Life’s been pretty good for ALO lately.
They are celebrating the recent release of their fourth album on Brushfire Records, Sounds Like This, were named by Rolling Stone Magazine as a SXSW “Can’t Miss Act” and have scores of appearances scheduled this summer at the country’s top festivals including Bonnaroo, High Sierra (one of their personal favorites) and Gathering of the Vibes. After kicking off the tour on Wednesday night at Brooklyn Bowl, ALO brought their act to Boston to help support the new album. On Thursday afternoon, not only did they do an intimate in-store performance at Life is good’s flagship store on Newbury Street and follow it up with a full electric show at Brighton’s Music Hall, it was also announced that they had been tapped to perform at this fall’s Life is good Festival in Canton, Mass. ALO performed at 2009’s Life is good Festival at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, but this will be their first performance at Boston’s only multi-day music festival.
Formed over 20 years ago in California, Animal Liberation Orchestra (ALO) have continued to evolve their signature sound which wraps funk, Americana, jam-band, acoustic and imaginative lyrics into a deliriously infectious live show. ALO consists of Steve Adams on Bass, Dave Brogan on percussion, Zach Gill on keys & ukulele and Lebo on guitar and pedal steel. All members add vocals to the great vibe and sound that is so distinctly theirs.
Sounds Like This was purposely put together and recorded to capture the live essence of a concert which typically finds the audience wrapped up and part of the show. Audience interaction, sing along, clapping and participation have long been hallmarks of an ALO show. In a post-set interview, Zach said that in creating the album, he wanted to close his eyes and imagine every song being performed live on New Year’s Eve at the Fillmore. The album fluidly moves from song to song with tracks that seamlessly blend funk, vocal harmonies, catchy lyrics and straight out rock & roll. Mission accomplished.
Constantly adding to their “musical palette,” expect to get not only a nice dose of these new tunes at upcoming shows but many of the classics as well. ALO hopes that this album lays the groundwork for the next couple of years, yet they are conscientiously not playing every track off of Sounds Like This in concert. However, if the reception to the new tunes at both Brooklyn Bowl and Life is good is any indication, fans will be clamoring for the new songs and many will become favorites.
[Blew Out The Walls]
ALO’s mini-set kicked off with the second track off of the new album, Blew Out The Walls, and included another song from the new album in Storms And Hurricanes. Also played was the long-time classic Barbeque and Try from 2007’s Roses & Clover. Storms And Hurricanes is a perfect example of what ALO is all about. The inventive sound of Zach’s ukulele, great feel-good vibe, dance-able and a comforting feeling of familiarity even on the first time you hear it is a terrific combination.
Check out ALO at coming shows across the East Coast, Southeast and Mid-West.
And of course, mark your calendars for September 22nd and 23rd in Canton.
[Storms And Hurricanes]
