.

Ironically, that would be the first word to come to mind if asked to describe

Jean Ganias, one half of the singer-songwriter duo kick at heaven, an act

backed by Bethel-based Phylum Records. Ganias and her other - musical - half,

Steve Uhler, performed a concert at the Farmington Arts Guild last Saturday

night that was so well received, the twosome was forced to finally confess to

its appreciative audience it could not accept any more calls for encores

because it had performed its entire repertoire.

Before reaching that final high point however, kick at heaven's multi-skilled

musicians displayed to the audience the reason Phylum was so quick to sign the

two to its label: well-written and entertaining songs, great audience rapport,

fabulous harmonies and wonderful stories to back it all up and tie it

together.

While both can, and do, capably handle lead vocals (both also play guitar and

contribute to songwriting), it is Ganias who handles the majority of lead time

at the mike. For the May 4 show in Farmington, Ganias not only handled much of

the front singing, but the story-telling in between songs as well with her

rich facial expressions and hand motions. She kept the audience entertained

with stories of songs' backgrounds and family stories, tales from the road and

even anecdotes from her own colorful past.

While the captivated audience laughed at the right punchmarks, Ganias

sometimes became caught up with her own storytelling. She laughed and smiled

repeatedly during the evening, including one point during the telling of the

background to the duo's "You & You & You," one of 12 tracks on the duo's

self-produced debut CD, Live At Sun Mountain (now available on the Phylum

label).

After telling those in attendance about the strength (and intelligence) of

writing from true experiences, Ganias went on to animatedly depict the

background for the aforementioned song. Seems during her final days in

college, a somewhat promiscusous period of her life by Ganias' own admission,

it turns out not only did she date three friends in quick succession -

"Together," she said, "they would have made the perfect man..." - but the

three men shared living quarters and all three celebrated their birthdays on

July 17.

"You can't make this [stuff] up!" she howled, while off to the side of the

stage her partner looked almost unbelievingly at her. This kind of

spontaneous, unexpected humor has brought audiences to see this dynamic

pairing since their first performance together, only two years ago.

There is an abundance of good music to be found on kick at heaven's debut

release, and much of it was performed in the sparsely-decorated stage at the

Guild. Along with debuting some new songs and presenting their own version of

Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe," kick at heaven played "Your Muse," "Big

Romance," "Sweet Mystery," "Ladies & Cowboys" - one of the few songs featuring

Uhler on lead vocals - "Martyr's Reel" and "My Baby Ain't Got No Money," among

other choice songs the two have penned.

Playing on a small stage with draped black curtains behind them and immense

works of art on either side of the hall, kick at heaven's talent was presented

in the straightforward manner so many singer-songwriters use: with guitars

slung over their shoulders and microphones in front of them (the obligatory

glass/pitcher of water situated nearby), the shows are bare-bones productions

that focus on writing talent and singing presentation, both of which Ganias

and Uhler possess prodigiously

Live At Sun Mountain was recorded at New York City's Sun Mountain Cafe in

October 1994. Rumor has it kick at heaven acquired its moniker when Ganias

went looking through Shakespeare's works in search of phrases or couplets that

would work well together. Ganias found what she was looking for while working

her way through Hamlet . There is a note of thanks, in fact, to the classic

writer for the duo's sobriquet in Sun Mountain 's liner notes.

The personable singer, songwriter and story teller did a fine job, both in

searching for the duo's stage name and again Saturday night with her other

half in Farmington.