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Hamell on Trial
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Hamell on Trial brought his rocking and wailing tunes to Molly Malone's recently, and LAist was there.
Ed Hamell, the one man band that is Hamell on Trial, has been playing his guitar and touring for more than a decade, and he ain't your average guy. While he doesn't really fit into a particular "genre" of music, he most definitely is not a folksinger. His songs are all autobiographical, and some evoke somber feelings and moods, but most of them involve Ed pounding and wailing on his guitar. You'll find yourself wondering why the guitar just doesn't burn up while he plays.
Ed rocked the back room at Molly Malone's for most of the evening, after an opening by the talented and evocative Spellbox. Most of his set consisted of newer songs, but he threw the audience a few bones from his older sets, including "Choochtown". He also let the audience in on what really happened when he got booted from the stage at the Knitting Factory (the bouncer was a censoring jerk), and tested out a few new songs. Between songs, while gulping water, Ed talks to the audience in a style that most stand-up comedians would envy. He is instantly comfortable almost anywhere, and makes you feel like he's letting you in a secret just between you and him.
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If you get a chance to catch him when he's in Los Angeles, he comes highly recommended.
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