Nields bond with small crowd

Band, crowd develop rapport at last week's show

The crowd that showed up for Saturday's Nields performance were in for a real treat. The band, composed of the Nields sisters, Nerissa and Katryna, and backed by the three Daves on guitar, bass and drums, put on an intimate and surprisingly spectacular show that had the audience tapping their feet and dancing in the aisles.

For the pre-show, a taped version of "Que Sera Sera" was pumped through the loudspeakers. However, the swaying stopped when the Nields hit the stage and began to rock out. The unique and powerful vocals of Nerissa and Katryna backed by the bass driven rhythms proved to be a good combination for a fun band. It was well worth the $4 ticket spent on the show.

The show was upbeat and the band seemed to be in good spirits. There was never a dull moment. The audience was treated to many Nields jokes, including a language that they had made up while on the road together. For example, "Sumo" means something deep in nature or meaning. "Gracious" replaces "righteous" and "Crisp" means something fresh and new.

That having been said, the Nields played many "crisp" new songs off their new album, Play, as well as some of their older works. Some highlights included "Last Kisses," a sad tribute to Valentines Day, and "Georgia O," a reaffirmation of womanhood ("I wanna be a woman like you / I wanna be a woman like me"), and dedication to a friend, an Oberlin graduate.

The band's style - a combination of rock and folk - is a good mix. It kept the audience going and held their attention. Fast-paced and silly songs like "Superhero Soup" made the audience laugh, and anyone who has experienced a one-night stand that fell apart understood the touching song "I Know What Kind of Love This Is."

The Nields appreciated the energy and responsiveness of the Oberlin audience. They said the crowd made them feel comfortable playing all their stuff, from the folksy songs to the rocking ones. The camaraderie made for a good intimate bond between audience and performer.

The show was not without its quirks. Nerissa recited a poem about Barbie: "I think that I shall never see/a thing as pretty as Barbie." Of course, the poem ends not praising Barbie, but by being thankful that she is not a Barbie doll.

Another high point was when lead guitarist David Nields took a leap off the stage, ran around the audience, pausing to let one audience member strum his guitar, before jumping back on stage - all while still playing.

Towards the end of the more than two-hour set, the classic rock fans in the audience were treated to a cover of the Beatles "Lovely Rita Meter Maid" and a snippet of The Who's "Baba O'Riley." It was hard for the band to say good-bye, and as the crowd cheered for more, they came back out to play four more songs for their encore, making sure their exit would leave a mark.

It was a night well-spent, leaving Obies who hadn't heard of the Nields with some great tunes to whistle, and a new band to rave about.

Sister Act: Katryna Nields, of the band with the same name, alone in last week's Finney performance. (photo by Laren Rusin)