The Everymen, who describe their sound as “sweaty Jersey-style beer-guzzlin’ party rock,” seem like the kind of band that would get almost as much enjoyment out of playing for five people as they would playing for a thousand.

This is an especially good thing because the turn out last Thursday at The Thought Lot was less than stellar.

This was probably a result of the fact that the whole event was pretty much thrown together at the last minute.

Some bands could have used this as an excuse to come out and give the few fans there a lethargic, uninspired concert, but The Everymen was not that sort of band.

From the opening moments, the band’s energy was infectious. The front end of the concert was highlighted by “Fingers Crossed,” a throwback jam of sorts, which relied heavily on the vocal work of female lead singer, Catherine Herrick, who was more than up to the task. It also featured a robust horn section, which could not help but get your toes tapping. Then they rolled right into “New Jersey Hardcore,” shortened to “NJHC” on the album.

This was a tongue-in-cheek ballad to the band’s home state of New Jersey, in which they seemingly named every notable person who hailed from New Jersey.

One of the more impressive aspects of the concert was the way the band fluently changed between a number of different musical styles without forcing any of them.

For instance, the opening verse of “Spain” gave the audience the impression that this may be the point in the concert where The Everymen would slow it down. That did not last long, though, as the song moved from a folk tune to a full-fledged rock song in a manner of minutes.

They also included some covers that, once again, showed their range as a band. First playing their take on Neil Young’s “Don’t Cry No Tears,” then ending the show with “You Might Be Right,” by Billy Joel.

Despite some lighting issues and the weak turnout, it was undoubtedly a fun night for all involved.
The great time was mostly due to The Everymen appearing to have such a good time on stage that one could not help but get into the action.

Frontman Michael Venutolo-Mantovani’s banter between songs kept the mood light and helped establish an all-inclusive feel to the concert.

The rest of band members were almost never static, constantly moving about the stage and interacting with each other, giving the whole thing an awesome party vibe.

Here is to hoping they return to Shippensburg soon.

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