CAMBRIDGE, MA - October 4—"I know I lost just a little bit on the journey, when my mind's been split by little things that didn't fit on the way... 'Cos I'm trying so hard to get going." Ian Hunter

"The church not made by hands, not contained by man, that precious place unmade by man." Mike Scott

Like Li Po, I will mount a long wind some day and break the heavy waves and set my cloudy sail straight and bridge the deep, deep sea. Hard is my journey to get to any Boston/Cambridge Ryanhood performance. Otherwise it isn’t the same experience.

Ryanhood emerged from the catacombs of Boston. Embedded in their official bio are testaments to their legendary roots as subway platform performers. They talk about walking the streets of Boston in “Stopless.” They mention legendary venues and landmarks in Cambridge on their new “(You Have To) Start Somewhere.” Hence, seeing Ryanhood in Boston/Cambridge isn’t a full experience unless one walks those same streets and rides those MBTA connections prior to the performances.

My journey commenced several blocks east of Harvard University’s Sanders Theater, winding its way through the outer banks of Harvard Yard, incorporating the Le Corbusier-designed Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts along the way. At Harvard Square I embarked upon the requisite subway ride, albeit just one Red Line stop to Porter Square in the northern sector of Cambridge. The journey ended with a brisk walk up Massachusetts Avenue onto Rindge Avenue, a neighborhood that time forgot about until recently; the unique Federal and Victorian-era houses are in the process of being restored to their former splendor. And thenÖ the sojourn brought me to the show’s Venue—the Cambridge Vineyard.
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The Cambridge Vineyard is in essence the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Boston. It’s housed in what was readily evident once a Roman Catholic edifice in its most Romanesque architectural style. The sure-tell signs are the stained glass windows on the sides with the images of the twelve Stations of the Cross. In the front, one can see the rose window in the direct center (stained glass circle). You can tell it is also of the Romanesque type because of the round arches placed everywhere. If it was from the gothic time period they would have been pointed. Also of the Romanesque time period you have the squared off spires (two front towers). Gothic style had pointed towers. Our nation’s early Christian architecture was predominantly Protestant, and the prevailing architectural style was Gothic, with its tall vertical lines and pointed arches. This church building, in comparison, was so Roman Catholic as to daunt this once obedient Catholic altar boy. Let’s just say that these Romanesque buildings were designed to invoke fear and intimidation (as well as separation) of the ‘hierarchy’ whose pipeline to the Deity far outweighed that of the mortal parishioners. Churches of this type weren’t meant to be user friendly.
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How the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Boston has transformed this structure from fear and vengeance to something warm and inviting! For starters, you can see the front of the church has three round arches. This is known as the front portal (frontal entrance). It’s no longer functional. Participants enter from the back of the building, in an area that once housed the Roman Catholic sacristy. The sanctuary (in Catholic churches, the front part of the church from which the service is conducted, as distinct from the nave, where the congregation sits, which is usually an elevated platform, typically three steps up from the nave) is now a general meeting area; one steps down into a bright and inviting meeting area, fitted with very comfortable and high quality chairs as opposed to the traditional pews (inherited through the ages more for their practicality than their comfort). The “altar” is a large stage platform, which indicates that the services are musically oriented, most likely in the modern rock, folk, and gospel idioms. It’s an inviting atmosphere.
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Ryanhood’s performing career has involved the most diverse of venue types, and places of worship are no exception. They’ve performed shows in storefront worship houses, as well as large, fully developed and functioning parishes such as the Wintonbury Baptist Church of Bloomfield, CT (whose leaders I still owe an immense debt of gratitude for treating me so well and respectfully during my visit there). The Cambridge Vineyard is certainly the grandest, most majestic, and far technically superior of all the places of worship I've seen Ryanhood perform at to date.
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My views on Christian traditions? Well, I’m not exactly a practicing paid-up Christian, but I grew up and have lived within a Christian society for 60 years, and much appreciate the festive occasions and family togetherness and nostalgia of Christian-based holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Without them, there would be that much less to celebrate and enjoy in this troubled world.

Ryanhood, in my estimation, represents the very best of what Christianity has to offer: hopes, wishes, and dreams. And redemption. I think of their performances as Ryanhood and the Road to Redemption. They challenge. They teach. They encourage. They entertain. They accept. Acceptance; it’s perhaps the most important element in the Ryanhood milieu. They’re not judgmental, and certainly not exclusive. They perform for and are enjoyed by all ages and backgrounds.
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Those new to the Ryanhood experience began their maiden voyage with a beautiful introduction (some brand new song in its developmental stage) segueing into the elegant and profound “Around the Sun.” “Don’t you want to stop taking personal offense? And stop talk—talk-talking about love in the future tense?” Poignant words from two of the most intelligent and astute young men I know. Excellent tune; beautiful harmonies; and gorgeous instrumentation. All sounding regal in the former Catholic fortress with modern-day suspended sound absorbers.

Some songs are odes to being better people (“Okay,” “Mature”). Others are true grit, soulful rockers (“Nothing But The Real Thing”). Two are mesmerizing feats of instrumental skill and precision (“Appy Jam” and Nickel Creek’s “Ode To A Butterfly”). The whole repertoire, however, makes the audience think. Such as, how can we enrich others’ lives? How can we contribute something of value to society? Within a framework of remarkably sophisticated musical structures, they let the audience see them as real people with hopes, fears, struggles and weaknesses. That’s their gift to the audience—and their contribution to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship of Greater Boston. It was substantial.

On this gorgeous autumn afternoon, Ryanhood performed the following:

(INTRO) AROUND THE SUN
STOPLESS
APPY JAM
OKAY
MATURE
SAD AND HAPINESS
THE WORLD AWAITS
(YOU HAVE TO) START SOMEWHERE
(INTRO) SECOND CITY
BORN TO RUN TO YOU
ODE TO A BUTTERFLY
ROSEMARY
SOMETHING MORE
GARDENS AND THE GRAVES
NOTHING BUT THE REAL THING
WELCOME YOU INTO MY HEAD
ENCORE: BACK INTO BLUE (COMPLETELY ACOUSTIC VERSION)