BrightestYoungThings: PHOTOS: Family Hemerlein Variety Show

all photos: Priscilla De Lima Ledesma
all brief words: Svetlana
After a couple of months of birthing/teething/soon-to-be-walking labor it was wonderful to see The Family Hemerlein Variety show (which happens every last Thursday of every single month) come into it's own. The April edition saw us back at Warehouse Theatre and the evening confirmed that, always, you can expect anything to happen. So, lets take a stroll through the show, top to bottom:

Matt Hemerlein (the gracious music host of the evening) and Lex Paulson (of Child Ballads, Lightfoot and anywhere else where dapperly playing keyboards is needed) kicked the night off with a cover of Nat King Cole's "When I Fall in Love". It WILL be forever.

Next up, Seaton Smith (the gracious comedy host for the evening) warms the crowd up with some stolen cable stories. Plus, he looked really good in that Bentzen Ball t-shirt, that everyone should be buying.

The comedy guest for the evening was Jay Welch, in from New York City (by way of Eastern shore, Maryland which made 3 audience members extra happy). We learn about the Wii Fit weight limits, Pepperidge farm outlet stores and his family's penchant for L.L.Bean.

Everyone, including Jay and his beard he is in an inter-faith relationship with (the beard is Jewish, but he is not) has a good time

Next up, courtesy of Bulleit Bourbon, a new (and instantly popular) segment: Awards time by Seaton Smith where, as the name of the segment may suggest, Seaton Smith gives out free shots of delicious bourbon (hence the instant popularity) to random audience members. Seven cups given out at random and.....

....one final cup for Bulleit bourbon jeopardy winner. Which was the kid with the glasses and beard who could not only name 80s shows better than the girl on the left but also could name more Presidents of The United States of America than the girl on the left.

Cheers.

As everyone settled in with their whiskey/Family Hemerlein punches, it was time for the musical guest #1 for the night: Bethany Dinsack from Baltimore plays freak folk, which is both a little reverby and a little looped, and plays with pink batons while weird movies she made in her house/fairy castle play in the background.

Memories

Next up, BYT's stand-up mascot (at this point) Ben Kronberg (who was the comedy guest of honor at the FIRST EVER FAMILY HEMERLEIN) stopped by from NYC (once you are part of the Family, it is apparently pretty hard to stay away) for some QT time with the audience and also to get a guitar lesson (song chosen was "Shelter" by the XX) from Matthew.

Jokes.

After "Shelter" and some more Seaton time (never buy laptops from crackheads) the second music portion of the evening went down, Chris from Kitty Hawk and Matthew paired up for a song

Applause

And then Matt was joined by his Four Horsemen counterparts (Ryan Mitchell of ReadySETBYT and John Thornley of US Royalty) who gave us a little preview of their "upcoming new album, release date TBA" and the songs they will be playing @ Thornley & Friends tonight @ Solly's

They have a new song out called "Wait Until Spring" and it is pretty great/funny/great and funny. Listen to it here after you listened to it on Thursday and before you listen to it tonight:

Group hug at the end. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING

See you all next last Thursday of the Month (May 27th?) and if you have a hankering for another BYT event sooner, don't forget that Summer Camp returns this Saturday at the Capitol skyline pool