Dressed to their personality, the trio of Bennington College students stood with grace, softly lit with an angelic glow. Quietly captivated, the audience gathered close to behold their presence. And as a heavy dance beat seeped through TT’s from next door, the crowd stepped towards the light evermore.
To start, Mountain Man offered “Honey Bees,” the first of five a cappella numbers (which included everything from a cover of the Mills Brother’s song “How Am I Doing Hey Hey” to a psalm). With distant gazes, the three women weaved their distinct sonorities. Against the grimy reverberations from next door, their honest harmonies were salvation, and each audience member faced the chorale, enraptured by throaty purity.
Alex Sauser-Monnig wore a quirkily knotted top and introduced the first song to involve more than their cotton-scented vocals. As Molly Sarle reached for the song’s additional element, the guitar, Sauser-Monnig bantered, “Do you guys believe in unicorns?” Sarle, blonde hair lax and dressed in a simple skirt, began with an easy vibrato, flushing the crowd of any anxiety with her sweet solo. In “Animal Tracks” her voice glazed over the others in a sheen soprano. And following some eager applause, Amelia Meath with loud red-hair and a polka-dotted shirt, joked, “We’ve got a bunch of head-nodders!”
For Meath, who is originally from Cambridge, MA, performing at TT’s was a nostalgic moment. She recalled being let in as a teenager despite her cheaply made fake I.D. because the bouncer had sympathized that she “really needed to see the show." During “Soft Skin,” Meath waved to friends in the audience, and ultimately, Mountain Man felt like fond personalities we’ve always known. The neighboring nuisance was forgotten.
While you wait for Mountain Man’s return to Boston, you can listen to more of their music on their new record Made the Harbor released on Meath’s birthday on July 20th.