Pop Reviews : Dramarama’s Quieter Desperation

Like Martin Mull back in the ‘70s, Dramarama decided that what a pop show really needs is some fabulous furniture.

The stage decor for the band’s semi-acoustic performance on Saturday at the Coach House included a big sofa, a coffee table, lamps, many candles, a framed picture of a young George Harrison and a silent television set that was on throughout the performance, showing the 1968 film “Candy.” Dramarama figured that getting comfy was the way to play in a stripped-down format involving bongos instead of drums and quietly amplified guitars.

The show’s main drawback was that Dramarama didn’t rearrange its musical furniture very much. The popular Southland band stuck mainly to quieter, ballad-oriented material from its often stormy repertoire, playing versions not that different from those on its albums.

What made the show worthwhile was the chance to hear deeply emotive songs in relatively intimate musical settings. Basically, an adoring crowd got to wallow with singer-songwriter John Easdale through 90 minutes of quieter-than-usual desperation as he sang about teetering relationships, hollow feelings and unmet needs. With his frayed, scratchy voice registering strongly, Easdale did a fine job of inhabiting the succession of anguished moments depicted in his songs.