Quiet Storm Band -- EJ's Landing - July 16 2010

Quiet Storm Band - In my limited area of HUD where I had worked until 2007, I got to know only a few people who knew music well enough to chat about. I also worked with two different guys who played in area bands. One played guitar in a rock covers band and did a pretty nice job the first time I saw them. The other had a reggae band going on that was quite enjoyable as well. So I was interested in seeing one of his present gigs as a bass player with a local R&B covers band. It is always a different experience for these bands versus those that tour or get gigs at the established clubs. Here, you go out and find someone interested, invite your friends, see who shows up to drink, eat and be entertained with comfortable music. And if they do it well, it can be far more interesting than the 58th 23-year old singer-songwriter you see confessing his "personal" angst over those three or four chords again and again. The band was loaded with players, rhythm section, percussion, two keyboardists and three singers. One keyboardist used his roland well to sample voices and simulate a saxophone pretty well (as there was not brass). The fare was pretty much R&B material from Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Mary J. Blige and others. The band carried the music forward with keyboards bass and rhythms. The other keyboards and guitar provided some nice texture while the three vocalists traded leads and backing keeping a nice balance. The sound was tricky but mostly quite good with some vocals being a bit harsh at times (well sung, just coming through kind of strong). The songs veered a bit towards hip-hop by the night's end and my second straight night may have created some delirium in my mind, but I was hearing some industrial post-punk hip-hop at the end (not too crazy I suppose considering some of Public Enemy that I have heard). But this was a nice set of songs well delivered. So do check this band of some of the other bands in your neighborhood making their music or their take on some classic music.

Quote of the Night: "I don't see anybody on the dance floor and I know we sound good" good more chuckles than dancers, but no one wants to see me dance. Trust me.