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ACL: Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards
Under a ridiculously hot sun in the middle of a sky that appeared to shimmer from the heat, Cincinnati’s Heartless Bastards — vocalist Erika Wennerstrom, bassist Mike Lamping and drummer Kevin Vaughn — played like old pros undaunted by the heat as sweat dripped from their fingers and faces.
Wennerstrom possessed a skilled polish in her voice that was note perfect. She rocked a heavy-as-thunder sounding, golden Gibson Les Paul. The women in the audience appeared especially inspired; it’s always heartwarming to watch a short-stature female rock with more verve and power than all the boys around her, and Wennerstrom’s guitar and spirited, soul-stirring vocals carried in the breeze across Zilker Park.
The piano intro to “Into The Open” created an elegiac elegance that worked as a unique contrast before the band kicked in with the rock. The band’s version of their song “Onion” proved popular with the audience, too. But for me, the set’s highpoint came in the closer, an amped-up rendition of “Runnin’” from their acclaimed 2005 album, “Stairs and Elevators.” Although Wennerstrom is still considerably young, she has that unspeakable, nearly indescribable something special in her delivery, presence and songwriting that suggests she will be in the rock ‘n’ roll game for a long time to come.
(Photo by Brian K. Diggs AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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