Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet Different Drum

von Felix P: Susanna Hoffs

Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet deliver a restrained version of Different Drum inside a small room defined by three chairs and soft lights rather than a big stage setup. Susanna sits in the middle with her eyes mostly closed or looking down while Matthew plays guitar on one side and another guitarist occupies the other spot. The instruments are played softly to stay close to the voice without any fancy production, letting the wood and strings remain audible. Michael Nesmith wrote this song long ago but the performance highlights how two people can care for each other yet still not walk at the same speed. Susanna begins singing You and I travel to the beat of a different drum then asks Oh can't you tell by the way we're moving. She admits that even when someone cries and says it will work out she has doubts about the future. It is not that she knocks love just that she is not in the market for a boy who wants to love only her. She clarifies she isn't saying the person isn't pretty but she is not ready for any person place or thing trying to pull the reins in. So goodbye she says seeing no sense in crying and grieving because they will both live a lot longer if you live without me. The lyrics also mention not being able to see the forest for the tree before a guitar solo leads back into the refrain. At the end the musicians smile at each other shyly sharing a calm moment free of drama. The performance stays small throughout focusing on the fact that sometimes love is not enough to make two people move the same way. It names something many have felt: you can love someone and still need to go a different way and that is all right. No extra noise just three people in a plain room speaking a truth that lingers after the music stops.