Left Hand Smoke to Unleash Tiny Revolution March 22, By Steve Stav

A lot comes along between one’s early twenties and the midst of “thirtysomething” — careers, wives, children — but the spark of youthful, musical chemistry doesn’t always diminish over time. Some fourteen years and six albums after Left Hand Smoke made their first Seatown splash as local-radio darlings, the band certainly still has “It.”

Through the ups and downs of not only the hard-knock music business but the trials and tribulations of life itself, the core lineup of Ronan O’Mahony, Ben Mish and Mish’s brother Will have remained intact. Along with longtime drummer Andrew Cloutier, they’ve gone from a group riding a huge, loyal wave of UW-student fans to an outfit that memorably went toe-to-toe with Maroon 5 in an opening slot. From an act that was often erroneously labeled a “jam band” for years to performers whose compositional craftiness has garnered them several song placements on primetime TV shows.

Indeed, a lot has happened over the last decade-plus, but Left Hand Smoke’s calling card — one hell of a live show — has not only remained consistent, it’s naturally improved with age. Ben’s band-leading, keyboard-playing, blues-crooning appeal remains terribly infectious; accomplished utility infielder/sideman Ronan’s enthusiasm is more than intact; Andrew’s groove behind the kit has only gotten groovier, and Will… well, the man’s ability with six strings places him among the most gifted (and most overlooked) guitarists on the west coast. In a parallel universe, Will Mish would’ve been on the cover of Guitar Player years ago, instead of remodeling houses by day.

Given these attributes, one might ask why Left Hand Smoke hasn’t broken into the big leagues by now. The answer is complicated. Why isn’t Jesse Sykes an international star, already? Why didn’t new Portlandians Other Lives’ last album go to the moon, instead of merely achieving low-earth orbit? Music’s a funny business, and Seattle (and PDX) are strange towns. In the past, I’ve often labeled Left Hand Smoke as the “Band Most Likely To Succeed,” and I’ve urged the band to leave the Jet City and never look back. They didn’t. The group has made some hard decisions — including avoiding the pursuit of any ol’ record deal they could get their hands on, in a topsy-turvy era in the industry. They’ve made tough choices that they — not their fans, and certainly not music critics — had to live and be comfortable with, and I respect the band for that. This has resulted in earning the status of “local treasure,” albeit a local treasure who could still easily break nationally tomorrow.

Celebrating the release of their latest album, Tiny Revolution, Left Hand Smoke will be bringing their room-owning, sweat-inducing act to Seattle Hard Rock Cafe on March 22. If you’re among those who haven’t kept tabs on the band’s remarkable career, it’s never too late to catch up.

– Steve Stav

Left Hand Smoke Website – http://lefthandsmoke.wordpress.com

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