Show Review

As the flooding continues across the eastern seaboard, so does the music. On Wednesday night at the Mercury Lounge in Manhattan a twin bill of bare bones rock and rollers took the stage. The Detroit Cobras with openers Reigning Sound hit the Big Apple only a few shows into their national tour. While the rains fell outside, the brew and tunes swam inside.

Reigning Sound kicked things off with a spirited forearm shiver to the temple. Greg Cartwright tore through a collection of energetic songs flailing away on guitar and screaming passionate lyrics. The spastic gyrations and ramblings were excitingly soulful and clued the listener into the fact that when music has not one ounce of pretense in it, wonderful things can happen. Reigning Sound is currently a three piece with Lance Willie on drums and Jeremy Scott on bass. Unfortunately Scott couldn’t make the show so a female bass player filled in a bit tentatively, however, the guitar rock of Cartwright and the skin pounding of Willie more then made up for it. Playing power pop/soul originals and a few choice covers, including a well-placed Eric Carmen penned number, the group pumped up the packed house, even taking a few requests. Highlights were the raucous “We Repel Each Other” and “Your Love is a Fine Thing.” Cartwright showed command of the stage letting the manic steam build up for the rockers then having the presence to bring the tempo down for semi-ballads where he sounded a bit like a tired Bono. A solid set given the circumstances of having a substitute in a trio.

The smell of wet leather jackets filled the room as the Lounge packed them in for the Detroit Cobras. After an extended break they took the stage and the night went downhill from here, as it was clearly an off night for the Cobras. With Cartwright pulling double duty on lead guitar for the main act, he tried to carry over the energy of Reigning Sound’s set, but it was not to be. Half of the performers seemed completely out of sorts, including lead singer Rachel Nagy. On disc Nagy comes across as sexy and dangerous siren, during Wednesday nights show she had the stage presence and sex appeal of a 2x4. The first five songs saw her barely singing into the microphone, then continually asking the soundman to turn her up. It became almost laughable when 9 songs in, she asked the band to turn it down so she could hear herself sing and the band was nowhere near overwhelming in volume. After a countless number of live concerts this request, from a singer to her fellow band mates, was a first for me. Barely if ever opening her eyes, Nagy kept the audience at bay with her mellow; thorazine tinged crooning all night. It was a rough show for rhythm guitarist Mary Rameriez and drummer Kenny Tudrick as well, as they never really locking into a cohesive sound, which resulted in a sleepy night of music.

For a band that is fantastic on their most recent release “Baby,” this was certainly a let down of a concert, but the tour is just beginning, hopefully the live band will gel and fire things up for better gigs on the horizon.