Category: Reviews

ZZ Top Closes Out Summer Series at Lakeview Amp

The newly erected Lakeview Amphitheater in Syracuse has had quite the summer for it’s first full season of live music. Covering a wide variety of genres from Snoop Dogg to Dave Matthews Band to Keith Urban to Phish. But, the season couldn’t end on September 4, without some good ‘ol fashioned southern rock Hall-of-Famers! Since the scheduled Gregg Allman canceled due to his health, ZZ Top and Charlie Daniels came to the rescue with some legendary entertainment.

Social Distortion‘s current guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, kicked off the evening with some of his own original songs and a brief Charlie Daniels band cover before giving time to the band themselves. Within a few moments, Charlie Daniels Band made way to the stage minus the jolly fiddler, himself. The group bursted into an energetic instrumental as Mr. Daniels himself, stepped out in front of a cheerful audience. Sporting a large cowboy hat, white button down shirt, blue jeans, a massive belt-buckle, and his trusty fiddle, Daniels ripped into each song of their hour-long set with passion and enthusiasm ending their performance with the ever popular “Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

Texas Legends, ZZ Top, collectively took to the stage without hesitation, starting off with “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Waiting for the Bus,” before breaking it down with the bluesy “Jesus Just Left Chicago.” Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill seemed to keep the energy at low for the beginning of their show until picking things up with “Give Me All Your Lovin.” The southern trio joyously included “Foxy Lady” by Jimi Hendrix and “Two Trains Runnin” by Muddy Waters in their set amongst other popular tunes, before ending the night with a 3-song encore.

Set: Got Me Under Pressure, Waitin’ for the Bus, Jesus Just Left Chicago, Gimme All Your Lovin’, Pincushion, I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide, I Gotsta Get Paid, Rough Boy, Foxy Lady (Jimi Hendrix), Two Trains Runnin’ (Muddy Waters), Sixteen Tons, Cheap Sunglasses, Chartreuse, Sharp Dressed Man, Legs

Encore: La Grange, Tush, Jailhouse Rock

September 19, 2016
Hearing Aide: TAUK “Sir Nebula”

On September 16, 2016 Long Island’s very own TAUK will be releasing Sir Nebula. This will be their fourth studio release, fifth along with their live double album, HEADROOM. Sir Nebula is being released by STS9’s record label, 1320 Records and is available at taukband.com.

Captivating the knowable instrumental fusion that is TAUK, the four piece has again proven they have earned their right to be performing on a professional level with bands such as Umphrey’s McGee, Lettuce, Thievery Corporation, and more. Since their lineup completion in 2012 TAUK has been working harder than most to show music appreciators their brand. Constantly spreading the name TAUK with tours of 30 plus shows, always writing new material, and producing albums on their ‘time off.’ Bassist Charlie Dolan says when the band is in the studio it is “a time where we can really try to expand what we do, try new things and rediscover who we are.”

Listening back to tracks such as “Side Project” from Pull Factors, you can really understand Dolan’s statement. TAUK’s use of melody and creating a singular sound with four people cohesively creating music is a consistency they will always have. As they have progressed and grown you will notice in this new album their use of effects and technology followed by true musicianship.

The first single “Horizon” follows the TAUK path but with a major punch. With a really interesting intro of each member coming in piece by piece into all four members melodically arpeggiating notes into a break. Following this path throughout the song with each member touching back at the their root tag but staying extremely progressive. A fully captivating tune. The track playing in the beginning of the video preview of the album (below), “Program Select,” will also give you further taste of what’s to come. At any giving moment this track can take you in a surprisingly new direction with trap into another explosive well section. The entire album follows this theme and keeps you interested. Individually each track ‘TAUK’s’ for itself but I would suggest sitting back and listening to it as a whole, keeping you interested and on a path of excitement of what’s to come next.

Watch TAUK talk about Sir Nebula:

Whether you’re at a show or festival with the desire to get down, driving all 119 miles from Montauk to NYC, or just feel like listening to music Sir Nebula is a perfect choice.

Key tracks: Horizon, Program Select, Time’s Up

September 16, 2016
Hearing Aide: Dinowalrus “Fairweather”

An album created by a band with a, simply put, different name like Dinowalrus, is sure to hold something different musically. Their soon to be released album, Fairweather, set to drop September 23rd 2016, is definitely one of a kind. The band congregates loads of influences into one, light and airy yet powerful tone that skillfully uses contradicting sounds to create a psychedelic, electronic rock, punk dance voice. It pulls from a mouthful of influences and the album shows it, but it’s not distractingly busy in terms of instrumentals. One might even call it easy listening. Others will call it party music. And the fact that it’s not easily defined makes the album pretty special.

The group of eclectic musicians from Brooklyn started to dabble with their sound in 2008, releasing several albums and touring with a number of groups including Real Estate, Screaming Females and A Place to Bury Strangers. When asked what inspires their song writing process, they said, “Songs always start with a beat and bass line that moves us in a new and different way than anything we’ve done before, then layers of synths and guitars expand intuitively on top of that, finally vocal hooks and lyrics drop into our heads when we least expect it, usually while lulled into a trance by riding the subway around our hometown of NYC.”

A big part of their tone is the contradicting instruments. Their drums and bass lines are driving and pushing through measures non-stop. They’re tight, driving and consistent while almost all other aspects of their tracks are at first, unexpected. The synthesizers are legato; long and flowing. Same goes for their vocals. Visually, this album is a gargantuan wall of bass and beats with wisps of melodies and harmonies seeping through the cracks.

The first track, “Tides”, is quite different than the remaining songs, maybe to ease the listener into more intense sounds. It’s a feel-good song with a major tonality but the bass and drum tracks make it a bit more energetic. The sound of the track stays pretty consistent throughout, but pulls out some unexpected stops, like a fairly distorted guitar solo that keeps things interesting. But the formula seems to be repeated throughout the album.

This is not to say each song sounds the same. Each beat is different as well as the key and tempo, among other things, but the direction of the song is always locked in. In other words, one gets a sense of what the rest of the song will be like within the first 30 seconds of listening to it.

“Falling Into the Periphery” and “Plain Sight” are similar as well. The vocal hooks are what differentiates the songs if the listener isn’t fully invested in the track. Sometimes a synth or guitar lick will mark the different songs, but the beats themselves, although very important to the unique tone they make, lie dormant and simple in the recording.

“Guilty” is where things start to get a little more interesting. There’s a few subtle things like a few key changes and momentary deletes in the bass track to give the sound more perspective. One of the most unexpected parts of any of the tracks, is an incredible shredding guitar solo that comes from nowhere but is unbelievably fitting for this sound. There is also a very prominent vocal addition that simply sounds awesome all together.

“Light Rain”; Once again the guitar solo’s are the highlight of the track. They stand out the most, almost more than the synth and vocal hooks and it’s because the timbre doesn’t fit the electric and spacey sound that’s prominent throughout every song.

“Scarcity” is unique to the album right from the get-go. It’s direction is more unpredictable as compared to other tracks which is very refreshing. The harmony, being lead mainly by the guitar, is a very nice change of pace, giving the song more of a not so traditional rock band feel, while still having traces of electronic dance to it.

“Final Wave” is definitely an attention grabber because of how different it is from the synthesizer focused tracks. The vocals are also a tad less spacey but still sound flowing and the tone is more instrumentally organic. The sound isn’t as busy as previous tracks, which are a result of layers and layers of instrument recordings. “Compass Rose” is the same way. It’s more streamlined and simplified, a bit less intense, but still has the same effect of energizing the listener in a grounded way. The guitar solos are still one of the most grabbing parts of the track and the songs wouldn’t be as energizing without them.

“Silent Earth” reverts back to the timbre at the beginning of the album, soft sounds but powerful grooves. It doesn’t move in any direction and is fairly predictable but definitely puts the listener in a trance. The consistent sound is very encompassing and is best appreciated with a set of good headphones on because the sound circles around the listener’s head making for a not so energetic but interestingly deep track.

“The Painted Desert” offers an acoustic guitar based intro that is a nice change of pace for the electronically centered band. The intensity of the bass and drums cuts in and out to give some perspective which makes the chorus’s that much more appreciated because there’s an obvious peak rather than one long one.

The album is truly one of a kind with such a wide array of instrumental color and genre influence, but there are several songs that aren’t as engaging and energizing as the band may have hoped for. Granted, very few artists can achieve a perfect album. But the songs that find that perfect combination are definitely something worth listening to.

Key Tracks: Tides, Scarcity, Final Wave

September 15, 2016
Hearing Aide: The Devyl Nellys ‘Delicious Business’

New York City-based funk-pop band, The Devyl Nellys, recently released their newest album, Delicious Business in August. The band formed in 2011 and released their major label debut in 2014. They are constantly touring and have a handful of dates in Pennsylvania and Virginia in November and December.

Delicious Business kicks off with the title track. “Delicious Business” is full of a slow funk groove, reminiscent of Parliament Funkadelic, that sets the tone for the album. It’s followed up by “Rodeo Qween,” which features KC & the Sunshine Band on the track. Impromptu dance parties are bound to pop up wherever this ’70s-sounding funky disco tune is played.

“Hustle” and “Baad Seed” stray from the funk with their straight-up rock roots, both with a southern vibe. “Baad Seed” could be straight out of Texas both with the sound and the bad girl vibe to the lyrics. The band returns to the funk with “Love Suckaa,” which features Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band. More slow funk groove, similar to the first track, backs lyrics about a bad love.

The album ends with a quick upbeat funky rock song, “Bloody Merry.” It’s short and sweet and a perfect ending to an overall fun album.

Delicious Business is a fun, funky album that has a little something for everyone, from rock to funk to disco, listeners will be bopping around wherever it’s playing. The album can be streamed on the Devyl Nellys’ Soundcloud page. Keep updated on their tour on their website and Facebook page.

Key Tracks: Delicious Business, Rodeo Qween, Baad Seed

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gal42b11Qm0[/embedyt]

September 14, 2016
Rock and Remembrance: Umphrey’s McGee Pack Saranac

Poor souls centered in the selfish earth
How could silence for what suffers worth
Old worms shall never reach these excesses
Define terms to lease you to another friend.
— “The Haunt”

On September 11, 2001, the world changed forever. That same night, Umphrey’s McGee performed at a venue in Ithaca called The Haunt, a Central New York venue well known to all up-and-coming bands. While Umphrey’s was still in the midst of finding its footing in rock and roll, the band showed that the events of that fateful day were not lost on them, as they penned a song called “The Haunt” which sums up the band’s feeling about the terrorist attacks that crippled the World Trade Center in New York City.

Fast forward almost 15 years to the day, and that band which headlined The Haunt was taking the stage not far from Ithaca, at the Saranac Brewery in Utica. The band with the technical prowess of a jazz master and the gleaming intensity of the best of the prog-rock world showed a crowd of about 1,000 thirsty fans that they haven’t forgotten what happened that night by performing a somewhat haunting rendition of the song about halfway through their opening frame.

Heading into the show, the usual Umphrey’s circus of dedicated fans was gathered outside the brewery, preparing for the night ahead. Being on the home turf of their good friends in moe., Umphrey’s delivered a very straightforward performance that won’t stand out among the best in the band’s history, but certainly satiated a hungry crowd.

“Slacker” and “Linear” > “The Floor” set the tone for a night filled with syncopated guitar from axemen Brendan Bayliss and Jake Cinninger, before the pairing of “Uncle Wally” > “Higgins” provided a somewhat funky — for Umphrey’s, anyway — danceable breakdown.

That’s when they launched into “The Haunt.” A guy standing next to me leaned over and tried to explain the significance of the tune, but I could only make out some of his words, prompting me to look into it. The impassioned song seemed to provide the crowd a reflective period in the show to remember the lives lost in the senseless tragedy 15 years ago. “The Haunt” then gave way to “Miss Tinkles’ Overture,” which closed out the set.

During setbreak, I took a walk around the backstage area, and noticed Al Schnier, moe. guitarist, trotting around, making me believe a sit in was imminent. That would turn out to be false, but at least it kept me guessing throughout the second set, which featured more guitar-heavy material, but with a bit more improvisation than the earlier set.

“Hunt Bird Bath” and “Intentions Clear” > “Upward” were both upbeat and spot-on, but it seemed the crowd had thinned out a lot during setbreak. Maybe the locals who wanted to check Umphrey’s out decided to end their night, because the fans who remained were deeply into this set.

“Bridgeless” > “Day Nurse,” “Mail Package,” “Resolution” and a segue back into “Bridgeless” was classic Umphrey’s, with dueling guitars, a drum solo and a somewhat rare keyboard jaunt from Joel Cummins.

Just before the “Hollywood Nights” encore, bassist Ryan Stasik gave a short speech about how moe. had influenced the band in their infancy, and even brought out Schnier to wave to the crowd in a show of support. Overall, the show was very well done, with minimal miscues, but there was a bit of creativity lacking, however there was no questioning the band’s soul. It was worth the drive, the total lack of sleep heading into work the next day and the ringing in my ears from being way too close to one of the stage speakers.

Setlist:

Set 1: Slacker, Linear >The Floor, Uncle Wally > Higgins, The Haunt > Miss Tinkles’ Overture
Set 2: Hurt Bird Bath, Intentions Clear > Upward, Bridgeless > Day Nurse, Mail Package, Resolution >Bridgeless
Encore: Hollywood Nights

September 13, 2016
Holy Ghost Tent Revival Converts Listeners to Fans

It was only appropriate that a group named Holy Ghost Tent Revival, from Asheville, North Carolina, played at a converted church, and converted listeners into new fans. Named after a roadside advertisement in their home state, they kicked off the fall schedule at the Kirkland Art Center on September 8^th. The six-piece band showed tremendous versatility, with four different members playing keyboards at various times during their two-set performance.

Stephen Murray handled most of the lead vocals and rhythm guitar, but also played trumpet, and switched to the bass guitar when Kevin Williams played piano. Murray sat at the keys himself to close the first set with a stunning cover of George Harrison’s “Isn’t It a Pity,” performed with remarkable grace. Ross Montsinger on drums and Kevin Williams on bass handled the bottom end, with Williams lending backup vocals on most songs. Williams’ lead vocals and song styles while playing keys had an early Elton John feel to them. The majority of the band’s selections were in the roots rock/Americana realm accented by the wonderful punch of Charlie Humphrey on trumpet and the trombone of Hank Widmer, who both also played keyboards.

Widmer added clarinet on some of the evening’s quieter pieces. Rounding out the sextet was Matt Martin leading the way on guitar, sales pitch chants (“Pay what you want. Pay what you can.”) entertaining gesticulations, and fashion sense. How many ascots have you ever seen on stage?

The intimate venue may have had a bit of a reduced crowd on a Thursday night, but those in attendance were very appreciative of the energetic appeal of this group, and glad to have the opportunity to support live music. Holy Ghost Tent Revival’s most recent release, the EP Summer Jelly, is available on a pay what you want, pay what you can basis. The remainder of KAC’s fall performance schedule, and other events, may be found at Kirkland Art Center’s website.

Partial setlist: Who Knew, Long Road, Right State of Mind, Sun/Shadow, Walking Over My Grave, Isn’t It a Pity?, Trouble with the Truth, Smoke Myself to Death, Long Night, Broken Spirit, The End to, Thought About

September 12, 2016
Vulfpeck and Friends Celebrate a Funky Friday at Brooklyn Bowl

Vulfpeck returned to the Brooklyn Bowl for a Friday night funk fest, which showcased their incredible talent while welcoming numerous special guests. The sold-out room was greeted with a mellow, opening performance by Joey Dosik. Dosik performed the first Beatles cover of the night, “Don’t Let Me Down,” before giving us a taste of some of his originals off of the Game Winner EP.

As the members of Vulfpeck appeared on the Brooklyn Bowl stage, fans new and old dropped everything they were doing to rush as close to the front as possible. One thing that this foursome is well known for is heavy crowd interaction. The closer you are to the stage, the more involved you will be at these shows. Right off the bat, asses were shaking and high fives were being exchanged as the band treated us to “Outro” from their 2012 release, Vollmilch, with help from their friend Eddie Barbash on sax. The Vollmilch album was highlighted two more times in the beginning of the show with the danceable “Barbara” and “Mean Girls” before welcoming groove drummer, Bernard Purdie to the stage for “It Gets Funkier.”

Almost half way through their relatively short set, the guests continued to pour on stage as Dosik joined Vulpeck for “Game Winner” and the second Beatles cover of the night “Something.” The floor of the venue was certainly packed with groove enthusiasts, but at this point there wasn’t much space on stage either. As if having the funk innovator, Bernard Purdie, wasn’t enough of a treat for these guys, they enlisted help from Melissa Gardiner and Rachel Price (Lake Street Dive) to tackle Aretha Franklin’s “Rock Steady.” Joe Dart’s bass playing was a key feature in this solid cover as the tasty brass sounds echoed down the bowling lanes.

The crowd was fully locked in and feeling the horn section when the Vulf brought well known, Antwaun Stanley up to sing the extremely soulful, “1612.” Stanley’s vocal ability and stage swagger add the one-two punch these suburban boys from next store need to construct a more powerful song. During “1612”, New York, NY wanted to be a part of it, as the audience became one with the Vulf. Lyrically, these guys tip their hats to one of this city’s most iconic figures “Frank Sinatra” and with the crowd belting out the tune with Stanley, it was clear that these guys are forever welcomed in the city that doesn’t sleep.

There was no slowing down at this point as the group nailed another classic, “Boogie on Reggae Woman,” written by Stevie Wonder and covered by numerous other bands that know a thing or two about good music. Stanley remained on the stage through the lyrically ridiculous “Funky Duck,” which can be found on their most recent album, Thrill of the Arts. Louis Cato was then brought on to help with “Wait For The Moment” and “Beastly” as Stanley walked off stage to the cheers of a very grateful room.

“Christmas in LA” gave the band and the crowd a breather packed with banter from Jack Stratton and Theo Katzman. Probably the most well known song to new followers of the Vulf, “Back Pocket” ended the set. Gardiner and Barbush brought the brass back into the mix, while Stanley enlisted help from the audience for the hook. One more cover, “Kid Charlemagne” by Steely Dan was executed in the funkiest of ways for the encore. Who knows what Vulfpeck will bring to the table for Saturday’s final night at the Bowl. They have had many repeats in their first three shows of this NY run and with their limited, yet powerful catalog, fans do not seem to mind. The group continues to surprise us by welcoming numerous guests onto the stage physically and welcoming funk icons into the room sonically through their amazing covers. After seeing so many smiling younger faces fill the streets of Williamsburg after the show, I was reminded that Vulfpeck isn’t just the funk band that this generation wanted, but it’s also the one this generation needed.

September 12, 2016
Hearing Aide: Tender Glue “Steady Light”

Tom Gluewicki is the one-man force behind the Brooklyn based music project, Tender Glue. His debut EP, Wait For Steady Light, came out in September 2015 and now, one year later, after acquiring more live performance, song writing and recording experience, Tender Glue is set to release its anticipated follow up album, fittingly entitled, Steady Light.

Tender Glue is known for his acoustic, indie-rock style meshed with a post-punk stripped down sound, all of which comes across in Steady Light. “West” the first single, is a slow, guitar-driven ballad that evokes Gluewicki’s heart felt intentionality, pouring through his music. Each guitar chord seems to drag, emphasizing his clear emotion and meaningfulness, and right when the listener would expect the track to come to a close, a beautiful moment of clarity opens up with the freeing simplicity of Gluewicki’s airy guitar work. This sort of nifty composure is heard throughout much of Steady Light and it appears that Gluewicki’s knack for not only song structure but skill in both the acoustic and electric guitar world has significantly improved over the year. It’s heard elsewhere in his music too with “Hope Street,” where acoustic chords are contrasted by the eerie drone of electric rambling. With its moments of dismay this song can definitely come across as somber, and maybe a little too dreary at points, but this also seems to be a part of what Tender Glue strives for in his music. It’s the longing for something that might no longer be there. Or it’s leaving a place you’ve come to know well, as with “Goodbye Bushwick,” yet recognizing to always carry home. Whatever it is, Gluewicki is quick to transmit that emotion into music.

Tender Glue’s somber, acoustically spacious and slight 90s grunge influence is what makes this one-man band such an honest delight to dive into. Steady Light is sure to be a must-listen throughout the upcoming autumn nights and straight through into the winter. And be sure to look out for Tender Glue’s album release show set for August 26^th at City Reliquary in Brooklyn.

Key Tracks: West, Goodbye Bushwick, Hope Street

September 11, 2016
Counting Crows Leave It All on Stage at Lakeview Amphitheater

As The Counting Crows continue to make their way across the nation on their Summer 2016 tour, it astonishes me how they find it in themselves each and every night to give so much to each audience. As Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows came to the Lakeview Amphitheater stage at the Syracuse, NY performance, they began with the Himalayan’s song, “Round Here.”

This emotional testimony of life as it unfolds and those left behind, reaches down deep and moves those who hear it each every time. Right off the bat I was transfixed. The emotion that this band puts into every song, whether it’s “Round Here,” “Mr. Jones,” “A Long December,” or “Palisades Park,” has to be exhausting to them, as it physically moves those who witness it. Seeing this band for the first time, I was beyond impressed by the dynamics these guys have on stage together. They are a well oiled machine. They silently cue each other and meld together in unison as they demonstrate their musical prowess. To say I was moved by this performance seems lame, but they definitely left it all up on that stage and left a lasting impression on this journalist.

Opening acts on this evening couldn’t have been more diverse, however surprisingly cohesive at the same time. Arriving in the nick of time to see newcomer K. Phillips, I was extremely surprised and impressed by the talent and stage presence he has. With a much loved piano, this young man’s music infuses a southern country twang into a rock and roll mix that makes you move inside and out. Welcoming us to the pit as we took photos, this young man’s stage presence captures your attention immediately and his music and bandmates reel you in like a fish on a line. Mark my words here…this is an artist on the rise.

With a quick set change out came Rob Thomas and his crew. With a full band including some dynamic back up singers, he exploded onto the stage like a firecracker. His energy infused set had the crowd up on their feet singing and dancing along immediately. With a mix of new and old music, his set expended a physical energy both on stage and off.

This three act mix brought a smorgasbord of sounds and feelings to all who witness this tour. Somewhat an unlikely pairing, their musical flavors infused perfectly. As K. Phillips got the groove going with this his southern sounds and charms, Rob Thomas then comes out and amps the crowd up physically. By the time The Counting Crows expend their emotional energy on stage, they leave the audience soulfully satisfied and spent by the end of the night.

Counting Crows Setlist: Round Here, Dislocation, Mr. Jones, Colorblind, Four White Stallions, Omaha, Cover Up the Sun, Anna Begins, Miami, Goodnight Elisabeth / Pale Blue Eyes, The Ballad of El Goodo (Big Star cover), Big Yellow Taxi (Joni Mitchell cover), Earthquake Driver, A Long December, Hanginaround, Palisades Park, and Rain King / Thunder Road

Rob Thomas Setlist: …Something to Be, Mockingbird, Her Diamonds, Give Me the Meltdown, Getting Late / That’s All Right, Lonely No More, Fire on the Mountain, Let’s Dance (David Bowie cover), 3 A.M. (Matchbox Twenty song), Someday, Bent (Matchbox Twenty song), Pieces, Streetcorner Symphony, Smooth (Santana cover), This Is How a Heart Breaks, Pieces, and Streetcorner Symphony

September 7, 2016
American Music at the Earlville Opera House, from Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones

Dave Alvin and his brother Phil have been checking things out ever since they snuck into legendary clubs and theaters as under-aged teenagers to see and hear the artists that provided them with a musical education. In doing so, it is evident that they formed an appreciation for those artists and edifices that have stood the test of time. So it was no surprise to see Dave strolling down the sidewalk of Earlville, checking out the storefronts and old buildings prior to Friday night’s performance of Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones at the Earlville Opera House on September 2.

Their appreciation for those venerable artists was also evident in the choice of songs performed that evening. Bill Broonzy and Big Joe Turner, featured songwriters on their two most recent releases, Common Ground and Lost Time from Yep Roc Records, were highlighted in multiple selections. Even one of Dave Alvin’s own songs honored a singer whose star shone brightly but briefly for only twenty-five years, and whose gunshot death by his own hand has been the subject of rumors and wild conjecture that only grew as decades passed. Those elements provided the basis for “Johnny Ace is Dead,” one of several stand out numbers in a rambunctious two hour performance. This song showcased Dave Alvin‘s songwriting, story telling, singing, and guitar.

Dave’s brother Phil Alvin, now back recording and performing after serious health issues in recent years, is a tremendous vocalist. Phil’s singing on Turner’s “Cherry Red Blues” displayed both the power and nuance for which he is known. He also added his skills on harmonica and acoustic guitar to various songs.

The not-so-secret weapon in the Guilty Ones, the Alvins’ backing band, is the incredible Lisa Pankratz behind the drums. I’ve heard it said that for drummers, songs are like children. Some you can trust on their own, and just remain in the background keeping an eye on things. Others need to be nudged along to find their way forward. Still others might require a kick in the ass. Pankratz performs those tasks as well as any I’ve ever seen. Rounding out the Guilty Ones are Brad Fordham on bass and vocals, and Chris Miller on guitar.

The Alvins also drew upon their days as founding members of prominent Los Angeles band The Blasters with crowd favorites “Border Radio” and “American Music” as well as two of their encores, “King of California” and “Marie, Marie.” For a toe-tapping, hip-shaking good time, go see Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin with The Guilty Ones.

Special guest performer Sarah Borges opened the show with a solo acoustic set of primarily songs off her recent CD, Good and Dirty. Included was an exceptional cover of “Stop and Think It Over” (No, not the Perry Como song.) She had an easy rapport with the audience, and told hilarious stories of life on the road playing music. The Boston based musician is a name you should remember to check out, as Dave and Phil Alvin did.

All photos were taken at the historic Earlville Opera House, now celebrating its 45^th anniversary season.

Setlist: All by Myself, I Feel So Good, World’s in a Bad Condition, Mister Kicks, Cherry Red Blues, Hide and Seek, Southern Flood Blues, Border Radio, Johnny Ace is Dead, Truckin’ Little Woman, What’s Up with Your Brother?, Dry River, American Music

Encore: King of California, Marie, Marie, Turn on Your Love Light

September 7, 2016