Category: Reviews

Hearing Aid: Mosaic Foundation “Signs Of The Time”

Rochester reggae stalwarts Mosaic Foundation have released their latest album, Signs of The Times and have announced a big CNY show with The Moho Collective on Saturday, March 8th at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse. This will be the first time both bands have appeared at the legendary club and a fantastic opportunity for folks to see these two spectacular Rochester-based bands together. Skip to the end for details, but let’s check out the album first.

Mosaic Foundation has been plying their trade around the Northeast for half a decade, always danceable and infectious, open and joyful, reflective of the vibe and groove of their loosely framed genre. The disc jumps out of the gate with “We Can Make It If We Try”, a signature sounding anthem, reflective and positive, upbeat and uplifting, as Cha Cha establishes his vocal command and a flat-out infectious groove. “Reggae Escape” stretches the authenticity of Cha Cha’s voice and the band’s message, “This music is used to settle disputes … used to teach the youth their roots … righteous truths brothers.” The variety of pacing used here keeps the listener anticipating the next, whether driven by JP’s drums or Ken’s funky scratches. “My Planet”, then “Helping Hands” express the joy and sorrow of existence balanced against the perspective of survival and giving, the basic inter-connective tissue between everyone.

The title track picks up the theme and puts a bounce under it, letting the positive outweigh the negative, giving it breath to keep up the fight. Allowing space for reflection and vision while following a true path set before them. “Stand Firm” feels like a homage to those who’ve gone before them and a rallying cry to those they stand shoulder to shoulder with. It’s defiant, it’s firm, but the heartfelt joy comes out on top. “Abundance Of Water” is a call to arms of sorts, asking for vision from those living merely in the present. Then “San Kofa” spins forward the guitars and the band feels the up-shift in pacing, and depth of message, intensifying their passion for both.

“Praises” shows the true authenticity of Mosaic Foundation, each member’s musical instinct understands spacing, pacing and breathing. Reggae must be felt, perhaps more than any other genre, there’s a natural motion implied and if it doesn’t move you, it falls flat. There’s none of that here. “Harder The Battle” remains expressive of the struggle and what will overcome it, unity, love, strength, honesty and joy. “Harder the battle, sweeter the victory” indeed. “Jellyfish”, the closer, let’s the boys cut it loose and jam a little, the mix of the keys is deep and layered, evoking layers of feeling like an oceanic trip. The piano is exemplary, the guitar tasty and the rhythm solid, the idea of closing with an instrumental is unique and confident. Very cool stuff, well played and much respect!

Be sure to hit the big upcoming show on March 8th at The Lost Horizon with The Moho Collective! Check out The Moho Collective’s website. Advance tickets are available from Mosaic Foundation members. More details are available on the facebook event page here.

Mosaic Foundation is:

Ken Luk – guitars/ Melodica/ Minimoog/ piano/ vocals
Ekwem Itot Bogmis – piano/ Rhodes/ Hammond Organ/ vocals
Michael Corey – guitars
John-Paul Nawn – drums/ vocals
“Bongo” Brian Davis – percussion
“Cha Cha” Yao Foli Augustine – lead vocals/ percussion
Aaron Sprague – bass
Zach Dumrese – Sound Captain

Guests on this recording:
Angelo Peters – clavinet/ Farfisa and Hammond organ/ guitar
Lee Hamilton – sax
Ryan Zawel – trombone

February 22, 2014
SLUG Grooves Their Way Into Club Aqua

On February 8th at Bridgewater’s Club Aqua, SLUG took the stage for all those brave enough to weather the cold. It didn’t take long though to warm up the crowd with their groovy, bluesy sound. Reminiscent of a mix of Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan, SLUG has taken these inspirational sounds and created a sound uniquely their own. This feel good, easy going music features Stephen “Fletch” Fletcher on lead vocal and rhythm, Irwin Winkler on lead guitar and back up vocals; Chris “The Kraken” Dunn on bass and back up vocals; Mike Finley on keyboards and back up vocals, and Adam Morgan on drums.

This year the band will spend a good deal of time touring festivals all over the country. Check them out locally at the Strawberry Jam on May 15th in Fort Plain, NY or at Shake the Mountain on May 16th in Northville, NY. For further details on these and upcoming events please check their website.

February 21, 2014
Feeling Folky After Seeing the Amazingly Powerful Steve Earle

On a wintry Saturday night in February, the blowing snow made the trip down to Hudson, NY that much more thrilling, and made the audience that much more thankful that Steve Earle decided to make the trip up to Hudson to perform in the intimate concert space at Club Helsinki. The club has a very Greenwich Village sort of feel to it, with funky decorations including a red lamp with a stuffed crow sitting on top. Starting off the evening early with a delightful meal of southern cooking, which included deep-fried cauliflower, cheesy grits, and sweet potato pie to top it all off, the crowd had their stomachs filled as the show officially began.

Steve Earle, Getting Deep

If you weren’t paying attention, you wouldn’t know the show had begun! Steve Earle nonchalantly strolled onto the stage and started right in with the title track off one of his more recent albums, The Low Highway. This song had a pure twangy sound to it, as did his next several tunes, which included “My Old Friend the Blues” off one of his earlier albums. After about his fourth song, he started in with his famous and much enjoyed storytelling, his first story being a timely Valentine’s Day story about how he had just gotten out of jail in February of 1995, and didn’t have a license, so since he couldn’t drive into town to buy flowers, he wrote his significant other a song as a gift instead. Judging by the lyrics of the song following that story, “Valentine’s Day”, he had a lot to apologize for, but it’s nothing having someone write a song for you can’t fix! The harmonica came out at this point in the show, and Steve folked-out to “Taneytown”, which had a very Patti Smith-like sound to it. His next several tunes sounded very heavily influenced by Bob Dylan, with a hint of Simon and Garfunkel mixed in for good measure.

Paying tribute to the late great Pete Seeger, Steve told an endearing story about a festival he had the pleasure of performing at with Pete, then slipped into a tune he had written years ago honoring Pete called “Steve’s Hammer (for Pete)”, a lovely sing-along which had everyone in the audience singing out, many of them singing through their tears. Changing the mood drastically, he then went into “Angel is the Devil”, which although melodically it sounds upbeat and light, the lyrics are much darker than one would expect from purely listening to the melody.

At this point in the show, Steve switched over to his current favorite instrument, a mandolin designed by Australian luthier Steve Gilchrist, who was granted the esteemed title of “best mandolin maker in the world” by none other than Steve Earle himself! It did produce a pretty amazing sound, which was showcased in one of Earle’s more famous tunes “Galway Girl”, a song with a tricky rhythm that lends itself well to the mandolin. Before putting that mandolin back into its case, Steve gave it a kiss! He then brought out an octave mandolin, or a “bouzouki”. (He jokingly advised that whenever traveling with a bouzouki, you should refer to it as an octave mandolin while going through airport security, since “bouzouki” sounds kind of suspicious…) Throwing in another quick story highlighting his love of New York City, namely that he loves being able to fully experience neighborhood delis/bodegas, he dedicated his next song “City of Immigrants” to Mr. Kim, who runs his local deli.

Steve got serious with a story about his 3 ½-year old son who was diagnosed with autism, and urged everyone to pressure the powers-that-be to figure out how to cure autism, rather than focusing on how to extract “black stuff from the ground”. That definitely hit a nerve with the crowd at this show, as hydrofracking is a contentious issue in our neck of the woods here in Upstate New York. His next song “Remember Me” was incredibly moving, and once again brought tears to some people’s eyes.

Continuing with songs and stories covering issues from the Third Crusade/the Israel-Palestine conflict (“Jerusalem”), to gun control (“Devil’s Right Hand”), Earle ended his two-hour set with “Copperhead Road”, employing an interesting mix of up- and down-strokes, jamming out on a typically simple rhythm. Stepping off-stage for just a moment, Earle came out to sing a song off his upcoming blues album, and ended with an older, better known tune, “Guitar Town”. After finishing up his second encore, Earle took a brief break to eat some dinner backstage, but promised to come out when he finished so he could chat with the audience and sign CDs. All in all, Steve Earle’s unique performance style encompassing a mix of singing and storytelling, in combination with the intimate setting of Club Helsinki, the evening turned out to be a very musically and politically inspirational. Steve Earle is definitely worth checking out if he comes to your town.

February 21, 2014
A Love Fest in Bearsville: Robert Randolph and the Family Band

Valentine’s Day in Woodstock seemed like a perfect romantic weekend getaway, but what to do while in town besides eat, shop and enjoy the picturesque Catskill setting? Robert Randolph and the Family Band answered that question with a performance at Bearsville Theater to a vibrant, coupled crowd. The Compact warmed the crowd up with power trio guitar rock, highlighted by a some Herbie Hancock and a “Cissy Strut” jam appetizer.

This was the first of many trips to Bearsville Theater and the location is ideal, only a little over an hour drive from Albany and right off the main road with ample parking, even with an excess of snow taking up spots, but understandably so after this eternal winter. The venue has a cabin in the woods architecture but inside its far more than that. A sunken bar so as not to block the view of the view of the stage, which was unfettered via glass windows, making for optimal sightlines to the crowd in the bar. Limited reserved seating upstairs provided a great view but downstairs among the crowd, dancing on the floor were the majority of the crowd. Randolph’s howling, and screaming pedal steel guitar squealed as he and his band took the stage for an all too short 90 minute set.

Following a warm up instrumental, The Family Band tore into “Amped Up”, one of the many highlights off of 2013’s Lickety Split, and gave the crowd an electric charge to begin the night. Seated at first, then standing up for some of the songs that took a more aggressive touch, Randolph was mellower but still gave off an energy that fed into the crowd. This was the breakout Bonnaroo star of 2002, but with more restraint and focus. The result: a honed sound and showcase of the beauty of the pedal steel as well as what you can do when you possess a great deal of talent in the instrument. Randolph’s cousin, Danyel Morgan, held grooves down on bass and quickly escalated the beat as Robert sped up the lead. A variation on the Wetlands classic “The March” brought the quartet into sync in one of the few composed parts of the evening.

It wasn’t “La Grange” but it was damn close. Pouring ZZ Top into “Shake Your Hips” included Robert inviting the ladies in the audience to dance on stage, an ever-welcome staple of a Randolph show. Deep instrumentals and a sit-in with an unknown guitarist preceded the closing “I Don’t Know What You’ve Come to Do”, with Danyel’s high-range vocals setting the crowd a foot. Between the pedal steel’s shrieks of joy and Danyel’s passion, you couldn’t find a better closing song for the sweat-inducing set.

An encore of a slow Randolph-led jam deferred to Ted’s Jam, wrapping up the show just after midnight. Altogether, it was a perfect Valentine’s Day with The Family Band. The only thing that seemed amiss – one of their biggest hits is “I Need More Love” but it wasn’t played on Valentine’s Day? The show had no complaints, but it felt like a missed opportunity on second glance. Nevertheless, Robert Randolph and the Family Band have a unique and rounded sound that is second to none. You can catch them in Syracuse on March 20th at The Westcott Theater.

February 21, 2014
Hearing Aide: Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe’s “New Ammo”

There will always be the time when a piece of music speaks to you or even jumps out and grabs you by surprise. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe‘s New Ammo completely blindsided me. I made the mistake of starting passively – only listening while I worked. It would only make sense though, that you really have to focus in before you can fully realize the vastness of Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe. The new album was released just a couple of weeks ago and features some of the most diverse playing from the band to date. Between the touches of funk, jazz, blues, and reggae, you hear their unique sound throughout each of the thirteen tracks.

The album starts with the combination of two songs driven by prominent riffs yet different in their approach. The first song “Grenadiers” crawls in with a darker sound, while the reggae-inspired “Three Trials of Strength” has a warmth to the track. The two provide a contrasting calibration, preparing you to take on the rest of the album. As you progress through each song, it becomes apparent that this is a heavier side of Mr. Denson. While the album still has that wide variety of influences that we’re used to, this release just has a little more edge than what we’ve seen in the past.

The title track is where the album begins to establish itself with a firm groove and plenty of room for Karl Denson to stretch his legs on the sax. The first solo runs just over a minute, yet finds the time to express so much in the short amount of time. Newly added guitarist DJ Williams takes the baton in full stride and lights it up before a drum solo that fully demonstrates how much the band came to play on this album.

Scattered throughout the album are a few covers, including their spin on the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” the Cold War Kids’ “Hang Me Up To Dry,” and the Beastie Boys’ “Sure Shot.” While not particularly inventive with any of the tracks, they still fit in nicely with the rest of the songs on the album.

Overall, the album sounded great with far too many highlights to individually call out; this could easily wind up being a top album when 2014 wraps up. Without spoiling anything further, one final must-listen is the song “Odysseus.” This ten and a half minute marathon requires your full attention with the volume cranked for the full experience. The layers within this masterpiece are simply beautiful and it really shows what this band is capable of.

Key Tracks: New Ammo, Malgorium, Odysseus

Check out the cover of the Beastie Boys “Sure Shot” below and pickup the new album on iTunes.

February 20, 2014
The Fab Faux Celebrate 50 Years of The Beatles at The Egg

In terms of music we know today, there is no band more important in history than The Beatles. When these four young Englishmen came to New York in February of 1964, they changed the world as we know it. Since the beginning of the month of February, there have been numerous celebrations, shows, exhibits, talks, and performances dedicated to the boys from Liverpool, England. On Saturday, February 15, Albany ended their own week of celebration dedicated to the Beatles with a beautiful performance by The Fab Faux at The Egg.

The Fab Faux is comprised of skilled musicians who have worked with a who’s who of the music industry. The main five men are Will Lee, Jimmy Vivino, Rich Pagano, Frank Anello, and Jack Petruzzelli. On some nights, like Saturday, they bring out the four-piece Hogshead Horns, and the two-piece Crème Tangerine Strings. The first set this evening focused on the more acoustic side of The Beatles catalog. A rambunctious “Two of Us” kicked things off with a bang. “Norwegian Wood” saw Vivino bust out his sitar skills, while he let loose on his guitar during “Paperback Writer”. The Hogshead Horns added beautiful textures to “Penny Lane” and “Got to Get You into My Life.” A perfect rendition of “I Am the Walrus” including the Creme Tangerine Strings closed out the set.

In the second set, the band took it to another level. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was outstanding, and had the contribution of the late George Harrison, via soundboard, help out with the ending of the song. At the end of Vivino’s blistering guitar solo, he thanked George and Eric Clapton for the inspiration to a standing ovation. Will bounced around on stage all night like a little kid on Christmas Day, stating how he couldn’t be happier playing this music right now. For “Get Back” he climbed through the audience, never stopping his playing, and getting the crowd up and moving. Rich and Frank’s vocals were amazing all night. Jack took over the stage for “Oh! Darling” and wowed the crowd with a tremendous take on the classic Abbey Road song. The show ended with the ending medley from that album before a one-two punch of an encore of “Twist and Shout” and “Hey Jude.”

The band was in great spirits all night, joking between songs and showing nothing but smiles. The same thing can be said for the audience. There is something about the music of The Beatles, when played right, that there is nothing else to do but surrender yourself to the music and dance to it. Here’s to another 50 years of their music!

Set 1: Two of Us, I’ve Just Seen a Face, ‘Till There Was You, Nowegian Wood, Blackbird, And I Love Her, You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away^, Mother Nature’s Son^, Things We Said, Nowhere Man, Tell Me Why, Run For Your Life, Paperback Writer, Penny Lane^, Got to Get You into My Life^, I Am the Walrus^*

Set 2: And Your Bird Can Sing, She’s a Woman, I Feel Fine, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, You Won’t See Me, Lady Madonna^, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da^, Baby It’s You, Ticket to Ride, Eleanor Rigby*, Get Back, Strawberry Fields^*, Oh! Darling, Revolution, Golden Slumbers^*>Carry That Weight*^>The End*^>Her Majesty

Encore: Twish and Shout, Hey Jude

^- with The Hogshead Horns
*- with The Creme Tangerine Strings

February 20, 2014
Red Hot Chilli Pipers Turn The Heat Up in Syracuse

Despite frigid temperatures in Syracuse February 7th the city was on fire! Not only because our beloved Orangemen were setting the town on fire and leading their division in basketball, but because The Red Hot Chilli Pipers were setting the stage on fire at the Syracuse Palace Theater.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

Opening the show in true Celtic Style, the Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band began the evening warming up the crowd with traditional sounds and a spectacular drummers light show. If you haven’t seen these folks, they are a band of approximately 36 pipers who have played locally and competitively since 1973. Truly a Syracuse gem and the perfect way to begin a show featuring the Pipers.

Syracuse Scottish Pipe Band

Second to take the stage was Hobo Graffiti, a local rock band, who gave the audience a taste of the rock and roll side of what the evening had in store. With Kris Wiechmann on vocals and acoustic guitar; Tommy Matkowski on 6 & 12 string acoustic guitars; Chuck Kahl playing upright bass; Kevin Dean playing bass, snare, cowbell, tambourine, and ride cymbal; and Heather Jones finishing out the group with vocals and guitar, this band gave the audience a taste of what they have deemed as their own style of rockabilly and dirty rock. Their strong vocals and amazing musical talents once again confirmed what a mix of musical talent is here locally in Central New York.

Hobo Graffiti

Under the cover of darkness, The Red Chilli Pipers took the room by storm with the opening song “Insomnia” demonstrating just what was in store for the evening. Traditional bagpiping music was not on the set list, instead the evening would be more than two full hours of the most non-traditional bagpiping you would imagine with the perfect bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, and sound & lighting to accompany. I personally love when bands begin with a strong foot stomping number to bring the crowd to their feet first and foremost and trust me when I tell you, this was truly foreshadowing for what was to come.

Red Hot Chilli Pipers

They did not let off all night with constant playing and sound offs between bagpipers Willie Armstrong, who when not piping is saving homes and lives as a fireman; Craig Munro who has been recently featured playing in Disney’s movie Brave; and the crowd favorite Gordon “Dougie” McCance who constantly wins the pipe off as the others claim it’s not based on talent but on the cuteness factor during their “Tag Team Jig”. We also saw spectacular drum battles between Grant Cassidy who is referred to often as the as having the fastest hands in Scotland on the snare drums (aka the Ferrarri of drums), Steven Black on full drums, and Paul Jennings on cajon and bongo drums. These musicians are top notch and true performers giving the show of their life each and every night.

The music was a mix of their own and amazing covers of songs such as Coldplay’s “Fix You” and “Clocks”, Kings of Leon “Use Somebody”, ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin”, War’s “Low Rider”, Snow Patrol’s “Chasing Cars”, and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”. At one point and time they even had the whole audience up participating during C&C Muisc Factory’s “Everybody Dance Now”. With Alan McGeoch on bass, Gary O’Hagan on keyboards, and Ben Holloway on electric guitar the pipers and percussionists had the perfect accompaniment on each and every number.

It was however the encore number though of their newest release Avicci’s “Wake Me Up”, and crowd favorite Queen’s “We Will Rock You” that showcased each and every one of them as true artists and performers.

Syracuse could have been -50 degrees and these guys still would have melted every girls heart and heated up the stage like only The Red Hot Chilli Pipers can. I can’t even imagine on a hot summer day how anyone would survive one of their shows.

February 19, 2014
Photo Gallery: Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2014, Part 1

What’s more fun then a parade of frozen leprechauns, fire breathing dragons and ladies doing synchronized dancing with lawn chairs? Add in sideshows of frying pan tosses, frigid golf, Frisbee flings, fireworks and free music and you have the annual Saranac Lake Winter Carnival 2014.

This 10 day event is set in the “coolest” town in the US, Saranac Lake, located up in the Northern Adirondacks. Initially started in 1897, it is complete with crowned royalty, an ice palace and a theme which changes yearly. This year’s theme was deemed “The Celtic Carnival”, and having been crowned the second best Winter Carnival in the world by National Geographic Traveler, it’s a hidden gem in our own backyard. Buttons that celebrate the carnival theme are designed by Gary Trudeau, the creator of the comic strip “Doonesbury” and a true Saranac Lake native.

For the duration of the festival, live music spills out of the small bars and venues performed by local favorites and touring regional bands. Notable acts include Sophistafunk, Conehead Buddha, Tim Herron Corporation and local favorites, The Blind Owl Band and Lucid highlight the musical festivities. Break the chill and come up to Saranac Lake for Winter Carnival 2014.

February 18, 2014
Tim Reynolds and TR3 Rock The Tralf

The Tralf was packed with loyal Dave Matthews Band followers everywhere and you could hear the banter all around the venue. It was a chance for the loyal fan base to catch longtime DMB collaborator and more recent a regular member of the group in action, TR3.

Tim Britt opened up things with his acoustic guitar and a microphone. Britt is heavily influenced by Dave Matthews and it could be seen throughout his act, particularly in his heavy rhythm guitar playing. Britt is also somewhat of a one man band as he creates sounds and loops them while playing over them in a very similar style to Keller Williams. His cover of Gorillaz “Feel Good Inc.” is amazing to listen to but yet even more amazing to watch him go through the setup of the song with his loop pedals. It’s no reason Tim was awarded Best Solo artist for two years in a row in Buffalo. Britt was joined on stage with Steve Amuso (guitar) and Rocco Amuso (Saxaphone) from the band Of The Cuff.

Tim Britt Setlist: Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve , Planes, Two Times Sick, Feel Good Inc., Up In The Air, Old Friend, Breakdown, The Days

There may have been a lot of DMB fans in attendance trying to get a glimpse of Tim Reynolds (guitar, vocals) but they didn’t expect to be amazed in such a way. TR3 has so much different elements in their show that it is truly amazing to see how three people command one stage. Reynolds is such a great guitar player and has the ability to play so many genres and make it look effortless. TR3 started the night off with a classical acoustic instrumental called “Lonely Woman” and soon after weaved through the night with jazz, funk and rock songs. Reynolds is really a master of the guitar, yet very humbling at the same time. It was very apparent Reynolds was having such a good time on stage with the group as well as the audience with the smiles throughout the night. Mick Vaughn (bass, vocals) and Dan Martier (drums, vocals) are very solid backing up Reynolds as most trios do. Vaughn was a true crowd-pleaser with some of the funkiest dance moves seen on a bassist in sometime. “Cave Man” proved to be an interesting instrumental that was played in the dark as the band whore only lights on their heads to look like eyes in a cave. TR3 even showed how well they can play other songs and make it their own, covering “Aqualung” by Jethro Tull really got the entire crowd going and really fueled the finish of the show.

TR3 Setlist : Lonely Woman, New Solutions, See You In Your Dreams, Non-Violent Approach, Evathing I Believe, Highway, Sweet Spot, Missle Comin At Ya, Kool, All Over The Place, Running From People, Caveman, Victory Express, Lips Like Sugar, Dracula, Showbiz Kids, ICU, Industrial Complex, Aqualung, Mercury Direct
Encore: In The Zone

Tim Britt and Friends

Tim Reynolds and TR3

February 18, 2014
Lettuce and The Monk Dropped The Funk on The Westcott Theater

On Sunday February 9th, Lettuce, The Monk and DJ Kraz graced The Westcott Theater stage. It was flurrying snow outside, but that didn’t deter the dedicated live music fans of Upstate New York from coming out on a Sunday night to get their fill of face-melting funk.

DJ Kraz got the night off to a grooving start by spinning some classic funk records from the 70s and 80s and some hip-hop from the 90s. The Monk came out next and played a set that warmed the crowd up nicely for Lettuce. The Monk’s set included a cover of “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes and songs that spanned the genres of funk, rock, Latin, reggae, blues and jazz music.

photo by Leah Corbett

Finally, Lettuce, the heaviest funk band out there, took to the stage with their rage-faces on. The band is made up of 7 all-star musicians: Eric Bloom (trumpet), Erick Coombs (bass, vocals), Adam Deitch (drums, vocals), Neal Evans (keyboards, vocals), Eric Krasno (guitar, synth), Adam Smirnoff (guitar) and Ryan Zoidis (alto sax). The band launched into an intro jam that included short segments of covers, one of which was “N***** in Paris” by Kanye West & Jay-Z. Then Lettuce dove straight into a track off of their latest album, Fly, entitled “Madison Square.” This song has hard hitting yet suspenseful note sustains and a horn arrangement that begs the listener to dance like crazy. Lettuce’s front of house engineer dialed the mix in perfectly, as you could clearly hear each instrumentalist in the band. After playing an intro of “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash, the band laid down a fat version of “By Any Schmeeans Necessary.” After a couple more tracks from their second studio effort, Rage, the band threw it way back in time with “Nyack.” This song off Lettuce’s first album, Outta Here, is the fastest song they’ve ever written and requires serious communication amongst band members to play properly. Lettuce absolutely killed this classic track and thoroughly satisfied all the long-time Lettuce fans in the audience.

The band did a few more from Fly and then brought up Alecia Chakour on stage to sing some thunderous lead vocals. Anybody in the audience who felt the show was lacking vocals was taken aback and turned their focus back to the stage. Alecia sang soulful lead vocals on the following three tracks, which were “What Do I Have To Do”, “Clean Up Woman” and “Afraid To Try.” Lettuce continued on, playing a couple of brand new tracks and eventually closing the set with the horn-driven “Lettsanity”. Lettuce got off the stage and the crowd was yelling and screaming “We Want Lettuce, We Want Lettuce…”. The band got all of about two minutes to take a break before the crowd had forced them back onto the stage with the chant. Lettuce came back out with Alecia Chakour on vocals for a burning hot cover of Syl Johnson’s “The Love You Left Behind.” Everything seemed to come together perfectly on this one, the vocals and horns complementing each other while the guitars, bass, keys and drums held down a tight groove. Lettuce closed their set with an intense 10 + minute version of “Blast Off” that boasted extensive solos from drummer Adam Deitch and keys player Neal Evans.

The crowd played a huge part in making this show as fun and exciting as it was. Everyone was dancing like crazy for the entire set and they really fed the band with their energy. Lettuce responded by throwing down a two hour set of exhilarating funk music. Overall, this was a fantastic night of high-quality, live music complete with funky dance beats, ripping horn solos, wet bass lines and everything you’d expect from the most powerful seven-piece funk band in existence.

Setlist: Intro>Madison Square, By Any Shmeeans Necessary, Speak E.Z., Nyack, Fly, Bowler, Slippin’ Into Darkness, What Do I Have To Do, Clean Up Woman, Afraid To Try, Yakitori, Phyllis, Lettsanity

Encore: The Love You Left Behind, Blast Off

Download the show here.

February 18, 2014