by: Daniel Dissinger
The Burnt Toast has become the center for all local art, music, and poetry since the closing of Albums on Hill Bistro. On August 1st, The Burnt Toast restaurant was proud to present the music of Pete Laffin and Tim Haufe. Pete and Tim are from New York, Poughkeepsie to be exact. They’ve been playing together for some time now, which made this performance extra special.
In 2007, Pete Laffin released his album The Still Point of the Turning World. To quote from Brendan Hamilton’s review, “The Still Point of the Turning World captures a perfect blend of sound and space, of rawness and harmony; it is, quite simply, a profoundly human work”. It seems that some of today’s contemporary songwriters–once stripped of all the glitz and electronic illusion– become nothing but another space in a room. Pete Laffin is that exception. His live performance complements the albums quiet and subtle playfulness with desire and melancholy. There is an honesty one can capture from Pete Laffin as he sings, not to you but for you. Pete Laffin is a humble artist, which allows him the space he requires to be, at full volume, enormous. Some of the highlights from Pete Laffin’s performance were some of the amazing songs he covered. His rendition of Patience, by Guns n Roses, was hauntingly stripped down. I’ve always thought the only way to successfully perform a cover is to weave it into your own song, while honoring the original mark it had once made. As Pete Laffin’s voice reached the high notes of the song’s climax, I started to wonder if Axel Rose ever sang it correctly to begin with. When Pete sang Going To California by Led Zeppelin, his hypnotic vocals pulled me in from the rambling crowd of the Burnt Toast. My ears were perfectly in tune with the shush of his echo.
One of my favorite moments of Pete Laffin’s performance, was the song We are Crazy which is off his album, The Still Point of the Turning World. This song really showcases his voice and songwriting skills. Because he plays a slow and soft arpeggio style on the song, you can really hear every syllable of the lyrics. Considering the background noise of The Burnt Toast, this was a brave song choice. Pete kept singing, even though the crowd continued to get louder. But at the same time, the ballad’s sound began to encapsulate the entire environment– the silent patron, the chattering of college girls– it all became part of this song’s desperate strength.
Tim Haufe reached the stage– which was just another chair– to join Pete Laffin. I could already feel the electricity of this duo before a single note was hummed. They opened their set with a song on Pete’s album, Dr. Poop in San Diego. This song is liked a conversation that you would have with a friend– a friend you trust with just about everything, from your childhood crushes to your darkest secrets. When Pete and Tim sang this song, this element rang clear. Each harmony waved easily from ear to ear, pitched perfectly, almost good enough to taste. I could tell that these two were having themselves a great time. Who cares about the audience, if they listen they listen and if they don’t, well, Pete and Tim made sure to play even louder. When they played You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go by Bob Dylan, there was an eruption of familiarity vibrating throughout the room that only happens between clinking glasses of beer. Pete Laffin and Tim Haufe’s vocals rang out over the crowd, as if they were being played from a brightly lit jukebox.
You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
Tim Haufe’s solo set exhibited his talent as a songwriter. His guitar playing matches the fearlessness of his voice. At first, I heard, what seemed like, remnants of Jeff Buckley’s voice resonating above the room, then, Tim’s voice distinctly takes shape and all you hear is Tim Haufe. With his eyes closed and head moving back and forth, Tim performed with the confidence of an entire band. The strength of his voice allows the audience to envision a full band forming behind him. I was seeing it right before my eyes; first, the bass would kind of stagger in before the rhythm guitar– and just before Tim drops his voice on the track– the drums would roll in on a whispered, but crashing cymbal. Tim has all the qualities one looks for in a live performance: He is in tune with the elasticity of the crowd. He can feel the room’s mood changing and he plays over moments of silence with strong displays of vocal solos.
Few singer songwriters hold the room as tight as Tim Haufe. With his command of the music and confident presence, he doesn’t even allow a slight slip-up pull him off beat. To compare his lyrics to poems would be an injustice. He is as pure a songwriter as they come. I myself, a poet, can’t form a single lyric for a song. Tim embodies the musicality of his images, the sound of lines and words. There is never a moment that Tim forgets there’s music involved. What I really enjoyed about Tim Haufe’s set were the bluesey elements of some of his songs, like the song Turquoise, off his album Downstairs. I thought that his performance of this song was a great way to introduce himself to the audience. I could feel myself being drawn closer and closer to the music as the song went on. Tim’s presence is humble, as well as big, but not void of awareness. Tim is also a master of cover songs, his rendition of Rocky Raccoon, by the Beatles, was nothing but amazing.
By the end of Tim’s performance, the audience was pleading for more; I couldn’t blame them. His second encore was a song off his album When the Sky is Clear, which takes the same title. There was nothing soft about his vocal delivery of this song. Tim conducted the song’s crescendos in all the right places, while pulling sensations of want and loss from each audience member that added a layer of comforting familiarity to his performance. Pete Laffin and Tim Haufe put on a magnificent show. Both of these musicians– these artists– are dedicated to their craft, and exude a modest display of talent. It’s was a great pleasure to walk into a hot and humid restaurant only to be treated to quality music by honest musicians.
You can contact Pete Laffin at http://www.myspace.com/petelaffin and Tim Haufe at http://www.myspace.com/timhaufe
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