Monkeys With Hammers rocked Whippersnappers in Londonderry, NH last night

Monkeys With Hammers is a formidable power rock cover trio. Consisting of guitarist-vocalist Chris Lester, bassist-vocalist Rich Knox, and drummer Eric Wagley, MWH played to an enthusiastic audience at Whippersnappers in Londonderry, New Hampshire last night. It didn’t take long to realize this trio has stage chemistry and camaraderie. They’re having so much fun playing together that they make it look easy to do what they do, even though some of their material is quite challenging.

Unfurling the thick rhythms of Tom Petty’s “Last Dance With Maryjane,” MWH began their show with a dose of Lester’s hefty guitar work. He pulled this unwieldy song along through its twists and  turns. Following up with Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times,” the boys showcased some bracing guitar and bass work. Lester’s lead phrasing was also pleasingly good during The Cars’ “Best Friend’s Girl.”

The rhythm section had plenty of opportunities to strut their stuff too last night. They put a knobby pulse underneath the guitar and vocals on The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You.” The Knox-Wagley groove pulled several dancers onto the floor, on this tune and on several others. Lester did his guitar thing again,  peeling off several screamy guitar notes that made you think he was throttling his guitar, bending it to his will, until it screamed at his pleasure.

Gavin DeGraw’s 2003 hit “I Don’t Want To Be” was a surprise choice for such a hard rocking trio, but they made it work with their own flinty, walloping style. Vibrant melodic phrasing, pulsating bass, and numerous drum smacks going on made it a killer rendition. MWH were especially solid, tight, and speedy on Collective Souls’ ferocious hit “Heavy.” It felt like a never ending high voltage roller coaster ride. Shifting to gears to the mid 190s, MWH went into the rhythmic hip of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” a  number marked by speedy rhythm guitar and an irresistible beat.

Monkeys With Hammers had their way with The Killers’ hit “Somebody Told Me.” Moving onto The Rolling Stones’ “Brown Sugar,” Lester’s guitar line just whistled out of the speakers, clean, thin, bright. After a solid take on “No Matter What” by Badfinger, Wagley played a mini drum solo, showing how easily he can move a lot of smacks over a fast moving beat.

There were a couple of Prince tunes thrown into last night’s set list, showing how smoothly MWH can switch from modern hard rock to 1980s funk guitar riffs and high, pretty, soulful vocals. Lester took it even higher when he lead the trio through The Bee Gees’ “You Should Be Dancing,” another that pulled several dancers onto the floor. Boy, did the rhythm section funk things up beneath the guitar and vocals.

The trio played catchy pop songs like Maroon 5’s “This Love” and The Cars “Let’s Go” before performing a beautiful Who classic “Behind Blue Eyes.” They make these selections work together with their strong musical personalities. Jittery guitar riffs on 5’s tune, bouncy melody during The Cars song, and persistent strumming on The Who number combined with Lester’s high vocal and the rhythm sections driving thump to make the parts become a whole plate of MWH offerings.

Lester has been a master guitarist for years, having played in originals bands in California before returning to his native New Hampshire. It was a treat to hear his ringing guitar tones flying out of the amps during Tom Petty songs “Running Down A Dream” and “American Girl.”