Hi-Five: House of Freaks - EP

…would be to get even more of HoF music up here. I see there's another album, but more would be even better. Cakewalk and the others. So sorry to hear the tragic news.

I also was fortunate enough to see them open for Midnight Oil in Dallas. Tantilla is still my own personal Joshua Tree, and Bryan's music and songs are still a large part of my life. In my humble opinion, Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott made the best music I've ever heard.

What a trip to hear another reviewer mention that House of Freaks opened for Midnight Oil. I saw the same tour in San Francisco and experienced one of those magical moments when I took an instant liking to an opening act I had never heard of before. Fast forward 20 years later. A week ago I was banging my head against every hard surface in sight trying to remember the name of this band. The banging must have helped because I woke up the next day thinking "Freaks, freaks, freaks...", then FINALLY the full band name popped into my head. I couldn't remember any songs, only that I had been blown away by their live show 20 years ago, bought their album, and loved it. Well, I downloaded some of their songs from iTunes, and right away I could hear why I dug this band so much back in college. If you appreciate sincere music with pleasing melodies, intriguing lyrics, and a steady dose of power, I recommend plopping down a buck and giving "40 Years" a few listens.

Wow! I am very sad today. I had not heard about the murders of Bryan and his family. I was lucky enough to see House of Freaks on three occasions, including their farewell performance in Richmond years ago. These guys were an amazing duo that created a full-band sound in their concert performances with just a guitar and drum set. I have all of their albums and still listen to them frequently. I'm glad to see the good folks at Rhino are recognizing this great band in this EP.

These guys were actually the opening act for the first concert I ever attended [Midnight Oil in Raleigh, NC 1987] - I didn't know what to expect from an opening band [a two-man band at that]. Bryan Harvey and Johnny Hott put on a show that continues to play in my memories 100+ concerts later. The Hi-Five EP is a great sample of their body of work. I was sickened to see the way Harvey [and his family] were murdered last year. Thankfully his killers will never enjoy another day of freedom. Rest in peace Bryan.