PORTLAND, ME - February 29—As venues for Ryanhood performances are concerned, there are few others finer than the North Star Café in Portland, Maine. I could easily revert back to the 2004 incarnation of David D[ionne] and tell you about some of the rotten, dreadfully run, horrifically uninviting, and appallingly disinterested establishments—including one on the West Coast owned and operated by a quasi-famous music industry family—but… this is the post-2004 manifestation of the semi-artist known as David D, which is a far more positive and forgiving entity, especially where matters of Ryanhood are related. North Star Café is a fantastic place to be; visit it if you’re ever in Portland, ME. For my initial impression of this fine musical literary gallery, look here.

The atmosphere at the North Star Café is similar in many ways to my personal favorite Ryanhood performing venue—Cambridge, MA’s Club Passim. It (NSC) attracts a patronage very much like Passim’s; bright, discerning, sophisticated, and open-minded. They’re curious, as well. It’s evident that a North Star Café audience is comfortable with the unknown, and can respond to unfamiliar performers based on musical and presentational merits. This appeared to be the case this evening.

Unlike many Ryanhood performances I’ve attended, the folks in this crowd were unaware of this act, and perhaps intrigued that a duo from Tucson, Arizona would grace this stage in the midst of the coldest and most treacherous winter seasons New England has experienced for some time. Another winter storm (we refer to them as blizzards in the Northeast) was brewing and soon to arrive. I’m certain that less than a handful in the Café were aware that Ryanhood are well versed in the ways of New England winters, having endured them for close to three years as a working unit (several more for Ryan Green as a Berklee student).

Ryanhood’s set brought much lamented missing sunshine to the heart of Portland, Maine (on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean coast). For anyone familiar with Ryanhood’s repertoire, the songs ranged from the unknown to the very familiar, some presented with new instrumentation heretofore not part of their act. It had a pleasing effect on everyone in the Café; everyone stayed for the entire show, and the crowd kept building during the set’s duration until the venue was filled to capacity.

Not one to dwell too often on set-lists (I rarely do them very well or accurately, for that matter), I’ll diverge from my normal reporting of events and provide you readers with a song-for-song account—if only because I was able to consult with someone most knowledgeable about what was (and wasn’t) performed. Here’s what Ryanhood were playing on leap-year day, February 29, 2008.

The set began with a brand new song, which after a couple of minutes segued into one of Ryanhood’s oldest, the magnificent “Invitation.” The new tune is at this point in time nameless, with a working title of “Golden.” This was “Golden Part I.” It sounded good. Very good!

The set continued with “Stopless,” “Can I Kiss You,” and a new way of performing “You Used To,” where Cameron Hood assumes all guitar chores and Ryan accompanies him percussively with a combination of shakers and tambourine. It makes the song sound much like it does on the Forward CD where the full band is employed. It’s also very interesting to see, from a visual standpoint.

“Helpless Hopeless” and “Something That She Saw in Me” followed. Cameron’s brand new song was continued at this point; we’ll call it “Golden Part II” for purposes of this chronicle, and after a minute or two it transformed seamlessly into “Around the Sun,” followed by not a new rendition but a new way of performing “Gardens and the Graves.” Instead of replicating the sound of the mandolin on an amplified acoustic guitar, Ryan now actually plays a mandolin on the tune.

Tonight the legendary, red-colored Ovation guitar that has been a mainstay in most Ryanhood performances was among the missing. Something about a pick-up gone faulty, which had to be replaced at the Ovation factory in Connecticut (where fortunately Ryanhood is heading to next week). Ryan Green performed this evening via charity; i.e., a borrowed acoustic guitar. See the photographs for verification. It mattered not; Ryan restrung the lent instrument and made it sound as good as his Ovation. You wouldn’t have known the difference if you didn’t see that it was actually a different guitar. I’m convinced that Ryan Green could make a Ukulele sound like a Martin guitar!

At this point friend and fellow performer John Coons (from Portland, ME area band The Common Senses) reverted to his previous role as additional vocal accompanier to “Introduction to Human Psychology,” and once again engaged the crowd in a vociferous hand-clapping session in the song’s instrumental conclusion.

The set wrapped up with “Sad and Happiness,” and ended with another typically mesmerizing rendition of “Welcome You into My Head.” The audience reaction at set’s end was both exuberant and energetic; the response was almost overwhelming when you consider that most people in the house hadn’t heard Ryanhood beforehand. That’s my account and I’m sticking to it!