Local Scene / Band to Watch: Seed Is

A rich and powerful sound emanated from the stage as I climbed the stairs of the Velvet Lounge on Sunday night to catch a couple of the groups at the Emergenza Festival. That sound was coming from a Norfolk, VA-based band called Seed Is. There were so many interesting elements to their music. They had so much going on—all of it good.

I first thought: how did the 10 of them fit on the Velvet Lounge’s tiny stage? I then took in the rest. They had a female bassist, front and center, who sang in the low register while a second female vocalist belted out the harmony. Behind them were a three-piece horn section, keyboardist, drummer, percussionist, and guitarist. The tenth guy stepped on stage periodically to rap and sing.

The grooves generally had a rock or reggae base with other styles skillfully thrown in, from funk and soul to jazz. The sound was full and tight and absolutely rocking. One could not help dancing, even in the small confines of that room. Seed Is has been together for 8+ years and has developed a substantial following from relentless touring along the East coast. Their fans are hooked and I’d like to consider myself among the newest Seedlings.

Seminole Gumbo: Cookin' with the Sauce Boss

Bill Wharton really cooks it up for the crowd, in both the musical and culinary sense. Known as the Sauce Boss, Wharton, who hails from Tallahassee, Florida, had the crowd hopping at Madam's Organ in DC on Saturday night with his brand of jump blues. He also had the crowd stirring the big pot of gumbo that stood on stage beside the band.

It's his trademark and the crowd loves it. He ended his first set by drumming on the large pot in "Stomp" style as he headed to the back to make his signature gumbo. The pot then sits on stage for the remainder of the show until he serves it up to hungry fans at the end. Want one of his cds? He'll throw in a bottle of hot sauce with that!

Wharton really dishes out the spice as he jams on slide guitar and sings. At times, he winds his way through the crowd, making sure everyone is on their toes. The Sauce Boss has nine cds under his belt dating back to his self-titled debut in 1989. And, while he has served many thousands of fans over the years at his shows, he also serves the less fortunate through his non-profit foundation Planet Gumbo, where he performs for and feeds people in homeless shelters.

Howard Jones: Brilliant, As Always

Recommended beverage to go with this show:
Any high-quality lager will do

In the weeks before this concert, when I would tell friends I’m excited to see Howard Jones in concert again, the response was inevitably, “Oh, is that the guy who sings No One is to Blame?” Yes, that’s the bloke. And, then I would get giddy inside at the thought that I know something they don’t—that this pianist/singer/songwriter is one of the most talented and underrated musicians of my generation. And, because he’s somewhat of a well-kept secret, Jones can play acoustic shows at intimate venues such as the State Theatre in Falls Church, where he performed on January 14.

The Howard Jones duo (with acoustic guitarist Robin Boult) played a nearly identical set to the show I attended in Easton, MD back in October. And, Jones told pretty much the same stories between songs. And, it was equally prophetic and moving the second time around. A nice surprise was the addition of the peppy “You Know I Love You, Don’t You?” from his lesser-known third album, One to One.

He opened with the beautiful new song, “Someone You Need,” which he co-wrote with Duncan Sheik, and before long had the audience singing along to “Like to Get to Know You Well.” He told the amusing story that when it got translated into Japanese, he got an angry call that this song would ruin his career. Perplexed, he inquired further to discover that the Japanese translation of it was, “Like to Force Myself Upon You.” That definitely was not his intention.

Jones did a wonderful job engaging the audience throughout the show, both with colorful, personal stories and by encouraging the crowd to sing along to many songs, even ones with which they weren’t as familiar. A classically trained pianist, Jones has a sweeping vocal range, meaningful lyrics, and a collection of timeless classics. A noteworthy recent album that highlights Jones’s classical side is Piano Solos for Friends and Loved Ones, (2003) a collection of instrumental improvisations, each inspired by and dedicated to someone special in his life.

If you missed this show, he’ll be at the Ramshead in Annapolis on February 2.

Thanks to my buddy Bill for the fantastic HoJo dvd of his 20^th anniversary concert in London. It’s a fantastic mix of acoustic and electronic songs, old and new, recorded at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, and includes a series of interviews and a photo montage.

All photos on this page courtesy of Joseph Allen: http://www.jallenimages.com/

First set:

Someone You Need (new)
Like to Get to Know You Well
Love’s Never Wasted (new)
Pearl in the Shell
Don’t Always Look at the Rain
The Prisoner
Say It Like You Mean It (new)
Everlasting Love /mixed in with the Beatles’ Twist and Shout

Second set:

Didn’t take notes (sorry) but it began with Dreamin’ On and included Hide and Seek; You Know I Love You, Don’t You?; No One is to Blame; Life in One Day; What is Love; and the encore: Things Can Only Get Better.

Enter the Haggis Plays Iota

January 9

Recommended Beverage to go with this show:
I.P.A.: bold and hoppy

Enter...a talented Celtic band from Toronto. Enter the Haggis, an all-male quintet of multi-instrumentalists, was engaging and truly brimming with talent. These blokes managed to mix so many different genres of music and so fluidly. "We get bored really easily," lead singer Brian Buchanan commented to me. That works to the fans' advantage, as they fused Celtic with rock, bluegrass, folk, and in some songs Latin rhythms.

Buchanan also played fiddle and acoustic guitar. Craig Downie, who sang lead vocals on several songs and had the most Irish-sounding singing voice of the bunch, also played Highland bagpipes, acoustic guitar, and a tin whistle. Guitarist Trevor Lewington alternated between acoustic and electric guitars and also sang lead a couple of times. They were backed by two tight musicians keeping the rhythm, drummer James Campbell and bassist Mark Abraham.

What is haggis? It's a hearty Scottish stew, traditionally made with lamb and/or mutton and oatmeal. Enter the Haggis, therefore, is the perfect name for these guys who created a fantastic, lively musical stew. It was a clapping, toe-tapping, and booty-shaking good time.

Windswept at the 9:30 Club

A unique ticket-buying experience, to say the least...

One weekday afternoon, despite a bad cold and a heavy workload, I decided to stop by the 9:30 Club to buy some concert tickets. It’s a short metro ride from work and generally a small price to pay to avoid the steep service fees when ordering tickets online. When I arrived, the ticket booth gal said the credit card machine was down and, though someone was trying to fix it—a professional I’d presume—it could be a while and she asked that I pay in cash.

She benevolently allowed me to use the club’s ATM, so I took out $120 to add to the $40 already in my wallet. I requested a total of five tickets, divided among two shows, and she said the total was $130. I carefully counted $140 and handed it to her. She then said I only gave her $120. Impossible, as I correctly had $20 left in my wallet, which had held $160. She insisted she’d counted properly, so I begrudgingly forked over my last $20.

As I walked away with my tickets, it occurred to me I was now out $20, plus the ATM’s $3 service fee, and my round-trip metro cards, and it would’ve been cheaper to pay the annoying online service fees. Back at my office, I called the club’s manager who said that if the drawer was over at the end of the day, he would let me know. He did call back that night and said there was no extra money when they cashed out. He then offered the most fascinating explanation as to what might have happened. He said there is sometimes a wind tunnel by that ticket window and perhaps my last $20 got sucked in.

A wind tunnel? How very “Being John Malkovich.” Perhaps my money entered this portal and deposited itself on the Jersey Turnpike. I feel justice might truly be served if some homeless guy would discover this secret portal that, by now, probably would have enough money sucked into it to give the guy a down payment on a house.

Am I bitter? A little. I’m a huge fan of this club, its music, and its excellent beer selection and it would’ve been a nice gesture if they had offered me a small token of appreciation for my long-time patronage, perhaps a spot on the guest list to a future show. Such a gesture might have helped erase the inconvenience of that day. Granted, I hadn’t even suggested this perk. I’m the kind of person who hopes for the occasional favor or kind gesture, but never asks for it. And, unlike the Malkovich portal, there was no way the club’s manager could get inside my mind to know that’s what I wanted out of this incident.

Should you find yourself buying tickets in cash at the 9:30 Club, I’d suggest asking the salesperson to count the bills right in front of you to prevent any potential discrepancy.
And, if you ever find this mysterious portal, presumably if there’s a floor 7 ½ , do let me know as there’s a $20 bill in there with my name on it.

My plight got picked up by the Washington City Paper! Read about it here (scroll down to "Winds of Change.")