Manitou Messenger

Issue date: 10/3/08 Section: Variety

Media Credit: Ben Hovland Acoustic pop duo Ryanhood performed at the Pause on Saturday. Their new album is due out later this year.

Acoustic guitar duo Ryanhood set the Pause aflame last Saturday with an arsenal of catchy songs, affable charm and infectious energy that held the audience comfortably captive all night long.

The band, comprised of Ryan Green and Cameron Hood (hence the name), plays an addicting blend of folk, rock and pop, unified through the rich, rough-hewn sounds of the duo's acoustic guitars. Thematically favoring songs about love, dreams and lessons learned, Ryanhood freshens this familiar territory with thoughtfully crafted material, athletic guitar riffs and playful vocal harmonies. And the awesome ties don't hurt.

Green and Hood actually began as musical rivals at their high school in Tucson, Ariz., where they played in different bands and often competed against one another. However, when Green saw Hood play "Can I Kiss You?" - now a staple of the band's catalog - Green "fell in love with him - musically," he said.

The two played together on several different occasions thereafter, and Ryanhood was initially a side project. While the two men were at college - Hood at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Green at University of Arizona - they collaborated over the phone.

Eventually Hood convinced Green to move to Boston. They dedicated themselves to Ryanhood, playing on streets and subways before gaining opening slots with big-name performers including Ari Hest, Reel Big Fish and Jason Mraz, whose tour felt like the "first time of [the] big time."

The duo opened with the entrancing "Oh No," a gentle tune that effectively pulled the crowd in with long, swelling vocals and gently teasing lyrics: "Oh no / it's time to start the show / who knows / where it's gonna go."

Following the first number, they warmly introduced themselves and demonstrated a special ability to connect with audiences.

Hood does most of the talking, and his earthy charisma makes him perfect for the job. He's got a big personality, a broad grin and a determination to plaster a goofy smile on every single audience member. I'd say he had a high success rate.

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