The Old Ceremony at Iota

The Old Ceremony,
Iota, Arlington, Virginia
Feb. 26

On their first date of a northbound tour to promote their newest album, Walk on Thin Air, The Old Ceremony played a masterful set at Iota. These guys represent what is funky and fresh about rock: they're a tight quintet with a dynamic vocalist, complemented by violin and keyboard/xylophone.

Incorporating elements of jazz and punk into their versatile sound, the Raleigh, NC-based band went through such catchy songs as "Papers in Order" and "Get to Love" from their previous album. And they played a handful of their sweet and sultry ballads, such as the jazzy "Reservations," from that same album. The new songs are a continuation of this same sound.

I must thank bassist Matt for spilling a beer on me at Zaytinya last year. Had it not been for that incident, I might never have discovered these guys. The band was running late to their gig at Rock and Roll Hotel, and I was running late to interview the manager of that club for a spotlight story for On Tap. Realizing we were going to the same place, they gave me a ride to the club. Due to the interview, I missed their set that night and finally got to seem them live last night. It was an outstanding show!