Part concert, part frat party, and part religious revival, Vintage Trouble’s Boston performance last Tuesday was one hell of a good time. From the opening notes of the double timed blues progression of “High Times” lead singer Ty Taylor, whose stage persona exhibits a strange combination of James Brown and Iggy Pop, he made it clear the audience was to be the fifth band member. The band refers to its audience as “troublemakers;” given the college kids, yuppies, hippies and middle aged men and women in attendance its clear trouble comes in every form. As for the band themselves, their attire resembled “Mad Men” era suits.
Constantly cajoling the crowd to participate on the rocker “Low Down Dirty Dog,” Taylor made his vocal abilities and range evident early. From the simple blues progressions of the opening numbers, bassist Rick Barrio Dill and drummer Richard Danielson paced the band through the more soulful, “Still and Always Will” and “Lo and Behold”. Accomplished guitarist Nalle Colt torched the soul sound with over the top lead guitar fills at every opening. The bulk of the material was drawn from their initial “Bomb Shelter Sessions” and the recently released EP The Swing House Acoustic Sessions.
Taylor spent the evening constantly challenging the audience to provide either rhythm by way of clapping, supporting vocals, or louder applause. The delta blues of the 2014, single “Run Like The River” saw Taylor falling into the audience (and falling to the floor when no one caught him) and working the whole room including a dance session atop the back bar the jam session didn’t end until he was convinced the whole audience was committed.
Having raised the room temperature twenty degrees on what was a cold, rainy, Boston Fall night the band then moved into an acoustic set. Given the high energy of the opening numbers the transition to the softer sound was initially a little rocky, but the gospel tinged “Another’s Man’s Words” demonstrated that their musical capabilities far exceed that of an entertaining bar band. The band members contributed three-part harmony leaving Taylor to freelance vocally through the refrain. The acoustic set concluded with the country blues of “Nancy Lee”.
Having allowed the audience to catch their collective breath, Taylor literally was a whirling dervish through “Blues Hand Me Down” with the whole band moving and shaking across the small stage. Taylor went falsetto for the Motown “Nobody Told Me” before bringing down the house with “Strike Your Light.”
Photos by Marc Lacatell
One Response
Our trip with Vintage Trouble started 2 years ago, but on this tour it started on 9/27 in Burlington VT, 9/28 in Albany, and finished it off at Brighton Hall on the 30th. Am I a Trouble Maker? Through and through, full blooded. These guys are ore than just a band, they are friends, they are family. What is most magical about being a part of the Vintage Trouble experience, (because that’s what it is), is that no matter what negative things that are happening in your life, or in the world. Whatever bad things out there that are bringing you down, when you are at the show, none of those things matter. This band has that capability to transform the worst of moods into the most positive energy, even if it’s only for a little while, and the after effects are long lasting. You just feel good. Richard, Ty, Rick, and Nalle are the real deal. Amazing musicians onstage and off stage, four of the most down to earth people you will ever meet. Thank you gentelman for your music and moreover for you kindness and friendship.