The Family Crest

The Family Crest plays the most beautifully arranged orchestral pop around, without the slightest hint of pretentiousness.
I have seen them twice now (I wish it were more) and both times I was blown away by everyone's energy, musicianship, and amiability.

With flute (Laura Bergmann), trombone (George Mousa Samaan), violin (Owen Sutter), cello (Charly Akert), multiple keyboards, auxiliary percussion and the irreplaceable drums (Anthony Franceschi), bass (John Seeterlin) and guitar (Liam McCormick) there is no shortage of ear catching melodies or dance inducing rhythms. Often songs are preceded by or closed out with the most deft and gorgeous instrumental solos.

If the ornate arrangements aren't enough for you, don't forget there are still the heart piercing vocals of Liam. Few (if any) other singers can rival his falsetto wail for sheer force of emotion. Laura adds a lovely dimension with her own pipes, and the rest join in for much of the sing-along parts.

Some highlights of the shows include the title track of their 2014 album "Beneath the Brine" on which Liam leads the band in throwing every ounce of heartache into a maelstrom. Laura's flute swirls like the wind, while the rest crash their instruments like waves over the starboard bow.
From their EP, "Prelude to War" the track "Mirror Love" is pure pop bliss before breaking down into a cheer baiting trombone solo bridge, courtesy of an in everybody's face, beyond energetic George.
If you're lucky enough to have a quiet, considerate crowd, the delicate and aptly named "Rest" will elicit much swaying and a few tears.
Their other new songs from the album "The War: Act I" continue their strong tradition of impeccable compositions paired with tender and emotive vocals.
Everyone combines seamlessly to create a truly sublime listening experience.

On top of that, when the show is over, they always invite the audience to come say hi at the merch table and are the most down to earth, friendly, group of musicians I think I've ever met.
The first show of theirs I saw, I bought an LP, and one of the members personally ran around and got all 6 others to sign it for me!

And, of course, those are just the core touring members. So many others join for some shows, are featured on the recordings, or get involved in merchandise design (among other things). When speaking with Laura after their show in Vancouver in June of 2015, I learned that it was her mother who's painting became the cover for their album "Beneath the Brine."

It is without doubt a full, loving, family endeavor.

One that I hope to indulge in many more times over a hopefully long and successful career!

This group was spectacular, as always. Lead singer Liam McCormick fought through a cold to belt out the songs in his amazing Freddy Mercury-quality voice. The entire groups is very high energy, and plays with contagious enthusiasm. I and a number of people I talked to came to the show to see these guys and not the headliner. I overheard others who had had never heard them and were just blown away. This group really should have more exposure and a bigger fan base!

I discovered this band when they were touring with one of my favorite bands, The Dear Hunter. I listened to them for weeks and come the day of the show, was actually super excited to see them. Cannot wait to see them headline their own show because they're absolutely fantastic. So much feeling and such a tight sound. This music moves me! I'll be looking out for your future concert dates! This is the band more people need to know about! I'm spreading the word!

There is no better band that will give its' heart and soul into a performance than The Family Crest. The septet consists of a flute player, drums, violin, guitar, trombone, bass, and vocals. It's truly unique to have so many different instruments in a rock band, and you can definitely hear each one individually contributing to the song. It was a truly energizing concert and a truly nice bunch of guys (and one gal). You won't be disappointed!

Spectacular! I was a little worried beforehand--I'd seen other bands that relied on lots of extra fiddle/flute/etc players on an album, but on the road their texture was lacking with fewer members. The Family Crest, however, sounded even more incredible live. The richness of sound and the enthusiasm of crowd and players alike made for the best show I've seen all year! Come back to Portland soon!

Excellent show. NPRs Tiny Desk concert series has them on YouTube to give you a taste of their live performance. It doesn't quite do it justice though except to say that the musical quality is very good live. The band has tons of energy and its infectious that's even more evident in a typical show. I give them kudos too for having an opening band that was talented and complemented them well.

Absolutely incredible and the best concert I've ever been to. Everyone hung out after the show, and all of them were super nice. It was super high-energy and the whole show didn't miss a beat, even when Liam broke strings on both acoustic guitars and had to play the last two songs on electric.

What a gem of a band. Saw them at Outside Lands on a small stage. Unique sound, powerful songwriting and solid delivery. If you get a chance, check them out.