Merriment and Eisley

In September, we had a chance to see Merriment and Eisley play at Pyramid Scheme in Grand Rapids. Eisley was the headliner, and a third band we had never heard of and Merriment opened. I was super excited, because I'd never seen either Merriment or Eisley live before, though Brandon had. It was also an affordable show put on by Fusion Shows which doesn't charge the exorbitant fees that Ticketmaster does. 

The bands Merriment and Eisley have an interesting connection. They both consist of various members from the same family. Eisley was started by the three eldest sisters and a brother, and Merriment began later featuring the youngest sister and brother. Brandon and I really like sibling bands as their voices tend to meld together beautifully, likely due to their genetic connection. For example, as a side note, we also love Lily & Madeleine, a sister duo from Indiana.   

Merriment was an absolutely lovely opener. It was more of an acoustic set featuring the youngest sister, Christie. The songs were a mix of new and old and she had a sweet, unassuming stage presence. I loved it. 

Merriment on the stage

When Eisley took the stage next, we discovered the cast of the band had changed quite a bit. Two of the three usual sisters were not present. Instead it was just Sherri and then Christie (whom we had just seen as Merriment). A Wikipedia search after the show indicated that the other two sisters are now more involved in their husband's bands. 

Eisley's music is of a harder style than Merriment's, so it took some time to adjust to seeing Christie play first in sweet-sounding Merriment and then do an about face to sing in harder-sounding Eisley. Eisley wasn't the same without the normal cast of sisters and the band also seemed to have some trouble remembering all the lyrics to the songs. We were willing to cut them some slack and just enjoy being there. But, in the end, we were much more impressed by Merriment's show. 

Eisley in its new form

I should also mention that we found Pyramid Scheme to be a great venue for the show. It wasn't too big or too small and they had a lot of great craft beer on tap. The crowd was respectful of the show and supportive of the bands. And, the show was done by 11:15pm, which I think is great timing. As I age, any show that lasts to or past midnight feels exhausting. So, overall, it was a great night to get out, have some fun together, appreciate music, and check out a great Grand Rapids venue.