Uh Huh Her @ Le Nationale
By: Jason Giammaria
Used to playing jam-packed venues night after night, Uh Huh Her's Montreal stop at Le Nationale lent some familiarity to their current tour. Without much room to move in the rather spacious venue, the duo from Los Angeles, California belted out their seemingly effortless songs to an overjoyed crowd that could finally release the excitement that had been building all night.
With a sound that moves from a pulsing, emotional intensity to a mysterious, almost-creeps-up-on-you pop beat, Camila Grey and Leisha Hailey have created a very unique live act. They play with a sincerity and conviction that are easy to see and feel. While both of them stay behind their keyboards for most of the set, the duo manages to keep the crowd's complete and utter attention through their music. Four columns of light at the back of the stage match each song with the same pulsing rotation of colour and designs. The combination of music and visuals made it impossible to look away from the stage.
There also seems to be an innocence about the band that is somewhat uncommon these days. It's as if they haven't been corrupted by music industry big shots. Their genuine personalities go hand-in-hand with the performance and sound.
Playing most of their debut album, Common Reaction, Uh Huh Her gave some of the background stories to their songs, invited everyone for poutine after the show and welcomed the screams of "I LOVE YOU!" coming from the crowd. It was bizarrely moving and entirely unexpected. I don't know how they did it, but they did it. Maybe it was seeing something so new, yet so familiar. Or maybe Uh Huh Her is just that good.
