Hello, all. Here we go, soaking up everything we can in these last weeks of summer. I hate even thinking about it, although second season is pretty cool. Anyway, happenings at the Steer Inn last weekend were pretty cool, too. Hats off, cudos and thank you very much to Skip for continually presenting some of the finest bands around - and even going further afield to bring us great music. The crowd last Fri. went absolutely ape for the Gas House Gorillas from New York. These guys had us up on the dance floor all night; yeah, even me, gimpy. Ya just can’t help it. The lyrics are clever and entertaining and the music and rhythm is so upbeat it’s hard to be still even for a slow song. This is what hip hop meant 50 or even 60 years ago but they’re calling it jump blues. They say everything comes full circle, right. It’s cool to get back to the roots of rock n’ roll. Gas House Gorillas are Rick Fink (vocals), Angelo Merendino (drums), Jerry Scaringe (upright bass), Dean Shot (guitar) & James White (sax). They have played at the Onset Blues Festival in Boston, in Cambridge, Framingham, Bethlehem, Chicago, Cleveland; at the Big Bender Blues Bash with Nick Curran; with Eddie Shaw; and opened for Ronnie Earl at the Blues Festival; and they played at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Festival in April, the biggest in the country. Speaking of ... they played Elvis’ “Viva Las Vegas” and it was the bomb! We loved it! I loved what their bio says about Rick Fink: “With a killer voice and a dangerous stage presence, Fink (after successfully fronting rock bands for years) found his true calling when he formed the Gas House Gorillas. His songwriting skills and boundless high energy performances blur the lines that separate Jump Blues, Rock, and Swing, creating a mixture of American music that transcends all walks of life. Rick has had a major label deal (Sony Records), a management deal, and several independent releases to his credit.” I was thrilled to have their CD, Five Gorillas Walk Into a Bar, that certainly demonstrates their rip-roarin’ style of music. They’ll be back in Nov. and you don’t want to miss them.
And speaking of Elvis ... there’s a young fella who looks a lot like the King, at a young age, who is scheduled to appear at The Steer Inn on Sat., Sept. 4th. His name is Chris Presley (?? coincidence? I’ll find out). And his band is called The Blue Moon Boys. This should be another good one.
Seems it was a Steer Inn kinda weekend ‘cause I was back on Sat. to hear Loud Love. I was blown away. They have really hit their groove with their new personnel in place; you can tell they’re havin’ a blast playing together and that translates into a blast for us. They work hard to create the right atmosphere, too. The bright yellow walls were draped in black behind the band and the two-foot drum riser for Scott LeClair’s massive drum kit that filled the entire stage. If you could put a sound to the visual performance it would be loud, too. These guys are in constant motion - all of them. Aubrey Bradley on guitar is the newest addition to the group joining Stretch Thompson on guitar (yeah, great guitar duos), Chuck Leo on bass and the amazing Mark Marshall on vocals. He’s one of the best I’ve ever heard, able to sing all those power rock songs, and he has an easy rapport with the audience and great flair, too. Well, no one can surpass Scott LeClair on drums for flair - the man is on fire. Well, not literally ... they won’t let him light his sticks, but he still puts on a show with glow-in-the-dark sticks and enough energy to light a city. The group brings in enough equipment to blow out a large concert hall but in the capable hands of soundman Ed Macciola, the balance was perfect - you could actually hear the lyrics! It was a great show that I highly recommend if you love to rock it out - with Loud Love.
M.R. Ducks was filled with the sounds of Tranzfusion on Sunday - the ultimate classic album cover band. It’s been a pleasure this summer to hear Bob Davis’ (keyboard) kids, Mardi & Will, play as the Intravenous Horn Section. They have blossomed in the last few years into very accomplished young musicians, adding so much pizzazz to the show. Keep it up - you’re great! Tranzfusion will play Fri. night at The Steer Inn but I don’t think the young ones will be allowed; maybe in a few years, right? Meanwhile M.R. Ducks will feature a very cool band tonight, Fri., called Jimi Smooth and the HitTime. Jimi is known as Mr. Move & Groove so I imagine he earned that moniker groovin’ to such songs as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” Here’s a few other cool classics they play to give you an idea of their R&B funkiness: Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Tighten Up,” Ben E King’s “Stand By Me,” Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” Commodores’ “Brickhouse,” Elvis Presley’s “Jail House Rock,” Jr. Walker’s “Shotgun,” Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On,” and more and more from artists ranging from the Four Tops to James Brown to Sam And Dave. Wow, lookin’ at this song list is gettin’ me excited to hear them - can’t wait.
Members of the band are, of course, Jimi Smooth who the bio says “sings with a powerful growling deep baritone and is a frenetic dancing sensation.” Bring it on! Michael Zakee Jones is on lead & rhythm guitar, keyboards & vocals. Jackie Lee is also on lead and rhythm guitar and provides vocals, too, and has been around the world with groups like Wilson Pickett & Bobby Parker. Steven Thomas is on bass guitar “emphasizing that down home funky bottom” connecting with Craig Campbell on drums, “the driving force behind the band’s universal sound.” Yey, they have a horn man, Dave Loevinger, a “dynamic saxophonist whose artistic ability brings about a melodic flavor.” Here’s a new one on me, Steve Anderson on EVI, which stands for Electronic Valve Instrument. We’ve gotta check this out, right? See you at M.R. Ducks Friday for great music plus a great show.
I went to hear The Chest Pains at Charlie’s Bayside last Wed. and had a great time. Guess I wrote about them in last week’s column but, you know what, they’re going to be playing at Fager’s Island this Sunday night, so I’m gonna talk about them again. The Sunday Concert Tribute Series at Fager’s have been unbelievable all summer long and it’s so cool that this Sun. is a tribute to ‘80s music featuring our local guys in The Chest Pains. This was the hottest band around when they first formed in the ‘80s with Byron Anthony on guitar & vocals and Jeff Davis on bass. Jeff has continued to play in various bands over the years including Full Circle now. Watching Byron perform one can see that the music is in his blood and he just had to come back and resurrent his band. So he and Jeff invited Chris Button & Joe Mama to join and the combination has been pure magic. We’re all familiar with Chris’ guitar wizardry and Joe Mama is one of the most amazing percussionists you’ll ever see. With this amazing combination of excellent musicians, a set list that is loaded with nostaglic classic music, and a visual performance that is energetic and infectious, you can’t help but have a terrific time. Add to that the incredible lighting and sound system at Fager’s Island and you have a show you don’t want to miss - Sunday night at Fager’s Island.
I’m looking forward to hearing Jay Hoad at Fager’s Island tonight - ‘course that show will be over when you read this but you can catch him Friday night at Davey Jones Locker Room on the Boardwalk. If you haven’t discovered this place yet, it’s high time you did. You may think it’s a hassle to get parking, etc., but particularly at night, the Inlet parking is a snap. Anyway, they have awesome food and great music. Aaron Howell will play Sun. And if you like to sing yourself, join them for Karaoke fun Sat., Tues. & Wed.
Okay, so remember, Jay Hoad won’t be around much longer ‘cause he’s just spending the summer with us, then on to the Caribbean and returning to Australia and more world touring elsewhere. You’ll want to hear this talented guy while you still can. He’ll be at Sunset Grille Sat. and at Micky Fins on Tues. I guarantee you’ve never heard anyone else incorporate so many musical instruments into his act. Read Sonic Notes and Jenny will tell you all about it. Til next time, have a great time in beautiful Ocean City and party safe!
