Brad Tursi laid down the opening guitar vamp of “Perfect” as Army of Me began their opening-opening set at the Rave in Milwaukee on October 21. Bassist Tripper Ryder and drummer Dennis Manuel were also in place, quietly building the anticipation for the tune.
That’s when lead singer/rhythm guitarist Vince Scheuerman took the stage, raising his pick hand in the air as he approached the center microphone, acknowledging the smattering of recognition from among the faithful gathered for headliners O.A.R. It was a bold gesture—a delayed entry by the front man of the opener opener—but it worked, because Scheuerman has the emotion, intensity, and stage presence of Morrissey.
After Scheuerman took the stage, Manuel led the step up into the tune while later Tursi’s guitar provided the Stage III rocket fuel as “Perfect” achieved its final punch. Yet, it’s Scheuerman singing, “One day I’ll be perfect, I’ll be so extraordinary/I will take your breath away,” occasionally using his hands as he sings instead of playing guitar, that is the central energy to Army of Me. And he is the reason that everything else that evening would pale in comparison; the opener opener becoming the headliner in my mind.
In a phone interview, Scheuerman asked just why people have been comparing him to Morrissey. Explaining that I saw the same heart-on-sleeve emotion and flailing arms beating the chest, Scheuerman responded, “To me, when I think of his expressions, I feel like it’s more than ‘heart on sleeve.’ There’s sarcasm, and he’s really witty.” Scheuerman’s lyric may not contain that sarcasm and wit, but he’s no less emotionally-driven. Like Morrissey, his lyrics tend to pack a punch on the backside, seeing rather daily reflections on life take on quite deep, melancholic meanings.
Standing in the midst of the O.A.R. tokers, now I was cheering in my heart for Scheuerman and Army of Me. I wanted his delayed entrance to work; I wanted this lead singer who so quickly reminded me of Morrissey to capture the audience’s attention and hearts. And this is when I started to realize a spiritual thing going on.
“Perfect” could be speaking about trying to live up to God’s expectations—and failing. Yet, Jesus makes us perfect; He transforms us into His extraordinary ones, giving us His holiness. I stood on my tiptoes to watch Scheuerman, and I strained to hear the glimmers of Gospel.
“Rise” talks about being lifted up above the gutters that we’re in. The set closed with “Meet You at the Mouth” which has references to Ecclesiastes (“There’s a time for laughing/There’s a time for weeping”) and Jesus (“You’re a city on a hillside”). I stood in the crowd wondering if Scheuerman could be what I had always wished for: Morrissey singing the truth of Jesus.
Later in our conversation, I tried to delicately ask about Scheuerman’s faith, afraid I might have been reading too much into his lyrics. I asked, “Is it just me or are there a lot of spiritual themes in the songs?”
“I’m Catholic. It’s not real like blatant, but something that’s a big part of who I am as a person, so it comes through in my lyrics and worldview, a positive message that lifts people up. I live life in hope.”
There it was—the reason I could see the light in the middle of the Rave that night. That’s what was propelling Scheuerman’s emotions; as much as he might remind someone of Morrissey, his heart-on-sleeve emotions have a different central basis.
Of course, Scheuerman was also clear that Army of Me is not a Christian band; the other band members do not necessarily share his worldview. Scheuerman says, “I don’t think we fit in the Christian rock scene. A lot of Christian music is too fake, cheesy, and bland.”
Army of Me certainly doesn’t fit the simplified definitions of Contemporary Christian Music. For instance, the band is not seen as a ministry. Scheuerman’s right in thinking that a lot Christian music can be “fake, cheesy, and bland,” and Army of Me is anything but that. However, as lyricist, Scheuerman’s faith shines through in a way that is a like a crack in the door—he’s not throwing the door wide open causing the light to blind everyone, but he’s also not acting as if he can leave his faith outside the door.
Their six song set was truly the tightest and most promising of the evening, over and against Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers and O.A.R. After opening with “Perfect,” Army of Me went into “Going Through Changes,” where Scheuerman’s voice comes like Robyn Hitchcock in front of the American Band Rock sound, perhaps even recalling the Emo of Jimmy Eat World. They followed this with a cover of Oasis’ “Supersonic,” which was too heavy and actually doesn’t use Scheuerman’s voice very well. Scheuerman’s an articulator, and Oasis is built on the washed over sound.
The second half of the set only got stronger and stronger. An acoustic guitar centered start to “Rise” recalls 54*40’s “Journey,” a song inviting you into the story. “Meet You at the Mouth” comes with a smash dance beat and scream guitar. Finally, a U2-like blast on “Two Into One,” whose title is reminiscent of U2’s “Two Hearts Beat as One” but whose tom tom stanzas recall another War track, “The Refugee.”
As that blast of sound filled the Rave, Scheuerman was singing, “I want to fly straight into the sun/I want to burn the two into one.” A Prometheus wish that reveals a hope for resurrection.
Thanks to Vince and Army of Me plus Doghouse Records for their help.
