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...