Hangtime at The Dime 3/25

Hangtime is a rockin’ local band who really brought the ante up at the Dime on Thursday. They are composed of 2 guitarists, a bassist, and a drummer, and also on Thursday a singer graced us with his presence for the first time since I have seen them play. They are probably on the more original, “jam band”-esque side of the music scene that I have heard in the Orono/Old Town area so far, and I dig it… very refreshing. When I first saw Hangtime in February, I thoroughly enjoyed their sound, but it seemed like many songs started in the middle; with only some slight build up and/or come down. (We need that climax!) This was Not the case Thursday night, and I think they have gotten a lot tighter just since I first saw them; really seem to have improved. I enjoy the mix of slight structure with plenty of extended jamming.

The singer was new for me. I have seen Hangtime twice before, but never with vocals. I think the singer had a good, unique style, but my impression was that he didn’t always fit with Hangtime’s sound. He does, however, add a lot to their energy and image.
These dudes play covers very sparingly, having many tunes of their own to rock you. I would say it's more like they just jam on a familiar tune, putting more of themselves into the song than playing someone's song note for note. I like this concept…but I didn’t enjoy hearing Fire on the Mountain altered in such a way…I don't recall hearing even the chorus once...but that song is pretty sacred to me, so my opinion is a bit biased. However, Hangtime ended the show epically with some righteously fantastic licks and beats, including a nasty jam on Too Many Puppies by Primus. As the night got later, the band seemed to dig the energy from the crowd, composing their music in a manner that you could not help but move to. I definitely recommend checking these guys out for yourself. The jams are Tight, like your mom.