THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 19, 1994 TAG: 9406190071
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIMMY GNASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940619 LENGTH: Medium
The rest of the band started in and a T-shirt-wearing frontman began singing in that familiar, low, baritone voice.
{REST} Thus began the set by the Canadian band, Crash Test Dummies, who performed to a sold-out audience Friday night at the Boathouse.
The crowd greeted the band's mellow introduction with enthusiasm.
Next the band grooved into ``Androgynous,'' a cover song originally done by the Replacements. The tune's playful melody agreed with the Norfolk crowd as they eagerly sang along.
The Dummies didn't waste any time getting down to business. Singer Brad Roberts, whose voice is so deep it will make your speakers rattle, hardly spoke between songs the first half of the set.
When he finally did speak, it was with the politeness and tone of a Busch Gardens attendant. He thanked the crowed repeatedly and graciously for showing up and at one point commented: ``We've played many places, but I think this crowd braved the most unbearable heat.''
The crowd roared in response.
Perhaps the show's highlight was when the band slowed up the set and played their hit single ``Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm.'' Roberts' resonant voice filled the entire club as the crowd sang along literally word for word. Some spectators even bothered to flip out their lighters and wave in Zippo delight.
To keep the flow going, the band played ``Superman,'' a hit off their first album. Roberts admitted to being sick of the song because of the enormous amount of airplay it has received, but then decided to appease the crowd anyway.
Other show highlights were ``Swimming In Your Ocean,'' ``Afternoons and Coffee Spoons,'' and a surprise performance by keyboardist Ellen Reid, who stole center stage for a song.
Benjamin Darvill, who supplements the songs with harmonica and/or mandolin, was a surprise show highlight. Maintaining his position steadfast on the stage all night, Darvill blew the harmonica like a nutsy Bob Dylan on fire.
After the encore, in the crowd exiting the Boathouse, a concert-goer said to a friend, ``I really like that band. I like them because they're not snobs. And they put on a good show.'' by CNB