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| photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch |
"No matter where I go, this will always be home, Milwaukee," Chris Vos declared to an ecstatic sold-out crowd. While The Record Company
rocked Turner Hall this spring, and were
stellar at Summerfest this past June, their most recent show at Turner Hall showcased the band at perhaps its all-time best. A new drum kit for Marc Cazoria, a new lap steel for Chis Vos, and an improved light show were perhaps the obvious upgrades. However, the confidence exuded by the musicians who held the capacity crowd in the palm of their hands track after track, is what put this performance from The Record Company into the "truly exceptional" category. The trio has developed some serious stage swagger that frontman Chris Vos embodies by jumping and jamming from one side of the stage to the other, sometimes with a retro mic and harmonica, other times with an acoustic or electric guitar, and even taking the lap steel to (literally) new heights.
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| photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch |
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| photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch |
The band's set highlighted their critically acclaimed release
Give It Back To You. Vos and company performed scorching renditions of stand out tracks like "On the Move," and "Hard Day Coming Down." The John Lee Hooker boogie of "Don't Let Me Get Lonely," was very well-received with heavy bass grooves provided by Alex Stiff on this track and throughout the evening. A set highlight was an unexpected cover of the Beastie Boys' "So What'cah Want," that
The Record Company recorded for the #Jaminthevan series as a memorial to one of their musical icons Adam "MCA" Yauch who passed away from cancer in 2012. The soul and passion exuded on this track was palpable as the crowd bounced, swayed, and sang along with the chorus. To quote a concert neighbor standing in back of me, "These guys just ooze rock 'n roll from their veins, man." Well put. While "Off The Ground," The Record Company's breakthrough single got a rousing reaction from the crowd, the unreleased older jam, "The Burner," was equally moving, with Vos's manic jamming on the lap steel guitar.
Performance aside, this show was a genuine homecoming for Vos, with a table reserved for his parents on the side of the Turner Hall Ballroom, a Facetime call to Vos's wife Valerie before the set closer, and a heartfelt shout out to the crowd with Vos emotionally stating, "A lot of people say thank you, but for me and the band, this means more to us than I'm able to explain. (With hand clutched towards his heart) Thank YOU." With passion, humility and talent like Vos and his band mates have, no wonder this tour is selling out venues across the country.
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| photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch |
Opening for The Record Company was Milwaukee's own rock 'n roll troubadour, Trapper Schoepp. If Chris Vos and The Record Company showcased a Milwaukee musician that has "made it" nationally, Trapper Schoepp might soon be passed that baton. Schoepp realized he had a sold out room and played to the crowd with a high energy set that had Schoepp jumping into the crowd early on for a rendition of "Freight Train," a popular sing-along anthem for fans who have had the pleasure of seeing Schoepp before. Schoepp's passion and charisma were evident with stellar roots-rock and blues inspired tracks like "Run Engine Run," an homage to Schoepp's grandfather, and "Settlin' or Sleepin' Around," the current stand-out single off of Schoepp's most recent record
Rangers and Valentines which was released earlier this year. Most fans were in attendance for Schoepp's set and were treated to forty five minutes of Milwaukee style solid rock 'n roll at its finest.
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| photo courtesy of Gigshotz by Stephen Bloch |
The Record Company Setlist (thanks to setlist.fm):
On the Move
Baby I'm Broken
Hard Day Coming Down
Rita Mae Young
Feels So Good
Turn Me Loose
Don't Let Me Get Lonely
So What'cha Want (Beastie Boys cover)
The Crooked City
Off the Ground
The Burner
Encore:
In the Mood for You
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