I confess, if I wasn't the type of guy who reads all sorts of music blogs, I would have never stumbled upon Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, and I would have missed out on one of the best performances I've seen all year. Piet Levy,
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's music critic, rated Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen one of the "must see shows" of the spring. A simple YouTube and Spotify search of the band made me realize quickly that these guys had some great chops. However, bluegrass is a genre I believe that must be experienced live in order to truly appreciate the trade offs between band members and intricacies of the jams the musicians are performing. Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen exceeded expectations in this regard, even with the two primary vocalists (Solivan and bassist Danny Booth) admitting to the crowd that they had colds (and slugging down copious amounts of tea during their two hour plus performance).
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With a stage containing a back drop of signs of old businesses from around the Milwaukee area, Solivan, joined with his bandmates, Mike Mumford (banjo), Danny Booth (upright bass), and Chris Luquette (guitar) for a riveting two set performance. The sets contained a well-rounded mix of original compositions, instrumental numbers, traditional country tracks and some well-interpreted covers. Highlights included a foot thumbing cover of "The Letter," a former #1 hit by The Box Tops in 1967. The interplay between Solivan, Booth, Mumford and Luquette gave this timeless track new life. In another daring cover, Solivan envoked the muse of "a famous bluegrass artist" (or not), the late Bill Withers, performing his 1971 hit "Ain't No Sunshine." Cold or not, Solivan's soulful vocals matched the heartbreak and determination of this tune.
Newer material from the group's 2014 Grammy nominated record,
Cold Spell, was particularly well-received, and showcased the amazing talents of all four musicians. Tracks like the title track, "Cold Spell," and "Better (Days Go By)" showed off the diversity of the bandmates strengths ranging from vocals to musical interplay.
The show finale, however, "Country Song," which was dubbed by Solivan to be a "bass odyssey" really allowed the four virtuosos to trade off licks in what turned out to be a 20 minute long jam and medley of rhythms, harmonies and styles. Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen in many ways draws comparison to Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, another group of extremely well-versed musicians who came together to give the genre of bluegrass a unique sound. I hope that we will get to see Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen back in Milwaukee in the near future. The hearty and respectful crowd on a Sunday night clearly appreciated the tunes and the sky is the limit for this talented group of pickers.
As for the venue... how can you not love Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company? The great smell of freshly brewed coffee, paired with some of the best acoustics in the city and a unique decor made for the perfect setting (aside from perhaps a front porch) to see this act.
