Despite Nashville feeling like the inside of a rice steamer on Thursday afternoon, The Medium (and a couple of assistants) piled gamely into their practice space for the latest installment of the Scene’s No-Contact Shows series. The pop-schooled rock quartet met the very contemporary challenge of streaming a show from their house in a very old-school way.
They pared back their multi-instrument arsenal and arranged themselves around the computer, like late-19th-century players cutting a wax cylinder with a recording horn. Sam Silva switched off between acoustic guitar and banjo, while Shane Parry played keys and percussion. The two swapped lead vocal duties, so they sat nearest the microphone, while Michael Brudi, on acoustic and electric guitars, and Jared Hicks, on kick drum and towel-draped snare, sat as far back as possible.
“We're happy to be performing for you in some capacity, and we hope everybody’s staying safe, being responsible and looking out for each other,” said Silva at the top of the set. “We hope to see you very soon.”
As has been the case since livestreams supplanted live shows in response to COVID-19, the situation wasn’t exactly ideal. Though a little volume riding was required to hear the between-song banter, the unconventional setup felt appropriate for the band’s music, a breezy blend that includes ’60s- and ’70s-vintage rock and pop styles (with little tinges of surf rock, Latin jazz, theatrical music and more), played just loosely enough to feel casual, with delightful doses of bright, convivial harmony.
The set included several tunes from their debut LP Get It While It’s Hot, released in September, as well as “Sugar Shark,” the B-side of their follow-up single, and a couple of as-yet-unreleased songs, “No Tomatoes” and “Space Horse.” The song that might resonate the most as we navigate a chaotic time is the Get It song “Have a Happy Day,” which is about helping each other stay as positive as possible. The narrator relies on his partner to help him keep his focus in a stressful, frustrating world, as the group sings in the call-and-response chorus: “Don’t say goodbye / (It’s temporary) / Try not to be sad / (It’s hard for me to do) / Keep up the good thoughts / (We’ll see the light of day).”
Keep an eye on the group’s website, Facebook page and Instagram to stay up-to-date on new releases and more. And be sure to snag some merch or drop them a tip via PayPal or Venmo.
