About halfway through the Butterflies of Love’s set at Lyric Hall on Saturday, singer, songwriter and guitarist Jeff Greene asked the audience, “How many people out there really hate the Butterflies of Love?” All he received back was laughter.
“I was looking for a more negative response,” he replied, then launched into a story about the old days of the band that referenced a negative response they had once received.
“I only operate when I have something to work against,” he stated at the end of the story. That still didn’t deter the wall-to-wall crowd at Lyric Hall from giving the love back, again and again, to this perennially popular local band who made a long-awaited appearance in New Haven. A band that enjoyed local and international success in the 1990s, Butterflies of Love headlined Saturday night, along with Bill Beckett and Procedure Club, for one of only three performances — the second in Asbury Park, N.J., and the third in London, England.
The Butterflies of Love — songwriters Daniel Greene and Jeffrey Greene on vocals and guitars, Jason Mills on guitar, Peter Whitney on bass, Neil O’Brien on drums, Scott Amore on keyboards, and Mark Mulcahy as musical utility player — formed in 1994. The band released its first album, America’s Newest Hitmakers, in 1996. The band’s second release, 1998’s How to Know the Butterflies of Love, proved to be a hit in England. Legendary BBC DJ John Peel played and, as the Hartford Courant reported in 2000, literally applauded the band’s single, “Rob a Bank.”
He then invited the band to perform at one of his famous Peel Sessions. Fame beckoned, but personal lives intervened, as the band’s members moved to Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and the shore of New Jersey. The New Patient and Famous Problems followed in 2002 and 2007, respectively. And this year has brought the Butterflies back to the stage in New Haven, gearing up for a show in London to celebrate 20 years of the record label Fortuna Pop, which is closing its doors this year.
Guitarist Bill Beckett initiated the proceedings with an audience that swelled as the set went on — not unlike his music, which featured intricate patterns of chords that created an intimacy with those listening while also taking them to distant places. His verbal exchanges with the audience were minimal but memorable. “Like Miles Davis,” he joked upon trying use a microphone that wasn’t live, and proceeded to gesture gratefully to the crowd.
In his all-instrumental work, it was as if he were communicating with his guitar in a secret language, giving it a slight smile or look of surprise as if he himself was hearing his notes for the first time. His final song swept through the room warmly and briskly, like a bicycle ride through a lush spring forest.
Karen Ponzio Photo
After sorting out a few technical issues, Procedure Club dove right into a set of danceable dreamy rock pop that had many in the ever growing crowd grooving along. Vocalist Andrea Belair moved to the music while singing sweetly and sensually, a lyrical accompaniment to the steady vibe behind her. Wes Nelson on guitar, Adam Malec on bass, and Kyle MacKinnel on drum machine never let up their moody musical mixture. Except for introducing the song “Questionable Tattoo,” the band kept at the music and the audience kept at their enthusiasm for it, even as MacKinnel’s hat flew off as he practically kissed the drum machine at the set’s end.
Butterflies of Love arrived onstage to a packed house. People stood, set, and lined the walls of the room. About three songs in Jeff called for some of the chairs down front to be moved, as he wanted everyone who came to be able to fit.
“We’re here to rock your faces off,” he said. And rock they did, as they played one musically and lyrically rich song after another. They didn’t introduce them. They didn’t need to. The majority of the room’s occupants knew the songs; they sang them back and swayed along. The Greenes (who are not related) traded off on vocals and guitars, backed up by Mulcahy. O’Brien, Whitney, and Amore completed the band’s luscious sound, keeping the audience dancing, singing, and cheering. Before the two-song encore, Jeff noted that these shows were the first time he had been on stage in seven years (Dan Greene also leads the New Haven-based Mountain Movers), though he noted also that he had recently bought a 25-foot power cord, so “who knows.” The audience, who continued to ask for more music even after the encore finally ended, accepted that tease readily.
A butterfly goes through four stages of life, ending in an adult stage that lasts only about two to six weeks — though there are some who lie dormant for months before proceeding to their final stage. These six butterflies seemed to have emulated their insect counterparts, giving their witnesses something rare and beautiful on a frigid winter night. Luckily, the Butterflies of Love left the stage with much music and memories to hold that beauty aloft indefinitely.