Guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist Jeff Pinto leaned over to vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist/violinist Natasha Pasternak and pecked her on the cheek before joining in on a juicy four-part harmony. This moment captured the essence of Hands & Teeth perfectly: a tight-knit group of friends, showcasing their cohesive musical talents through feel-good harmonies and head-bobbing melodies. The fivesome not only made rock n’ roll look easy last night at the at Sneaky Dee’s, but it also seemed as if they had a blast doing it.

Like a game of musical chairs, the band often jumped from instrument to instrument. Jeff was shredding on the guitar one minute, the next he was hammering away on the keys. After opening with the violin, Natasha eventually made her rounds on the guitar and the black and whites. Stage left, Derek Monson and Kevin Black did a change up too. Initially playing bass, Derek jumped on the xylophone while Kevin traded his six-string for a fiver. And to keep things interesting, each front man slash woman took a turn serenading on lead vocals. Wait, so who did I say was on first again?

A notable song on the set list was Kansas City. Clean licks and tantalizing riffs sang an ode to the dirty south. A quarter of the way through, Jeff set the band loose with an abrupt time change. The vicious drumbeat established groundwork for foot-stomping rhythms and grooves as the stage burst with cohesive energy. Fast-paced melodies broke out in a Broken Social Scene-esq jam, with each member crashing down hard on their respective instruments.

The band’s relentless vigor didn’t quite trickle down to the crowd. Though the audience showed the courtesy to cheer and woo, they were determined to keep their feet planted. During one point of the show, Jeff stood at the edge of the stage to stir some life into the crowd. He clapped his hands and they followed. But his infectious charisma didn’t quite stick to the floor. Still, the band continued to play with passion and force enough for the entire venue. As the evening proved, not even a group of stone-faced statues could keep Hands & Teeth from having their fun.

Photos by Andrew Weir