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Vintage Trouble at Amsterdam Bar
Vintage Trouble Setlist
Tour Dates
06 December 2019 Globe Hall, Denver, CO
08 December 2019 Top Hat, Missoula, MT 09 December 2019 The Crocodile, Seattle, WA 10 December 2019 Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR 12 December 2019 The New Parish, Oakland, CA 13 December 2019 El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA Read More
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Closing in on finishing their first decade together, Vintage Trouble still “can’t stop rollin’” as the Los Angeles foursome returned to the area, playing to an enthusiastic crowd at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall in downtown St. Paul.
The evening’s openers were Queens, NY rock band Hollis Brown, named after a classic Bob Dylan song (“The Ballad of Hollis Brown” but probably still get the inevitable question of which one’s Hollis). Mike Montali (vocals/guitar) and Jonathan Bonilla (lead guitar) head the band, alongside Andrew Zehnal (drums) and Adam Bock (keys/vocals) and their latest release is Ozone Park, released in June.
The band has previously supported the likes of Counting Crows, Citizen Cope, Heartless Bastards, and Jesse Malin and plays music in a similar vein to those acts and was well received by the Amsterdam crowd, with the band capping its generous 45-minute set by playing its homage to the legendary actor nicknamed The Duke, ‘John Wayne’.
The audience swelled as the set break was ending and lights framed the Vintage Trouble logo backdrop at center stage. Their local audience has steadily grown, thanks in part to previous high-profile appearances such as opening for The Who and playing the Chipotle Cultivate Festival, as well as good word of mouth from their own memorable headlining shows.
The new album is actually two EPs, Chapter II – EP I and EP II (on McGhee Entertainment), each with both electric and acoustic versions of new songs that represent a more modern sound, versus the retro-soul powered blues rock of their previous albums.
The foursome’s (Ty Taylor -vocals; Nalle Colt – guitar; Rick Barrio Dill- bass; Richard Danielson- drums) wardrobe has slightly changed as well, slightly less structured and not wearing ties (at least this night), though still stylish and dapper, and the quartet entered as they always have – gathering for an encouraging huddle and shaking each other’s hands, before cutting loose for their ninety-minute set.
“Get your hands together!” swaggering singer Taylor intro’d, but the audience didn’t need any additional encouragement, already in the mood for a good time. Danielson’s rapid beat and Dill’s bass anchored the opening song, further riling up the audience and (Viggo Mortensen lookalike) guitarist Colt was in his usual understated but fine form all night.
“Can we dance together in this room?’ Taylor asked as the swaying ‘Doin’ What You Were Doin’ followed, with Taylor noticing the snow on the ground and saying “the best part of it being cold outside, is to be warm inside together” cuing up a classic-sounding ballad, ‘My Whole World Stopped Without You’.
The grinding ‘Pelvis Pusher’ was played early in the set, rounded out more wholly with the help of a new female touring vocalist, and the new songs began with one of the very newest, a slow burner released online just a week prior, called ‘Can’t Let Go’.
The small club was transformed into a juke joint for the new ‘Can’t Stop Rollin’ and exhilarating classic ‘Run Like the River’ found singer Taylor literally everywhere in the club– high-fiving patrons as he went from corner to corner, eventually standing on a back table to dive into the crowd and get carried on fans’ hands, back to the front stage.
One of Taylor’s biggest musical heroes are Booker T. Jones and Otis Redding, and the two influences came together as Jones asked Taylor to cover Redding’s ‘These Arms of Mine’ on his new record, which the band reproduced live, both faithfully and soulfully.
The trio stretched its musical muscles during the instrumental ‘Get It’ giving Taylor a brief breather (but, surprisingly, no wardrobe change), ending with the stomping and very appropriate ‘Knock Me Out’, which was a pounding finish and killer main set-ending blow.
The one-song encore was another Troublemaker favorite and band classic, ‘Blues Hand Me Down’ that had Taylor twirling like a top to start the song and the band unrelenting in contagious rhythm, ending the song acapella as the foursome smartly marched directly to the merch booth for a crowd ready to meet and congratulate them on a breathtaking set.
Still (for some reason) one of rock’s best kept secrets, any chance to see Vintage Trouble live (especially in a small and intimate club) is well worth the opportunity, and you may have just discovered your new favorite band in the process.
(click on any photo below to enlarge and see full image)
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Vintage Trouble Setlist |
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Vintage Trouble at Amsterdam Bar and Hall, St. Paul (04 Dec 2019) |
