Indie Pop Therapy

Asters Lounge
Indie pop therapy
By Kit Restivo, Berkshire Eagle Staff

Wednesday, December 19
Everybody has stress in their life. Most of us probably have more than we need. We're human, we create stress.

Making a feeble attempt to escape the stresses of everyday life, a friend and fellow co-worker, Michael Leonard, accompanied me to Asters Lounge over the weekend to unwind and see the Justin Allen Trio perform. Upon entering, I discovered that the ladyfriend whom I had been interested in, and was meeting at the venue, was sitting at the bar with "some guy." A date? Was she on a date? Instantly my body tensed up and anxiety set in.

Some of us would choose to disperse that stress in fits of aggression, screaming into a pillow or punching a heavy bag. Others would rather be cradled and cared for, told that everything's going to be OK, reassured that the world is not as bad as it may sometimes seem. However, something else happened - the Justin Allen Trio.

It was Justin Mneimneh (pronounced "name-knee") and Pat Mack performing without their third bandmate, keyboardist Dave O'Brien.

"I don't even know/ But I can tell that we could be more than friends/ Leave all what you had behind you/ Let me remind you/ Of what it means to love again " he crooned smoothly through the sound system.

If Atlas had been present, the world would have tumbled lightly off of his back as he sat back in one of the lounge chairs.

Mneimneh's soothing voice can be compared to many popular musicians - the John Butler Trio, John Mayer, Pete Murray, Ben Harper; Jack Johnson being a major influence - the group covers several of the soft-spoken surfer's songs.

The pair don't have pained expressions on their faces, despite the melodic undertone of heartache in the songs. Mack plays the djembe like a beating heart, while Mneimneh's face broadcasts a message through a slight grin - "I understand your woes, and I can relate. Crazy things happen in the world, but they all happen for a reason."

That may be reading a little too deep, but the duo's stage presence is amazing, their instruments seem as though they are extensions of their bodies.