Live Review: Vasko the Patch at Lilypad

Posted on September 15, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Vasko the Patch

Lilypad, Cambridge, MA

September 14, 2017

Known as Vasko the Patch (in Bulgarian, Vasko Krupkata), Vasil Georgiev is a famous Bulgarian bluesman. In the 1980s, he was in various pop-rock bands (Parallel 42, Start); after the fall of communism in Bulgaria, Vasko founded the Poduene Blues Band and performed songs with titles like “Bureaucrat,” “Sunny Beach Blues,” and “Communism is Going Away.” Last night’s event at Lilypad, sponsored by Face Bulgaria and the Bulgarian American Cultural Center Madara, was a chance for local music fans to enjoy the music of this talented, accomplished musician. And, of course, just to enjoy a great night of blues.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Indeed, when one of the most renowned blues musicians (or jazz or rock or, really, a top musician from any genre) from any country comes to town, it’s worth going. Or, at least, it’s worth checking out some of his music online to decide if the talent lives up to the hype, and this YouTube concert video convinced me I couldn’t afford to miss seeing this top-shelf veteran blues talent perform live.

If there was one thing I wondered after viewing the online videos, it was how Vasko’s music would translate to an acoustic performance without a full band behind him; the result was a more intimate show with perhaps not quite as many rowdy-blues-wailing moments. A pretty good trade-off, and in a room full of people who know all of his songs, there’s the added sing-along aspect. I do love seeing musicians in smaller-crowd settings where the audience is primarily hardcore fans. And The Lilypad is an exceptional listening room, typically serving as a performance venue for some of Boston’s premier jazz musicians.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

I know I don’t need to explain Vasko’s music to any Bulgarians reading this, but for the rest of us who don’t know about him (I didn’t before learning about him in advance of this show), I’ll give it a shot.

Vasko is often referred to as a blues-rock musician, and he does have a rockin’ flavor to his music, which spans straight-up blues, classic rock ‘n roll of multiple styles, including occasional psychedelic flavors, and some music that seems a bit in the ’70s folk-rock style. Some of the rockin’ numbers brought to mind the musical styles of Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chuck Berry. I thought I heard a little Three Dog Night in one song. And the purest blues songs spanned multiple sub-genres with well-recognized musical passages, often making it seem like I should know the words, though the words that sprung to mind were, of course, completely different from Vasko’s lyrics (and in English).

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The first song of the night was one of those exceptionally pure blues numbers, guitar augmented by great harmonica-work, as if I had stepped into a blues joint in Chicago… or Memphis… or New Orleans. I suppose if I were a blues-only superfan, I’d’ve known which city to reference, but in any case, this was pure blues-joint stuff clearly delivered by an exceptional talent. That first song was rather introspective and blue in nature, maybe a little melancholy. Definitely blues. Vakso followed it with an uptempo singalong number, “Kade e Kupona,” that had the room rocking.

Next up was “Pulen Pleibek,” another classic blues number, this one more mid-tempo with some tension, followed by another energetic rock ‘n roll song, “Boogie Woogie Tsyala Nosht.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The slower songs, often eliciting a knowing response from the crowd, tended to seem a bit ’70s folky with the acoustic guitar, and they settled things down nicely amid the more uptempo numbers. One that came across a bit like that, very heartfelt, was “Den Sled Den.” There’s so much expression in Vasko’s voice, which gets a bit rougher and more gravelly when he slows things down.

At least three of the evening’s songs were alcohol-related. Indeed, a few of the uptempo numbers, even those that weren’t about beer, seemed rather like lively drinking songs. One such tune that brought the audience to life even more than most (and actually is about beer… or lack thereof) was “Niama Bira.” And I also made sure to note the heavier-tempoed, oh-so-bluesy “Domashna Rakia Blues,” a song with an old-school blues tempo that almost has to be listened to with your eyes closed to properly soak up all the blues.

And there was a lone English-language song during the 90-minute-or-so set, a melancholy, jazzy, blue rendition of “Moon Over Bourbon Street.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Vasko the Patch is a talented bluesman with something for everyone in his performance. At this particular show, he seemed to enjoy the crowd as much as the crowd enjoyed him, playing to his audience and giving a rousing, heartfelt performance. Then, of course, he stayed after to chat and take pictures with his fans. In addition to a fun evening for a few dozen Boston music fans, it seemed to be a great kickoff show to Vasko’s American tour.

Looking Ahead

As I just mentioned, this was the first stop on Vasko’s tour. Tonight, he’s performing at the Polish Eagles Sport Club in Philadelphia. (If you’re in Philly, sorry; you just missed it.) As listed in the cover photo on his Facebook page, Vasko’s tour will then continue with additional September dates in New York (at the Wolfhound in Astoria on Sat., Sept 16), Washington, DC, Raleigh, NC, Miami, Tampa, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, and Dallas. In October, Vasko will be in Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Kansas City, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Seattle. In addition to finding them on Facebook, these dates are also listed in the comments of Vasko’s U.S. Acoustic Tour ’17 YouTube video (and in the video itself).

Live Review: Dwayne Haggins at Chill Kitchen and Bar

Posted on September 9, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Dwayne Haggins

Chill Kitchen and Bar, Marlborough, MA

September 8, 2107

I had a little time yesterday evening, so I decided to catch some live music. I almost opted for a redux of the Mychael David Trio at Hudson House Restaurant – I reviewed them at that very venue back in May – but first decided to check local listings to see if there was someone new I wanted to see. And, indeed, a quick search and a listen to a couple of Dwayne Haggins’ SoundCloud clips convinced me to check him out, allowing me to also try a new venue I had wanted to visit. And yes, I enjoyed my light dinner at Chill while waiting for the show to start.

I had a pre-determined exit time for the show, which began a bit after its listed start time, so I only caught the first seven songs of the evening, but it was enough to get a glimpse of Dwayne’s talent. Dwayne sang and strummed his acoustic guitar. He was joined onstage initially by Mickey Roache on mandolin. After three songs, bassist Will Woyda made it a trio, while Mickey split time between mandolin and electric guitar in the three-man format.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Residing largely on the folky side of country, Dwayne’s vocals are deep, rich, and smooth, with a bit of a lilt on some songs, not exactly folk but also adding a more folk than country flavor to his country songs. And when the electric guitar joins the fray, Dwayne responds by adding a bluesy element to his vocals. So it’s clear he has an extensive vocal range, though at least in a more relaxed setting like Chill, he ranged from country-folk to blues. The song selection leaned heavily country, while the interpretation would appeal to a broader, more general audience.

Dwayne kicked the night off with smooth, rich vocals, his warm, moderately deep voice joined by great mandolin accompaniment on a song I jotted down as “It’s All a Dream” (or something like that).

The second song, “Wayfaring Stranger,” was very folky but a little darker and more brooding, exploring different elements of Dwayne’s voice. He followed it with a more rousing rendition of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” on which he unleashed a nice twang and howl.

With Will Woyda turning the duo into a trio, Dwayne kept the tempo rousing and kept the mood Hank, delivering a smooth, rounded vocal version of “Hey, Good Lookin’.” Aided by lively mandolin, this performance was suitable for a roadhouse or a busy dancehall.

Next up was “Rose in Paradise,” on which Dwayne utilized high, folky vocals with a subtle lilt.

From there, it took me a while to realize I was listening to a rendition of Michael Jackson’s “Bad,” almost a blues-jam-type version of this song, such a good dye job that its pop roots were baely recognizable. This was the song on which Mickey switched from mandolin to guitar, and he employed a really crunchy, bluesy guitar sound.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

And the last number I was able to stay for was a howling bluesy presentation of “11 Months and 29 Days.” Dwayne showcased nice little subtleties in his voice on this song and throughout the evening – on this song, he was soft, deep, and bluesy, able to hit high notes for emphasis.

Indeed, as much as I enjoyed the first few songs, I think the last two I heard were my favorites of the evening as Dwayne and his cohorts had started amping up the intensity a bit. I wish I had been able to stay longer. As the first set unfolded, Dwayne revealed different features of his impressive voice, slowly rolling out the breadth and depth of his stylistic reach, adjusting not just for song styles but also for the changing line-up of instruments involved. For sure, I’ll get out to hear Dwayne again; the longer I listened, the more intrigued I became by his skills.

It’s clear Dwayne has surrounded himself with some exceptional musicians, as entire portions of several songs had been skillfully carried by a duo or trio partner; the evening was more like a band concert with an exceptional vocalist than a solo gig.

Looking Ahead

Chill Kitchen and Bar has live music every Friday and Saturday night, with details on its website’s performance calendar. Pick and choose a night of interest, but if you can make it, I would suggest coming out tonight, Saturday, September 9th. One of the Blog‘s personal favorites, hot, rising local talent Sophia Ward is performing at Chill tonight. In fact, you already know how highly we think of Sophia if you’ve read our review of her performance at Twin Seafood just two weeks ago.

Dwayne’s upcoming performances are listed on the “shows” page of his website. He’ll be at Nobscot Cafe in Framingham on Friday, September 15th; at Dolphin Seafood in Natick on Saturday, September 30th; and back at Chill Kitchen and Bar in Marlborough on Saturday, October 28th. Check Dwayne’s website for additional details and new dates as they’re added.

Live Review: Sophia Ward at Twin Seafood

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Sophia Ward

Twin Seafood, Acton, MA

August 26, 2017

The Backstory

Yes, you know Sophia. She’s the lead singer of TOS, who I’ve reviewed twice live (here and here) in addition to my review of the band’s CD Killer. This is, however, my first time seeing her perform solo, something that will be more typical now with former TOS band members no longer all living in the same region of the country (though you can count on me doing my best to cover the anticipated reunions shows).

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Concert

Twin Seafood in Acton has a large patio/deck, ideal for eating outside on a pleasant summer evening; it’s also well-designed for live music on such a night, especially for those of us who like early shows (it started at 6:00 PM), accompanied by dinner… or at least a little delicious chowder.

I stayed through Sophia’s first set, all 18 songs, and discovered she’s quite capable of mixing things up with just a voice and an acoustic guitar, providing varying tempos and underlying sounds to keep things interesting. And, of course, there’s her exceptional, easily identifiable voice – for a career that extends beyond being a local musician, that’s a must, and it’s a primary reason I’m so confident this young woman has a very high career ceiling.

With acknowledgement that I may have mangled some song titles…

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Sophia kicked things off with “Childhood,” a song with a good tempo that reaffirmed my expectations – she’s creatively adept with song structures, this one featuring well-placed stops for emphasis, and those well-designed songs transfer well to a solo performance. She also used a bit of echo on her vocal on this particular evening, an effect that works well with her characteristically, uniquely memorable, often-somewhat-haunting voice. After “Childhood,” the next song up was “California,” a song that featured that haunted, edgy thing she does with her voice, in this case in spite of the lyrics.

In addition to the many new songs on her setlist, Sophia performed a few songs from TOS’s Killer album. The first of those was “Cry Baby,” at the request of a very young new fan to play something cheerful; I’ve always loved the energy of that tune.

Sophia interestingly paired “Wait” and “Without You.” “Wait” is a new song that’s sparse and mellow, with the tempo combining with her vocal timbre to drive home the lyrics’ indecision. She then immediately brought the tempo back up with emphatic strumming on “Without You.” And there’s something about the way she drops “without you” after “dyin'” that makes me smile; it’s oddly amusing (in a serious way).

A few songs later, Sophia unleashed the immediately appealing “Wild Card,” a tune in which she strings some words together quickly, blended with a bit of a modernized ’50s vibe. The song has a cool energy, especially unique as its sound is noticeably absent of Sophia’s frequent haunting vocal overtones.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

She followed that with the second of her three songs of the set from Killer, “The One.” A standout track from the album, as a solo acoustic number she adds even more texture to the vocals, hitting a few more high notes, too.

Another song well worth highlighting is “Pipe Dream,” a tune that seems to float a little otherworldly. Particularly in contrast to the hint of uneasiness Sophia conveys vocally in so many of her songs, this one is truly a mellow and pleasant number.

“Years Ago,” a song that comes across as an acoustic version of a radio hit-style tune but with a hint of a mildly radio-unfriendly alt-rock vibe – one of those songs that’d get radio play while still being considered edgy – builds tension with energy.

The lyrics and tempo of “Heaven in a Girl” go along well with a strumming guitar. Lyrically clever and well-constructed, this song moves along with direction and energy, not just lyrically but musically as well.

The next song, “Your New Girl,” had a kind of surf rock recurring riff with an interesting stop and go tempo that carried a hint of a favorite band I initially couldn’t place (before realizing it was TOS). The tempo of this song was such that it had my toes tapping to the rhythm by halfway through. It was followed by “Keep You,” a song with prominent guitar-plucking and soaring structure and vocals.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Sophia ended her set with what eventually became my favorite track from Killer, “Mouthful,” which is just as haunting and enchanting solo as with a full band. Of course, it was one of the most vocals- and lyrics-driven songs on Killer, so its easy conversion to solo acoustic performance isn’t surprising. The emphatic stops and vocal flows and runs are very cool in this one. And a great way to end the set, after which I headed home with enough time to watch a movie and still catch the early news. (Yes, I do like early shows.)

At the end of the day, Sophia Ward is well worth the price of admission. There’s a strong future ahead for this singer/songwriter. I always enjoy hearing her new songs, and I look forward to seeing how her career develops from here. With continued hard work – it’s obvious she’s doing that already – and some good fortune, she’ll play a lot of big stages in her career.

Looking Ahead

Keep an eye on Sophia’s Facebook page and her website for future performance information.

Live Review: The Chills at Bolton Street Tavern

Posted on August 20, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Chills

Bolton Street Tavern, Marlborough, MA

August 19, 2017

The Backstory

I don’t often review cover bands. Not because I have anything against cover bands, though. Back when I published Geoff Wilbur’s Renegade Newsletter, particularly in the local editions of that publication, I reviewed a broad cross-section of local live music performances, and you can find some amazing musicians in cover bands who’ve simply chosen to take their music another route, whether earning a living on the cover band circuit or performing as weekend warriors while balancing solid non-music careers and family responsibilities. And I love hearing my favorite songs performed live by great musicians.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

These days, though, I don’t get out as much. I devote my handful of album reviews each month to talented bands producing amazing music, and I often spend my handful of nights either going to see targeted favorite artists or to see earlier sets. And while I might find an acoustic cover artist in an earlier time slot, cover bands rarely begin before 9:00, often a bit later (even if they’re scheduled to start at 9:00). Because of that and the robust original music scene in this part of the country, very few cover bands grace the Blog‘s pages.

But last night, an extremely talented old friend of mine performed with his band, The Chills, just a few miles from my house. In fact, if you read the “about” portion of the band’s Facebook page, you can see the exceptional pedigrees of the musicians in The Chills. Bonk Coelin (drums, vocals) has performed with The Bruce Marshall Group, The First, Viper, The Cherries, and Overstreet. Stephen “Sharky” Beccia (bass, vocals) was in Anxiety, Busted Allie, Cement, Frantic City, Robbin Banks, Uncle Wally, the Jenny Aia Band, Kate Russo, and One Eleven (111). And you may know David Allyn Steele (guitar, vocals) from the original Boston Brats, Trash Broadway, Love It To Death, and HatTrick (in which Bonk was also a band member). When I was just starting my journalism career in Boston, Trash Broadway was a fixture on the local music scene, with the band’s Torrid/Important Records album, a record produced by Chris Anderson (Cheap Trick, Todd Rundgren), placing it just one stepping stone away from international stardom. In any case, my familiarity with David led me to The Chills, and their performances are always an opportunity to enjoy a great night out. Cover songs performed by some of the best musicians out there.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Show

The Chills’ set list – I stayed through the first set and a couple songs into the second – included a lot of songs you’ll know, rock tunes that reached popular consciousness in their day, most of them dating back to at least 20 years ago. They kicked things off with a rockin’ number, The Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle.” From there, they adeptly worked their way through a plethora of crowd-pleasing favorites.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Other songs that impressed me the most during the initial set were Modern English’s “I’ll Melt With You,” Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and a particularly good rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama,” a song whose structure lends itself to some subtle guitar noodling, adding a little texture to the song in a way that’s not really noticeable unless you’re paying close attention, but it’s the sort of thing an exceptional cover band does to make its music just a little more interesting, one of the main reasons to seek out a cover act with the talent to add that extra flair. The Chills also delivered (to an obviously appreciative crowd) several other tightly-delivered tunes covering a broad spectrum of rock ‘n roll favorites, from “867-5309” to “Superstitious,” from “Your Mama Don’t Dance” to “Fooled Around and Fell in Love.” They closed the set with another of their more exceptional efforts, a rousing rendition of Grand Funk Railroad’s oft-covered “Some Kind of Wonderful.”

photo by Geoff Wilbur

I only stayed a couple songs into the second of The Chills’ three sets last night. They kicked the second set off with Billy Idol’s “Dancing With Myself” and followed it with the Stones’ “Honky Tonk Woman.” I’m sure the variety continued after I left. While I called it an early evening, the band and the Bolton Street Tavern’s room full of revelers continued well into the night.

Looking Ahead

Indeed, The Chills are one band that’s well worth making an extra effort to see when you want a night out, surrounded by rock and roll favorites. I don’t see any upcoming shows currently listed on the band’s Facebook page, but obviously keep checking. I often see their events pop up elsewhere before they mention them on Facebook. In addition to the Bolton Street Tavern, I’ve seen The Chills booked a few times at The PPC in Chelsea and Chopsticks in Leominster. In fact, on Chopsticks’ website I see The Chills listed on September 22nd and 23rd. And while the PPC doesn’t have any upcoming events listed on their website, a Facebook search turns up a Chills performance there on September 30th at the PPC (per this Facebook event). Obviously, as those dates approach, confirm with the venues.

Live Review: Danielle Miraglia at Front Street Concerts

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle Miraglia

Front Street Concerts, Hopkinton, MA

August 12, 2017

Danielle Miraglia is a Boston treasure. Period. We are fortunate enough to have one of the best regional blues-centered music artists in our midst, a special performer whose full band shows (with her band, the Glory Junkies) are blues-rock and whose solo acoustic shows are more blues-folk, but they always carry that original Danielle Miraglia spark, that glint in her musical eye, and that fun, amusingly thoughtful emotional and intellectual sincerity. The entire east coast is lucky to get a chance to experience her music during her tours, but we in the Boston area can get a regular dose of her musical magic, and the fact that she typically draws strong crowds even with her frequent performances is a testament to how much we appreciate her considerable, world-class talent. This is my fourth review of Danielle’s music since the Blog‘s launch, but it is the first in more than a year. I reviewed her last album, a 2016 set at Atwood’s Tavern, and last summer’s gig at Front Street Concerts.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Front Street Concerts, meanwhile, is a favorite venue, perfect for a pleasant summer night. It’s a backyard “house concert” with a dinner buffet and a purpose-built barn featuring a stage and a sound system, with wide-open barn doors and a tent allowing most attendees to sit outside on lawn chairs. Even without the music, it would be a great place to spend a summer evening. But, of course, the concert series organizers always, dependably bring in exceptionally talented musicians.

On this particular evening, Danielle performed fronting the Glory Junkies Trio, flanked by violist Laurence Scudder and guitarist Erik White from her Glory Junkies band. Using a stomp box where added percussion was necessary (as she does during solo acoustic performances), Danielle delivered a perfectly rockin’ evening of blues and blues-rock. The Trio kicked things off with one of the songs that first turned me on to Danielle’s music, “See the Light” from her 2011 Box of Troubles release. This is almost hillbilly blues-rock, showcasing her bandmates’ skills, hinting at the offbeat humor occasionally hidden in Danielle’s lyrics, and featuring her strong, versatile voice, touching upon its raw power while built around the textured emotion that makes her mid-range so powerful.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

She followed that with a pair of songs from her Glory Junkies disc. “Fair Warning” sports a cool, almost syncopated sound in its trio arrangement, while “Famous For Nothing” is driven by kind of a chunky rhythm when performed live, a cool rendition of this album favorite on this particular evening.

Next up was the first of Danielle’s new originals to be performed this evening, “All of My Heroes are Ghosts.” Classic, gritty, growly Danielle Miraglia at her best. It was during this song, in fact, that I was compelled to comment to the person standing next to me, “Oh, my God! That thing in her voice!” Vintage. Or, rather, new, since it’s one of the songs I assume will be on the album she’s currently recording.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Late in the first set came another favorite new song, the topical, timely “Make Your Own News.” On the whole, the tune chunked along like a classic blues rocker, but the bridge almost seemed to borrow from seventies pop-radio harmonies, and there was a fun viola solo well worth its own shout-out, as well.

After that, Danielle shook the joint with the raucous “Stagger Lee” before mellowing a bit on “Home,” a powerful song whose sound is always so warm and uplifting, a tune that displays the richness of Danielle’s voice that makes this sort of connection possible. And, of course, she closed the first set with a Janis Joplin cover, just one of many iconic artists whose songs fit her voice so well.

Spotted Tiger (Laurence Scudder & Erik White); photo by Geoff Wilbur

The second set started with two songs sans Danielle, as Laurence and Erik have their own band, Spotted Tiger. So we were treated to a couple Spotted Tiger tunes. The first was an almost hillbilly-ish Americana number; the second more like energetic folk. Indeed, these guys form a cool duo. I saw them perform a full set as Spotted Tiger once before, the spring before I launched the Blog.

Then Danielle was back to finish off the night. The second set featured a couple favorites from the Glory Junkies disc, “Dead End Street,” in which I love the funky pop element that interacts well with Danielle’s blues snarl, and “Coffee Stained Thank You Cards,” a song that would easily win my vote as the best blues-rock song to mention sarcastic zombies in the lyrics.

Notable, as well, was new original “Everybody’s Wrong.” This one shows off Danielle’s blues howl – my notes from the evening simply say “Grrr!” and “Wow!” – in addition to some almost Chuck Berry-esque axework by Erik White.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The final set also included several covers. There was a Dylan cover, the heartfelt, melancholy “I Want You.” And a Prince cover, of course: “Gett Off.” And notably, as usual, a show-closing, wailing rendition of Tom Waits’ “2:19,” a Danielle Miraglia concert staple that she always makes her own.

Not ready to end the evening any earlier than necessary, there was, of course, an encore. In this case, a very gospelly rendition of “Shine a Light.”

There’s rarely a better way to spend a Saturday night than at a Front Street concert. And there’s never a better evening than a Danielle Miraglia concert. Combine the two, and you get a true summer memory.

Looking Ahead

There’s just one Front Street Concerts event left this summer. That’s next Saturday, August 19th, featuring Tim Gearan. If you can get out to Hopkinton next Saturday, it’s well worth it. But you need to RSVP in advance to reserve your spot.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Danielle Miraglia, of course, has several shows on her schedule. Next up is August 26th at Lemifest in Mashpee. Then, on August 27th, as part of the Charles River Reprobates in Newburyport. You can also catch her on September 3rd at the Plymouth Folk and Blues Festival in Plymouth, VT and on September 9th at the 7th Annual Haverford Music Festival in Havertown, PA. Be sure to check the “Shows” page of her website for details and check back regularly to stay current. Indeed, this is one of the thinnest schedules I’ve seen on her website in a while, so I’m sure there will be more shows added soon.

Spotted Tiger also has a few gigs coming up, as noted on their website. They’ll be onstage tonight, August 13th, at Toad in Cambridge, MA. They’ll be at Bull McCabe’s Pub in Somerville, MA on September 22nd. And they have gigs listed in Beverly and Salem, MA and Nashua, NH on various dates from October through February. For more details, see their website.

Live Review: 4EverFab at Ellsworth-McAfee Park

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

4EverFab

Ellsworth-McAfee Park (Northborough Summer Concert Series), Northborough, MA

August 10, 2107

photo by Geoff Wilbur

If you saw my review of The Mychael David Project’s show last summer, you know I’m a big fan of the Northborough Summer Concert Series. It’s a nice park, and the series reliably books talented bands. Tonight was the first time I was able to Northborough for a show this summer, and it was the last show of this summer’s series. I arrived a half hour late, but the show started a half hour late due to some technical problems, so I actually caught what may have been the first song of the evening, “She Loves You.”

It’s easy to critique a bad Beatles tribute band. And a hard critique in such an instance is well-deserved. But it’s hard to know what to write about a good Beatles tribute band. There’s no point in describing the songs; you know them by heart. All I really have to do is mention song titles – don’t worry, I will – and you can hear them in your head. So, was this a good night or a bad night? Well, 4EverFab is widely-booked and popular in a major metro area with plenty of entertainment competition, so you can do the math.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

4EverFab covered all of the Beatles’ music styles, from the early stuff to the late stuff, with aplomb. They did a great job with the crunchy rock guitars (like “Back in the USSR”), the edgy psychedelic stuff (“I Am the Walrus”), the harmonies (“Paperback Writer”), the mellower stuff (“In My Life”) and everything in-between. 4EverFab is a talented, tight outfit that could perform a broad range of music beyond the Beatles, too, you’d have to imagine, based on how well they cover the Beatles’ catalog.

Of course, the two-hour set was filled with more favorites: “Penny Lane,” “Strawberry Fields,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” “Hey Jude,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” John Lennon’s “Imagine,” the Beatles’ “Birthday” song, and many more.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

An evening of Beatles hits performed by a top-notch Beatles tribute band like 4EverFab was a great way to end the summer’s outdoor concert series in Northborough, always an ominous sign that the summer is coming to an end.

Looking Ahead

You can catch 4EverFab at several more summer concert series around Massachusetts (and one in NH) this month, starting in Taunton tomorrow night, Friday, August 11; Burlington on August 15; Mansfield on August 16; Lynn-Nahant Beach on August 17; Plainville on August 20; Randolph on August 22; Southbridge on August 27; Danvers on August 28; and Plaistow, NH on August 30. They’ll also be performing at the Topsfield Fair on Saturday, September 30. Keep up with 4EverFab’s live performance schedule here on their website.

Live Review: Coco ‘n’ the Fellas at the Bee Bop Café

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Coco ‘n’ the Fellas

Bee Bop Café, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

June 29, 2017

I had been hoping to get to this club during my stay in Plovdiv this year. Several of my favorite jazz (or jazz-influenced) artists have performed here, so I knew to expect talent on the schedule. Obviously, I still checked out Coco ‘n’ the Fellas’ music before deciding to head out to the club, and I was duly impressed. Not just with the band, but with the club, as well. It has a comfortable vibe of its own, and I hope to return whenever I’m in town and find good music on the club’s calendar. Indeed, Plovdiv has a top-shelf jazz venue rivaling those of any major city.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

London-based Coco ‘n the Fellas consist of Ami Oprenova and “the Fellas”: electric guitarist Daniele Ciuffrida, acoustic guitarist Joe Perkins, and upright bassist Havard Tanner. The group’s sound is gypsy swing-influenced. As you may know, while I appreciate and enjoy good jazz music, and I think music fans spanning most genre preferences would recognize Coco ‘n’ the Fellas as an exceptionally talented ensemble, it’s not my area of greatest expertise, so you can (as I did) click through to see what Wikipedia has to say about gypsy swing if you’re so inclined.

The group performed two sets at the Bee Bop Café, delivering the sort of performance I’d expect in a ’50s or ’60s jazz club, a cool night out in a setting with an air of sophistication. The “fellas” were tight when supporting Ami’s vocals, loose and adventurous when called-for, and occasionally a bit playful in their instrumentation. “Coco” frequently became the fourth instrument, as is the case in many jazz performances, scatting along with or in response to one of her bandmates. Just as notably, once every few songs, she would hold a note impressively long, often matching a note-holding cohort. In all, an exceptional outfit, well-matched and up to their collective task.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

After a music-only opening, Ami joined the band on stage to begin the evening with “Honeysuckle Rose.” It was followed by an exceptional performance of Kenny Wheeler’s “Everybody’s Song.” The performance was smooth, like something straight out of a ’70s love story movie soundtrack, perhaps from during a montage scene. This was one such instance in which precise light instrumentation was deployed in support of Ami’s smooth, full vocal, her voice dancing around the melody, never sitting still on it.

I loved the tempo of “After You’ve Gone,” a (gypsy) swinging tune that was notably driven in parts by the electric guitar. And “If I Didn’t Have You,” an oh-so-smooth song overall, is primarily bass-driven with each guitarist moving the song along in a different segment.

At this point, Coco ‘n’ the Fellas pleased the crowd with a jazzy version of a traditional Macedonian song, one of my favorite moments of the evening, as well.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Another highlight was “A Red, Red Rose,” a very torchy number, one of several that showcased Ami’s strong lower register, contrasting it with the dynamic higher end of her vocal range. Ami and Joe performed as a duo on “Cheek to Cheek,” an uptempo strummer that included some serious scatting. And the band without Ami delivered an instrumental, “Dark Eyes,” that seemed like it should, on at least some occasions, inspire some jazzy folk dancing.

The second set was an extension of the first, an enjoyable performance by this talented ensemble. Rather than repeat myself too much, I made note of just three songs from the second set. “A Child is Born” is about as smooth and mellow and this quartet gets. Coco ‘n’ the Fellas original “Not Enough Coffee” doesn’t contain many words, but it is high energy, I noted, as if the song itself was actually hyped up on too much coffee (in a fun way, of course). And I noticed great energy on the group’s performance of “King of the Swingers,” a recording of which you’ll actually find on YouTube from one of the band’s London shows last fall.

Looking Ahead

Per the “live” tab on band’s website, Coco ‘n’ the Fellas continue their European tour in Bulgaria and Italy before returning to London. However, the dates on the website are off by one (unless they’ve been corrected since I checked since the band is aware of it), so you’d be better served to rely on this Facebook photo, which lists the correct dates, though it’s a little incomplete. Tonight (June 30th), the group is at Menthol in Varna (though it may be too late by the time I’ve posted this for you to get to the show), tomorrow (July 1st) at the In the Jazz Bar in Stara Zagora, and Sunday, July 2nd at Jazz Club Studio 5 in Sofia. In a couple weeks, the group will have a few dates in Italy. And then they return to London, with a few shows booked through August. The band tells me they’ll be in Ireland later this year, too. Be sure to check the band’s website (and/or its Facebook page) or the venue websites for additional information. And, of course, double-check the dates.

Live Review: Pesky J. Nixon at Front Street Concerts

Posted on June 18, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Pesky J. Nixon

Front Street Concerts, Hopkinton, MA

June 17, 2017

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Before this evening, I had heard of Pesky J. Nixon, but I had never seen the band perform live. A regionally touring folk band, Pesky J. Nixon plays locally occasionally, but they were just one of many top bands I hadn’t yet fit into my schedule. That changed last night.

Featuring two options for lead vocals, an accordion, and a mandolinist/fiddler, Pesky J. Nixon can cover a variety of musical real estate, centered on folk. The group shines when it features its immensely strong vocal harmonies. And its sense of humor, especially live. An evening with Pesky J. Nixon is a lighthearted affair featuring a cadre of top-shelf musicians.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The band opened with its cover of “Look at Miss Ohio,” showcasing its great harmonies. The first set also featured a smooth folk groove on Woody Guthrie’s “Oklahoma Hills,” great fiddling and harsh vocals on Buffalo Springfield’s “Stop Children What’s That Sound,” and an energetic, groovy, and fun cover of “Easy Chair.”

The amazing Ansel Barnum joined the band for the final song of the opening set, the smooth, lilting original “Breathe in Autumn.” Ansel would play on the final three songs of the second set, as well.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Second set highlights included a cover of Ryan Adams’ “Two,” steeped in the band’s exceptional musicianship and strong energy. And the following song, a cover of Jimmy Ryan’s “John Brown,” in which the accordion and drums drove the rhythm, harmonies and co-lead vocals added texture, and there was a mandolin solo. Indeed, this performance of “John Brown” ticked all the boxes of a great Pesky J. Nixon song, cover or original.

The cover of Jeffrey Foucault’s “Americans in Corduroys” was a more sentimental number, an easy song to just close your eyes and soak into.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

The return of Ansel Barnum closed the evening with three more crowd-pleasers. First, a Pesky J. Nixon original, “Anna Lee” dabbled in harmonies, accordion, and harmonica. No, I wouldn’t call it bluegrass, either; we’ll just say it’s bluegrass-inspired and leave it at that.

Next up was an energetic, fun, rollicking rendition of “Talk About Heaven,” a Tim Gearan tune on which Pesky J. Nixon brought its most intense energy of the evening.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

And the “encore” was a real treat. A melancholy, nostalgic, wistful folk rendition of… “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Complete with singalong. Did I mention that sense of humor? Indeed, though mostly present in the between-song banter, clearly it also creeps into song selection. Truly, they did a heck of a job with it. And it drew to a close an exceptional evening of folk and folk-adjacent music from a talented band.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Looking Ahead

Pesky J. Nixon lists four upcoming shows on the band’s events calendar, though I’d suggest checking back as more gigs are added. First, on June 25th, the band will perform with Miles to Dayton as part of the Sunday Street Acoustic Series at the Long Island Museum in Stony Brook, NY. Next up, they’ll take part in the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival August 3rd-7th in Hillsdale, NY. On September 15th, they’ll be local again, joining the Durham County Poets at the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, MA. And on September 23rd, you can catch them at Common Ground Community Concerts in Hastings-On-Hudson, NY.

Front Street Concerts has four more concerts currently scheduled this summer: Peter Mulvey on Thursday, July 13th; Andrea Gillis & Marc Pinansky on Saturday, July 29th; Danielle Miraglia on Saturday, August 12th; and Tim Gearan on Saturday, August 19th.

Live Review: Ibby at The Farmer’s Daughter

Posted on June 17, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ibby

The Farmer’s Daughter, North Easton, MA

June 16, 2017

Tonight’s show was an album release party for Ibby’s new disc, Cross Your Heart. In the past several years, I’ve only been to one other hometown album release event at a venue filled with friends and family like this – TOS’ in Maynard last summer. Sure, I’ve been to album release concerts in the city, but this is a unique sort of event with its own energy, one where relatives, neighbors, coworkers past and present, and (especially for a recently-graduated 18-year-old like Ibby) school friends seem to comprise nearly the entire audience.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

From the start, Ibby adorably, enthusiastically cheerful, fully enjoyed the spotlight and every moment – contagiously so, in fact; it’s clear this fearless singer-songwriter is completely at home performing.

Frequently, Ibby’s songs reminded me of other talented artists. Not in the entirety – which is to say, she has an original sound of her own – but elements of her songs recalled others for comparison. Unfortunately, I was rarely able to get beyond “what is the name of that song this reminds me of?” last night, so I’ll have to hope I can make more of those connections for you later this summer when I review the CD. Suffice it to say, Ibby’s songs will quickly feel familiar while remaining uniquely hers.

Ibby’s vocals are warm and rich with plenty of well-placed vocal cracks adding emotion and emphasis. Her strumming was steady and strong with varying patterns giving the songs unique textures. And, as I noted, her cheerful-yet-thoughtful, enthusiastic stage presence was cute and endearing. It’s a combination likely to win over any audience of music fans.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ibby’s music is pop singer-songwriter fare, occasionally veering into folk-pop, sometimes sporting a hint of country, written about and inspired by events in her life. It’s a glimpse at the ups and downs of a teenager’s world, if that teenager is as introspective and self/world-aware as a good, young songwriter must be. Musically, I’d expect to hear her music in coffeehouses, nightclubs, and festivals (and on the radio). And, as with any song-driven music, it should transition well between acoustic and full-band performances, as opportunities arise, obviously sounding more folky when it’s just a girl with her acoustic guitar.

She kicked the evening off with “Breathin’,” a song driven by its strumming pattern and featuring an emotionally scratchy vocal. The next song, slightly folky pop-rocker “How Did I End Up Missing You,” coupled insistent vocals with forceful strumming, mixing a cracking voice with a combination of other tuneful vocal elements to create a memorable, distinctive-yet-familiar sound.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Other songs stood out during the evening, as well. “88 Keys” deployed a heavier strum, building and getting louder during the song. “Pier 17” was performed in a pop-folk style with the energy of a “travelling song,” its tempo causing it to always seem to be going somewhere. And “Lightning Don’t Strike Twice” was rather soaring and exceptionally engaging.

“My Dear” deploys a steady tempo with vocals rising and falling to pull the listener in, utilizing the insistent, emotional wail Ibby places so well (and not infrequently) in her songwriting.

During her second set, Ibby dipped into her “back catalog” a bit, with a bit more country in the sound of songs like “Dance,” which I believe she said she wrote in 8th grade, a song she performed with infectious cheerfulness, clearly having a grand time and exuding joy while singing it. She followed it with another “old favorite,” “Worst I Ever Had,” and both of these songs had this room full of her old friends singing along throughout. Like I said, hometown album release parties are a different species of animal.

photo by Geoff Wilbur

Ibby also featured a couple new songs in the second set. One, whose title I didn’t catch, was a poignant song artistically using its words and sounds to paint a picture. The other, “Better Now,” sported an interesting rhythm and some ambitious vocal moves, including a little warble to draw attention to the bridge. This one, “Better Now,” may have legs for Ibby, as it’s catchy enough to become a singalong song by the end of the first listen.

Speaking of singalong, Ibby closed her second set with “Burnouts,” a fun “local favorite.” To that warble, Ibby adds a bit of a howl in this song, and on this particular night, with a venue singing along, she was completely emotionally and musically invested in this song; her energy only increased as the night wore on, buoyed by her own performance.

Ibby’s encore song, “Can’t Forget It,” was a sensitive, tender, touching, folky singer-songwriter piece. And then the evening ended, as the venue was closing, though the crowd would have stayed for another set.

It’s obvious Ibby isn’t a “developing talent.” She’s a developed talent whose future growth will be like that of any artist, as life events and continued maturity will provide different life experiences to write about and connected with, different viewpoints and thoughts to share. But she’s clearly “ready” now, creating engaging, emotional songs as a songwriter and performing them with infectious enthusiasm and skill.

Looking Ahead

Ibby performs again this afternoon at the Beverly Arts Festival – or she probably already has performed by now, as the All You Got Tour performers’ time slot was listed on this notice as 10:30-3:30. Follow Ibby’s Facebook page to see when and where she’ll perform next.

Live Review: Chris Moreno at the Hard Rock Cafe

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Geoff Wilbur

Chris Moreno; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Holographics, Heavy America, and Chris Moreno

Hard Rock Cafe, Boston, MA

June 9, 2017

There were five bands on the Friday night bill at the Hard Rock Cafe – The Holographics, Heavy America, Chris Moreno, Miele, and The Cosmonautz. I had to leave around 11:00, so I only caught the first three. Of course, I was there specifically to see Chris Moreno, whose album I reviewed a few months ago. This was the first time I had made it to one of his live gigs.

The Holographics; photo by Geoff Wilbur

The Holographics

The evening was kicked off by The Holographics, a young band from Providence. The band began its set with a style best described as alt-rock with a spacey synth line. Musically, the band’s alt-rock vocals were often buried in a wall of sound. The vocals were consistently no more prominent than any instrument, clearly by design, providing The Holographics’ signature sound. The band’s current single, “An Hour Ahead,” was a little more jangly with lighter instrumentation – a fun song and a good choice for a single.

Other influences emerged as the set progressed. One song in particular showed the group’s ability to drive a song with a blues groove.

The back half of set was decidedly more guitar-heavy than the first – wall of sound yielding to wall of axe – though you could still hear the synth in mix, of course. One song, “In My Head” (maybe; I didn’t get the official song titles) sported a bit of funky rhythm and both classic and alt rock guitar riffs for the band’s most lively, energetic turn of the night.

The Holographics closed with a song with easier-to-spot spacey synth work again, almost as if tying the end of the set to the beginning, though there was still plenty of both classic and alt rock guitar – they seem to enjoy mixing those guitar sounds within a song. The last song was also a bit on the progressive end of the band’s musical scale, almost “Aqualung”-ish in style. A talented young band, The Holographics provided an enjoyable first set.

Heavy America

Heavy America seriously cranked up the volume with its set. Also “wall of axe,” but Heavy America’s were louder, more aggressive axes. This was the album release show for the band’s new disc Now, which has been out for about a month, so the band opted to play its entire new album as its performance on this night; it’s cool when bands do that for album release shows.

Heavy America; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Heavy America’s music is rooted in straight-ahead, blues-based classic rock, but this power trio mixes in some tempo-changing finesse and seemingly a little funk to spice up the heavy guitar foundation. This is an aspect of its musical stew Heavy America shares with fellow Bostonians Aerosmith and Extreme. But Heavy America is clearly heavier, more musically caustic, adding a harsher element to its rock mix, whether from punk, alt-rock, or the rawer corners of metal; likely a mix of all of the above.

Throughout the set (and, obviously, the album), the band varied its songs within its core musical style, which was fully embodied by its first single from Now, “Pray For Me” – straight-ahead hard rock with nary a glimmer of light but still with some finesse. With variations on that theme, that does seem to be their style. Some of the songs drifted a bit into a more old-school classic rock direction that I couldn’t really verbalize until was struck by it in the second-to-last song of the set, “Heavy Eyes.” Pink Floyd. I swear I hear a bit of Dark Side of the Moon-era Pink Floyd, most prominently in heavy eyes. Or at least something resembling it.

In the end, Heavy America delivered an energy-filled set of consistently loud and frequently edgy rock and roll well-suited to entertaining a club full of hard rock fans across multiple sub-genres.

Chris Moreno; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Chris Moreno

I specifically targeted a “full band” show on Chris’ calendar rather than an acoustic one because I wanted to hear his songs in all their electric glory, though he performs the sort of song-driven rock music that would translate readily to an acoustic setting, so I really couldn’t go wrong. On this night, Chris was joined onstage by bandmates Eric Garibaldi (guitar), Rod McCarthy (drums), Dave Brideau (bass), and, for three songs, saxophonist Hannah Moverman. Stylistically, Chris’ music is very similar to Matchbox 20, with elements of other bands in that catchy pop-rock neighborhood, rooted in song-driven rock and roll with a classic rock core, catchy hooks, and tunefully straining, emotional vocals.

Most of the songs Chris performed tonight were from his Into the Sun album. He kicked things off with one of my favorites from that disc, “All I Need.” It mixes a driving rhythm, catchy hook, and that little bit of emotional grit in the vocal that can make a song irresistible.

Chris followed that up with a heavier rockin’ edge on “Don’t Let Me Down,” before the band was joined onstage by Hannah for three songs, beginning with “Turn the Page,” again sporting Chris’ trademark hit radio-ready sound driven by hooks and emotional vocals. This song, in particular, reminds me of an old New Jersey band I loved back in the ’90s, Outcry, whose melodic college rock was one minor stroke of luck away from national recognition.

Chris Moreno; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Next up was “Reach for Me,” a song that softened the energy a bit thanks to Chris’ switch to acoustic guitar for this number. This is the song from Into the Sun that is most imbued with a Counting Crows vibe. And the sax, here in particular, added an extra coolness to this song. It’s a wonder more rock bands don’t perform with a saxophonist on stage; it adds a depth to some song segments and punctuates others.

After that, Chris slowed things down a little with the more melancholy-sounding “Try,” which was followed by a very cool cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” faster-paced that the original and with a smoother vocal. It’s smoother by comparison, anyway, as Chris’ voice usually embraces that hint of strained gravel, but “Fast Car” even had moments that showcased his vocal ability to hit some big, clean notes, something he doesn’t do particularly often.

Next up was a new song, “That Song,” a trademark Chris Moreno tune that creatively departed from the norm a bit in spots, with some interesting rhythms and guitar riffs adding a welcome, unique, different texture.

Chris Moreno; photo by Geoff Wilbur

Next-to-last was another personal favorite, “Finally Free,” as I particularly enjoy the way the song seems to coil and release. Late in the song, Eric Garibaldi delivered a stellar guitar solo to move the song along toward its end. This one’s also extra-cool because of the way Chris’ vocal moves around the melody a bit more than usual.

The band closed the night with “Closer To You,” a catchy crowd favorite, featuring a little extra texture in Chris’ vocal and more frantic strumming at the end. Great way to end the set.

Indeed, I wasn’t surprised by the caliber of Chris Moreno’s (and his band’s) performance. I had heard and loved the album, so I knew what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed. I look forward to catching another of his gigs when I get a chance, and I’d urge you to, as well. This dude writes catchy songs every bit as good – and just as catchy – as the best of mainstream pop-rock radio, and he surrounds himself with talented musicians.

Looking Ahead

The events page on The Holographics’ Facebook page shows a June 26th gig at Dusk in Providence, RI.

The gigs page on Heavy America’s website lists a show tonight, June 10, at the Carousel Lounge in Salisbury, MA.

And the tour page on Chris Moreno’s website is currently empty, but check back for shows to be added.

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