While there are many musicians who impress by pushing the limits of the electric guitar, Cory Hanson drinks from a different goblet.
And once any discerning listener has witnessed the LA-based artist performing with his band, Wand, forever expanded will be their vision of how far a rock composition can venture and how mighty it can be.
DMV music goers packed into Songbyrd Music House the night of July 20 for the out-of-body experience that is Wand live in the flesh, and by stimulating with songs both recent and established, the group proved why it’s become so widely respected as a daring and inventive psych rock entity.
Hanson and his bandmates are out on the loose to promote their new album, Vertigo, released this week on Drag City, and the sold-out stop in the nation’s capital last week was an important one as longtime fans and younger ones as well were treated to a mind-bending set of music that showcased not only Hanson’s stunning abilities on the guitar, but also the impressive skills of his crew.
Along with him on guitar was Robert Cody; Evan Backer played bass and Evan Burrows pounded the drums. Changing electrics as he went, Hanson additionally utilized what looked like a synthesizer or effects deck of some sort, positioned on a stand to his left.
Listen to Vertigo, the newly released studio album from Wand, via Spotify:
All night, he played in motion — standing up high on his toes, tossing up his right arm, hopping, falling to his knees, headbanging, and leaning back to soak the wee bit of light in the place. He drew tremendous sound from the set of Marshall amps behind him, and by the fourth or fifth song, he was down to his undershirt and dripping with sweat.
Songbyrd and its patrons were treated to a large portion of Vertigo, including new singles “JJ” and “Smile,” depictions that could go on forever with their open design and thanks to Hanson and this tireless crew of players.
“Goodness gracious, it’s great to be back in DC,” Hanson addressed the crowd each time with an introductory tone.
“What an amazing place,” he said later in the set. “What an incredibly complicated place it is here. All the big decisions get made here.”
His comments led to a bit of a back-and-forth with the crowd — even an overtly disgruntled “BURN IT DOWN!” — but Wand was fast to return to action in a set that featured Vertigo tracks in the first half and then dug into the catalogue down the backstretch.
The band’s rolling graphic collage was projected on the stage wall, and, in near darkness, it was easy for patrons to be hypnotized by the illusory presentation.
Since founding Wand in 2013, Hanson’s steered the band through some lineup changes while building a book of vast compositions. Meanwhile, he’s put out his own compelling and critically acclaimed material, and his cryptic but convincing croon adds mystique to the band’s and his own songs, too.
Growing an already expansive sound by way of hair-raising electric guitar feats, Wand is rightfully attracting fans of jambands, metal, and progressive rock, but more ears in general. Last week in DC, the group looked and sounded every bit like a band finding an invincible stride.
Below are home-rolled, home-developed and home-scanned 35mm film shots of Wand performing at Songbyrd Music House in Washington DC the night of July 20, 2024. All photos copyright and courtesy of Casey Ryan Vock.
