Show Review

For me, Steve Kimock Band shows put me in a place—spiritually— that only a handful of bands out there can put me in. And it’s an even smaller handful of bands on this planet that manage to make my jaw drop every time I see them live which, thanks to Mr. Kimock and drummer Rodney Holmes, is the case with this under appreciated unit. This particular show on May Day at The Jungle in Eugene was no exception to this rule, as I found myself scooping my mandible off the hardwood once again.

That being said, it was probably on the lower end of the totem pole of Steve Kimock shows I’ve seen, and might rank dead last of shows featuring this current lineup (also including Mitch Stein on guitar and Leo Traversa on bass). The band looked tired and I felt it showed slightly in their playing, specifically in the overall tightness of the band as a whole. They opened with “Bad Hair,” a personal favorite that never found it’s glory on this night which was okay because next we got treated to a very good “Electric Wildlife” which Traversa (the most recent addition to the group although he’s been Kimock’s main bass man for over a year now) really seems to have taken a liking to and always adds his hypnotic stamp on. Up next came the familiar “Why Can’t We All Just Samba” which features Steve on lap steel, I understand they haven’t been playing this one as often as they used to although it seems to follow me from show to show. I’m never averse to hearing it again and this one was solid, although maybe slightly directionless and unfocused at times. On the plus side, “Samba” did supply one of the darker jams of the night. “Baby Baby,” another personal favorite was unusually sloppy, or at least as “sloppy” as these guys get which is still tighter than almost anything else available. The ending was drastically flubbed prompting all four band members to look at one another as Kimock finally and awkwardly brought back the opening riff that also closes the song.

Generally I’m not a drum solo guy; in fact I see most drum solos as the queue for a bathroom break, but not when the man on the kit is Rodney Holmes. Holmes is to the drums what Jimi Hendrix was to the guitar. His solos blow me away every time. This solo blew my mind again, what a surprise. His poly rhythmic showcases are not to be missed. Eventually Rodney’s hurricane limbs calmed and slowly began tapping the beginning notes of “Bronx Experiment,” one of the few originals in the rotation written by Holmes, or anyone other than Kimock for that matter. This is a ferocious, un-relenting number and was one of the better songs of the night. It was clear to me at this point that Rodney was supplying most, if not all of the energy in this set so it wasn’t much of a surprise to hear “Malichi” next, a composition apparently written for his Grandfather of the same name, to close the set. This song is triumphant in nature as it closes with a glorious melody repeated over and over but somehow on this night it lacked it’s usual oomph. Set break.

The second set, although it still fell below my lofty expectations, had many more high points than the preceding set. It opened very spacey with Steve on what seems to be his signature axe, the Explorer (custom made by Charles LoBue), and about 10 minutes in Steve played the beautiful opening notes that represent the beginning of a musical voyage throughout the wide open spaces of “It’s Up To You.” This was a very strong version, as the band stretched out maybe even more than usual, as the signs of fatigue present in the prior set were being brushed aside for the time being. The fun rarity “Yabba Dabba Do” was a refreshing contrast to the opening number, though far from a showstopper. Up next was a chilling instrumental rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s ballad, “Many Rivers to Cross,” complete with soul bending guitar licks in place of Cliff’s equally moving vocals. “Arf, She Cried” is always another eye opener/jaw dropper, specifically at the conclusion of the jam where Rodney once again defies physics bringing the song back to earth. The up-tempo Mingus classic, “Better Get Hit in Yo Soul,” came next and was a fairly standard version, with Kimcok showing off his nimble fingers. “Avalon,” in it’s usual place as a set/show ender was a microcosm of the show as a whole; solid, if not spectacular.

The show was good, but I’ve come to expect nothing less than good from these guys; in fact I really expect nothing short of mind blowing when I attend a SKB concert. This particular show fell somewhere between good and mind blowing, but at roughly $20 a ticket, who’s going to be upset with that, even if you do have to labor to get your jaw back in working order.

Photos courtesy of Arielle Phares at kimock.com.