Keane Anything But a "Bad Dream"

As he sheepishly batted his hands at the audience in embarrassment, Keane’s lead singer Tom Chaplin mumbled, “thanks guys” under his breath, clearly taken aback by the overwhelming applause.  Keane had just finished playing their new single “Stop For a Minute” for a captive audience of about fifty people in Webster Hall’s musty basement.  As Chaplin sang “and if I stop for a minute / I think about things I really don’t wanna know” the audience swayed along, eyes glued to the stage, the general feel of the whole afternoon.

From the moment the band stepped onstage, everyone in the room was literally on the edge of their seats, thoughts like “what songs will they play?” and “are they even good live?” running through their heads.  Blasting through six songs in what seemed like no time at all, Keane masterfully transitioned their giant songs into intimate, acoustic hymns.  They kicked things off with their aforementioned hit “Stop For a Minute” which they flipped from a rock anthem into a slower, romantic ballad (minus rapper K’Naan’s verse).  It worked, and the audience approved.  They seamlessly segued to another new song, “Clear Skies,” already a mellow song to begin with.  All four band members harmonized on this track, singing “I’ve never seen such high hopes / I’ve never seen such tired eyes” as drummer Richard Hughes dutifully kept beat with a tambourine.

“Shine a light on you / shine a light” Chaplin’s breathtaking voice echoed in the small basement, ushering in “My Shadow,” a song most recently used on the hit television show Grey’s Anatomy.  For several chunks of the song, the band fell silent, allowing Chaplin to command the room with only his voice as a true instrument.  The experience was haunting in the best possible sense; it was as close to witnessing Freddie Mercury live in the flesh as humanly possible.

Somehow, their biggest hit “Somewhere Only We Know” underwent a complete transition; it was like the first time I had ever heard the song.  It was simple and understated, as Chaplin’s majestic voice embraced the crowd with its grandeur (seriously this guy has an incredible voice).  The song packed all the passion and heartfelt intensity of the recorded version yet managed to become more personal and gorgeous.  “Sometimes I feel like a lost child / Sometimes I feel like the chosen one” the band sung in unison as a woman sitting front row center screamed “THE CHOSEN ONE” speaking, really, for the whole audience.  The session ended with a quick Q&A, which, when over, left Keane on stage in front of a wildly enthused audience who’s hands had been clapping for the better part of an hour.  It truly was a terrific prelude for their New York show this Friday night.