A couple of years ago, several Campbell students visited Nashville on a mission trip and saw an incredible group of musicians perform. These students were so blown away that they insisted that the band come to Campbell to perform. On October 9thand 10th, Campbell University was privileged enough to host The Vespers, an up and coming folk band.
When I walked into Turner Auditorium for Campbell University Worship on October 10th, I had no idea what awaited me. To my surprise, I spotted a huge upright bass, a banjo, a mandolin, drums, and a couple of guitars on the stage. I curiously watched two girls clad in cotton dresses followed by bearded guys (one who “looked like Jesus,” according to a few members of the audience) walk out onto the platform. They picked up their instruments and prepared themselves to begin playing. Suddenly, a burst of two perfectly-harmonizing, bluesy voices sailed through the auditorium, and all the eyes in the audience collectively widened (except for those sleeping or studying). The vocal ability of those two girls, who I later learned were sisters named Callie and Phoebe Cryar, was absolutely astonishing. Their harmonies intertwined so well that it almost seemed like one voice. After a few A capella lines, they began accompanying themselves – Phoebe on the mandolin, Callie on the guitar, Bruno on the bass, and his brother Taylor (AKA Jesus) on the drums.
The versatility of these musicians was extremely impressive. They switched instruments with each other like they were playing the childhood game of hot potato. All of the band members could seemingly play all of instruments on stage. The eclectic types of songs they performed were amazing as well. The sisters could go from singing a vivacious blues song (“Tell Your Mama”) at the top of their lungs to a soft ballad about their grandfather’s death (“Eyes Wide Open”). Their voices could play both parts perfectly. There is really no way to accurately describe their sound. Although they primarily used bluegrass instruments, the music cannot adequately be described as solely bluegrass. It was more of a mixture of folk and blues. According to one member of the audience, who I had the privilege to talk to after the show, their genre could be considered Americana.
To fully understand the phenomenon that is The Vespers, you just have to hear them. Their album Tell Your Mama is available on iTunes. I highly recommend their songs “Cottonfield” and “Dear Sir” – two beautifully sweet love songs that any collegiate™ would adore. The vast majority of the students present at October 10th concert flocked to The Vespers’ merchandise table to pick up a copy of their CD and are still in awe about how wonderful the album is.