Setlist
Tour Dates
Oct 3 Norman, OK @ Univ of Oklahoma
Nov 22 Baton Rouge, LA @ Chelsea's Café Nov 25 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Nov 26 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge Nov 27 Boise ID @ Neurolux Nov 29 Seattle, WA @ Neptune Theatre Nov 30 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Dec 01 Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom Dec 02 Humboldt, CA @ Humboldt Brews Dec 03 San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore Dec 05 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre Dec 06 San Diego, CA @ House of Blues Dec 07 Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress Dec 08 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace Read More
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As the screen rose up to reveal the mainroom stage at First Avenue, a shriek similar to the one that starts James Brown’s ‘I Feel Good’ filled the room. Black Joe Lewis played guitar with his teeth and bass player Bill Stevenson threw his instrument up almost to the ceiling… and that was just during the first song. In support of their latest effort, Electric Slave (Vagrant Records), the Texas band brought the fire, funk, and soul to a 100 min. performance Tuesday night.
The evening began with a beefier-than-expected set from Seattle indie sextet, Pickwick, promoting their debut full-length, Can’t Talk Medicine (Small Press Records). Mid-tempo tunes like the album's opener, ‘Halls of Columbia’ and single ‘Hacienda Motel’ went off as expected, but the rest of their 45min. set was loud and direct, anchored by souled-out guitar riffs. Lead singer Galen Disston also somewhat resembles Aaron Johnson in ‘Kick-Ass’ and moved and shook with a similar clumsy ferocity.
Named after a 60’s NYC music label (that moved to Minneapolis in the ‘70s), the band endeared itself to crowd early on, mentioning their love of playing the city for the first time back in early April and driving through a blizzard to get here.
“Everything’s bigger in Texas” they say, and Austin-based Black Joe Lewis brought their full platter of soul, R & B, funk, punk, garage, and blues to a diverse crowd of young and old, mostly male, with couples scattered about the floor. The guitarist was ably backed by bass and drums and an enthusiastic three-piece horn section (Jason Frey, Derek Phelps, Joseph Woullar), that instigated the crowd most of the evening. The set concentrated on most of the new album, which is more guitar-laden, but the horns were also turned up in the mix and proved to be vital during most of the songs performed.
Wasting little time and playing selections in almost rapid-fire succession, the greatest crowd reactions seemed to be toward the older, more funk/R&B songs like ‘Mustang Ranch’, ‘Sugarfoot’, and ‘I’m Broke’, though it might have been due to the unfamiliarity of the newer tracks. The one political statement was Lewis dedicating ‘Guilty’ to George Zimmerman, he of the recent headlining Trayvon Martin case. The back half of the set really seem to catch fire with newest single ‘Skulldiggin’ and the main set closing cover of ‘Surfin’ Bird’ (which has its roots in MN as well).
The encore started right with the “booty block” of ‘Booty City’ and ‘Big Booty Woman’ but lost some momentum as it continued another 30 min, though ending nicely with a sharp ‘Bitch I Love You’. Still tabbed as an underground act, Black Joe Lewis shines on its melting pot of sound and is an experience to see live.
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PICKWICK
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Named after a 60’s NYC music label (that moved to Minneapolis in the ‘70s), the band endeared itself to crowd early on, mentioning their love of playing the city for the first time back in early April and driving through a blizzard to get here.
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Black Joe Lewis
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Photo of Setlist
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The encore started right with the “booty block” of ‘Booty City’ and ‘Big Booty Woman’ but lost some momentum as it continued another 30 min, though ending nicely with a sharp ‘Bitch I Love You’. Still tabbed as an underground act, Black Joe Lewis shines on its melting pot of sound and is an experience to see live.
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Black Joe Lewis at First Avenue, Minneapolis (10/01/13) |
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