The Entendre ‘kids’ are alright

Stowe-based hip-hop trio Entendre celebrated the release of their self-titled debut album in the “library” of the Vermont Ale House on Mountain Road Sunday night. Fans, relatives and well-wishers crowded around the band and the stairwell leading to the performance space to dance, sing and support these local kids “livin’ the dream,” as kids say nowadays.

By now, you’ve probably noted the advancing age of this reviewer, probably tipped off by his use of the increasingly antiquated term, “album.” It was a compact disc the reviewer received before the show began. But, to his older, hairier ears, it has the cohesive feel of a complete work, more like the vinyl albums of my youth by bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin than the looser collections of songs that many CDs (already on the way out, I’ve just been told) seem to be.

Musically, I find myself reaching further and further back, past the “classic rock” that thrilled in my youth to sounds stretching to the scratchy beginnings of recorded music. Still, I found something very compelling in Sunday night’s performance, from beginning to end.

Entendre was founded in 2012 by Lauren Paine and Matthew Binginot of Morrisville, as well as Ryan Denno, who came up here years ago, as many of us have, from southern regions of New England. Sorry about the use of the term “kids,” guys. Fact is, I know little about today’s music, so I’ll let Entendre speak for themselves, from their promotional printings: “We have come to find ourselves somewhere in the vast spectrums of hip-hop, electronica and soul music.”

Their music is bright, and as performers, they showed confidence and grace Sunday night, delivering sounds I not only felt but knew as my own music from mine own youth.

In one of a string of lyrical flourishes, Ryan proclaimed the band’s sound came from Hendrix by way of Lennon, with a lot of Bob Marley and a little bit of Zeppelin. The combination of the produced beats with the strong vocals, energy and sass of all three band members added up to, even with the f-bombs, something that had class — like the Rat Pack for a new space age.

The engaging originals of the new release ended as Lauren kicked into their song “Midnight,” sultrily singing, “It’s midnight, and I got nowhere else to be. The streets are so empty.”

Then the band thanked the crowd, and in unison with the audience, began belting, “Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroi-oi-oit. He took the midnight train going anywhere.” It’s a song from my youth by ’80s band Journey called “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

In the glow after the show, I got to talk with Lauren for a moment and remarked on how unbelievable it is to me that Journey, regarded as a bit of a teenybopper band in their day, seems to hold an even bigger sway now. Her face crinkled with the same amusement as she said, “I know!” and I felt the steady vibration of the string that stretches from our first hums to who knows where.

To quote The Who (some of you younger folk can Google it), “The Kids Are Alright,” and it was more than something personal — it was music. And, although copyrighters may disagree, it seemed, for that little while, that it was all of ours.

John Wilson is a comedian, singer and former lift attendant at Stowe Mountain Resort. Comment on this article at stowereporter.com, or email letters to news@stowereporter.com.