Austin rhythm and blues rocker Black Joe Lewis and his band invaded Turner Hall to a crowd of about 400 people for a Monday evening of funky rhythms, horns, and fun. If there ever was a reason for a "Monday Funday," this was it!The evening kicked off with with what will go down to be my surprise act of the year, Pickwick. Hailing from Seattle, Pickwick is one part White Stripes, one part Fitz and the Tantrums, and, above all, an engaging and highly professional act. Thanks to 88.9 Radio Milwaukee, I was familiar with their single, "Hacienda Motel," but, to be honest, had little other background exposure to band. Truth be told my argyle socks on my feet from a day of teaching mysteriously left my feet, and, for all we know, might still be on the floor of the Turner Hall Ballroom. Simply put, for a debut Milwaukee performance, Pickwick wowed me and the crowd fortunate enough to catch their set. Powered by Galen Disston's rich, powerful vocals, the six-piece rock/soul outfit played the majority of their debut album, Halls of Columbia. One of my friends in attendance picked up this album as well as their Zenith, EP. Cuts like "The Round," and, "Hacienda Motel," "Windowsill" packed deep vocals on top of contagious melodies. Disston's stage presence along with the rest of the band made me think this was a seasoned veteran act, rather than a newer act with something to prove.
Black Joe Lewis had big shoes to fill after Pickwick's set, and he did a great job of getting the crowd swaying to his infectious, boogie-filled melodies and rhythms. Lewis' latest album Electric Slave got the majority of the attention, although his tracks from Scandelous were probably most recognizable for the crowd. Black Joe Lewis barely paused in his 90 minute set, playing his red guitar with simply his fingers, and using his thumb to create bar chords. Black Joe rocked the joint and had the crowd movin' and groovin'. I love throw back rhythm and blues acts, but, Black Joe Lewis suffers from the same issue that many acts in this genre do: all of the songs, essentially sound the same. Part of the success of "Booty City," Lewis' trademark song, is that it's energy level far and groove surpass most of his other work. Too often, I felt like I was hearing a song that Lewis played earlier in the set while he was playing new material. Still, Lewis and his band managed to thoroughly entertain their crowd. I'd put Black Joe Lewis as an act whose live show far surpasses his studio work for sure. It's a fun party I'd gladly attend again.Photos compliments of Gigshots by Stephen Bloch.
Pickwick: Grade A+ (going to be hard to beat for opening band of the year)
Black Joe Lewis: Grade B+
No comments:
Post a Comment