Gomez Rocks Out at the 930 Club

June 22

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:

Redhook ESB,

styled after the bitter beers common to English pubs.

Available at the 930 Club's upstairs bar.

Gomez remains relatively unknown in the States but their core fan base turned out for the sold-out show at the 930 Club. They may have gained some new exposure as the opener for the Dave Matthews Band earlier this year. The unlikely pair came together after Gomez released its most recent album, How We Operate, on Matthews’ label, ATO Records.

Gomez is a five-bloke band from Southport, England, and all of them contribute to the songwriting process. They’re a band with soul and always puts on a good show. At this show, they relied heavily on new material, some of which leans more toward pop, no doubt the influence of their new label.

Earlier Gomez is blues-rock, infused with a hint of country. It’s alternative with a creative twist. The newer stuff loses the bluesy component, though “Hamoa Beach” tinkers with a folk-rock groove. Live, they rocked out on the new songs, which sounded polished aside from a few rough endings when the fade-outs seemed a bit out of sync, which might have been intentional.

Their lively stage presence was complemented by the band’s versatility. Tom Gray moved effortlessly from bass to keyboards while Dajon Everett moved between percussion and keyboards. One of the most unique and refreshing aspects about this band is they have three lead vocalists, all with distinct voices. Ben Ottewell has a smoky, seductive voice with an Eddie Vedder quality except, with Ottewell, one can understand what he’s saying. Gray, Ian Ball, and Ben Ottewell took turns singing lead, and sometimes sang together in harmony. With Gomez, it’s almost like getting three bands in one.

Gomez came on the scene in 1998 with the album Bring it On, the only one to receive any exposure in the States, followed by five more albums, most notably In Our Gun in 2002. Confident in their U.S. fan base, they skipped over their one U.S. radio hit, “Get Myself Arrested.” Instead, they closed the show by jamming out to another song from that debut album, “Whippin’ Piccadilly,” and the crowd jumped and chanted along to the chorus: “We like loving, yeah, and the wine we share.”

NPR recorded and aired this show. You can download it from their website.

Echo and the Bunnymen Please Fans at the Black Cat

June 26, 2006

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:

A Bass Ale (it just works)

Torrential downpours would not keep fans away from the Black Cat last night to hear Echo & the Bunnymen. The lads from Liverpool transported fans back in time to the days of 80s synthpop, an era when they were a driving force on the post-punk scene. Singer Ian McCulloch was in his element. He still seems comfy in his rock star role, looking suave in his leather jacket, sunglasses, and spiky haircut. And he still sounds great, with that smooth, unmistakable voice.

The group today consists of six blokes; McCulloch and guitarist Will Sergeant are the only two original members. They don’t jam, rock out, or perform solos in concert. Instead, they play studio versions of their tracks that sound polished and predictable.

Echo & the Bunnymen played a nearly identical set to the one they performed at the Black Cat back in November, but why change what obviously seemed to work. They clearly recognized the crowd wanted to hear the old stuff when designing the setlist, one that’s been fairly standard on this tour. In fact, at this show, they played only three tracks from their 2005 album, Siberia.

The setlist included the Bunnymen’s best-loved 80s classics, “The Killing Moon,” “Bring on the Dancing Horses,” [introduced to an American audience via the Pretty in Pink soundtrack], and “The Cutter.” They saved the classic “Lips Like Sugar,” for the encore and fans just savored the time-honored song.

Opening the show was a new UK synthpop band called Boy Kill Boy, the perfect complement to the impending Bunnymen performance. Drawing their influences from the likes of Prince, the Smiths, Blur, and Supergrass, the four band mates put on a rocking show. Their major-label debut album, Civilian, is climbing the UK charts. Watch for these blokes…

Emmet Swimming Beats Out the Rain at Brew Fest

Friday, June 24

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:
Otter Creek IPA—very hoppy with a sweet finish (much like emmet!)

Todd Watts really wanted a beer. After 40 minutes, the lead singer of Emmet Swimming hoped to sample at least one from a long list of microbreweries present at the Old Dominion Beer Festival this past weekend. But it began to drizzle and, given the ominous forecast, he and the band decided to play straight through the nearly two-hour set. And the weather mercifully held out.

The crowd was smaller than usual but some hardcore emmet fans were there, reveling in the beer and the Emmet. It was hard to do both simultaneously, though, as the sound was pretty muffled unless you were close to the stage. So, ClubD stayed near the stage but snuck away for “a beer vacation” during “Sunblock.”

Hardcore fans were rewarded with two rare gems from Emmet’s first album: “Blue Moon,” which rocked, and the ballad “Lose Yourself,” which takes on a whole new meaning after numerous microbrews. While much of the show featured up-tempo songs that spanned their four studio albums, two other ballads struck the perfect chord: “You’re So Pretty,” an anthem to a mysterious redhead from Fairfax, and “Guru,” the live-album version adapted from their last studio album.

Watts expressed appreciation, and awe, that fans stuck around to hear the band long after the taps had closed. The foursome came back for an encore of two of their most popular covers, Billy Bragg’s “Levi Stubb’s Tears” and The Police’s “So Lonely.”

Emmet Swimming will appear at the 930 Club on July 22.
See my earlier review of this band.

Costello, Toussaint Have Fans Movin’ to the Groove at Wolf Trap

June 15, 2006

Recommended beverage to go with this show:

A glass of red on the lawn

Elvis Costello has experimented with different formats at Wolf Trap in recent years. He has performed acoustic, accompanied by pianist Steve Nieve. He has played with the Imposters in a semi-uninspired short set and then sped out of the park. Last year, he and the Imposters rolled through a long, rocking set. But this year, on this tour, Costello was truly in his element, and the crowd seemed to love this jazzy, bluesy, swingin' side of him.

I got a preview of what this show might offer when I saw Costello perform at the New Orleans Jazz Fest in 2005, five months before Katrina blew through. The hurricane’s devastation would inspire him to collaborate with New Orleans R&B Legend Allen Toussaint on a new album, The River in Reverse, most of which he performed at this show to receptive fans.

It was ambitious of Costello to open with “[What’s So Funny About] Peace, Love, & Understanding,” which set the bar quite high from the outset, but he would not disappoint. Following that classic, Toussaint and the Crescent City Horns joined Costello and his band for the nearly three-hour set.

Toussaint and Costello, both members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, each have such an extensive collection of songs, prompting Costello to declare, “We could be here till dawn.” The two were a good fit. Costello’s music lent itself perfectly to the swinging new arrangements, most of which were reworked by Toussaint. Of particular note was a jazzy, infectious new version of “Watching the Detectives,” arranged by Costello, which included a kickin' horn intro.

The group performed several of Costello’s well-loved hits, including “Alison,” “Pump it Up,” and “High Fidelity” as well as a few deep tracks from his vast songbook, including an outstanding version of “Tears Before Bedtime” from the album Imperial Bedroom. They also performed numerous Toussaint songs including perhaps his most famous, “Working in a Coal Mine,” during which the audience sang along.

Costello’s music adapted naturally to the New Orleans sound though much credit goes to the Crescent City Horns: trombonist “Big Sam” Williams; saxophonists Brian “Breeze” Cayolle and Amadee Castanell, and trumpeter Joe “Foxx” Smith.

The new material—including several songs Costello and Toussaint had co-written—was excellent. Costello took several sardonic jabs at the U.S. government response to Hurricane Katrina and also thanked the crowd for being so receptive to the new music, the bulk of which many of us had not heard before. But anything these guys collaborated on likely would sound fantastic; this kind of music gets in your blood and literally moves you.

And what New Orleans-style concert is complete without a tribute to Professor Longhair? Following Toussaint’s piano medley tribute to “Fess,” Costello performed “Ascension Day,” a moving song he and Toussaint co-wrote for the new album. They borrowed the melody from the Fess’s famous “Tipitina,” transposed into a minor key, and the result is a poignant Katrina tribute. The lyrics remind us of the sad event that brought these brilliant musicians to the same stage, as Costello sang, “Now the wind had departed. Not a leaf was hanging on the tree like when it started. But I know they will return like they've never gone away, come Ascension Day.”

Luce Rocks Jammin' Java

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:
although this is a coffee joint,
a bottle of Sam Adams went nicely with this band

Luce, a pop-rock quintet from San Francisco, rocked Jammin' Java on May 24. Too bad so few knew about it. But then, in most other major cities, you'd have heard their song "Good Day" multiple times on the radio. Not here, for lack of an indie rock station in this fine city of ours.

The band is tight and has a refreshing sound. Unfortunately, the sound guy was so enthralled he seemed to forget we were in a small club without the benefit of many people to absorb the sound and had the volume way, way up. Note to Jammin' Java soundman: This ain't the Verizon Center. The sound did level off after a couple of songs, but I wasn't sure if there was an actual adjustment or if my ears became desensitized.

Another interesting thing about Jammin' Java is that sometimes their headliners go on ...not last. Glad I got there a little early because Luce was the second of three bands. Their guitarist was positively giddy; their bassist was quietly funky, and their keyboardist/trumpeter was in a groove.

They played a fun set, including their hit "Good Day" which features Adam Rossi on trumpet and a fantastic, high-energy cover of Eleanor Rigby that had a funky spin. They played several songs from their first, self-titled release as well as "Amsterdam" and other songs from their 2005 release Never Ending. The latter album features former Train bassist Charlie Colin, as well as former Counting Crows drummer Steve Bowman, who also played on their first album and tours with them.

Luce is so named after frontman Tom Luce. He and his bandmates were great sports that night considering their equipment had all been stolen from their van the night before while in Philadelphia. They borrowed most of their backline from the band Lucky Day also playing there that night.

These boys will return to Jammin' Java on July 16 and are well worth seeing. Watch for them...

Brandi Carlile Plays the Birchmere

May 23, 2006

Recommended beverage to go with this show:
that trusty ol’ Old Dominion amber

The Birchmere was packed for Brandi Carlile. Her music has been featured in movies and on television, most notably in three episodes of Grey’s Anatomy this season. But Carlile also has gained wide exposure opening for such acts as Train and Jamie Cullum (see my earlier story on Cullum at the 930 Club).

Hailing from Seattle, Carlile and “the twins” (her bassist and guitarist) put on a fine performance. Her folk-rock, at times bluesy, sound is appealing and a cellist added depth to her music. Carlile's songs are raucous fun. Vocally, she sounds like Bonnie Raitt meets Lucinda Williams, at times smoky, at times sweetly melodic.

She concluded the show with three phenomenal covers from three different musical genres: Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison,; Bob Dylan’s “The Times Are a Changin,’”, and Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah.. The very fact that she successfully pulled this off is a testament to her versatility.

Opening for Carlile was Gran Bel Fisher from Ohio plugging his new disc Full Moon Cigarette. When he first took the stage, looking at him I could only assume we were in for Skid Row unplugged. But, in fact, he has a rich, soulful voice and, the no-talking during performances policy at the Birchmere notwithstanding, he commanded everyone’s attention. Alternating between guitar and keyboards with a fellow guitarist in tow, Fisher impressed. He will be a guy to watch for…

Alexa Ray Joel Plays the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:

eh, have a coke out of respect. Alexa's not yet 21.

"The Cinema Drafthouse has music?" That's the first question, generally followed by "Alexa is how old?!" Yes, the Cinema & Drafthouse now has weekly live music. And Alexa Ray is 20 and has a band.

Quite honestly, I hadn't heard her music before but, like many, showed up because she's the daughter of my musical god, Billy Joel. (and yes, she looks more like him and not like her supermodel mom and, in fact, she's beautiful). Clearly, she also inherited some of her dad's musical genes. A talented singer and pianist, Alexa admitted on stage that she, and not her dad, writes all of her own material.

Trained in classical piano, Alexa's songs cross several genres, a fusion of jazzy pop-rock and soul. They're songs about coming of age, reflections on love ("Sapphire Night"), bitterness, and the insecurities of the teen years. She seems to have grasped quite a few life lessons at this young age; her music is youthful and mature all at once. And her voice is sweet and pure.

Some of Alexa's songs seem to be simply about finding her way in the world, from the haunting "Resistance" to the rebellious "The Revolution Song," which she dedicated to anyone who gets frustrated with authority, be it parents or the boss.

After the show, I stopped by to introduce myself. I told her I was from Brooklyn and that my first concert ever was seeing her father at MSG in December 1986, the month she was born. She politely corrected me and said she was born December 1985 and that she was 20. Suddenly I felt old and began to rethink having an alcoholic beverage.