Avey Grouws Band Review

Avey Grouws Band Review

Avey Grouws Band Review

Avey Grouws Band Review

Birdrock Taco Shack, October 13, 2022

Put this band on your radar!

Based in Iowa, the Avey Grouws Band is on a limited tour of Florida and stopped into Bradenton to perform a wonderful show at Birdrock Taco Shack.

Unlike it’s sister restaurant, Cottonmouth southern soul Kitchen, Birdrock sustained limited damage from Hurricane Ian and is up and running  bringing the best of blues to Bradenton. In the comfortable and roomy courtyard at the “shack” Avey Grouws showed the audience why they are two-time International Blues Challenge semi-finalists.

Led by the powerful guitarist Chris Avey, and the equally strong vocalist Jeni Grouws, the band for this show included Nashville-based bassist Calvin Johnson (Tas Cru), keyboardist and vocalist Leo Albertoni (Toronzo Cannon), and drummer Bryan West. The tight and professional show contained mostly original songs from a series of albums, including the latest Tell Tale Heart, which debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Blues Album Chart.

Right out of the gate we heard Jeni’s powerful and dynamic voice with “Hearts Playing Tricks,” and not to be outdone Chris and his impressive guitar skills showcased on a version of “Black Cat Bone.” Presenting their quirky and humorous side, the band performed the first of a few “drinking” songs – “Two Days Off (And A Little Bit of Liquor).” As Jeni described, this song’s lyrics, like many do, came from keeping ears open to what others are saying.

Rotating to their first EP Road To Memphis, Chris took vocal lead on “Hard Times.” Returning to the second recording The Devil May Care, “Let Me Sing The Blues” gave Leo time to shine on the keyboard. The lovely song “There For Me” showed the bands tight vocal harmonies and might have been my favorite moment of the evening.

Local guitarist Vincent Sims, who became familiar with the band while on tour with Lauren Mitchell, was in attendance and Jeni asked Vincent to the stage. Vincent sat in on while Jeni sang “Love Me Like A Man,” and then with Chris as they traded licks on “Early In The Morning.” Good stuff!

Peppering the shows with stories from the road, many which had the crowd laughing, the band ended the first set after crushing their “Dig What You Do,” again with some nice vocal harmonies – this time with Jeni and Chris.

“Dirty Little Secret,” well, you will have to attend a show to find out what this song is about! But the secret is in “the way you roll.” A version of Albert Collins’ “Honey Hush!” was most enjoyable. “Let’s Take it Slow’ brought the tempo down and that song was responded to by  “I’d Rather Be Drunk,” a fast-paced song reminiscent of “Mojo.”  The show concluded with a rocking version “Love Raining Down.”

This is a gem of a band. What a fun time at Birdrock Taco Shack with Avey Grouws Band!

There are two more opportunities for you to see the band:

10/22 – Buckingham Blues Bar (opening for Damon Fowler)

10/23 – Camping With The Blues

 

By Scott Morris, Treasurer, Suncoast Blues Society

 

Alex Lopez Band CD Release Party August 12, Sarasota FL

Alex Lopez Band CD Release Party August 12, Sarasota FL

Alex Lopez Band CD Release Party August 12, Sarasota FL

Alex Lopez Band CD Release Party
August 12, Sarasota FL

Tampa-based musician Alex Lopez brought his powerful band, The Xpress, to the Browne’s Lab Theatre at Florida Studio Theatre (FST) for a party to celebrate the release of Nasty Crime. And what a party it was as Alex and the band treated the large turnout to a non-stop energetic set of music that left the crowd standing in applause.

Taking the stage in the intimate, and quite lovely, room at FST, Alex and the band played primarily from the new release. “No Way” set the tone and got the band engaged early, as Alex wove crafty lyrics and licks around the up-tempo beat of this song. Flowing seamlessly from song to song “Just Wait” turned up the heat and highlighted the understated licks that he delivers.
Alex paused to introduce the concept behind his music writing philosophy and that properly set the scene for the title track, “Nasty Crime.” The Xpress (Kana Leimbach on drums, Steve Roberts on bass, Kenny Hoye on keys) kept up a driving beat, with Kenny tossing in some nice keyboard runs to counterpoint Alex and his guitar.

The slower bluesy “When The Sun Goes Down” followed. This song contains poignant lyrics that Alex crafted after reflection on life’s twists and turns. “Holy Woman” has a funky blues feel and is Alex’s tribute to the positive impact women make in the world. Scalding guitar licks accompanied this song.
Kana Leimbach drumming kicked off the next song, the current recording’s rocking first cut “World On Fire.” Alex showed his slide guitar skills, weaving slide rhythm with lead licks.
Concluding the formal sequence of Nasty Crimes songs, Alex played the recording’s final song, “That’s Alright.” Kenny on keys, and Alex, traded off during the lovely melody. Alex’s measured guitar response and solo gave this performance immense charm and kept me quite entertained, enough to call this my favorite moment of the evening.

Transitioning away from the current release, Alex performed the title to 2017’s Slowdown. Playing from 2021’s Rising Up, the band performed the title track, and “Paradise”. Yours Truly, Me (2019) contributed the bluest song of this evening, “Take Me Back Home”. A lovely song with an equally compelling slide guitar. Most enjoyable. On this evening, the same recording contributed “Tush,” a funky version of the ZZ Top classic.
Returning to Slowdown, the blues punctuated “Stolen,” and was followed by “Dangerous.” That wrapped the formal performance, and after a break of few seconds the encore kicked of with “Light It Up,” and the show concluded with “Even Up The Score.” One hour, forty-five minutes of non-stop fun!
– Scott Morris, Treasurer, Suncoast Blues Society
(Photos by author)

Alastair Greene Band at Side Door

Alastair Greene Band at Side Door

Alastair Greene Band at Side Door

Alastair Greene Band

Side Door, July 15. 2022

A large and enthusiastic crowd of rock-blues fans greeted Alastair Greene Band at Suncoast Blues Society’s show at The Side Door at The Palladium in St Petersburg.

Recently relocated from “SoCal” to Austin, TX, Alastair’s tour of the southeast came to St Pete to play at the always comfortable Side Door. The band consists of Alastair Greene on lead guitar, vocals, and song writing; Lonnie Trevino, Jr. on bass and backing vocals; and Luis Balderas on drums.

Playing from his collection of songs the show began with the instrumental Back at the Poor House from the recording 2020’s “The New World Blues”. This set the tone for what became a night heavy with rock blues and Alastair depth fretwork. Sprinkling the show with storytelling and jokes, Alastair described Living Today as a song written prior to the events of the past few years but one that none-the-less fit very well as a positive message on how to deal with  the struggles we all endured.

My favorite song from “The New World Blues” turned out to be Alastair’s as well. Bayou Mile allowed Alastair to describe some of the journey to Houma, Louisiana to make the recording at Tab Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou studio. Given the recent challenges with air travel I can’t help but think that Alastair in his songwriting has a knack for crafting songs that while event-based do not go stale.

Alastair’s witty humor shown through in the preamble to Down To Memphis. From the 2017 release “Dream Train”, Alastair discussed that he wrote the song while listening to a cab driver tell stories in Memphis. And suggested that after “8,000 or so” playing’s of the song from one of the digital streaming services that Alastair may earn enough to send the cabby, oh a $1.50!

Also, from “Dream Train” the band played Lucky 13 and Big Bad Wolf. All three of the songs, plus Lawdy Mama were highlights of this evening and appear on the live recording “Live From The 805”, a 2018 release of a live performance in Santa Barbara, California. For those who could not attend this show this live recording comes close to mirroring the energy in the room during the Side Door show.

Alastair paid homage to Tab, Debbie Davis, and played a version of Peter Green’s Merry Go Round, a song that shows while Alastair can rock with the best of them, he also has deep blue’s chops. As he does so well, Alastair combined both genres and played Robert Johnson’s Stop Breaking Down Blues, in a style that was closer to The Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street” version than Robert’s original.

Concluding the show, the band returned to the 2009 release “Walking In Circles” with their version of Cut You Loose. While this evening’s version was not as incendiary as the recording, this was an entertaining way for the band to conclude the formal show. This performance had the band building up the tempo, backing it off, and then taking the beat to an even higher level. The audience leapt to their feet for a standing ovation and hearing the requests for an encore the band returned with a blistering version of Johnny Winter’s Mean Town Blues.

For a review of The New World Blues

  • Scott Morris

Treasurer, Suncoast Blues Society

(Photos by the author)

 

2022 Tampa Bay Blues Fest Tickets

2022 Tampa Bay Blues Fest Tickets

2022 Tampa Bay Blues Fest Tickets

*** FINAL DAY FOR TICKETS is March 30th 2022 ***

Tampa Bay Blues Fest is coming soon, and Suncoast Blues Society (SBS) will be back in their usual place next to the artist’s tent.

And what a great lineup – you are not going to want to miss this!

If you are a current member of SBS, you are eligible to receive a $10 discount on your ticket(s) so the cost for members will be:

  • Friday general admission – $50
  • Saturday general admission – $50
  • Sunday general admission – $40

Purchase your tickets through SBS website. (https://suncoastblues.org/product/2022-tampa-bay-blues-fest-tickets/)

You will receive a confirmation and your name will be placed on the “will-call” list at the gate.

If you are not a current member, you can sign up today to take advantage of this offer. https://suncoastblues.org/product/sbs-membership/

If you have any questions, contact Jesse at membership@suncoastblues.org

 

Concert Review: Tom Craig Band Art’s Garage – Delray Beach, February 6, 2022

Concert Review: Tom Craig Band Art’s Garage – Delray Beach, February 6, 2022

Concert Review: Tom Craig Band Art’s Garage – Delray Beach, February 6, 2022

Tom Craig Band

Art’s Garage – Delray Beach, February 6, 2022

Pennsylvania bluesman Tom Craig returned to Florida for a series of shows, one of which was his debut with his band at the iconic Art’s Garage in Delray Beach.

For this show Tom brought from Pennsylvania Drummer Jay and included Suncoast Blues Society members “Detroit” Mike Hepner on keyboards and Bill Hubbard on bass. The day got off to an interesting start as during sound check Mike noticed the grand piano on stage and asked for the piano to be wired for sound. This surprise was a sign of fun things to come during this performance.

With one exception, Tom’s show on this evening contained all original material. After beginning the show with “Working Too Hard” the band continued with the next song from Good Man Gone Bad,  “What a Man’s Gotta Do.” This song was notable for Mike’s outstanding solo on the grand piano.

Switching to Tom’s first recording (with Soul Patch) Get Ready for Me, “She Did it To Me” Tom provided back story for this song and the storytelling continued throughout the evening as the crowd embraced this part of the show. Fresh off The Legendary Blues Cruise, Kat Riggins entered the venue and that put an additional spark into Tom’s already on point performance.

On this night Tom’s vocals during the ballad “Ballroom Dancer” were among the best that I’ve heard. Already a soulful singer and songwriter, Tom seemed to have provided an extra bit of emotion into the performance of this song. It carried his vocals to a higher level and gave this reviewer a deeper appreciation for the song.

“Soul In My Blues” got the crowd up dancing, and additional crowd favorites included “Can’t Help Myself,” a deeply bluesy and quite pleasing version of “Nothing That a Man Can’t Do,” and wonderfully told back stories for “Louita” and “Headhunter.”

On this evening, the title track “Good Man Gone Bad” was exceptional. The inclusion of Mike Hepner’s playing on the grand piano gave this song a unique quality – one that I hope to hear again. This song and that instrument are meant for each other.

Deep into what became a single set performance, Tom introduced to the stage Keesha Pratt, and the band launched into a trio of songs, including a mash-up of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” and “The Thrill Is Gone.” Keesha departed the stage after the audience participated in a smart version of “Stand by Me.”

Tom concluded this fantastic night of crowd-pleasing music with “Treat Your Daddy Nice,” “It’s All My Fault” – notable for the marvelous samba beat laid down by Jay  –  and the band left the stage to a standing ovation after “When You Love a Bluesman.”

This was a different performance than when Tom last toured Florida. Many of the songs were the same but Tom changed beats, tones, and emphasis and that put a different spin on favorites. Tom continues to evolve as a musician and that produced to a nice evening and fun times at Art’s Garage.

(Tom Craig Band will be appearing at Cottonmouth Southern Soul Kitchen on Friday, February 11, 2022. Reservations can be made at https://cottonmouthsoul.com/reservations/)

  • Scott Morris, Suncoast Blues Society

 

Tas Cru’s Blues Alive @ Music Compound, Sarasota

Tas Cru’s Blues Alive @ Music Compound, Sarasota

Tas Cru’s Blues Alive @ Music Compound, Sarasota

Tas Cru’s Blues Alive

Music Compound, Sarasota

February 3, 2022, 1:00 – 2:30pm

Join Suncoast Blues Society and Music Compound as we present an afternoon of blues entertainment and education at Music Compound. This free of charge all-ages event will entertain and inform. Tas will perform, discuss blues history, entertain you, and answer your questions in this 90-minute program.

Tas Cru is an international touring blues professional who is enthusiastic about blues education. Tas states:

“To me, there is nothing more important that I do as a blues performer than blues education! Blues is a uniquely American music that along with gospel and jazz is one of America’s most precious gifts to the world. Blues is the musical foundation for all forms of pop music with its influence spanning seven generations.

I am blessed to have had so many opportunities to work with young and old across the country as we educate each other about what it is that makes us love the blues.”

About The event

This is a free limited capacity event. The facility has limited  parking during the day, and carpooling is recommended. We will cap ticket requests when the number of spaces has reached capacity, so make your reservations early! Reservations are available at Tas Cru Blues Alive Reservations

About Tas Cru

Tas Cru is truly a blues eclectic who refuses to let his music be bound to just one blues style. With a repertoire of over ninety original songs from multiple albums and dozens of crowd-pleasing classics, this seasoned performer gives folks what they want. Tas has been called one of the most unique of bluesmen plying his trade today. His songs testify to his reputation as a bluesman who is accomplished in, and comfortable with most every style of blues. As a writer Tas wants each song to determine what style is the better fit  and that’s why fans love his stuff and critics sing his praises.