After three decades Deep Banana Blackout still has their charm. On Friday, June 16, DBB played alongside The Breakfast, who both now have another excellent performance to put under their belts. Their performance Deep Banana Breakfast, although typical, was well received by the wide demographic of people that attended.
Typically, the Fairfield Theater Company gains the attention of people who seemingly aren’t so interested in the band that’s playing, but are more attracted to the idea of seeing live music on Friday night. They come to almost every show the FTC has to offer but always seem so uninterested, sometimes leaving halfway through a show. But not this time. The men and women were flabbergasted by the momentum and energy that DBB brought. Their well-rounded and classic sound combined with a contemporary layout made for an absolutely epic night that was enjoyed by patrons of all ages.
The Breakfast played for an hour and fifteen minutes with their efforts not going unappreciated. The only gripe some people might have had with their performance was that they came out swinging hard – they peaked early and as the room filled out it was easy to see the crowd had lost interest come the end of their set. They consist of: Tim Palmieri on guitar and vocals, Adrian Tramontano of Kung Fu on drums and vocals, Chris DeAngelis on bass and vocals and Jordan Giangreco on keyboards and vocals. They’re very technical and multi-directional with enough talent to last for years. Listeners can sense influences of rock, jam, funk and hints of jazz throughout their pieces. They too have been playing for almost three decades and still performed with unrelenting energy.
DBB, who’s show wasn’t the most incredible one they’ve ever done by any means, was much appreciated for their consistency. There are some member changes compared to their performances 10 years ago, but the feel of their show is still alive and well and that is something to appreciate. There were a few teases and a wide variety of tastes and styles that fluctuated throughout the show. Their selections ranged from a crowd favorite, “Bump and Sway,” to Peter Gabriel’s, “Sledgehammer,” to a lively version of James Brown’s, “Turn Me Loose, I’m Dr. Feel Good.” They played about fifteen total songs before moving to the highlight of the night when The Breakfast combined with DBB to play The Allman Brothers ”Stand Back” and “Southbound” as tribute to the late Greg Allman. As stated before, the show didn’t blow people away – patrons were drinking and talking the majority of the time and kept the smoking section of the patio full the entire time. What was most astounding was the consistency of the group over all of these years.
It’s a shame to see these two groups don’t have plans to work together again anytime soon because they compliment each other beautifully and have a plethora of talent and experience under their belts. DBB’s next show is in Westport, CT at the Blues, Views and BBQ Fest @ Levitt Pavilion and The Breakfast has no plans at the moment. Hopefully this performance is well received enough to have them do a similar show like this one.
Whitlock switched to piano and Carmel to saxophone for “The Captain’s Song,” “Slowdown,” and “Bell Bottom Blues.” The closer, “Layla,” took on its own life – slow and bluesy during the verses, but back up to 38rpm for the chorus. The second half of the song was performed just as God/Clapton intended, and Chess closed the song out effortlessly. In three years, Layla and Assorted Love Songs will be 50 years old – let’s hope we can see Clapton and Whitlock together to perform the one of rock’s most influential and classic albums.
…Of The Dark Light (via Nuclear Blast) is the eighth studio album from the NYDM legends. This is a long awaited follow-up from the band’s crushing 2013’s album Pinnacle of Bedlam (via Nuclear Records). Recorded at Full Force Studio with the expertise of Joe Cinecotta, you can bet those walls were rattling like a crazy mother from those devastating sonic assaults. Just by looking at the magnificent artwork cover by Collin Mark, the design will catch your attention. It features a beautiful humanoid in a dark blacken blue abyss, slowly becoming one with the unknown. You can just feel the hairs stand on end when you look at this artwork, knowing it will be one hell of a journey. The album starts off on a highly aggressive and technical foot with the track “Clarity Through Deprivation.” You can hear the quick precision from both Terrance Hobbs and Charlie Errigo finger work all across this sonic barrage! It proves the young bands still can learn a few things from their death metal ancestors in perfect timing and song construction.
Black Laden Crown is Danzig’s first original album since 2010’s release of Deth Red Sabaoth. The album features Glenn on vocals as usual and Tommy Victor behind the devil’s axe. You have Johnny Kelly, Joey Castillo, Karl Rokfist, and Dirk Verbeuren featured on this release for drumming sessions on the album. Recorded at East West Studios in 
The night started off with an energetic group called 